Monday’s Money Saving Tips: Getting free entry to events! At the Hong Kong Golf Open.
On our travels we all like to attend events and functions and we especially love freebies! Free drink, free food, free hats, free souvenirs and FREE entry. Here’s a blaggers guide for your Monday’s Money Saving Tips today. How to get FREE entry to events! It doesn’t always work but worth a try…I’ve done a top 10 list.
Free entry backstage at the 2012 Hong Kong Open pretending to be a Caddy!
1. Blagging
Blag your way in. Use a bit of charm, use a bit of wit, make up sob stories, beg, blag, chat, talk, persist. It’s all a bit of gift of the gab stuff. Bouncers, doormen and security will always want to see a ticket or pass to let you get in but if they do refuse you entry then it’s time to blag…and blag…and just keep at them…in the past I’ve blagged my way into Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, nightclubs that didn’t allow football shirts, members only bars, press conferences and many more…
Me to some guy at the door: “Please Sir, I love Rangers FC, let me in to stand on the pitch please.”
Rangers Guy: “OK then as long as it’s just you.”
Me: “No my three mates are coming too – they love Rangers too.”
Rangers Guy: “Oh, OK then but be quick…”
Blagging me and my mates onto the pitch at Ibrox Stadium, home of Rangers FC in Glasgow, Scotland.
2. Your Mates
Majority rules. More people mean more pressure. Remember the night the rock band Oasis were scouted? In King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, Scotland. The bouncer and the guys at the venue weren’t going to let them play, until they realised that the Oasis lads had about 20 mates with them threatening to smash the place up if they weren’t allowed to play. The rest is history. A few of my mates helped get me free entry into recent events in Hong Kong by having guest passes (I borrowed them and walked on in). Thanks to Neil McCormick and Mark Dineley for the recent free entry passes. Friends in high places. These boys could probably get you a ticket for a space ride to the moon. Hold that thought.
5 free pints blagged through mates who had Caddy passes at the Hong Kong Golf Open in 2012.
3. Pretend to Work There
Look and see what the people that work there are doing. Dress like them and act like them. It’s actually a lot easier than you’d imagine. Think of all the films where people pretend to be someone else. Do it and walk on in as a fake member of staff.
“Oh hello, yes I work here of course!” – the football shirt was the giveaway…
4. Really Work There
Get a job at an event and you’ve automatically got free entry!! I’ve done this a lot on my travels to be honest and it’s the easiest and best way. Plus – you get paid. I’ll never forget working at the Oasis concert in 2008. I love Oasis and I got to go inside and watch them live while working and getting paid. My request to get backstage and have a beer with Noel and Liam Gallagher fell on deaf ears though.
I once manned the bar at an Oasis concert in Bournemouth! Got to watch some of the gig for FREE!
5. Chance It
There’s always a slight chance if you just walk casually past security they will be a bit lax and let you on in. Always worth a try.
Working on the busy bar for an Oasis concert in Bournemouth in 2008.
6. Pretend to be a football mascot
Dress up as a football mascot and get free entry to a football match – everybody will let you through no problem – nobody would even question it. The problem is you’ll need to buy the exact replica mascot kit as the actual mascot…get into AFC Bournemouth for free by pretending to be Cherrybear!
You could always dress up as the Mascot at a football ground and get in for free!
7. Sneak Backstage
I managed to do this a few times when I worked at concerts and events in the Bournemouth International Centre and Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre in England. I got to see Avril Lavigne’s knicker and bra collection once…this was the only sneaky photo I got…
In 2008 I saw Avril Lavignes knickers, she wasn’t wearing them though, I sneaked backstage.
Though sadly I never got to meet Avril Lavigne or indeed show her my “backstage pass”. Ahem!
8. Pretend to be Someone Else
Think of a famous person that people won’t know what they look like and try that.
Doorman: “Excuse me it’s VIPs and politicians only.”
Fake Celebrity: “Yeah mate it’s me! I’m the former leader of the Green Party from 1995 – 1996 and I’m here to meet David Cameron.”
Doorman: “Cool mate, sorry didn’t mean to offend you, didn’t recognise you. The free drinks are on the left and the snacks on the right. Cameron’s out the back having a chinwag with Obama.”
Having a beer with Barack Obama. I pretended to be Tony Blair instead of Jonny Blair and they believed me.
9. Get Invited!
Of course! The best and easiest way to get free entry is to get invited or already be on the Guest List. This is one thing I miss about living in Australia – the amount of times I got free entry to events was crazy. The most memorable one was when we attended a Lecture in 2009 just to get free food and drinks! Myself and my travel buddy Daniel Evans managed to drink all the beer! Our flatmate Rebecca organised the event so naturally we were able to get in free and loved it! Wee report here: John Marsden Memorial Lecture.
Enjoying FREE food and drinks at the Masonic House in Sydney in 2009 where we got a free invite thanks to our flatmate!
10. Call a fake emergency!
Tell the door staff that someone outside has just collapsed or there’s a bomb alert or there’s a fire or that Elvis is outside singing “Hotel California”.
I creeped through an open door, winked at a member of staff and bang! I was on the pitch at Paraguay’s National Football Stadium in Asuncion. What a life…
Well that’s it – you can get free entry to events easily on your travels and in many different ways. Some of the above are of course tongue in cheek, but I really did get to see Avril Lavigne’s knickers and bras, have a beer with a cardboard Obama, stand on the pitch at Ibrox and enjoy loads of FREE nights out in Sydney (through work and friends). Safe travels and thanks for reading Monday’s Money Saving Tips!