Everything You Need To Know For The Dec. 3 Berks Jazz Fest Presale
A MEMO FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Friend,
On behalf of Berks Arts – warm greetings and well wishes to you and yours. We hope you had a happy, healthy and joyful Thanksgiving holiday. We are so thankful for you and your continued participation as a supporter of Berks Arts and our various programs and initiatives. It is because of YOU that we are able to inspire, engage, and unite our community through the arts in new and innovative ways each and every year.
We are excited to share this email containing information on:
1) Our new ticketing platform, Vivenu, and
2) 2023 Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest – presale begins Saturday, December 3 at 10 AM EST (online and in-person).
While this note may be lengthy, we hope that it provides answers to many questions to ensure a smooth experience for all our dedicated members. If you encounter any questions or difficulty, please contact us via email at tickets@berksarts.org.
#1 OUR NEW TICKETING PLATFORM — VIVENU
Our Decision to Leave TicketMaster (Hello, Vivenu!)
After much consideration, we made the decision to leave Ticketmaster and partner with a new platform for ticketing services. We listened to the feedback from our fans and recognized that the ticket fees were too much for our members and for our organization to continue. While all ticketing platforms and credit card processors will have some fees, we set out to find the best fit for us all. After many months of interviews, demonstrations, and testing, we landed on a new ticketing partner and platform, Vivenu.
Rest assured, the decrease in fees does not result in a decrease in quality of service. In fact, Berks Arts will now have the ability to manage seating, customer service, and other important aspects of event management to allow us to directly support you in the best possible way. These tools allow us (a very small group of staff and volunteers for a nonprofit organization), to perform our very best work and deliver to you the best service as quickly and directly as possible.
Our incredible team has been working tirelessly to build a modern, user-friendly, cost-effective platform over many months. I am proud of and grateful for their efforts to serve our fans in the best possible way. We are excited to share this platform with you, and hope that your experience is as positive as ours has been. Thank you for continuing on this journey with us!
Creating an Account with Vivenu
Berks Art strives to make the purchasing process as easy as possible for you. There are THREE methods to create an account with Vivenu:
1) Create an account before the presale (starting today – preferred option!)
2) Create an account during the checkout process (another good option!)
3) Create an account after the purchase process is complete
We strongly recommend creating an account now to ensure your account is prepared before your next ticket purchase, in order to keep all your Berks Arts tickets in one place, and to improve your customer service experience. Please refer to CREATING AN ACCOUNT WITH VIVENU for instructions.
#2 HOLIDAY KICKOFF EVENT
2023 BERKS JAZZ FEST PRESALE IN-PERSON
We are excited for the upcoming Holiday Kickoff Event on Saturday, December 3, 2022. During this Event, tickets for the the 2023 Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest (happening March 24 – April 2) will be made available both in-person and online and we will enjoy the “I Can’t Wait For Christmas” performance in the evening (tickets for the evening performance are almost sold out!).
Please see below for a timeline of these exciting events on December 3rd:
DoubleTree and Purchase Details
1. Pre-Purchase Details
Question: What time can I arrive at the DoubleTree?
Answer: For those planning to join us on Saturday, December 3 at the DoubleTree we will begin assigning numbers on a first-come, first-serve basis at 6 AM in the DoubleTree lobby. You may check in, collect your number, and reserve your place in line at the DoubleTree Amphitheater.
Question: Will I be waiting inside or outside? Will I be standing or sitting?
Answer: The first seventy-five (75) guests to arrive will be seated in the amphitheater and additional guests will be in a line on the ramp inside of the hotel. After obtaining your number, you have the option to get breakfast/brunch at the hotel, wander around, or you can hang out in the Amphitheater with your friends to catch up and relax in the warmth of the hotel environment. Don’t worry – your seat will be saved!
Question: Will it be a long wait? How will the time pass?
Answer: We will work as quickly as possible to take care of everyone. During your wait time, you will have the opportunity to check out the Berks Jazz Fest merchandise stand .We offer a variety of items that are great for holiday gifts! And of course, we will have holiday jazz music playing to add to the fun!
Question: Is parking available?
Answer: Please note that parking fees do apply in the DoubleTree parking garage; however, parking is validated for overnight and/or dining guests at the hotel. (Hint, hint – make sure you purchase some food at the restaurant to enjoy free parking!)
2. Purchase Details
Question: How will I make my ticket selections?
Answer: Our team of Box Office volunteers will have “ticket menus” available so that you may prepare your ticket orders while waiting for sales to begin. We will move as quickly as possible so that everyone has the best possible experience. Please remember that there is no difference in ticketing fees between Online and In-Person sales.
Question: Are there any extra perks for donors?
Answer: Donors of +$100 will receive a holiday ornament gift from Berks Art as a thank you for their continued support! Arts Enthusiasts (donors of $250+) will have no processing fees on ticket purchases.
You may increase your total donation for the year by clicking here.
3. Post-Purchase Details
Question: What happens after I purchase my ticket?
Answer: Upon completion of purchase, tickets and receipts will be sent to your email address provided and may also be printed on regular/normal paper upon request.
After your purchase, we’ll even have a selfie station set up so that you can take some photos and celebrate getting your tickets for 2023 Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest!! Just be sure to tag #berksjazzfest on social media!
Question: When it’s the day of the event that I purchased tickets for, what do I need to do?
Answer: Later, when you arrive at a venue for a performance, you may have your ticket barcode scanned directly from your phone (from the actual ticket - NOT from a screenshot of the barcode), or from a paper printout of your ticket, or you may download tickets to Apple Wallet.
Question: After my ticket purchase, what is happening around town for entertainment?
Answer: We welcome you to enjoy the day with fellow jazz fans at the DoubleTree, to visit the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts for Handcrafted Holiday Market, and to later enjoy the Mindi Abair holiday concert at the Miller Center. But do not wait to purchase tickets for this show as the tickets are almost sold out!
Click here to purchase your “I Can’t Wait For Christmas” tickets.
After Mindi’s Concert, DJ Al Taylor will be at the DoubleTree Cheers Lounge for some late-night jazz to finish off a fantastic holiday kickoff! There is no cover charge for DJ Al’s entertainment on Saturday night.
#3 2023 BERKS JAZZ FEST PRESALE (ONLINE)
If you are unable to join us for the in-person Holiday Kickoff Event, you may access the presale beginning Saturday, December 3 at 10 AM EST. Information regarding the presale access has been shared via email with donors.
Question: What happens after I purchase my ticket?
Answer: Upon completion of purchase, tickets and receipts will be sent to your email address provided. At that time, you can save the tickets in your Vivenu account, or download to Apple Wallet. You may also print the tickets at home.
Question: When it’s the day of the event that I purchased tickets for, what do I need to do?
Answer: Later, when you arrive at a venue for a performance, you may have your ticket barcode scanned directly from your phone (from the actual ticket - NOT from a screenshot of the barcode), or from a paper printout of your ticket, or you may download tickets to Apple Wallet.
If you have any difficulty with Vivenu during your purchase, please:
-Utilize the “live chat” feature with Vivenu staff , and then if the issue is not resolved;
-Email tickets@berksarts.org and provide the following information:
o Your name,
o Your phone number,
o A clear description of your problem (please provide specific details and screenshots when possible!)
Please note that our staff will be addressing ticket issues/questions as quickly as possible in the order in which they arrive to this email address: tickets@berksarts.org. If you send a ticket issue/question to an email address different than the one listed here, then your inquiry may not be received and address in a timely manner.
In closing, we express our fullest appreciation for you – our valued Berks Arts community.
If you have any questions we will be available Monday thru Friday, 9am-5pm this week. Simply write to tickets@berksarts.org with any questions related to ticketing and/or Vivenu and we will assist you as quickly as possible.
On behalf of our entire organization, thank you for your amazing support, and for taking the time to read this. We look forward to seeing you soon for an amazing holiday season and an even better 2023!
Warm Regards,
Justin Heimbecker
Executive Director, Berks Arts