I spent the opening day of the Minnesota Fringe Festival working the concierge desk at Fringe Central.
I was mistaken when I said that this is the first year of the concierge desk. I think I’m correct, however, in that this year is the first year that it’s clear that there is a concierge desk and that it’s at the Bedlam, because it’s right there at the front door instead of way back in the way back. You can’t miss it.
The purpose of the concierge desk is, well, what would you expect from a concierge desk? I spent my two-hour shift yesterday…
- distributing comps and buttons to volunteers;
- selling buttons, punch cards, and ultra passes;
- distributing pre-purchased buttons, punch cards, and ultra passes;
- distributing buttons, punch cards, and passes reserved for artists/companies;
- distributing passes, schedules, and t-shirts for official Fringe photographers;
- handing out free programs and selling the super compact grid-style schedule ($2);
- answering any and all questions about the festival to the best of my ability.
What the concierge desk cannot do is sell or reserve tickets to individual shows, including shows at the Bedlam (the box office is separate). This is the question I got asked the most often yesterday. You can make reservations with passes or punch cards for a $1/transaction fee from fringefestival.org by clicking the “Buy Tickets” button on a show page or by calling OvationTix at (866) 811‑4111.
At this point, if you still need a punch card or pass, I recommending going right to a venue as they are going like hotcakes and are in short supply at the concierge desk. I think there may still be plenty of buttons at the desk.
There is also artist merch for sale. Looked to be mostly t-shirts, CDs, and books.
Of course to feel free to ask any and all questions. Directions, logistics, show recommendations, whatever. I’m betting your concierge desk volunteer would be happy to chat you up about your Fringe experience (provided there is not a long line behind you). Also, your patience is appreciated; sometimes folks get frazzled. But they ought to know who to ask or where to look if they can’t answer your question. A great many questions can be answered by looking around at fringefestival.org so don’t be afraid to try that if your friendly neighborhood concierge desk volunteer is not sure of the answer and your question is not urgent.
Disclaimer: I’m on the Minnesota Fringe Festival’s Board of Directors. Opinions expressed here are mine alone and do not represent the official position of the Fringe unless noted.
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[...] Box Office Lines, Picking Shows, Feeding Yourself Posted on 03 Aug 09 by Erica Mauter My first shift working the Concierge Desk at Fringe Central was marked by a whole lot of pass and punch card sales and handouts. Reasonable [...]