https://www.steemimg.com/images/2016/09/14/4d16cb792150dbd9c7cca2e9eea45f9d.jpg

Quite overwhelmed to say the least after the introduction post past monday! SteemFest is on a roll and we are looking forward to it. Venues confirmed and quite busy days on Steemit.chat have passed since :) Thanks for all the help offered! Will try to funnel this practical generosity as it comes. 

Just now we have opened up the <a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1" target="_blank">SteemFest Ticketshop</a>. Tickets, all right. But for what you might ask?

<h2>First Names SteemFest Amsterdam:</h2>You can expect a presence and presentations by the following people (random order): <ul>
<li><h4>@ned, USA - CEO Steemit</h4></li>
<li><h4>@infovore, Nigeria - creator of the SteemMag series</h4></li>
<li><h4>@tatianamoroz, USA - singer/songwriter, podcaster and bitcoin aficionada</h4></li>
<li><h4>@xeroc, Germany - Longtime blockchain expert and developer of Piston</h4></li>
<li><h4>@heiditravels, USA / Portugal - travel blogger and surfer</h4></li>
<li><h4>@ericvancewalton, USA - writer of poems & novels such as the trending Alarm Clock Dawn series</h4></li>
</ul>
Presentations, workshops and performances will generally last about 20 minutes max, unless more in-depth time is required. Other items will include: a 'Whale' panel and a 'Developer' apps pitch session and the Appy Hour in which you can shop by developers of several apps. 
<h4>(Many) More names to be announced soon!</h4>

<h1><a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1" target="_blank">SteemFest Ticketshop</a> is now open:</h1><b>The budget for this event for 300 people is now surpassing € 115,000 and with help of Steemit HQ and Whale support we are trying to lower the lowest entry price to about 1/4 of it.</b> You can help out sponsoring the event by picking a more expensive 'Support Ticket' in various levels. If you are not attending you can also buy a 'NO-ENTRY-ticket' for which we thank you very much and send you a gift to your doorstep.

<h4>By <a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1" target="_blank">buying an event ticket</a>, which you need to bring and exchange in Amsterdam for a SteemFest wristband, you get access to the following:</h4>
<ul>
<li><b>1000 SP provided by Steemit HQ</b> when you show up in Amsterdam with your <a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1" target="_blank">paid ticket</a>. Distribution details will follow.</li>
<li><b>Day 0: Friday 11 November:</b>
	 <ul><li>Opening Night Drinks at the <a href="https://steemit.com/steemfest/@steemfest/the-steemfest-s-volkshotel-package-deal-eur-285-per-room-for-3-nights">SteemFest Volkshotel</a></li></ul>
</li>
<li>
<b>Day 1: Saturday 12 November:</b>
	<ul>
		<li>(Taxi) Boat trip from <a href="https://steemit.com/steemfest/@steemfest/the-steemfest-s-volkshotel-package-deal-eur-285-per-room-for-3-nights">SteemFest Volkshotel</a> to Conference Venue</li>
		<li>A full day & night of conference / presentations / workshops and party in a beautiful all rented out Conference Venue, the Tobacco Theatre in the Centre of Amsterdam</li>
		<li>Including all day drinks, lunch, dinner, bites</li>
		<li>Including open bar at night with sodas, Heineken Beer, Gin, Rum, Wodka.</li>
		<li>Expect a great mix of content by fellow Steemians: panels, workshops, recitals, music performances, literature and more.</li></ul>
</li>
<li>
<b>Day 2: Sunday 13 November:</b>
	<ul>
		<li>Long Boat tour along the canals of Amsterdam</li>
		<li>"Red Light Mashup" - an afternoon filled with activities in Amsterdam's oldest neighborhood</li>
		<li>Climb the church</li>
		<li>Bites & drinks</li>
		<li>Small sessions in locations at 50m distance scattered around the "Old Church"</li>
		<li>Nearby musea to enter with your festival wristband</li>
		<li>Guided Walking Tours</li>
		<li>Closing Dinner & Drinks in <a href="https://steemit.com/steemfest/@steemfest/the-steemfest-s-volkshotel-package-deal-eur-285-per-room-for-3-nights">SteemFest Volkshotel</a></li>
	</ul>
</li>
</ul>	

<h2>
The base <a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1" target="_blank">ticket price</a> for the aforementioned full program including lunch, dinners, bites and drinks is set at € 111 including fees.
</h2>If you can afford it, you are very welcome to buy a more expensive <a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1" target="_blank">'Support ticket'</a> (available at various levels of support: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) which enable us to fill the current 'hole' in the budget :) 
<h3>Not included:</h3>
- <b><a href="https://steemit.com/steemfest/@steemfest/the-steemfest-s-volkshotel-package-deal-eur-285-per-room-for-3-nights">Hotel Package at SteemFest Volkshotel</a></b>: 3 nights for € 285 (excl. breakfast). <a href="https://steemit.com/steemfest/@steemfest/the-steemfest-s-volkshotel-package-deal-eur-285-per-room-for-3-nights">Read all the details here</a> and how to <b>book (before 12 October!)</B>

<h1>How to buy your <a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1" target="_blank">SteemFest ticket</a> with SBD / Steem?</h1> 

<h2>Pay manually using SteemPay:</h2>
1. Read these steps carefully.
2. Click the below button to <b>pay 144 SBD</b> (not Steem!). 
3. The <a href="https://steempay.io/payment?&receiver=steemfest&amount=144&currency=SBD&callback=https://steemit.com/@steemfest">steempay page</a> opens and shows you a MEMO text.
4. <b>FIRST! Mail</b> that MEMO text to <a href="mailto:steemfest[at]gmail.com?subject=Manual%20Payment&body=Hi SteemFest, I'm about to wire 144 SBD to @steemfest. My username on steemit is X.">steemfest@gmail.com</a> including your Steem Username and optionally First & Lastname (if you dont give it we will just put your Username on your ticket).
5. <a href="https://steempay.io/payment?&receiver=steemfest&amount=144&currency=SBD&callback=https://steemit.com/@steemfest">Follow the payment instructions</a> of the SteemPay page: Wire <b>144 SBD</b> to @steemfest with the given MEMO Text (which you had just mailed to steemfest@gmail.com .
<a href='https://steempay.io/payment?&receiver=steemfest&amount=144&currency=SBD&callback=https://steemit.com/@steemfest'>
<img src='https://steempay.io/media/badges/pay/badge_steem-payable-here--light-v1.png'>
</a>

Manual Steem Based Dollar Payments are processed every day at 10 AM CEST and 22 PM CEST by checking our mail and validating the incoming transfers on the @steemfest wallet. Then we mail you a ticket or coupon code to claim your ticket.

<h2>Pay with SBD via the Bitcoin route automatically:</h2>Next to credit card, paypal and various debit card e-banking options <a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1" target="_blank">the SteemFest Ticketshop</a> also offers the option to checkout and pay with Bitcoin. 

<h3>Note: If you opt to pay with Bitcoin be sure to pay EXACTLY the amount stated and no cent more.</h3> Otherwise difficult manual stuff needs to happen. Also pay directly from your own wallet, not from intermediates!

These payment methods can be utilised to pay with SBD / Steem for SteemFest via the Bitcoin route: 
1. Sell some SBD / Steem on a market of your choice (Bittrex, Poloniex) or via Blocktrades.us and withdraw to your own wallet.
2. Transfer the amount due to the payment bitcoin address shown in the <a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1" target="_blank">the SteemFest Ticketshop</a>. Or you could charge your virtual creditcard at E-Coin/Wirex or Advcash and pay with that instead.

<h1>Celebrate Ticket Launch Weekend <a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1/c/LAUNCH555" target="_blank">with 5% Discount</a>:</h1> Only this weekend you can buy your SteemFest ticket with 5% discount by clicking <a href="https://steemfest.paydro.com/steemfest-1/c/LAUNCH555" target="_blank">this link</a>.

<h2>Staying Anonymous</h2> We can totally understand you want to stay anonymous for your very own reasons. Although the ticketshop asks you to write down your first and lastname, you can just makeup something here. Note that you need to keep your ticket safe and for yourself, especially if you don't use your own name on your ticket.

<b>And yes, all proceedings of this post will go towards funding SteemFest and closing that budget gap :)</b>