Demand for Governor Palin's Salina Speech Overwhelms System

Tickets sales have been extraordinary for Governor Palin's February trip to Kansas to deliver the keynote address to the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce. In fact, according to the Salina Journal, ticket sales have been suspended, at least temporarily, so they can sort through the systemic overload caused by the unprecedented demand:

Because of an overwhelming number of requests, the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce has suspended the sale of tickets to its annual dinner, which will feature former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

"At this point, I am not saying that we're sold out," Chamber president and CEO Dennis Lauver said early Thursday afternoon. "If you've already called us or contacted us, either electronically or by phone, or stopped by our office, what we're asking is that you be patient and not initiate a new request at this time. We are processing those requests at this time."

Chamber officials have also -- at least temporarily -- quit taking phone, e-mail and walk-in requests for tickets to the Feb. 5 annual meeting, Lauver said.

Lauver said all 1,408 dinner seats have been spoken for. The chamber determined, including gallery seats, that they will have 4,000 seats available for the annual meeting. Once workers have processed the requests that have been made, he will know whether further ticket requests can be filled.

Lauver didn't know when the number of tickets to be made available would be established. He said chamber officials were meeting at the Bicentennial Center on Thursday afternoon to try to establish a seating scheme.

Lauver said a record number of ticket requests already had been received, and his office had been overwhelmed.

The previous record for ticket sales for a chamber annual meeting, he said, was about 1,500.

"We are at more than double that right now," he said.

Would the Salina organization experience equally high demand if, for example, Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee were to address the group? Just asking...