By far, the preferred way of registering for classes is to use the online advance ticketing system to request classes in advance. But if that doesn't work for you, or you registered late, or you'd like to change your classes, don't worry: there will still be on-site ticketing, described below.
Volunteers and teachers may receive special priority ticketing; it's our way of thanking those people who make PCOC possible. Details of how that works and how you qualify are also on this page.
And if you have unanswered questions, please take a look through our FAQs about ticketing. If those don't answer your questions, send us an email at pcoc-ticketing [at] origamiusa.org.
On-Site Ticketing
If you did not sign up for classes via the online advance ticketing process or you want to make changes to your online class assignments after your classes are assigned, you can do so using the on-site ticketing process (which is similar to the regular ticketing process in prior years) during the morning ticketing period for that day only (see Hours for times). In other words, during the Friday morning ticketing period, you can change/add classes only for Friday classes, but not for Saturday nor for Sunday classes. If you need to change/add classes for Saturday, please return in person to the on-site ticketing Saturday morning to process your changes, and similarly for Sunday.
Those who did not register online and those who did will line up in priority ticketing sequence number order, starting with the lowest numbers at the front of the line. Online registrants will have a printout of their schedules, which can be edited to reflect additional requests and/or changes. Onsite registrants will use the current ticketing forms.
Before you get in the ticketing line, you should have a good idea of what your first, second and third choices are, at the very least. As you wait for your number to be called, listen for the announcements (or view the online schedule) on sold-out classes and adjust your choices accordingly. If you need additional forms, the line monitors will have them available.
You will queue in order by ticketing sequence number (printed on the back of your convention badge). You will give your completed form (or your marked-up schedule) to the ticketer. The on-site ticketer will process change/add class assignments on the website and will note the changes manually on the printed ticketing form.
A list of classes that have sold out online will be posted near the on-site ticketing tables. You can also view if the class is sold out by going to the individual class pages from the online schedule.
The ticketing form and the online schedule printout will serve for admission to classes; there are no individual class tickets.
There are many sources to use in preparing your class choices: the online schedule (with pictures), the on-site model menu, or the printed schedules available at the Information Desk in Hospitality. You can even start before the final schedule is posted by checking the Class Preview pages that are set up as classes are being entered (see Class Previews).
Priority Ticketing
Priority Ticketing is designed to compensate teachers and other volunteers who have donated hours that could otherwise be used to attend classes. That means you must be volunteering or teaching:
- During class hours (10am–12noon, 2pm–5pm), and
- On a day when you are registered to attend with classes.
As in years past, special priority will be given to teachers and volunteers who work during class time. Teacher/volunteer priority is taken into account during the online class assignment. Note that you must have registered to teach and must have signed up for specific volunteering time slots in order to receive priority ticketing consideration.
If you teach and/or volunteer one hour during class time on a day when you are attending with classes, you are eligible for priority consideration for three classes on any day on which you are attending with classes.
If you teach and/or volunteer two hours or more during class time on days you are attending with classes, you are eligible for priority consideration for six classes on any day on which you are attending with classes.
Please be aware of these important new deadlines for participation in priority ticketing:
- Teachers must have entered their teaching forms before the closing date for teaching form entry.
- Volunteers must have signed up for their volunteer hours before the class requests period ends.
These (and other) key dates can be seen here.
Please note that only a limited number of priority tickets for each class will be available. Teachers/volunteers requesting this priority will have their requests filled in order based on their ticketing sequence number. No class will be allowed to sell out by priority ticketing before the regular ticketing process begins, so it is important to enter many choices during online class registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did you change the ticketing system?
The new online advance ticketing system offers several benefits over the old system:
- No standing in line each morning of PCOC if you've preregistered.
- You know what classes you'll be taking well in advance of PCOC.
- You can take your time in choosing what classes you want to take. You'll have a week to decide and make your choices.
- The new system is far more equitable than the old system.
What do you mean by "far more equitable?"
Under the old system, everyone got a priority number based on (a) when they registered, (b) luck of the draw (since the first day's registrations were lotteried together). If you got a good, low priority number, you got to pick all your classes before everyone else and pretty much got all your choices! Whereas if you happened to register late (or just ended up with a high number because of the lottery), by the time the line got to you, the pickin's could be pretty slim.
In the new system, there's still priority numbers, but now classes are assigned round-robin, like the NFL draft. Priority number 1 gets ONE class; then number 2 gets ONE class; and so on, all the way to the person with the lowest priority number. Only then does priority number 1 get their second class pick. And so on, and so forth. This makes the class assignment process far more equitable than before.
So there's still a priority number based on when I register, right?
Yes. The first day's registrations are still lotteried together; thereafter priority numbers are assigned based on the date and time of registration. But the priority number is no longer "winner-take-all"; it just determines your position in each round of class assignment.
Where do I request my classes?
If you registered yourself or someone else, all of your/their schedules will be linked from the PCOC 2021 My Classes page, accessible when you are logged in to your website account. The system will be open for class requests for one week. See here for exact dates.
How do I express my relative choices?
For each day of classes, you can choose any number of classes and drag them into preference order on the online form. You'll put all your choices for all days into a single list, so your top-choice class should be first in the list, no matter what day it's on.
Can I specify conditional choices? Like, if I get into Fuse, I want to take LaFosse, but if I don't get Fuse, then I'll take Peyton?
Sorry, no. You can put your classes into strict order of preference and that's all.
How many choices can I make for each day?
You can request as many classes as you want for each day. The assignment algorithm will try to fill your schedule until either your schedule is full or it runs out of your requests. If you want a full day, we suggest you choose at least 10–15 classes for each day. Also, try to cover each period of the day with several picks so that you will end up with as full a schedule as possible.
Does this guarantee that I'll get my first choice?
No guarantees, but you'll almost certainly get one or more of your top few choices. In past years, almost everyone received their first choice.
Who does the actual assignment? A person? A team?
It's a computer algorithm. There will probably be something like 150 classes and several thousand class requests. The website server will sort through them all and do the actual assignment based on attendees' requests, priority numbers, and class sizes.
Is there special priority for teachers and volunteers, like there was in the past?
Yes, and the good news is, there is special priority, but there's no special process. Teachers and volunteers register and make requests just like everyone else, but they get their special bump at class assignment time, based on the number of hours they teach and/or volunteer.
Does anyone else get special priority?
Yes, we try to give a little extra priority to our invited guests, first-timers and foreign guests. But remember, the nice thing about this system is that priority is no longer all-or-nothing; we dole out priority in measured doses.
What if I register after online class requests close? How do I get classes?
We'll still have an on-site class signup for people who registered late or on-site. This will work like it has in the past: you'll line up in priority ticketing number order and can select classes from what's available. More details are here.
Can I make changes to my class schedule after getting it via the online advanced ticketing?
Yes. You can join the on-site registration line (based on your priority numbers) and can add, drop, or replace classes in your schedule. (If all you want to do is drop a class, you don't need to stand in line; you can do this at the Help desk.)
Can I make a pairing request, i.e., to make sure I get into the same classes with my child so I can assist them?
We do try to group family members together at assignment time; make sure you and your child request the same classes in the same order and there's a good chance you'll be assigned together (though it's not guaranteed). Once the schedules are published, it may still be possible for PCOC administrators to make changes to effect the desired pairings, either for the selected class, or another that can be agreed upon.