Sunday is fast approaching and there would be no rest for the weary as the MNL48 members are doing multiple things at once: working on and recording their first single, polishing their dance moves, getting in shape, going on photo shoots, and preparing for their first official event as members. Their nerves must be at breaking point and I would imagine the pressure, fatigue, and other factors are contributing to their stress and causing not a few of the girls to get sick.
A lot is hanging on this first event, as this will be the first time that MNL48 will charge entrance. That said, it wouldn’t be fair to say that anything less than a sold-out event can be considered a success. It’s literally too early in the game to talk about sold-out venues, and the focus should be on the event itself. Pull it off with just a few kinks and the whole group would have proven they can make a solid production en-route to producing regular shows in the MNL48 Theater.
The event seems to have three elements: special performances by MNL48 (something much-awaited by fans, since we’re all curious about the first single), merchandise including photo cards (first press merchandise is always highly sought after by fans), and fun activities and games. I honestly don’t know how they can facilitate games and keep the girls on a safe distance from fans who’d want nothing less than to get closer, but I’m betting that they probably already thought about that.
Tickets went on sale last Friday, and you can purchase a ticket on the Hallohallo Mall website. Here’s a rundown of the Ticket Purchase and Payment Policies, Entry Rules, and Event Guidelines.
TICKET PURCHASE AND PAYMENT POLICY
1. Ticket purchases are limited to a total of 3 tickets per account.
2. Online ticket selling will run from May 25 (Friday), 3:00 PM until June 1 (Friday), 12:00 midnight only.
3. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Selling of tickets will automatically stop once the limit has been reached.
4. Ticket holders with confirmed payment will receive an e-mail notification along with the event guidelines and an e-ticket (with reference number) which will be used to validate their ticket upon their entrance during the event.
5. Re-selling of ticket is STRICTLY prohibited.
6. No cancellation and no refund policy. In the event of postponement, purchased tickets for the original date will be valid for the new date unless otherwise notified.
7. Minors with ages from 6 years and below are not allowed to join the event.
ENTRY RULES
1. Registration will start at 1:00PM on June 3. Door opens at exactly 3:00PM.
2. Ticket holders MUST present the following at the Registration booth:
• MNL48 Fan Member’s ID (via MNL48 Fan App)
• E-ticket (with reference number) attached in the email confirmation
• Any valid ID with their full name and picture.
Failure to provide the COMPLETE set of requirements may result in non-entry.
3. Seat numbers will be distributed on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS UPON REGISTRATION.
EVENT GUIDELINES
1. Bags are subject for security check (for metal scanner/detectors). One (1) person, one bag policy will be observed.
2. Bringing of external food and drinks inside the venue is strictly prohibited.
3. Taking photos, videos, and audio recordings DURING THE MAIN SHOW is not allowed.
4. Gifts and letters for MNL48 members will be received by an AUTHORIZED event staff only.
5. The Management/organizer reserves the right, WITHOUT refund of any amount paid, to refuse admission to, or eject, any person whose behavior does not comply with the rules and regulations set forth by the venue and organizers.
6. Organizers are not held liable for any loss or damage to personal properties or belongings brought inside the venue.
7. Additional rules and guidelines that will be announced on the day of the event must be properly observed.
The management is calling out to all the fans to refrain from contacting the venue with regards to matters on ticket selling and event guidelines. Details and any further announcements about the event will be posted on the MNL48 Official Facebook Page. For inquiries, you may send an email to [email protected].
Purchasing the ticket was a surprisingly smooth experience. I ordered a Blue Ticket with LBC as my payment method, a representative from Hallohallo called me to verify my order, I paid it via LBC the next day, and got my e-ticket less than two hours after payment was confirmed (experiences vary, some took at least a day to receive the e-ticket). Each individual can only buy up to three tickets and these are not re-sellable (if found out, the ticket may be voided). I think this is to discourage scalpers or bulk-ticket buyers who might want to take advantage of fans who didn’t want to go through the trouble of ordering it online.
Hopefully, they keep to their schedule of 1PM registration and doors open at 3PM. This was one of the issues in the handshake event in Trinoma where the actual event started way late than was advertised. Since there seems to be a lot of things planned for the fans in this one, I hope they keep to the schedule to prevent it from dragging too long and way too late in the night.
For the event itself, each person is limited to just one bag each for security purposes. Bringing food and drinks inside the venue strictly prohibited, and taking pictures and videos of the main show is not allowed.
Those who wish to send gifts and letters to the members can do so to authorized staff only. The girls do receive these letters and gifts, just like the previous handshake event. However, let’s tone down on the very expensive stuff, shall we?
It’s also important to note that the management can send individuals out and/or deny them entry should they refuse to adhere to these guidelines. I’m guessing there will still be some people who will insist on taking photos, selfies, and videos of the event even though it is prohibited. This prohibition is in place even in AKB events so it’s not like we’re the only ones doing it.
They are keeping a tight lid on the details of the actual program, but there are a few things in the guidelines that I find a bit curious. They’re not really “smoking guns” and for all we know, it’s just my imagination running, but it might be worth checking out.
While “fun activities and games” were advertised, I always wonder what exactly are these activities and games? Is it your normal “let’s pull someone from the audience” type of activity, or would there be a specific area where the girls can play games (or facilitate the games) with the fans? I don’t think the MNL48 performance will be first on the list (it’s usually the last), and for some reason, I don’t think the games would be part of that performance.
While MNL48 always has a merchandise booth during promotional events for the audition, the fact that there are photo-sets involved means that the booth has to be extra large to accommodate the number of people coming to buy. We’re talking about 48 members plus trainees, and although most would probably limit their purchase to their kami-oshi’s merchandise, it’s also possible that they’ll buy others as well, especially if they suddenly hold a hand-shake event and the photo-sets give you an equivalent number of tickets.
The prohibition against bringing food to the event looks inconspicuous at first glance. But the wording had me thinking: if we can’t bring EXTERNAL food and drinks – and they really had to use the word external – does this mean that there might be food and drinks available inside? Seems unlikely, though the wording got the wheels in my head turning.
The prohibition against taking photos and videos is also curiously worded. No photos and videos can be taken “during the main show”. Does this mean that there are other “shows” and we can take pictures of those? It’s kind of difficult to prevent people who, minutes earlier can take pics and videos to suddenly just stop during the main show. But I guess the threat of being sent out should be enough to deter anyone willing to try.
The girls seem to have a lot of stuff prepared for their fans this Sunday, but the fans also have to do their part in making the event a success. We’ve took a very long road to get here, with lots of drama on the side, but it’s not the end of the trip. No sir, the party’s just getting started.
