Toronto’s organizing committee criticized for low ticket sales
The 2015 Toronto Pan American Games are only three weeks away and over half of the 1.4 million available tickets remain unsold.
Teddy Katz, a spokesman for the 2015 organizing committee, told CBC last week that only 400,000 tickets have been sold so far. Tickets have been on sale since September 2014, almost a year in advance of the Games.
Katz told CBC that the low ticket sales do not necessarily reflect lack of interest and that it is common for major sporting events to see a surge in ticket sales in the weeks immediately preceding the games. He also said that the organizing committee does not expect to sell out all events, especially considering the massive seating capacity of some venues.
The most popular tickets have been medal rounds and Opening Ceremonies. Tickets are sold out for the Opening Ceremonies on July 10, which will feature performances from Cirque du Soleil.
Tickets for the games are marketed on the Toronto 2015 website as very affordable, with 75 per cent of tickets priced at $45 or less. There are also discounts of 50 per cent for seniors and children under 16, and all ticket purchasers can access public transit to and from the event for free. Some events, such as the cycling road race on Aug. 8 and the Closing Ceremonies for the Parapan Am Games, are also free for spectators. These significant discounts, while making the games more affordable and likely increasing attendance, reduce the total revenue from ticket sales.
In addition, many of the events surrounding the games are free of cost. The plan in Toronto’s 2009 bid included escalating the hype for the games in 2015, which they have done through programs like Panamania, and offering free concerts and cultural events throughout Toronto. Again, the low cost of these events will likely see a large turnout, but Toronto will not make any money off of this attendance.
In Toronto’s initial bid, the anticipated ticket revenue was $38 million, accounting for only 10 per cent of the total anticipated revenue of the games. With approximately 45 per cent of the tickets sold so far, the organizing committee has seen less than 5 per cent of their total anticipated Games revenue and has already adjusted their budget from $1.5 million to $2.5 million.
This leaves many, including Progressive-Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament Todd Smith, asking where the money will come from at the end of the Games. Smith expressed concerns to Michael Coteau, the Cabinet Minister responsible for the games, that the burden would be placed on Ontario taxpayers if the Games did not bring in enough revenue.
In March, the organizing committee faced criticism for suspending ticket sales for a month in an effort to shine a spotlight on the Parapan Am Games and boost ticket sales for these events. Smith referred to this strategy as “ridiculous,” particularly in light of low ticket sales for the Pan Am Games. Smith publicly criticized Coteau during question period for this approach at the time.
One of the priorities for the 2015 games is to integrate the Parapan Am Games into the overall Games plan, according to the Vision and Values statement for the Games. However, separating the ticket sales seems to work against this goal of integration, which is the strategy that Smith does not understand. Coteau stated to the Toronto Sun that the reason behind the suspension on Pan Am ticket sales was to ensure the “right type of attention” for the Parapan Am Games.
The Parapan Am Games are regional qualifying competitions for the Paralympic Games, providing a platform for competition between athletes with disabilities.
The Toronto 2015 Games will be fully integrated and are set to be the largest Parapan Am Games ever, according to their website. The Rio 2007 Parapan Am Games were the first to hold events in the same city as its Pan Am counterpart, with only one organizing committee. The 2011 Guadalajara Parapan Am Games had 1,300 athletes from 26 countries compete in 13 sports, and the Toronto 2015 Games aim to surpass this benchmark.
The Toronto 2015 Pan American Games will take place from July 10 to July 26, followed by the Parapan Am Games from Aug.7 to Aug.15. The events will be held across 16 different host municipalities around Toronto.