Refund for photo-less Gretzky VIP fans

Organizers of Monday night’s An Evening With The Great One say they’ll fully refund holders of VIP tickets who didn’t get their photos taken with Wayne Gretzky.

As part of the $999 VIP ticket price, buyers were to attend a private meet-and-greet after the formal banquet in a ballroom at the C Hotel, adjacent to Carmen’s Banquet and Convention Centre, where a professional photographer would also take their individual pictures with Gretzky.

Regular tickets to the fourcourse banquet — which was highlighted by the presence of a number of hockey celebrities and legendary broadcaster Dave Hodge skilfully interviewing Gretzky — cost $200.

“We did over 30 pictures after the event, and there were about 18 left to take,” said Dennis Concordia co-chair of the event and Strategic Advisor of the Carmen’s Group. “His agents told us he was unable to continue. At the end of the night, after four-and-a-half or five hours of Wayne Gretzky giving everything he had to the crowd, he kind of ran out of steam.

“I know a lot of people were disappointed, and we were too, but it couldn’t be avoided.”

PJ Mercanti and Nick Bontis, of the organizing committee, informed ticket holders waiting in line that they would be refunded the full price of their ticket and that Hodge, former Toronto Maple Leaf star Wendel Clark and Hockey Hall of Fame member Dale Hawerchuk would remain on hand for photo opportunities and casual hockey talk.

“We’ve had no complaints,” Concordia said Tuesday. “But a lot of compliments.”

A number of VIP ticket photos were taken at a similar meet-andgreet session in the late afternoon, before the formal banquet started.

Concordia said that any VIP ticket holders who didn’t leave their phone numbers or email addresses with him, could contact the Carmen’s box office (905-3870007) to obtain their refunds.