POFW 22/23

[Jonesy83]

https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/article/2526-playoff-finals-weekend-2023

We’re delighted to publish ticket details for this season’s Premier Sports Playoff Finals Week, which takes place on Saturday 15 April and Sunday 16 April 2023 at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.

Tickets for the season-ending finale, which sees two Semi-Finals on Saturday, followed by a 3rd vs. 4th playoff and the Premier Sports Playoff Final on Sunday, will go on sale with Earlybird prices for weekend tickets starting on 31 October. Earlybird prices will run until 23:59 on 31 December, after which weekend tickets will be set at standard prices.

Earlybird prices - Weekend tickets (Valid from 31st October until 11.59pm on 31st December 2022):

• Adult - £99
• Concessions* - £79
• Family: 2 Adults + 2 concessions - £338

Standard prices - Weekend tickets (Valid from 1st January 2023):

• Adult - £109
• Concessions* - £89
• Family: 2 Adults + 2 concessions - £368

*Concessions: Over 60s, Students, Under 16s, Disabled Customers. Family tickets must be purchased in 4’s (2 Adults & 2 Concessions). Please note that concession and family tickets will be checked via a separate entrance for this event.

Further details concerning the ticket sale, such as online bookings and teams that will sell directly themselves, block allocations, and a dedicated number for disabled access seating, will be published ahead of 31 October.

 

[Diafol]

So the anticipated U-turn on family tickets and concessions has been confirmed.
Quite right too.

Tickets on sale very early too, isn't it usually January ?
Maybe the league are hoping the extra 3 months in interest will cover the shortfall in the bank account.

 

[E.D.S.]

Positive in the sense that it isn't the madness of last year but aren't these prices still a big step up from where they used to be - even allowing for Covid and the current economic challenges?

 

[pjj365]

Positive in the sense that it isn't the madness of last year but aren't these prices still a big step up from where they used to be - even allowing for Covid and the current economic challenges?

But no day tickets yet

 

[E.D.S.]

Oh!! Good point. I missed that. May be they come later. Not ideal

 

[Diafol]

Positive in the sense that it isn't the madness of last year but aren't these prices still a big step up from where they used to be - even allowing for Covid and the current economic challenges?

Not sure about full price tickets but concession weekend tickets for the last few years have been:

2018 £62
2019 £64
2022 £120
2023 £89

 

[E.D.S.]

Not sure about full price tickets but concession weekend tickets for the last few years have been:

2018 £62
2019 £64
2022 £120
2023 £89

That's a big jump (ignoring the 2022 farce). I wonder what the masses will think. They voted with their feet last year. May be they hope people will compare these prices to last season and see the league have listened, and not look broader but it still feels like the league have dropped another ball.

I do love Todd’s candid nature. He always fronts up. “We screwed up!” Can’t fault him. Can’t imagine it was his decision last year to hike the prices but he’s the one facing the camera.

 

[Milky]

That's a big jump (ignoring the 2022 farce). I wonder what the masses will think. They voted with their feet last year. May be they hope people will compare these prices to last season and see the league have listened, and not look broader but it still feels like the league have dropped another ball.

Not in the slightest, couldn’t disagree more. You’re comparing prices from 2018 and 2019 to those for 2023. In between we’ve had the Covid pandemic, rampant inflation, war in Ukraine and energy costs that have more than doubled (for domestic customers - significantly more for businesses). speak to any business owner and ask them how close to going under they are.
I’d imagine the energy costs of a venue like Nottingham are huge but the business running the venue will still want to make a profit on the weekend (and probably recoup some losses from 2020 to 2021).
On top of that, sadly a number of teams in the league only stay in existence because of the money that is made from playoff weekend as the rest of the year they run at a loss.
I think it would be safe to say that (Neil Black aside), no one is getting rich off running a hockey club in the UK.

 

[pjj365]

Not in the slightest, couldn’t disagree more. You’re comparing prices from 2018 and 2019 to those for 2023. In between we’ve had the Covid pandemic, rampant inflation, war in Ukraine and energy costs that have more than doubled (for domestic customers - significantly more for businesses). speak to any business owner and ask them how close to going under they are.
I’d imagine the energy costs of a venue like Nottingham are huge but the business running the venue will still want to make a profit on the weekend (and probably recoup some losses from 2020 to 2021).
On top of that, sadly a number of teams in the league only stay in existence because of the money that is made from playoff weekend as the rest of the year they run at a loss.
I think it would be safe to say that (Neil Black aside), no one is getting rich off running a hockey club in the UK.

I get all this but a 32% jump on 2019 is hard to take for many with everything else going on
Time will tell if its affordable but if not you can't blame the league and venue alone

 

[Diafol]

It's not just the ticket prices though.
I've been to every POFW since about 2009 and it's the hotels which are putting me off going this time around.

I could (and probably will) get a week in the Canary Islands for what I'd spend on a weekend in Nottingham.

 

[E.D.S.]

Not in the slightest, couldn’t disagree more. You’re comparing prices from 2018 and 2019 to those for 2023. In between we’ve had the Covid pandemic, rampant inflation, war in Ukraine and energy costs that have more than doubled (for domestic customers - significantly more for businesses). speak to any business owner and ask them how close to going under they are.
I’d imagine the energy costs of a venue like Nottingham are huge but the business running the venue will still want to make a profit on the weekend (and probably recoup some losses from 2020 to 2021).
On top of that, sadly a number of teams in the league only stay in existence because of the money that is made from playoff weekend as the rest of the year they run at a loss.
I think it would be safe to say that (Neil Black aside), no one is getting rich off running a hockey club in the UK.

That's ok. If you think a 30% jump is justifiable and right then good for you. No harm done. It'll mean different things to different people.

 

[The_Puck]

That's ok. If you think a 30% jump is justifiable and right then good for you. No harm done. It'll mean different things to different people.

I don't think he's saying it's justifiable, he's saying that everything price wise has gone up from a few years ago. There's more money going into each team, therefore more money is needed from POFW. I think the ticket prices are reasonable and are much better than the farce that was last year. But then again you can never please everyone.

 

[Earnie]

Concession early bird is £79

 

[kettdevil1]

Positive in the sense that it isn't the madness of last year but aren't these prices still a big step up from where they used to be - even allowing for Covid and the current economic challenges?

Sorry to use your post as a quote EDS and not picking on you but just wanted everyone's views on how much it should cost? I don't actually think £99 is bad, especially as the concessions have come back but for those of you who disagree, how much would you charge?

The point about hotels is a good one but outside the control of EIHL so maybe should be set aside when looking at actual prices of tickets.

Pleased sense has been seen and Todd is so good at the 'we've cocked up' video

 

[Diafol]

I agree the hotel issue is nothing to do with the league, but it is a factor when deciding whether to attend or not.
Unless you live in Nottingham of course

 

[Devil94]

If the price of everything else is going up around them then the league can't stay still. As with most businesses these days unfortunately, increasing the price is not to do with sucking more profits from customers, but to simply be in the same position as they were a few years ago charging less.

The line 'we have listened' is interesting. I bet they haven't listened to the many more fans over many years that have called for the 3rd/4th place game to be replaced, and that farce will continue.

 

[Kevlar68]

Ahhhhhh BUGGER! Why that weekend? i'm in Greece. Another POFW i'll miss. That's frustrating.

 

[Milky]

I get all this but a 32% jump on 2019 is hard to take for many with everything else going on
Time will tell if its affordable but if not you can't blame the league and venue alone

Early bird price is £79 which is a £15 increase in the 2019 price of £64 you quoted. By my maths that’s a 23.44% increase.
Quick check on rateinflation.com shows CPI for 2019 at 1.79%, 2020 at 0.85%, 2021 at 2.59% and 2022 current at 9.87%. As a simple total ( compounding would make the figure higher) that’s 15.1% cumulative CPI to date notwithstanding any further inflation to the actual date of POF weekend in 2023.
on that basis I’d say the prices are fair (and that’s before accounting for everything else going on at the moment).
Kettdevil1 makes a very valid point, what would you say is an appropriate increase?
I don’t like the fact that they’ve gone up as much as they have but can totally understand why. That’s the effect of inflation as much as it sucks.
For me the real profiteering at POFW is the hotel prices.

 

[Earnie]

Thanks Milky - I was waiting for someone else to do the maths!

 

[kettdevil1]

I agree the hotel issue is nothing to do with the league, but it is a factor when deciding whether to attend or not.
Unless you live in Nottingham of course

Absolutely and definitely not downplaying this - the hotel is a key issue, as are a number of other peripherals including parking, food and drink....... hence my question about if you were not happy with the ticket prices, what should they be?