Sectional Tournament Planning Guide - Your Best...
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Sectional Tournament Planning Guide
Transcript of Sectional Tournament Planning Guide - Your Best...
Sectional Tournament Planning Guide
Table of Contents
Introduction 1General Information 2Roles and Responsibilities of Tournament Sponsors and DICs 2-5Tournament Timeline 5-23 OneYearOut .................................................................................................... 7-8
TenMonthsOut............................................................................................... 9 FinanceandBudgetCommittee................................................... 10
HospitalityCommittee.................................................................... 11-13 PublicityandPromotionCommittee.......................................... 14 PartnershipCommittee....................................................... ........... 15 Intermediate/Newcomer(I/N)Committee............................... 16-17
ConductandEthicsandTournamentAppealsCommittees....18 TheCaddyMaster............................................................................. 18 PrizesCommittee.............................................................................. 19 NineMonthstoOneDayOut....................................................................... 20-21
TournamentChecklist...................................................................... 22-23
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Introduction
WelcometotheSectionalTournamentPlanningGuide.Thematerialinthisguidehasbeendesignedtoassistinplanningandrunningasuccessfultournament.Hereyouwillfindtipsforsectionals,ideasforbringingnewplayerstoyourtournament,guidelinesfortheTournamentChairandalloftheappointedcommitteechairs,resourcesforcurrenttournamentfeesandconventioninformationandmuchmore.
AstheTournamentChair,youaretheofficialgoodwillrepresentativeforyourunitand/ordistrict.Youravailabilitythroughoutthetournamentisessentialtothesuccessofthetournament.YouwillplaymanyrolesasTournamentChair,butbeinganunderstanding,cooperativeandhospitablehostisparamount.
Your availability will allow you to:•Effectivelyandefficientlyoverseethathotelandconventioncenterstaffare
performingtheirdutiespromptly.
•Confirmthatsubcommitteeshavecompletedassignedtasks.
•Ensureproperannouncementsaremade.
•Actasatroubleshooterforunexpectedproblems.
Ifyouhavequestionsorneedadditionalassistance,[email protected].
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General Information
Roles and Responsibilities of Tournament Sponsors and DICs
♠Sectionalsareallocatedtounits.
♠Therearenorestrictionsastothenumberofsectionalsaunitmayconduct.
♠Adistricthastherightofapprovalforsectionalsconductedbyitsunits.
♠Eachunitisrequiredtoholdasectionalatleastonceeverytwoyears.
♠Sectionalsmustbeatleasttwodaysandnomorethanfivedaysinduration.
♠Limited/JuniorSectionalsmustbeatleastonedayandnomorethanfivedaysinduration.ALimitedSectionalisdefinedasasectionalwithamasterpointlimitof0-500.
♠Allsectionalshavethesamestatus,andthesamerulesandregulationsapply.
♠Ifasanctionapplicationissubmittedlessthanoneyearinadvance,theunitlosesitsclaimtothedates.
♠Questionsconcerningschedulingandotherconflictsforsectionalswillberesolvedbytheunit(s)andthedistrictorganizationinvolved.
Formoreinformationaboutsectionals,pleaseseeChapter 10oftheACBLCodification(http://www.acbl.org/about-acbl/administration/acbl-codification/)andChapter 6, Section 3oftheACBLHandbook(http://www.acbl.org/clubs_page/club-administration/club-managers/acbl-handbook-of-rules-and-regulations/).
Pair Game Type Movements (individual, pairs and BAM)
Thisisalistofareasrequiringpre-discussionbetweenaDirector-in-Chargeandasponsor.WhentheDICandsponsorarenewtoeachother,thesetopicsshouldbecoveredbeforethetournamentinordertoensureasmoothandcohesiveoperation.Overtime,thesponsorpreferencesbecomeknowntotheDIC,andlittleornodiscussionisnecessary.
Whilethefinaloptiononmanyofthesedecisionsrestswiththesponsor,thesponsorshouldrecognizetheprofessionalexpertiseoftheDICandmakealleffortstoreachacollaborativeconclusion.
Inunusualorunexpectedcircumstances(e.g.fire,powerfailure,impendingsevereweather,etc.)theDICisresponsibleformakingdecisionsineveryone’sbestinterest.
Numberofboardsplayed(numberofroundsisafunctionofsectionsize).Typically24to27inopengames,24ingoldrushgamesand24maximuminIintermediate/Newcomergames.
Sponsor’spreferenceof24or26/27shouldbedeterminedingeneral,notsession-by-session.
Type of movementTheenvironmentinwhichourgamesbeginrequiresthatmovementdecisionsbemadebytheDIC.
Ifthesponsorhasspecificsuggestionsinthisregard,thesponsorshoulddiscussthiswiththeDICinadvance.
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Pair Game Type Movements (individual, pairs and BAM) Cont.
Swiss and Round Robin Team Games
Combined scoringTypicallysectionsarecombinedforscoringandrankinginopenandflightA(X)andB/Cevents.
NotcombinedingoldrushandI/Nevents.
Sidegamesvarybycircumstance.
Aswithtypeofmovement,thisisusuallylefttotheDICwithsponsorinputwelcome.
Time per roundTypicallythetimeallowedforpairgamesis15minutesfortwo-boardroundsand21minutesforthree-boardrounds.
SponsorswishingtodeviatefromthesesuggestionsshouldconsultwiththeDICpriortothetournament.
Number of rounds and number of boards per roundFortwo-sessionevents,commonchoicesrangebetween48and56boards.Topflightsoftenplaymoreboardsperroundthanconcurrentlowerflights(sevenroundsofeightandsevenroundsofseven).Whenasmalleventandalargereventshareclosequarters,theyoftenbothplaysixroundsofnine(orsixroundsofeightinsteadof7x7).
RoundrobinorSwiss,dayoftheweek,getawayday,lengthofbreak,playerdesiresandotherfactorsneedbeconsidered.
Onesession(sidegames)arefourroundsofsix.Thestartingtimeofthenextsessionisoneofthedeterminingfactorsforthenumberofboardsplayed.
Theoption,providedthesubjecthasbeendiscussedinadvance,restswiththesponsor.
Time per roundAsetamountoftimeinwhichtoplay,compareandreporthasbecomethenorm.Thetypicaltimeallottediseightminutesperboard;thisincludesplayingtheboards,comparingscoresandturningintheresults.Oftenanadditionalminuteortwoneedstobegiventoinexperiencedgroupsandaminuteortwolesswhenthesponsorhasrequestedanearlydeparture.SponsorswishingtodeviatefromthesesuggestionsshouldconsultwiththeDICpriortothetournament.
When (and if ) to break (length)Sponsoroption.
VP scale (20 or 30) Typicallyincludedinadvertising.
Sponsoroption.SubstantialdeparturefrompastpracticemustbediscussedwiththeDICinadvance.
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Swiss and Round Robin Team Games Cont.
PairingComplete(andalmostcomplete)roundrobinsarepairedentirelyinadvance.SwisseventstypicallyarerandominroundoneandpairedbySwissteamrulesthereafter.TheTournamentDirector,basedongamesizeandotherconsiderations,setsvariousparametersoflooseortightpairinginACBLscore.
BracketingBracketsaretypicallydeterminedbytheTDwhenentriesclose.Inanopenevent,thetopbracketistypicallyplayedasaSwissandissometimessoldasopentoanyteam.
Knockout Events
Additional Sponsoring Organization Responsibilities
Number of boardsTypically,KOsplay24boardspermatch.FlightAKOs(rare)sometimesplay28.CompactKOsare24boards.Morningsessionsare24boards(orfewer).
HandicappingSponsoroption.ACBLrequiresthatadvertisingnotewhetherthetournamentwill,mayorwillnothandicap.SponsorandDICshoulddiscussexactdetailsinadvance.
ReplaysTypicallynotpermittedbutasponsormayopt(inadvance)toallowortoallowafteraninterveningmatch.
Bracketing (including where to break and three sessions)Sponsoroption.LargeKOsrarelyposeproblemsinbracketing.Inrelativelysmallevents,whenentriesclose,theTDmustmakebracketsthatwilldispleasethefewestcontestants.Sometimesoneortwothree-sessionbracketsisthebestsolution.Thesponsorshouldmakedesires,ifany,knowntotheDICinadvance.
Conventions permittedThesponsordecideswhetherconventionsfromtheMid-Chart(orinraresituationsfromtheSuperChart)willbepermitted.ACBLrulespertainingtopublicationofconventionspermittedmustbefollowed.
Electronic scoring Thesponsorarrangesforelectronicscoringdevices,ifdesired,inadvance.Somesponsorsownthem,othersrentthemfromvarioussources.TheDICmustknowinadvancewhat,ifany,thosearrangementsareandifasufficientquantitywillbeonhand.Financialdetailsneedbeagreeduponinadvanceifdirectorsareinvolvedintherentalprocess.
Hand recordsElectronicsets(purchasedfromACBL)areprovidedbytheDIC.TypicallytheDICarrangesforcopiestobeprintedforafter-gamedistribution.Ifboardsarenotpre-duplicated,theDICarrangesfornecessaryhandrecordstobeprinted.Thesponsorpaysallcosts.
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Additional Sponsoring Organization ResponsibilitiesCont.
Masterpoint averagingSponsoroption.Masterpointaveraging,ifused,mustbenotedinthetournamentadvertising.
Number of breaks Sponsoroption.Typicallyzero,oneortwohospitalitybreaks.Numberand/orlengthofbreaksisoftendeterminedbydistancetoandnumberoffacilities.
Pre-duplicated boardsThesponsormayarrangetohaveboardspre-duplicated.TheDICmustapprovethesecurityandreliabilityofthearrangementsandsuppliestheACBLpre-dealthands.
SeedingThesponsormayprovideapersontoassistthesellingdirectorwithseedingorleaveittothedirectortoseedtheplayers.
Tournament Timeline
Pre-sanction activitiesPriortoapplyingforasectionalsanctionaunitshouldappointaTournamentChair,selectdatesforthetournamentandsecureasite.
Oncethesiteischosen,meetwithsitemanagementtodiscussthenecessaryarrangementsforthetournament.Sitemanagementwillusethesenotestocreateasetofspecificationsforthetournamenttodistributetotheirstaff.
Theitemsonthefollowingchecklistshouldbediscussedandagreeduponatthattime.
Tournament Site Checklist□Playing spaceACBLrequiresatleast81squarefeetpertablewithextraroomfordirector’stables,waterstands,book
vendors,etc.asneeded.AcopyoftheprojectedplayingareashouldbesenttotheDIC.Ifthereareanychanges,arevisedcopyofthefloorplanshouldbesenttotheDICofthetournament.
□LightingAtleast20-footcandlesofillumination30inchesabovethefloorareneededforalltables.Additional
lightingmaybenecessary,particularlyatthedirector’stable.
□Tables and chairs Arrangefortableand/orchairrentalsifnecessary.
□SmokingAreasforsmokingmustconformtolocalandstatelaw.
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Tournament Site ChecklistCont.
□Extra tablesIfpossiblesix-andeight-foottablesareneededfordirectors,partnershipdesk,hospitalitydesk,
bookstore,supplies,watertables,etc.Impressuponthefacilitytheneedforfrequentmaintenanceofthewaterstations.
□Hotel roomsYoumayneedtobookahotelroomforadirectorthatistravellingfromoutoftown.Youshouldalso
havearecommendedhotelsiteforout-of-townplayers.
□RefreshmentsAprovisionforcoffeeandsoftdrinksmustbemade.
□CleanupIfcleanupisnotprovidedbythefacility,otherarrangementsmustbemade.
□MicrophonesMaybeneeded,especiallyinlargerooms.
□Coat racks Eithercoatracksoracheckroommustbeavailable,especiallyincoldweather.
□MirrorsAnymirrorsintheplayingroommustbecovered.
□Food serviceIffoodisservedbythefacility,informthemofthehoursbridgeplayerswillbeeating.
□PowerThereneedstobepoweroutletsforthedirector’stableandfortimeclocks.
□TrashLargetrashcontainersneedtobeplentifulthroughouttheplayingrooms.
□Wall spaceIfthefacilitydoesnotallowforhangingrecapsandpostersonthewalls,easelsorpushpinboards
mustbeprovided.
□Daily bulletinArrangementsmustbemadeforbulletinproductionifthetournamentchoosestoproduceone.
□Safe deposit boxArrangetohaveasafedepositboxtostoretournamentreceipts.
□BookstoreIfthetournamenthasabookstore,hallspacewillbeneeded.
□Tournament desksWherewillthedesksforprizes,hospitality(registration),partnerships,I/Nandinformationbelocated?
□SignageSomeofyourcommittees,suchasregistration,willneedsignsanddecorationstoidentifythem.
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Sanction application with TourneyTRAXAnyACBLmembermayapplyforasectionaltournament.IfyouarenewtoTourneyTRAX,youwillneedtocreateanaccount(MyACBLlogininformationwillnotworkinTourneyTRAX).Gotohttp://tournaments.acbl.org/UserLoginandclickontheClick here to register nextto New User?.
One Year Out
Onceyouhavecreatedyouraccountandsignedin,select“TournamentApplication”ontherightsidenavigationandcompletetheapplication.
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One Year OutCont.
Notethatasteriskeditemsarerequired.
TourneyTRAXwillautomaticallyselecttheappropriateDistrictTournamentCoordinator.
Onceanapplicationissubmitted,itmustthenbeapprovedbytheDistrictTournamentCoordinatorbeforebeingsanctionedasatournament.
OnlytheTournamentChairisallowedtomakecertainchangestoatournament.FliersmustbesubmittedtotheACBLTournamentCoordinatorforapprovalandposting.
SubmitfinalscheduleofeventstotheACBLTournamentDepartment.Timelycompletionofasectional’sscheduleiscriticalinthisprocessasstaffing,advertising,onlinepartnershipdeskandotherpartsofthetournamentprocessrequirethesubmissionoftheflier.
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Ten Months Out
Torunasuccessfultournament,theTournamentChairmusthaveaneffectiveteamofvolunteersforcommittees.NowisthetimetoappointTournamentCommitteeSub-Chairs.
Increasingly,tournamentsareseekingsponsorsfortournamentsandindividualevents.Thechair,thepublicityandpromotioncommitteeoraspecialsub-committeemayhandlesponsorship.Allcommitteechairsshouldreporttowhoeverisinchargeofsponsorshipbeforeseekingdonationsorgiveawaysfromlocalbusinessessothattheseeffortsaren’tduplicated.
TheTournamentChairmayserveinmorethanonecapacitybutshouldnottrytodoeverything.Thefollowingcommitteesaresuggestedforsectionals:
♥Finance
♥Hospitality/Information
♥PublicityandPromotion
♥Partnership
♥Intermediate/Newcomer(I/N)
♥ConductandEthicsandTournamentAppeals
♥TheCaddyMaster
♥Prizes
Thefollowingpagescontainguidelinesforthecommitteeslistedabove.
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Finance and Budget Committee
TheprimaryfunctionoftheFinanceandBudgetCommitteeistoprepareabudgetforthetournamentandinformeachcommitteeofitsallocation.Someflexibilityshouldbebuiltintothebudgetsothatmorefundsareavailablewhenattendanceisup,andcutbackscanbemadeshouldattendancebelessthananticipated.Clickhere(http://web2.acbl.org/handbook/handbook/AppendixG.pdf)foracurrentfeeschedule.
TheDICcanprovideestimatesofallACBL-relatedexpensespriortothetournament.Theseitemsincludesanctionandsupplyfees,includinghandrecordsandprintoutswhereapplicable,anddirectorfees,transportationandperdiemexpenses.TheDICcanalsoprovideanestimateofthenumberofhotelnightsneededbythedirectingstaff.
TheTournamentChairordesigneeshouldconsultwiththeDICaboutdecisionsthatdealwiththefinancialaspectsofthetournamentoperation.TheDICwillberesponsibleforthecollectionanddisbursementofmoneyduringthetournament.TheDICalsowillberesponsiblefortournamentfundsforthedurationofthetournamentunlessthesponsorchoosestoreceivefundsaftereachsaleanddisbursethefundsasnecessary.Ineithercase,sellingshortagesaretheresponsibilityofthesponsoringorganization.
ThechairoftheFinanceCommitteeshouldinformtheDICofentryfees,studentratesandfreeplays,ifany,andhowtheywillbehandled.
Unless the sponsoring organization has assumed the handling of funds, the DIC must:
♦Bethecustodianforallfundscollected.
♦Paystaffperdiemandtravelexpensesfromfundscollected.
♦Makeallauthorizeddisbursements.
♦GivetheTournamentChairacompletefinancialreportandanyfundsduethesponsorimmediatelyafterthetournamentisover.
♦GetacheckfromthesponsoringorganizationfortheamountduetheACBL.
If the sponsor has chosen to maintain control of the funds during the tournament, the sponsor must:
♦Receivethefundscollectedbytheentrysellers.
♦Payforallstaffcostsandexpenses.
♦Ensurethesecurityofthereceipts.
♦HaveacheckforthefundsduetheACBLreadyfortheDICattheconclusionofthetournament.
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Hospitality Committee
TheresponsibilityoftheHospitalityCommitteeistowelcometheplayerstothetournament,staffthehospitality/informationtable,operatetheregistrationdeskandplanentertainmentatthetournament.
Asklocalbridgeteachersandclubownerstoassistwithhospitality.Newcomersliketoseeafamiliarface,andtheopportunitytosignupnewmemberscanbeaniceperkforaclubmanagerwhohasclosedaclubforthedurationofthetournament.
Hospitality deskThehospitality/informationdeskshouldprovidelocalinformationaboutbridgelessons,clubgames,localhotelsandrestaurants.
Thepeoplestaffingthehospitalitydeskatthetournamentneedtobeabletoansweralltypesofquestions.Iftheycan’tansweraplayer’squestion,theyneedtofindtheanswerandgetbacktotheplayerassoonaspossible.
Registration deskFortheregistrationdesk,youwillneedregistrationcardsandawaytoorganizethem,signageforthedeskandpencils.YoucanalsostockitwithinstantmembershipformsthatcanbeobtainedfromtheDIC.
Theregistrationcardshouldbedesignedtocaptureasmuchinformationaspossible.Thiswillhelpthecommitteetodecidehowtousetheinformationfollowingthetournament.
It’sanicetouchtowelcometheplayerswitha“goodie”bagorspecialregistrationgift(orboth).Thegiftsaddtothefeelingofbeingwelcomeatthetournament.Thiscommitteewouldselectthewelcomegiftandstuffthebags.
Theregistrationdeskmustbestaffedatleastonehourpriortoeachafternoonandeveningsessionensuringthatplayershaveachancetoregisterthroughoutthetournament.
After the tournament use the information gathered from the registration cards to:
♣Contactnon-membersandinvitethemtojoin.
♣Sendalettertonon-membersthankingthemforattendingthetournamentandsendalongafreeplaytoinvitethemtothenextunitgame.
♣Doapostcardmailingtonon-unitmemberstoinvitethemtothenextsectional/regional.
♣Createanemailfilesoyoucansendperiodicannouncementstothisgroup.
EntertainmentDailyentertainmentthatincludesbothsocialandeducationalactivitiesisusuallywellreceivedbyplayers.
Looktoyourownmembershipforentertainment.Manyclubshavetalentedmusicians,artists,comediansandmagiciansamongtheirranks.Besuretomakearrangementsforsoundsystemsifnecessary.
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Hospitality Committee Cont.
Social activities are important. Here are a few ideas:
♠Abetween-sessionswineandcheeseparty.
♠Anafter-sessiondance(havealivebandoraDJ,acashbarandsnacks).
♠Apaneloflocalexpertstoanswerquestionsaboutthehandsjustplayed(addpizzatothepanelbetweensessions,andyou’llseealotofplayersreturningtoplayintheevening).
♠Apanelshow(BridgeHollywoodSquares).
♠Celebrityspeakers.
♠Free45-minutelessonbetweensessions.
♠Abreakfastorbrunchwithyourvolunteersprovidingthefood(ifyoursiteallowsfoodtobebroughtin).
The Hospitality Committee could:
♥Providerefreshmentsduringthesession(e.g.cookies,popcorn,candy,fruit).Manyplayersenjoyasnackwhiletheydiscussthehandsjustplayed,especiallyaftertheeveningsession.Somefacilitieswillallowyoutobringinfood,andotherswillnot.
♥SellACBLmembershipsorcollectduespayments.
♥Askareaclubstoprovidefliers.Someplayerswillwantinformationonlocalclubgames,includinggamesforI/Nplayers.
♥Asklocalteachersforinformationtocreatealistofbridgecourses.Makeadirectoryofcoursescurrentlybeinggivenbyareateachersasahandout.
♥Validateparkingtickets.
♥Makearestaurantguideandhavesamplemenusavailable.Makeiteasyforyourplayerstoeatbetweensessionsbyprovidingareainformation.
♥Distributebrochuresonlocalpointsofinterest.
♥Appointadecoratingcommittee.Alotoffuncanbeaddedtothetournamentifthereisatheme.
♥Actasacenterforlostandfounditems(especiallymisplacedconventioncards).
♥Setup,stockandstaffthehospitalitysuite.Makesureplayersarenotifiedofthetimeswhenthehospitalitysuitewillbeopenanditslocation.
♥Havefirst-aidmaterialsavailable.Ifyouchoosetoprovideanymedicationsuchasaspirin,ibuprofenoracetaminophen,aformshouldbesignedbytheplayerstatingthattheyaretakingthismedicineattheirownrisk.
♥Provide“goodie”bagsfortheregistrationtable
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Hospitality Committee Cont.
If“goodie”bagsarebeinggivenout,decideontheitems(eitherpurchasedorsolicited)forthebagsandhavethemassembledbeforethefirstdayofthetournament.
Suggested items for “goodie” bags:
♦Restaurantlistsandcoupons
♦Brochurelistinglocalclubsandteachers
♦Informationonlocaltouristattractions
♦ACBLInstantScorer
♦Fliersforotherupcominglocaltournaments
♦Pencilsorpens(hangingpensarepopular)
♦Promotionalgifts(keychains,pencils)donatedbylocalbusinesses
♦Candy
♦Conventioncardstickersandholders
♦T-shirts
♦Bumperstickers
♦Notepads
♦Coffeemugs
♦Decksofcards
♦Magnets
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Publicity and Promotion Committee
ThemainresponsibilityofthePublicityandPromotionCommitteeistogetthewordoutaboutthetournamentandtoencourageasmanypeopleaspossibletoattend.
No tournament publicity should occur until the tournament is sanctioned. In addition, ACBL must approve all tournament advertising before it is printed and distributed. (The approval of your sanction does not imply approval of your schedule of events.)
Thiscommitteeshouldworkwiththemediabysendingadvancepressreleasestolocalpapersannouncingthetournamentandhighlightinganyspecialevents(suchasafreelesson).Thecommitteecanalsosendreleasesaboutwinners—anicewaytoproviderecognitionforyourplayers.TipsfromtheACBLMarketingDepartmentcanbefoundhere (http://www.acbl.org/marketing/publicity/).
FundingforpublicityfornewcomeractivitiesmaybeavailablethroughtheACBLCooperativeAdvertisingProgram.FormoreinformationabouttheCAPprogram,clickhere (http://www.acbl.org/marketing/cooperative-advertising-program/).
TakeadvantageofthediscountatOfficeMaxandOfficeDepotforfliersandothercopying.Clickhereforamemberdiscountcard:http://www.acbl.org/assets/documents/marketing/OfficeMax2010.pdf
Ways to publicize your tournament:
Makearrangementsforflierstobeprintedanddistributedlocallyandsenttonearbyclubsinotherunits.
UseACBL’sTournamentEmailServices.Forguidelinesandinstructions,clickhere (http://www.acbl.org/marketing/email-services/).
PlaceanadintheACBLBridgeBulletinorotherbridge-relatedpublications.Adsshouldincludethescheduleofevents(withmasterpointlimitations),thetournamentsite,hotelinformationandcontacts.Clickherefortournamentadvertisingdeadlinesandrates:http://www.acbl.org/marketing/cooperative-advertising-program/advertise-in-the-bridge-bulletin/
Coordinatecommitteeassignmentstoensurethatalllocalclubsarevisitedandurgedtosupportthetournament.
Usemailinglabelsfromprevioustournamentsandsendreminders.
CoordinatewiththeChairoftheI/NCommittee.Specialinsertsorfliersshouldbesenttothe0to200playerstoinformthemofeventsandactivitiesespeciallyforthem.Thisgroupismorelikelytoattendifyouofferafullscheduleoflimitedgames.
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Partnership Committee
ThemainresponsibilityofthePartnershipCommitteeistofindapartnerorteammatesforanyoneattendingthetournament.Findingacompatiblepartnercanmakeallofthedifferenceinsomeoneplayingatyourtournamentandattendingfuturetournaments.
Alltournamentadvertisingshouldcontainthename,phonenumberandemailaddressofthePartnershipCommitteeChair.Manyout-of-townplayerswillcontactthechairwellinadvanceofthetournamenttoarrangepartnershipsandteammates.
Use ACBL’s online Partnership Desk for pre-tournament matches.ACBL’sonlinePartnershipDeskisavailabletoallACBLmembersforalltournamentsandclubsthroughtheMyACBLportal.TheACBLPartnershipDeskallowsindividualstopostrequestsandrespondtotherequestsofothersviaamessagingsystem.
ThePartnershipCommitteecantakeadvantageoftheonlinePartnershipDeskbyviewingtherequeststhathavebeenpostedfortheirtournamentandmatchingthoseindividualswithplayerswhohavecontactedthePartnershipCommitteedirectly;however,thetournamentcanbenefitfromthematchesmadeontheonlinePartnershipDeskevenwithouttheinvolvementofthePartnershipCommittee.
On-site partnership desk
♣Arrangeforthestaffingofthepartnershipdesk.Oneormorepeopleneedtobeavailableatthepartnershipdeskonehourbeforeafternoonsessionsandone-halfhourbeforeeveningsessionstoarrangepairings.Itisespeciallyimportanttohavesomeonestaffthedeskpriortothestartofaknockoutevent.Forlate-nightevents,thedirectorrunningthegamewillmakepartnerships.
♣Makesurethedeskisstockedwithplayerinformationcards.Thecardshouldincludetheplayer’sname,phonenumber,numberofmasterpoints,systemandeventsforwhichapartnerisneeded.Sinceyouarecollectinginformation,itwouldn’thurttoaskforanemailaddressincaseyouwanttodosomefollow-upwork.
♣Arrangeforastandbywhoiswillingtofillinwithanyoneavailableeachsession.Suchastandbyshouldnotbechargedanentryfeeandwhennotusedcouldberewardedwithafreeplayforanothersession.
♣MaintainaseparatepartnershipdeskforI/Nplayersatalargetournament.Newplayersaremorelikelytoplayifafamiliarfaceismakingpartnershipsintheareawheretheyarescheduledtoplay(theI/Narea).
♣Alwaysguaranteepartnersfornewcomerswhocheckinonehourbeforethegame.Itisanincentivefornewplayerstoattendyourtournamentwhentheyknowthatyouwillhelpthemgetapartner.Besuretoputthisinformationinyourtournamentadvertisinganddeliver!
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Intermediate/Newcomer (I/N) Committee
Themainresponsibilityofthiscommitteeistoworkwiththeareateachersandclubmanagerstobringnewer(andfirst-timeduplicate)playerstothetournament.
Work with the Tournament Chair
♠Offerafullscheduleofevents.TheACBLrecommendsgamesfor0-5,0-20,0-50,0-100,0-200and0-500(NLM)playerseachsession,orgamescanberunasstratified.
♠Obtainaseparateplayingroom(orspecificareaofthemainroom)fortheI/Ngames.
♠NameI/Neventsafterteacherstoencouragethemtobringtheirstudentstothetournament.
♠Rewardteacherswithafreeplayforeveryfour0-5playerstheybringtothetournament.
Work with Other Committees
Other Ideas to Consider
Hospitality—Welcomethenewplayersatareceptioninthehospitalitysuiteandinviteexperiencedplayerstodiscusshands.
Makespecial“goodie”bagsforI/Nplayers.ConsideraddinganACBLpublication(WelcometotheWorldofDuplicateandBridgeLife).PrintouttheonlineSAYCbooklet,afreeplaytoalocalclub(goodforaspecialgameonaspecialday),aninstant-scorer,alistofarealessonsorsometrinketsthatyouhavecollectedfromareamerchants.
OrganizeaCelebritySpeakerProgramwhereteachersandtopplayersgivea30-minutemini-lesson45minutesbeforetheafternoonandeveningsessions.Prepareahandoutfortheplayersforeachtalk.Sincethenewerplayerswillbethemainaudience,thespeakersshouldbeaskedtosimplifytheirtopics.
PlanaspecialI/Nreceptionorpartytowelcomethenewerplayers.
Prize—Newplayerswanttrophiesforoverallwins.
Partnership—Newplayersmaybeshy.Setupapartnershipdeskintheareawheretheyaregoingtoplay.Guaranteepartnersforplayerswhoarriveonehourbeforegametime.
Promotion—Sendflierstothe0-200playersintheunitandsurroundingarea.Alladvertisingshouldincludethefactthatpartnerswillbeguaranteedforall0–200playerswhoarriveonehourbeforegametime.Contactteachersandclubmanagers.Establishincentivesforteacherswhobringstudentstoplayin0-5games.
OrganizeaWelcomingCommittee(oftencalledaNewPlayerServicesCommittee).ThisgroupwillgreettheplayerswhentheyarriveintheI/Narea,answerquestionsandhelpmakethenewcomersfeelwelcome.InviteyourteacherstobeonthiscommitteeandmakearrangementssotheI/Nroomiscoveredbeforeandaftereverysession.
Workwithareateacherstogetthemtobringtheirstudentstothetournament.Consideraskingoneoftheareateacherstogiveafreelessonandinvitesocialplayersandstudentstoattend.
BridgePlus+Game:FollowthefreelessonwithafreeBridgePlus+gametointroducetheseplayerstoduplicate.Clickhere(http://www.acbl.org/about-acbl/administration/acbl-handbook/v-other-club-games/)formoreinformationonthistypeofgame.
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Other Ideas to ConsiderCont.
At the Tournament
After the Tournament
Encourageaqualifiedclubdirectortorunthe0-5game.(I/Nplayerslikefamiliarfaces.)
Add special trophies to the I/N Program to enhance the fun. Consider:
♥“BestofTwo”trophy—Apartnershipmusthavethebestcombinedpercentageforbothsessionstowin,butplayerscanchoosetoenteronlyonesession.The“BestofTwo”eventawardsmoremasterpointsthanatwo-sessionchampionshipmakingitapopulargame.
♥“BestOverall”trophy—Rewardthebestperformanceatthetournament.Thisisanexcellentwaytohighlightsomeonewhoparticipatesinalotofsessions.TheDICcanprovidethisinformationattheendofthetournament.
♥CreateaspecialdisplayboardforthewinnersoftheI/Nevents.
FormoredetailsonorganizingasuccessfulI/NProgram,checkoutPlanning and Organizing an Intermediate/Newcomer Sectional or Regional TournamentontheACBL’swebsite.
TheinformationpresentedasguidelinesfortheI/NCommitteecomesfromtheformatusedatallNABCsforI/NPrograms.TheACBLI/NProgramhasproventobeveryeffective.
♦SetupaseparateI/NregistrationdeskandpartnershipdeskintheI/Narea.
⦁Giveeachnewplayera“goodie”bagwithACBLbrochures,etc.andprovidenametagssotheycanmeeteachothereasily.
♦ConfirmthattheareasetasidefortheCelebritySpeakerProgramisappropriate.Thisworksbestwhenitisinaseparateroomthathasamicrophoneandapodium.
♦TakepicturesoftheI/Nwinners.
⦁Usethepicturestocelebratethewinners.
⦁Displaythemonawinnerboardthathasatheme.
⦁Makeabigdealoutofannouncingwinnersanddistributingtrophiesorotherprizes.
♦Organizeapaneloflocaland/orvisitingexpertstoanswerquestions.
⦁Followingoneormoresessions,havethepaneldiscussthehandsjustplayed.ThisisparticularlyinterestingwhenthesamehandshavebeenusedinthechampionshipandI/Ngame.
⦁Addpizzatoabetween-sessionspanelandyouwillseealotofplayersreturningtoplayintheevening.
♦ArrangewiththeDICtogettheentryblanksforalloftheI/Nevents.
SendathankyounotetoalloftheI/Nplayerswhoarenotmembersoftheunitinvitingthemtoaunitgamewithafreeplaycoupon.
Sendanotetothanktheteacherswhobroughtstudentstothetournament.
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Conduct and Ethics Committees (C&E) and Tournament Appeals Committees
TheTournamentChair(oradesignee)isresponsibleforprovidingtheDICwithaConductandEthics(C&E)oraTournamentAppealsCommitteeafterallsessions(whenneeded).Towardtheendofeachsession,thispersonshouldcheckwiththeDICtoseeifacommitteeisrequired.
RecruitmentandProcedures
♣Checkwithstandingcommitteemembers(ifyourunitordistricthasany)toseeiftheywillbeavailableduringthetournament.
♣Allcommitteesshouldhaveanoddnumberofmembers.
♣Atleast50%ofthecommitteeshouldbefromoutsidethesponsoringorganization.
♣Individualsappointedtoserveonthesecommitteesareexpectedtobeimpartial.
♣MoreinformationonTournamentCommitteeprocedurescanbefoundintheACBLHandbookofRulesandRegulationsinAppendixB.
The Caddy Master
TheCaddyMasterisanimportantmemberoftheteamnecessarytoproduceasuccessfulbridgetournament.Thecaddiesarealsomembersoftheteam.
TheCaddyMasterandthecaddiesworktogethertoassistthedirectorsinpreparingtheroomfortournamentplay,movingtheboards,collectingentryslipsandresultsandtakingcareofthesupplies.
The Caddy Master’s Guide(http://web2.acbl.org/documentlibrary/units/CaddyGuide.pdf)fortrainingtournamentcaddieswillprovidedetailedinformationontrainingandthejobcaddiesareexpectedtoperformatthetournament.Youmaywanttoprintthisbookletanddistributeittoyourcaddies.
Also,everyoneinvolvedwithyourtournamentshouldbefamiliarwithACBL’s Youth Protection and Abuse Prevention Policy(http://web2.acbl.org/documentlibrary/youthprotection/groupsmembers.pdf).
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Prize Committee
ThemainresponsibilityofthePrizeCommitteeistodeterminetheprizestructureforthetournamentandpurchasetheprizesthatwillbeawarded,keepingthebudgetinmind.
♠Willtherebeprizesfortheoverallwinnersineachevent?
♠Willtherebesection-topprizes?
♠Willtherebedrawingsfordoorprizes?
Here are some suggestions for prizes:
OVERALL
♥ACBLScrip(BridgeBucks)canbepurchasedfromtheACBLAccountingDepartment.
♥TrophiesarewhatmostI/Nplayersprefer.Theycanbepurchasedlocally.
SECTION TOPS
♦T-shirtswiththetournamentnameand/orlogo
♦Coffeecups
♦Bridgebooks
♦Mousepads
♦Decksofcards
♦Conventioncardholders.
♦Anoveltyexclusivetoyourtournament($2billsareaGatlinburgTNtradition).
DOOR PRIZES
♣Freedinneratanarearestaurant.
♣Couponforrefreshmentsatthehosthotel(cocktails,buffet,etc.).
♣Signedbridgebook.
♣FreePlay.
♣ChecktheInternet.Therearemanycompaniesthatproduceimaginativepromotionalproducts.
Willanyprizesbedonated?Oftenalocalpersonorclubisinterestedindonatingapermanenttrophynamedafterapersontheywouldliketohonorastheprizeforanevent.Askaroundandseeifthereisanyinterestinthis.
Someunits/districtsarrangeforprizeortrophydonationsinexchangeforfreeadvertisinginthedailybulletinforthetournament.
Contactlocalcompaniestoseewhattheymightoffer.Besuretocoordinatewiththepersonhandlingsponsorshipactivities.
Awarding the prizes
♠Thereshouldbeaprizeroomoraprizedeskwheretheprizescanbepickedup.Placeandhoursshouldbepublishedinthedailybulletin.
♠IntheI/NProgram,thedirectorsliketoawardtheprizesoverthemicrophoneandintheplayingareawheneverpossible.
♠Acompletelistofoverallandsection-topwinnerscanbeprovidedforthePrizeCommitteeshortlyaftertheendofeachsession,butitisagoodideatowait24hoursuntilthecorrectionperiodhasexpired.
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Nine Months to One Day Out
Nine Months Out
♠SubmitfinalscheduleofeventstotheACBLTournamentDepartment.Timelycompletionofasectional’sscheduleiscriticalinthisprocessasstaffing,advertising,onlinePartnershipDeskandotherpartsofthetournamentprocessrequirethesubmissionoftheflier.
♠FliersmustbesubmittedtotheACBLTournamentCoordinatorforapprovalandposting.
♠OnlytheTournamentChairisallowedtomakecertainchangestoatournament.
Six Months Out
♥Holdameetingwiththesubcommitteechairsforaprogressreport.
♥Arrangementsforthetournamentshouldbereconfirmedwiththemanagementofthetournamentsiteandhosthotel.
Five Months OutTournament Supplies
♦Ifyouarenotprovidingyourownsupplies,checkwiththeDICtomakeanarrangementforordering.
♦Iftheunit/districtisprovidingitsownsupplies,aninventoryshouldbetakenatthistime.Orderanyadditionalsuppliesneededfromthesupplycompanyofyourchoice.
♦Normally,theDICoranothersupply-carryingdirectorwillbringtherequiredhandrecordsandprintoutstothetournament.
♦Timeclocks(optional)andbiddingboxes(required)areusuallyprovidedbythesponsoringorganization.Ifnot,arrangementsshouldbemadewiththeDIC.
Four Months Out
♣TheTournamentChairandtheTournamentCorrespondentarenotifiedthroughTourneyTRAXofthestaffassignedforthetournament,theirsessionsandlodgingrequirements.Reservationsshouldbemadeforthespecificstaffmembersandcommitteememberswhowillbestayingatthehosthotel.Ifthehotelhasprovidedanyfreerooms,itisoftenagoodideatoassigntheseroomstostaffmembersratherthancommitteememberssincethestaffwillgenerallyspendmorenightsatthehotel.
Three Months Out
♠Checkwithtournamentsitemanagement.Itisimportanttoreconfirmallarrangements.AllsectionalandregionaltournamentsforwhichtheACBLissuesasanctionarecoveredunderageneralliabilityandpropertydamagepolicy.Acertificateofcoveragecanbeobtainedbycompletingthisform(https://fs3.formsite.com/acbl/form632296545/index.html).
♠TheTournamentChairshouldscheduleameetingwithsubcommitteechairsforanofficialprogressreport.
Two Weeks Out
♥Getnamesofcommitteememberswhowillbeworkingduringthetournamentandarrangetohavebadgesmadeforeveryone.
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Nine Months to One Day OutCont.
Twelve Days Out
♦Ifthesuppliesaretobeshipped,verifytheirarrivaltimewiththetournamentsite.
Two Days Out
♣Meetwithsubcommitteestoreceiveprogressreportsandpressforactiononanythingbehindschedule.
♣Contactthemanagementofyourtournamentsitetoreviewallarrangements.Seethatthehoteldeskandswitchboardhaveaprogramforyourtournamentsothattheycananswerquestionsaccuratelyandputproperinformationonhotelbulletinboards.Stresstheneedforicewaterandnumeroustrashreceptacles.
♣Discussallitemsagainthatwereoriginallyontheone-year-outchecklist.
One Day Out
♠TheDICandsomeofthestaffwillarrivethedaybeforethetournamentbegins.
♠Arrangeameetingtodiscussanyproblems,ideasorjusttogettoknoweachother.
♠Discusssponsoroptions.
♠Reviewroomsetupandlocationofthevarioustournamentdesksandbookstore.TheDICcangiveinstructionstothemanagementofthesiteforanynecessarychangesandadjustments.
♠Reviewthetournamentprogramandadvertisedconditions.
♠Reviewtheunit’scheck-cashingpolicy.
⦁Players’checksaretheresponsibilityoftheunit/district.
⦁PleaseinformtheDICofyourpolicyofacceptingchecksfromtheplayers.
⦁NormallyyoushouldallowtheDICtoacceptchecksfortheamountoftheentryfeeorlessathis/herdiscretion.
⦁ChecksforlargeramountscanalsobeattheDIC’sdiscretion,butyoumaywanttohavesomeoneonthetournamentcommitteeavailableforapprovalofchecksabovetheentryfee.
♠IntroducethesitemanagementteamtotheDIC.SincetheDICwillnowbeworkingwithyou,itwillbeveryhelpfulifheknowsthehotelpersonnel.
⦁Foralargertournament,thehotelmanagementwillnormallygenerateaninternalmemorandumthatstatesspecialinstructionsfortheirstaffforthetournamentandspecifiesalldetailsofspecialarrangements.ItwouldbehelpfulfortheDICtohaveacopyofthisinformation.
♠TelltheDICwhatlistsyouwouldliketohaveattheendofthetournament.
⦁Variouslistsofwinners(byunit,district,masterpointlevels,etc.)canbeprovidedbytheDICatnochargeprovidedyoutelltheDICwhattypeoflist(s)youneedpriortothestartofthetournament.
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Tournament Checklist
Daily Tournament ChecklistHereisalistofthethingstheTournamentChairshouldcheckeachdayofthetournament.Youmaywanttoprintanddateanewchecklistforeachdayofthetournamenttoassurenothinggetsmissed.
□Seethatthehotel/motelbulletinboardshavetheproperinformationconcerningeventsandstartingtimes.
□Askforalistingifthepropertyhasaclosed-circuitTVchannelfordailyactivities.
□Inspectthetournamentsite(wellbeforegametime)forpropersetupoftables,cleanlinessandsitecompliancewithcleanupinformation.
□Seethatthehospitalitydesk(registration)andpartnershipdeskareproperlymanned.
□Checkdailyarrangementswithhotel/motel/conventioncenterconcerningentertainmentandrefreshmentsorderedforthatday.
□Seethataunit/districtofficialisavailableforcheckapprovalduringentryselling,ifnecessary.
□Seethattrashcontainersareavailable.
□Checkdrinkingwatersupplyandstations,cups,etc.
□Beahost,talkwiththeplayers(especiallyintheI/Narea),seeiftheyarepleased,trytoaccommodatespecificrequestsandcorrectspecificcomplaints.
□Inspectrestroomsforcleanlinessandmaintenance.
□Lookforobstaclesthatmightblockemergencyexitsandeliminatethem.
□Checkthatsitehasunlockedemergencyexitdoors.
□AsktheDICtomakeproperannouncementsconcerningZeroTolerance,prizes,pictures,entertainment,hospitalityservices(parkingdiscounts,aspirins,menus,etc.)
□SeethatthePublicityChairanddailybulletineditor(ifthereisone)areinformedofanyspecialhappeningsorthepresenceofanyspecialpersonalitieswhomightbethebasisforagoodnewspaperarticle.
Final Session of the Tournament Checklist□SettlefinanceswiththeDICunlessotherarrangementshavepreviouslybeenmade.Allfeesduethe
ACBLmustbesettledbytheendofthetournament.
□Arrangegratuitiesforsitepersonnel.
□Arrangewiththesitemanagementforprotectionofunusedsuppliesuntiltheyarepickedup.
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Tournament ChecklistCont.
After Tournament Checklist□Settlefinanceswiththetournamentsite.Becertaintogetareceipt.
□Discussfuturedateswithsitemanagement.
□CollectyourlistsofwinnersfromtheDIC.Ifyoudecideyouwantalist(s)afterthetournament,theACBLwillprovidethemforanominalfee.
□Holdapost-tournamentmeetingwithsubcommitteechairsforevaluationandreports.
□Writeafinalreportonthetournamenttobepresentedtotheunit/districtboardwithrecommendations,suggestionsandcomments.
□Remembertosay“thankyou”toallofyourhelpers.Begenerouswithappreciationandpassalongcomplimentstoyourworkers.Ifyoucan,dropabriefthank-younotetoeveryonewhohelped.Thesepeoplevolunteeredtheirtime,justasyoudid.Knowingthattheireffortswereappreciatedwillmeanagreatdealtothem.
□HelptheI/NCommitteefollowupwithmailingstothenewplayerswhohaveparticipatedinthetournament.(Ifyoucan,sendafreeplaytoaunitgameoraclubnewcomergameasa“thankyou”forattendingthetournament.)
