Marian Goodell, the CEO of the non profit artist event called Burning Man, has issued a stern warning to those using the annual party to shill for designers and turn the art showcases into photo shoot back drops for profit.
In a long needed blog post Goodell expressed her concern for the state of the event writing, ” One of the most distressing trends is the increase of participants (both new and experienced) who don’t seem invested in co-creating Black Rock City, and are attending as consumers. Mass consumption in our default world, ticket scarcity and some elaborate luxury camps have contributed to the rise of a playa “convenience culture.” In some cases, camps or companies are offering “all inclusive” pre-packaged Burning Man experiences, claiming they will preemptively meet all of their client’s needs. Burning Man is anything but convenient, and therein lies its transformative potential!”
Changes for 2019 tickets will include:
- Moving the ‘Pre-Sale’ to after the Directed Group Sale. We are prioritizing the Directed Group Sale since it supports key contributors to Black Rock City (theme and mutant vehicle camps, art collectives, and core teams).
- Growing the Directed Group Sale. There will be 10% more tickets allocated to the Directed Group Sales. Meaningful participation is the most valuable currency in Black Rock City.
- Expanding Low Income allocation. In our ongoing effort to enable participants with limited budgets, we’re growing the application-based Low Income Ticket Program by 18%.
- Adjusting high-priced ticket sales. There will be one high-priced ticket level and we’re reducing the overall number available by 30%. Higher-priced tickets will now be limited to 2 per person instead of 4 per high-priced tier, and buyers in what was formerly the “Pre-Sale” will no longer be able to participate in subsequent public sales.
- Eliminating the ‘Limited Sale.’ For the past two years one could purchase $1,200 tickets via Burner Profiles into July. This will no longer be the case.