VANCOUVER -- A minimum of 30 per cent of tickets for each Olympic event will be set aside for the public at the 2010 Winter Games.

Vancouver organizers have cut back on the number of high-demand event tickets given out to the Olympic family in order to make sure at least some average Canadians get a spot at events like medal rounds for hockey.

But in a sponsorship deal typical of the Olympic marketing machine, the only form of credit payment that will be accepted is Visa.

The number of public places reserved at each event is triple than that at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, said Dave Cobb, vice-president of marketing for the 2010 organizing committee.

"It's an area we feel quite strongly about and we've set those lines in the sand now and we're not moving from them," he said.

Tickets for the 2010 Games go on sale to the public on Oct. 3, but by then a good chunk will already have been allocated to sponsors, officials and media who make up the Olympic family.

Of the 1.6 million tickets being sold overall for the Olympics, members of the public will have access to 30 per cent.

Their requests have been coming in since earlier this year and Cobb said demand was much higher than expected for every Olympic event.

But at the recent Summer Games in Beijing, Olympic "family" members attracted a lot of criticism for letting dozens of seats go unfilled at many of the events.

"We know that a ticket to the general public is much higher likelihood of it being used," Cobb said.

"And all of these groups that get access to these tickets now are sensitive to the empty seat issues coming out of Beijing."

Vancouver's organizers have said they're looking at cutting back on the space allocated specifically to media at the 2010 Games in order to eliminate so many empty seats.

They're also creating a resale market for tickets and are emphasizing that those bought through unauthorized brokers could be invalidated. The resale market won't be ready until later next year.

Though sponsors and officials had first crack at event tickets, the public will be given the vast majority of tickets being sold for the nightly victory celebrations planned for the Games.

Of the approximately 30,000 tickets available per night, 20,000 will be sold for $22 each and 10,000 given away for free.

They will all go on sale next year, though some will be available through ticket packages in the first round of sales starting next month.

The emotion and energy of the ceremonies is a great way to experience the Games, said Caley Denton, vice-president of ticketing for the committee.

Plans include concerts with well-known entertainers to draw spectators to the nightly celebrations.

"We wanted to make sure the seats are full," said Denton.

"Somebody who has just had the performance of their life and won that medal, we want them to see a full venue when they go and get that medal."

Sales won't be first-come, first-serve, but instead will be done through an application process that will last until Nov. 7.

People will be notified later that month whether their choices have been accepted and they'll have the opportunity to add-on additional tickets before the end of the year.

The second and third phases of sales will take place in 2009.

The cheapest ticket for the Games is $25 for preliminary sporting events and the most expensive is $1,100 for a top spot at the opening ceremonies.

Organizers have promised that ticket surcharges -- which have not been announced -- will be lower than similar programs on the market.

They also haven't figured out whether tickets will give people free access to public transit during the Olympics or if there will be a surcharge, though there will be a fee for transportation between Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., where the Nordic events are taking place.

Venue layouts have also not been finalized and 10 per cent of the tickets will be held back until that is done.