Ticketing and Entry

In consultation with the Office of Leadership Activities, some large events may be required to use a ticketing and wristband system to ensure capacity limits. Leadership Activities can supply wristbands, in which each allotment represents the maximum fire code room capacity for the venue used and specific furnishings configurations. Additional wristbands may not be supplemented—these numbers are the maximum allowable attendance/maximum room capacities as determined by law. Note: Event capacities may need to be reduced if event furnishings, including décor, tables, displays, etc., take up any floor space.

All guests, working sponsor staff and anyone else in attendance must wear an entry wristband.

The “ticket/wristband station” must be separated from the entrance door to reduce congestion and confusion. See below for more specific information about how to set up the staffing stations in each venue.

Wristbands for Staff and Working Club Members

Everyone at an event counts towards max capacity. Total room capacities include all sponsor members and guests in attendance and staff. Therefore, in addition to all event guests, all event staff & any sponsor team/org members or guests must also have a wristband, issued out of the original allotment that ensures compliance with room capacities as set by law.

Sold-Out Event

Some events will sell out. ticket/wristband station workers and event captains will need to keep an eye on the number of remaining wristbands or tickets/capacity. If you are approaching sold-out status, it is wise to alert any waiting patrons that the event will soon sell out. “Sold-Out” means that no one else may enter the event.

Once all capacity have been applied to guests (or all tickets distributed), no one else may enter the event. You have achieved maximum capacity, as allowed by law. Congratulations!

It remains the sponsors’ responsibility to enforce the limits and control the access to the event.

If you are sold out, please post this information at all building entrances and close to the ticket station. Inform all event staff that the event is sold out and continue staffing all posts. 

While re-entry is not permitted, once capacity is reached, additional attendees can be granted entrance on a one-for-one basis as other attendees leave.

Sharing the Work/Sharing the Glory

Staffing the ticket station and/or entrance door can be hectic and stressful at times. Make sure that the work is distributed fairly among those committed to staffing the event. Event captains should check in regularly with all sponsor staff to allow for bathroom breaks and timely "changing of the guard."

Please don’t abuse the most dedicated members of your team by burdening them with an unfair portion of the work. A healthy club can plan for sensible staffing transitions throughout the event. Plan ahead and make all expectations clear to everyone. Use common sense. Remind staff before the day of the event that they must be sober and on time for their shift. They must complete their full shift and wait for replacement before leaving their post. Make sure everyone knows the Event Captain on-duty, etc.

Restrictions

Backpacks, duffel bags, packages, etc. are not permitted into major events. Purses may be permitted, but will be checked for prohibited items such as alcohol, drugs or weapons. 

Anyone clearly intoxicated is not permitted to enter the event, and/or asked to leave.

Advance Tickets

If you wish, tickets may be sold in advance for your event and exchanged for wristbands upon arrival at the event. This process takes more work and advance planning but for some events may prove beneficial. Discuss your game plan with the Leadership Activities before reaching a final decision or advertising the event. Preparations made be made to sell tickets at the Information Desk or other locations on/off campus. You may not sell actual wristbands in advance, as that defeats the counterfeit control and proper application of the wristband on the patron by event sponsor staff. If tickets are sold in advance, you must extract an equal number of wristbands from the allotment to reserve for ticket holders as they arrive. It is then critical that you do not sell any of these wristbands that are reserved for those who pre-bought tickets and are expecting entry wristbands.

Petty Cash/Making Change

In order to have a functional ticket station, your club must request appropriate cash (for making change) in advance from the SGA financial coordinator. Be sure to request at least 24 hours in advance. These funds must be returned promptly after ticket sales end.

Expect many patrons to arrive with only $20 bills. If your admission is $5, you will need lots of 5s and 10s. If you charge $3, then you will need lots of 1s, 5s and 10s.

Entry Procedure: Ticket Station

For all parties and dances, all attendees must first come to the Ticket Station to pay their admission, present their pre-purchased ticket* (if tickets were sold in advance) or request entry to the event (if the event is has no admission charge).

*Note: If tickets are sold in advance, entrance policies must be stated on the tickets!

1. In all cases, prior to accepting payment or a valid pre-purchased ticket, you must first request and examine the ID of any person seeking entrance. Guests without a valid ID cannot be granted entrance to parties. Respectfully apologize for any inconvenience and assure them that this is standard college policy and not specific to them. You do not have the power to make an exception. If you need assistance in handling any person denied entrance, please inform the Campus Safety staff on duty to assist you.

2. The first event staff person accepting payment and making change must complete the transaction for an entry wristband.

3. The second event staff person may then apply the wristband. Wristbands must be applied by event staff and not attendees themselves. Wristbands must be put on sufficiently tight as to not be removable, but not constrict blood flow. Best practice is to apply wristband to the same hand consistently, i.e. always the left hand.

4. Once a wristband has been applied at the ticket station, attendees may enter the event only through the designated lower level entrance by displaying their entry credentials (wristband).

Entry Procedure: Entrance Doors

• To enter, one must have a wristband. No excuses. No exceptions. Consistency makes the system equitable and respected.
• The staff working the entrance doors is responsible for inspecting every wristband for signs of tampering or re-use.
• If a wristband has been cut, broken or stretched (implying that it was issued to another and reused) it is not valid for entrance. Inform the person that damaged, altered or reused wristbands are not acceptable and ask them to remove the invalid wristband in your presence, Collect it and trash it. Engage Campus Safety staff if necessary.
• All event staff and any sponsor team/club members or guests must also have a wristband, issued out of the original allotment that ensures compliance with room capacities as set by law. Total room capacities include all sponsor members and staff. (Everyone at an event counts towards max capacity.)
• Re-entry to events is often restricted, but exceptions may be made in consultation with Leadership Activities and Campus Safety

Accessibility

Be sure your event staff is aware of the best entrances and exits for guests with mobility issues who might be using wheelchairs or crutches or require special parking considerations. See Creating Inclusive Events for more information.

Entry Procedure: Exit Doors

Event staff working any designated exit doors are responsible for maintaining the doors as "exit only" for the event. No one, including club members, may enter through these doors with the exception of the on-duty event captains and Skidmore professional staff (Campus Safety, Dining Services, etc) working the event. Politely direct guests back to the entry.

Consider a training workshop for event security for students who will be working these events. The Campus Safety officer in charge of the event will brief all student workers about appropriate safety and emergency procedures at the pre-event meeting. These meetings may be required for large-scale events.