interview by MICHELLE McDONALD

"How much time do you have?" I asked Stephen Price, the ICC Cricket World Cup's Commercial Director, thinking that he must be a very busy man. To my surprise he said "as long as this takes, until it's done," he replied. Good, because I had a lot of questions for him after my experience in Trelawny.

Price moved from Project Officer to Special Projects Officer, then to Commercial Manager before being named Commercial Director in January. His responsibilities include the entire Ticketing programme – public and commercial ticketing to include Tour & Travel packages as well as the Hospitality Packages, Catering & Concessions, Licensing & Merchandising, Publications as well as some elements of the Anti-Infringement Programme. Full Story

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
Good interview Michelle. Even with the empty stands staring him in the face, he still refuse to admit they messed up big time. Then he had the audacity to say:

while pricing them out of the seats. haha

I didn't know WI were awarded the champions trophy in 2010, that slipped right past me.

In reply to VIX
me too...

Another very good interview Michelle. Ridiculous prices all around.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Thorough interview Yammy.

Well done as usual.

In reply to Chrissy

$15 is a ridiculous price?

$55 is a ridiculous price for a WC game?

In reply to faada

Good question sah.

US $25 & $55 are not riduiculous for a world event.

Even with a West Indies series the venues were not filled to capacity.

In reply to Michelle

Just one correction...Marvia's last name is spelt Roach

In reply to jamgirl

tenks. will ask Admin to correct

In reply to jamgirl

Fixed. Thanks.

_r

In reply to Yamfoot

While you're at it, are you sure you meant "bring back revenue into the coiffures of the local cricket associations because that is where the revenue from tickets goes to." instead of coffers?

In reply to Ayjaeghi

Youda! thanks.

_r

Anything else? Hurry, I hadda go eat. :)

In reply to jamgirl

Thelower end prices aren't bad but nuff peeps stayed away because of perceived restrictions. I must say I had no problems whatsoever. We had our food, coconut water and snacks.

In reply to Admin

Cool.

heh heh. Thanks all you editors/proof readers out there! :wink:

In reply to jamgirl

obviously that's the case in the caribbean for preliminary round cricket matches!!!

how else do you explain the empty stadia?

In reply to cricket_jumbie

Well the organizers said the prices not too high! As for the prospective spectators? They voted with their feet and their wallets.

In reply to cricket_jumbie

Do you notice that the matches outside of those involving the WI were not well supported????

In reply to jamgirl

So why didn't the legions of fans that were expected not show up?

In reply to Larr Pullo

I suspect that most perons are more interested in the Super 8 matches.

The success of any event is dependent on local support. That is the reality, and if your local was not supporting the event then dawg nyam yuh supper.

Let's be realistic some matches were never going to be well supported and that is where the LOCs should've used creative means to move ticket sales.

In reply to jamgirl

But that's not what Dehring was telling the people when he was going around telling them to build hotels and open their homes as Bed and breakfast facilities.

Realistically the Caribbean only has a population of 6 million in relatively poor economies so as a population we can't be expected to have the buying power to make the WC a success....

In reply to Larr Pullo

If the facters did hold all the matches in Trelawny as sensible people recommended they might have gotten a good amount of tourists in Jamaica. But no sensible visitor wants to stay in ugly and unsafe Kingston.

The greedy bastards facted it up.

In reply to jamgirl

More than just ticket sales MM should have asked the fella if given what we are seeing now whether the level of govt expenditure of tax payers money was such a good idea.

In reply to sabina

But Jamaica is not the only venue.

What about St Kitts? What about Trinidad(ok that lil unsafe too)? what about St Lucia?

In reply to Larr Pullo

The taxpayers themselves should have been asking that long ago.

If a gal lie down naked and spread her legs and don't say nuttin when a man put it in, how she gway bawl rape afterwards?

In reply to Larr Pullo

The Governments knew what they were getting into and had the opportunity to back out if they so desired.

So that question is best answered by Govt.

In reply to jamgirl

You not concerned about the level of JA debt?

In reply to Larr Pullo

If JA citizens were concerned about debt they would have protested at two US $30 mil staiums being built when only one was needed.

Who you gonna blame? The man who put it in or de gal who spread her legs?

In reply to sabina

So I guess you are in the position of the gyal who being ravished and raped!!

Cause is right out of your pocket the money to pay for two stadia coming.

In reply to Larr Pullo

All the jamaicans got to do is open them legs wider to the white tourists to mek back that money...Burnham done tell them years ago that they prostituting!

:roll:

In reply to SpudsMcKenzie

At least Jamaica has prostitution...what does Guyana have?

In reply to Larr Pullo

At least I have tangible proof of this debt

In reply to Larr Pullo

Guyana have assholes like you.........that's what it got!

In reply to jamgirl

It will be like having a fancy car in the garage and u cant buy gas for it or put food on the table cause u have to pay the huge car note.

In reply to larr

dey surely did, didn't dey? obviously the pricing folks did not do their home work. as i see it, an over supply of seats at unreasonable prices resulted in empty stadia. it's dat simple!!!

In reply to jamgirl

did price and co. take this into consideration?

don't u think that their pricing was a disincentive?

we torking approx 10k peeps shelling out US$25+ each!

the only economies that might have been able to support that pricing scheme would have been bim and tnt. the latter i am not too sure about cuz, inspite of the fact that trinis'll do anything fuh ah good lime, quite a bit of disposable income would have been spent in the carnival celebrations.

In reply to SpudsMcKenzie

I'm sure you heard the story of how the asshole is the boss of you right? :)

In reply to SpudsMcKenzie

As patriotic as you are why yuh still on the MB?....shouldn't you be at Providence helping to install the telephone, internet or electricity.

Or better still making sure the pitch covered?

I could send some of that money I get through Western Union to help allyuh out....Remember it reach quick.

In reply to SpudsMcKenzie oh spudsie, why yuh suh jealous??? nobody will hold it against yuh if actually admit that things were so bad with your LOC people dem. Lets just hope that all logistic issues are cleared in time. seen!!!!

how can prices too high when all the good games are sold out?

In reply to cricket_jumbie

Did you notice that there was a two tiered pricing system for the Group Stage?

In reply to jamgirl

did you notice dat in spite of the 2-tier system the seats were still empty?

In reply to cricket_jumbie

There could be a number of reasons for that including the price!!!

You seem to miss that the pricing was determined with the input from teh LOC who didn't have a problem with the cost of the matches.

To expect that all teh matches were going to be sold out is simply foolhardy!!!

So if the prices were too high then it suggests that the local reps had no idea of the market they were trying to reach!!!

In reply to jamgirl

collectively, they/you got it all wrong. The prices were above the reach of the normal tom, dick, betty and harrilal. someone has to take responsibility. guess who that someone is ... IMO?

it is appalling to watch World Cup matches from abroad and see all those empty seats.

i never expected the stadia to be sold out but i certainly did not expect them to be <25% occupied either. this is ah world event, no?

In reply to cricket_jumbie

Here's how you can help....send a $100 to your alma mater to sposnor 4 youngsters to one of the matches :D :D :D

In reply to jamgirl

actualy, i did better than that.

i sponsored nephews, nieces and their friends. :lol:

In reply to cricket_jumbie

Good...you did your part!!!!

In reply to Larr Pullo They put a man name Price to decide on the Prices? Priceless...........

In reply to Admin

Why is Chris Gayle in the dog house when he was BY FAR THE BEST BOWLER in the match against Ireland??? Who are the idiots that make these stupid decisions?? Is it expected that everytime Gayle plays that he scores a century after ten overs and and takes 5 wickets for 15 runs in his 10 overs??? Before making such a stupid choice look at the performance of every player on the team - Gayle was by far one of the top performers!

How many of these LOC's did any kind of promos and advertising in the countries they are hosting.

In reply to jamgirl
Most of the people on some of dem LOC's never attend a local cricket match in dere life. Dem eh have a clue. Den dey suppose to advise on price?

De other ting is that most of de cheap seats on de east side of the stadium and covered or not u in de sun all day. Who go pay dat kinda money to sit in de sun for a match like Canada and England or Bermuda and Sri Lanka?