I’m a massive fan of celebrities, music, and dressing up for special occasions. So, naturally, when I found out the MTV Video Music Awards were going to be held in Brooklyn this year, I knew that I needed to find a way to be there. After some online searching, I found 1iota.com – a site that is dedicated to giving fans free passes to TV screenings and events. 1iota was providing free VMA passes to either the Red Carpet, the Pit, the Katy Perry performance, or seat-fillers for MTV’s biggest fans. The registration process was easy; first, I created a simple personal profile by adding some information such as my name, age, location, and gender. Next came the cast profile – here is where I provided information such as my ethnicity, height, and hair color. Finally, there was an optional “photos” section where I could upload pictures of my choice, and a “comments” section, where I could write whatever I wanted. Although those last two sections were optional, I knew that if I really wanted to stand out amongst the thousands of people applying for tickets, I needed to be creative.
After my application was complete, there was nothing left to do but wait. What I love about 1iota is the way they handpick each person they want to attend; rather than making it first-come-first-serve, they go through each entree and make their decisions based on what they see on your profile along with other factors. So even if you applied for the tickets a few days before the show, you still had a chance to go! Upon receiving the email telling me I had scored a Pit Ticket, I immediately clicked the “confirmation” button, which caused me to get upgraded to a premium ticket. Now, not only would I definitely be attending the Video Music Awards, but I would also be in the premium group that would be allowed in first before the general admission ticket holders. After this realization, I couldn’t even contain my excitement. I was finally able to say I would be attending this year’s MTV VMAs – for free!
The day of the VMAs was long. Really, really, really long. In fact, I’m pretty sure I was standing for at least 6 hours straight – in heels. Although they advised us girls to wear flat shoes, I’m only 5’1, and if I wanted to be able to see anything at all, I knew wearing heels would be a must. Aside from all of the standing and the sweltering heat (we were all standing uncomfortably close to each other), the show was incredible. Since I was let in early, I was able to score a spot 3 rows from the main performance stage. Seeing all of my favorite performers up close and personal was insane, and while every performer was incredible, Justin and ‘NSYNC definitely stole the show. Even though I was only given one ticket, I met so many cool people and was able to share this experience with complete strangers that later turned into friends. I loved being so close to all of my favorite celebs and seeing them interact with each other both on and off camera. If I had to sum up the night in one word, I would say it was surreal – definitely an experience I’ll never forget!