(Main picture: Pachi the Pan Am Games 2015 Mascot)
Ticket sales remain incredibly low with only 18 days left until the Pan Am Games, begging the question….do you care and will you go? (at last check only 400,000 of the 1.4 million available tickets had been sold). Organizers declined to provide latest ticket numbers Friday, saying an update is coming this week and that there’s been an “upswing” as the torch run has boosted interest in the Games.
In recent poll by Toronto based marketing firm Field Day, nearly four in five adults — 77% — living in southern Ontario say they have no plans to buy tickets to see the Pan Am Games this summer. There is some speculation that folks are simply not aware of the Pan Am games as the marketing has been less than stellar although organizers of the Games say things are still on track despite the numbers with a surge of last minute buyers still very possible.
One online commenter said this about the games which seemed to accurately reflect the lack of interest and information people seem to have about the upcoming event:
THINGS I KNOW ABOUT THE GAMES:
-They are coming
-There are 2 commercials for them
–“Expect traffic delays”
-The city/province needed this event to accomplish any relevant infrastructure goals.
THINGS I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE GAMES:
-When?
-Where specifically?
-How Much?
-Why should I go?
-What sports?
-Who are our athletes?
The Pan Am Games don’t come cheap either…they are expected to cost around $2.57-billion which includes 31 venues in 16 municipalities (not to mention the mascot Pachi, a smiling porcupine that according to reports ended up costing $383,000 to develop). Is this amount of cash worth it?
The Pan Am Games will take place from July 10 to 26, and the Parapan Am Games from Aug. 7 to 15. Locally, events will be happening in St. Catharines at The Royal Canadian Henley and in Welland at the Flatwater Centre (Click here for details). So the question remains….will you go and do you care?
COMMERCIAL FOR GAMES:
COMMENTS WELCOME!
For more information: http://www.toronto2015.org/
SOURCE: TravelOntarioCanada, YouTube, Toronto2015.org, Blog TO
To receive similar content, “Like” us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/niagarabuzz.ca
