03.17.11 - London 2012 Ticketing

Will Canadians be able to purchase the tickets they want for London 2012 through this initial launch starting March 15th?
This phase represents the best opportunity to purchase desired tickets. The first phase of ticket sales will be handled exclusively through an on-line request phase at www.cosport.com, open from March 15 through April 22, 2011 (12:00 midnight EST).

During this request phase all applicants will have an equal chance of being awarded requested tickets. CoSport will begin to fulfill ticket requests from available inventory once this initial request phase has concluded. In the event that ticket requests exceed available inventory for any session, a lottery process will be conducted by CoSport at the end of April.

How many tickets are available through this phase? What do tickets cost?
During the initial ticket launch, approximately 14,000 tickets will be available for purchase to over 650 sporting sessions. Over half the tickets offered during this initial request phase will be priced under $150 USD. Complete details on pricing and availability are available at www.cosport.com.

If a request is not placed during this first phase, can tickets be purchased at a later date?
Yes, however there is no guarantee that tickets will still be available for your preferred events. CoSport currently plans to commence a second phase of sales in June 2011, which will be a first-come, first-serve basis for any remaining tickets unsold during the first phase of sales, and will also include any additional tickets CoSport may acquire from the London Organizing Committee (LOCOG).

Can Canadians purchase tickets directly through LOCOG?
No, Canadians must purchase tickets through the CoSport website (www.CoSport.com) and cannot order through the LOCOG website, which is restricted to those living in the European Union.

Can I purchase tickets through other commercial ticket brokers?
Jet Set Sports/CoSport are the only official ticket agencies for the London 2012 Olympic Games authorized to sell tickets in Canada. Under the ticket license agreement with LOCOG, Olympic tickets are not authorized for resale through commercial ticket brokers. LOCOG reserves the right to cancel Olympic event tickets that have been obtained through improper channels.
Because of this, the COC strongly encourages consumers to purchase Olympic Games tickets through CoSport in order to ensure those tickets are valid.

Why are ticket prices so much lower in the UK?
The host country (and in this case, the entire EU) gets special privileges from the IOC in return for hosting the Games. These include the ability for their citizens to buy tickets at cost, and to have access to certain price categories not available to other countries. (For example, there is a Category D Opening Ceremony ticket that we cannot buy in Canada.)

Why are the tickets priced in US dollars?
Co-Sport purchases all of its tickets in British pounds which are then converted to American dollars using a fair exchange rate. CoSport then sells all of its tickets through its various National Olympic Committees (NOC’s) in US funds, thereby avoiding having to establish different pricing and fees based on Government regulations and exchange rates for each country.

Why is there an exchange rate fee included in the price of the ticket?
Consistent with global practices on ticket sales across geographies, sales in North America are subject to an exchange rate which is standard practice to convert the British pound to American dollars. We have worked closely with Jet Set Sports and LOCOG to study trends in exchange rates over a number of years and develop a fair exchange rate projection. This allows us to establish one fair, fixed price for ticket sales now which will not fluctuate at any time between now and the conclusion of the Games. LOCOG’s financial team has approved the set rate consistent with their role as the authority over all ticket pricing.

Can CoSport help with finding accommodation for ticket purchasers?
Yes. On-line sales of hospitality packages are expected to begin in late March, 2011. The hospitality packages will combine hotel rooms with Olympic tickets, allowing customers a single purchase to create their Olympic program in London. Unlike ticket sales there is no request phase and all sales phases of hospitality packages will be live sales on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Why was CoSport selected as the official Authorized Ticket Reseller (ATR) for Canada? What is the relationship between Jet Set Sports and CoSport?
Jet Set Sports, the parent company of CoSport, has provided clients with hospitality packages at Olympic Games through its VIP Hospitality Programs and Hospitality Management Services since 1984. Leveraging Jet Set Sports’ experience gained from past Olympic Games, Jet Set established CoSport to offer the same quality experience to individual consumers through its hospitality packages, premium ticket packages and individual ticket sales. Jet Set /CoSport have been the Authorized Ticket Reseller for the COC at various Olympic Games including most recently the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The COC’s current agreement with Jet Set/CoSport runs through to the end of 2016.

What is the COC doing to ensure that family and friends of athletes are able to access tickets?
- For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, the organizing committee is reserving tickets for athletes’ families. LOCOG should be congratulated for truly putting athletes in the centre of their planning.

- As the NOC in Canada, the COC has an opportunity to place an initial ticket order prior to the public ticket launch. The COC extended this privilege to all sports. Most sports did place a ticket order for family members and are aware of their initial allocation

- The COC also commends Co-Sport for recognizing the special need of athletes’ families to watch their son/daughter/husband/wife compete.

- In addition, the COC and Co-Sport are committed to doing whatever it can to ensure that that athletes’ families are able to see their ‘athlete’ compete

Should families of Olympic hopefuls purchase tickets through CoSport?
Yes, we encourage family and friends to request tickets through this initial public ticket launch. They will be able to identify themselves as Friends and Families of Canadian athletes when registering on the CoSport website for public tickets. This is a new initiative to ensure the Family and Friends of Canadian Athletes are given special consideration.

How can family members be certain that they have tickets to watch their athlete compete?
There are several options available for family and friends of competing athletes to obtain tickets to their respective events.

o A first for ticketing at an Olympic Games, LOCOG has introduced a program to ensure that competing athletes have the opportunity to purchase 2 tickets for every session in which they are competing. LOCOG will hold back approximately 70,000 tickets. This program will be rolled out by LOCOG in April 2012 and will be managed by the COC. Note: Swimming athletes will have access to purchase one ticket per event they qualify for. This is due to the large number of athletes participating in swimming events and the seating capacity of the venue.

o As the NOC in Canada, the COC has an opportunity to place an initial ticket order prior to the public ticket launch. The COC extended this privilege to all sports. Most sports did place a ticket order for family members and are aware of their initial allocation