Continental Championship Best Practices

EC organisers seminar: "eliciting best practices"

Who:
Oscar Garza, L. Scott Johnson, Robin Tatu, David Tatu, Ginés Quiñonero, Johannes Walch, Andreas Nusser, (David Quiñonero), Bea Düring (moderating)

When:
6th of August 2007

Where:
"The Flying Scotsman", Gothenburg, Sweden

Agenda:

• 4 areas identified before hand regarding VTES continental championships: publicity, cost/financing, venue, organising
• Invitations to former EC, NAC and larger VTES event organizers
• Method: 1 area at a time, collecting input via post-its, structuring post-its and identifying overlapping areas (removing duplicates, clarifying content), collecting specific EC-input based on the practices/areas identified

PUBLICITY

Community:

• Post to popular VTES forums and newsgroups
• Link from www.vekn.net webpage
• Present new EC place and month at current EC (maybe not possible to present a location – I suggest the organizers present their concept)
• Coverage on www.vekn.net after event (also a coverage several months ahead on www.vekn.net)
• Submit events to calendar
• Create standard webpage on www.vekn.net
• Publish date on website 9 months ahead
• Have live cam as weekend documentation
• Schedule and tournament kits
• Keep website updated
• Get schedule for LCQ, side events and local events
• Link to travel airport
• Give detailed final round report
• Email other princes
• Email players in the area (player registry)
• Phone calling every one you know about the event and hammer down a commitment

Outreach:

• Print business cards for advertising events (include in card shipments etc)
• Flyers and posters in rpg shops
• Ads on fan forums
• Push information through the retail chain
• Advertise in magazines

COSTS/FINANCING

Sponsorship:

• Subsidies from local administration (municipal funding)
• Subsidies from governement/city
• EU
• White wolf money
• RPG shops
• Local retail support/sponsoring distributors
• Remove dependency of single individual of financing events

Per Player Cost:

• Shop around for venue with low costs
• Preregister - get the cash
• Event registration fees (on-site registration higher)
• Reduce entrance fee if possible
• Off season flight and hotels

Second Market/Costs

• Sale of boosters for Duffin draft in between rounds
• On- site sales of boxes in cooperation with a retailer
• T-shirts
• Sell custom edges
• Sell of exclusive EC promo stuff and souvenirs
• Special sales (anniversary kits)
• Auction of table cloth or similar
• Sell refreshments/drinks and snacks

VENUE

• Keep your time accountable (minimum of (central) 4 organizers)
• Assume that everyone is helpless and stupid (provide rules, near food and transport instructions)
• Contracts with group (keys, access day and night) if venue is not all inclusive
• All inclusive location (room, hotel, food, refreshments)
• Schedule off season
• Find cheap hotels and airfares (infrastructure for travels to and from event, airport etc)
• Opening hours
• Separate rooms for side events (mutiple rooms main events, side events, free play)
• Enough room for 200 players
• Comfortable chairs
• Enough area suited for mass registration
• Use table cloths for events (secure table cloth with tape)
• Clock indicating remaining time in each round
• Accoustic preparation if possible (noise, announcements)
• Public access system
• Pentagonal/round tables
• Toilets close to reduce game delay
• Keep bathrooms clean and accessible
• Tidy/clean location
• Easy access
• Microphone/loudspeaker announcements (sound system)
• On time registration, breaks and events
• Ventilation/manage temperature in location
• Accommodations have to be close/hotels right next to venue
• Restaurants close to venue
• Offer snacks and meals on-site (or within 5 minutes)
• Inform attendees about local attraction and nightlife (local guides/appointed meeting places)
• Right neighborhood
• Bleachers for watching finals
• Video wall or screen to broadcast final/adequate finals viewing
• Non-smoking venue
• Microphone on finalists
• Check rules for filming hands and play during finals
• Negotiate insurance (contact venue owners and find out)

ORGANISING (ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES)

• Preregistration on www.vekn.net (standard)
• On-site registration on multiple computers (number of players/30)
• Solve on-site registration logistics (laptops, network, cash box)
• Solve registration process ( staff plans, routines, roles)
• Don’t let people enter before they register
• Name tags or badges
• Have armbands to indicate registration type
• People in charge of games with added time
• Public relations personel
• Have a post mortem after ec (organisers seminar)
• Telephone number organisers
• Organisers properly identified
• Judges, judges, judges - judges in uniform
• Have all the events start in time
• Seating co-ordinator
• Technical director (computers, network, infrastructure, connectivity, eletrical outlets)
• Social co-ordinator
• Documentation/archiving person (traceability)
• Results entry persons (tables/archon)
• Assistants (non vtes players)
• Have enough staff
• Announcements immediately before start of rounds
• Create spouse info/events
• Strict timeline
• Have overlapping registration
• Deadlines or planning schedules (announcements regarding "day of x/y/z" - all tasks)
• Seat players as soon as possible/then fuss with the archon
• Print out seating (on multiple spots)
• Collecting results after rounds (3-4 people)
• Two head organisers (side events/main tournament)
• Princes organise side events
• Information updates to players
• FAQ (handout at registration)
• Policies regarding behaviours (late additions)
• Available translators
• Evaluate event/tournament
• Media coverage stuff
• Lock away possibility/storage
• Lunch breaks
• Notify local restaurants of events/stay open late (try to get a price deal ”special menu” with nearby restaurants)
• Hotel/restaurant and travel information (try to get a price deal with local hotels)