<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">I recently found out that any organization who uses city or parish facilities for a ticketed event must go through Ticketmaster to sell the tickets.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">There is a very high fee to buy through them. For example, if I were to purchase two $20 adult tickets to a Banners event, the total through Ticketmaster would be $56.80.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">This is a fee equal to 42 percent of the ticket price. If I were purchasing two children’s tickets, which are $5, the cost is $21.30, which is 113 percent of the ticket price.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Banners and other nonprofits are attempting to bring arts and humanities to the community. This change in ticketing is pricing the community out of the events.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Why has the city and parish decided to do this when the organizations are paying a rental fee for the facility?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The Informer received no answer for “why” — presumably the ticket service is more convenient — but parish and city officials did talk about how to avoid Ticketmaster fees for online purchases.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The Burton Coliseum Complex, run by the parish, has an exclusive agreement with Ticketmaster, meaning “all public events that require ticketed admission here must be handled on the Ticketmaster system,” said Jason Barnes, the director of the complex.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“With that said, exceptions have been made for certain events in previous years which have occurred in the outdoor arena or event barn,” Barnes said in a statement forwarded to The Informer.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Those facilities do not have Ticketmaster terminals/computers installed, and therefore, this rule does not apply.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">He said people can avoid the Ticketmaster convenience fee by purchasing tickets at the Burton box office ahead of time or on the day of the event. A $1 facility fee is added to the price of some tickets.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">John Cardone, Lake Charles city administrator, said groups that rent the Civic Center “have a number of low- to no-cost options when it comes to selling tickets” and that they often choose to sell the tickets themselves.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Additionally, he said, tickets can be bought at the Civic Center box office, which is open 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. He said the box office charges a small fee — $1.50 to $3 for events at the Civic Center — and that the money helps pay box office workers.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Some ticketing agencies like Ticketmaster offer these services online. These groups have their own set convenience fees that are not put in place by the city of Lake Charles,” Cardone said in a statement forwarded to The Informer.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“These fees can be avoided altogether when patrons purchase tickets at the door or box office. The options to purchase tickets through online agencies exist so that those who wish to can purchase tickets online without leaving their house.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~AZaphdingbatdot7pt">l</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.cppj.net; www.cityoflakecharles.com.</span>

<span class="R~sep~AZaphdingbatdot7pt">l</span>

<span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">The I</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nform</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">er answers questions from rea</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ders each Sunday, Monday a</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nd Wednesday. It is re</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">searched and written by</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Andrew Perzo</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">, an</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">American Press</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">staff wri</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ter. To ask a question, call</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">494-409</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">8 and leave voice mail, or ema</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">il informer@americanpress.com.</span>