The Ace parking sale devises a new form of torture

13 APRIL 2015




Let me start with a caveat: I like Ace Parking and I think they're trying hard to keep everyone happy after last year's tragedy of a parking sale. There's no question they have a tough task at hand.

However, their form of doling out parking spaces is doubtlessly going to frustrate a few people.  We knew it would be a lottery; you were told to email them by 12 April and maybe your name would be picked or maybe it wouldn't. However, now they've revealed their method - and timeframe - of picking names and it's a bit of a head-scratcher.

You'll know if you were selected at all by 15 April. That's good. However, going forward everyone who was selected will be put into random groups, with one group drawn at a time. Each group gets 5 days to buy a permit. At the end of those 5 days, all available permits go back into the pool and the next group gets a crack at buying them. They also get five days. And so it goes on down the line. While all groups are guaranteed a spot, only the first three are guaranteed a spot at the Convention Center or the Hilton.

You thought it was bad waiting for your hotel room assignment? This could take weeks. However, they will let you know your group assignment in your email, so there's that. And at least everyone finds out by Wednesday whether they're getting a spot at all.

It's kind of incredible that no matter how many years we all repeat the same processes with the same organizations - badge sales, parking, hotel rooms, Travel Planners, CCI, Ace - every year brings a new twist.