IMPORTANT VENICE 2012

[madmike]

Very Important for those going to Venice and who have not yey entered:

For those intending to go to Venice this year be aware that the local council have just reduced the entry limit to 3700 competitive and 800 for the non-competitive classes (5000 entered in 2012). Therefore, I suggest if you are coming, you get your entry in soonest and before the 30 Oct when there is a 50% price hike at the latest.

The full details of the email from my Italin club for those who speak Italian is below:

VENEZIA
PRIMA CI ISCRIVIAMO E PRIMA SAREMO CERTI DI GAREGGIARE POICHE LA ORGANIZZAZIONE PREVEDE IL NUMERO CHIUSO!!!

lo scorso anno erano iscritte 5000 persone e quest'anno chiudono a 3700.
Le categorie sono visibili sul sito della Meeting Orienteering Venezia

L'organizzazione scrive:
Termine e Numero chiuso Le iscrizioni devono pervenire al Club a questo indirizzo entro il 30 Ottobre 2012 ; dopo tale termine l'iscrizione non è garantita e la quota verrà maggiorata del 50%
.
le iscrizioni di esordienti, scuole e open sono accettate fino alle ore 16 di Sabato 10 Novembre fino ad esaurimento dei pettorali.
Variazioni: Verrà applicata una maggiorazione di quota a fronte di variazioni richieste oltre il 30 Ottobre(vedere sotto).

A causa di vincoli organizzativi verranno accettate al massimo 3700 iscrizioni per le classi agoniste e 800 per gli esordienti. Nel caso di richieste superiori ai limiti, la sola registrazione senza pagamento NON garantisce l'iscrizione.

[Roger]

Nel caso di richieste superiori ai limiti, la sola registrazione senza pagamento NON garantisce l'iscrizione.

"For requests exceeding the limits, the mere registration without payment does NOT guarantee entry."

So do we need to sort out some bank transfers then? For clubs with only one or two entrants, the cost of an international money transfer will exceed the entry fee!

[Stodgetta]

So how does that work when it says you pay for entries at the event centre & only pay over 100 euros by bank transfer?

[EddieH]

Bank transfers are extortionate. I have always paid foreign events by sending the cash in the post event to old Soviet countries - thousands of pounds worth over the years. Of course it's a risk, however to date no organiser has ever claimed not to have received it.

I take the view that on that possible occasion when this happens losing the total amount sent will be far cheaper than had I paid bank transfer fees over all those years.

[Spookster]

Well, an option might be for us to club together and send one large bank transfer, and separately email the organisers with a list of everybody that payment covers, which spreads the cost of the transfer.

Normally I just pay cash on arrival, but if we think that isn't going to guarantee an entry, then I'm happy to pay for a bank transfer. My bank charges £25, which is a bit much split between just two, but if there were more...

[Gross]

HBOS are £10 if it's done electronically....

[Mr Chips]

I queried this a few weeks ago when I saw the announcement. I wrote to info@orivenezia.it:

I see that there is a limit of 4000 competitors and that "only registration and payment will guarantee participation" if the limit is exceeded. Because I am not in Italy I can see no way of paying my 10 euros in advance, although I have entered online. Is it possible that I might arrive in Venice on 10th November and find that I cannot participate?

and got the following reply:

don't worry about payment, You will can pay directly the day of event. We decided to put a limit of competitors because we are at the space limit in to the Event Center and we suggest to pay in advance to have confirmation of entries above all teams who have to pay more of 100 euro about fees. On the past we had some bad surprised and we try to avoid to repeat one.

so it seems they are mostly worried about defaults by teams of 10 or more individuals.

[madmike]

So how does that work when it says you pay for entries at the event centre & only pay over 100 euros by bank transfer?

Stodgetta - pay as normal - as long as you are already entered. The difficulty will be when the 3700 limit is reached after which things will not be guaranteed

[madmike]

I queried this a few weeks ago when I saw the announcement. I wrote to info@orivenezia.it:

I see that there is a limit of 4000 competitors and that "only registration and payment will guarantee participation" if the limit is exceeded. Because I am not in Italy I can see no way of paying my 10 euros in advance, although I have entered online. Is it possible that I might arrive in Venice on 10th November and find that I cannot participate?

and got the following reply:

don't worry about payment, You will can pay directly the day of event. We decided to put a limit of competitors because we are at the space limit in to the Event Center and we suggest to pay in advance to have confirmation of entries above all teams who have to pay more of 100 euro about fees. On the past we had some bad surprised and we try to avoid to repeat one.

so it seems they are mostly worried about defaults by teams of 10 or more individuals.

Exactly right - the system here is that Clubs enter the members as a block so my Club, CCR, as one of the biggest will enter 50 odd people in a oner. Most Italians are very lastminute.com so this is, I assess, an attempt to apply the hurry up.

If you are coming and haven't entered do it now before the limit of 3700 is reached else you may get caught up in "la bureaucracia" aimed at block entries from Italian Clubs.

Essentially, If you are already entered don't worry about it! If you haven't pull your finger out

[Stodgetta]

Entered.
Thank you.

[madmike]

Well, an option might be for us to club together and send one large bank transfer, and separately email the organisers with a list of everybody that payment covers, which spreads the cost of the transfer.

Normally I just pay cash on arrival, but if we think that isn't going to guarantee an entry, then I'm happy to pay for a bank transfer. My bank charges £25, which is a bit much split between just two, but if there were more...

If we need to do this, which I don't think we do, I am happy to pay the fees for the "clubbed together" from my Italian account and have you lot put money in my English one to avoid loads of bank transfers.

PS: I am not a Nigerian Prince

[Spookster]

Thanks Mike. We're already entered, and will turn up on the day with cash, as we have always done.

[Tatty]

Do we need to enter the Saturday race in advance too? Have entered Sunday's race.

[madmike]

Saturday park race in Venice or the Palmanova one?

[Stodgetta]

I hope I have entered the Friday Lignano & Saturday Palmanova races by filling out the on-line form, but you don't exactly get much information or feedback?
Is this all I need to do?
Am I OK to just turn up & pay for this one, too?
Italians