Mr. Black here, and dear readers, let me start by saying I love tournaments. I love competition, I love the fight, I love the prizes… Fun is in there somewhere as well I’m sure… But one thing I love more than a standard tournament is one that runs smoothly and one where everything goes as planned.
It’s for these reasons I will usually choose to run an event over play in it. Sure, I like playing, but I also have a passion for making things organized and formatted (or as some will tell you, I enjoy being in charge, dominating others to my iron will), and seldom will you find a case better than a tournament where planning and organization are held in higher regard- it’s the lynch-pin of the whole event, run properly it can be a fantastic day full of fun and glory, run poorly and it’s a grueling unending hell.
So, what is most important when running an event? It’s not an easy task, and there are many things that must be considered and handled by yourself or a small group of trusted underlings. What things? Glad you asked, I brought a list:
Initial Set-up and Planning or Location, location, location!
So you’ve decided you want to run an event, good for you! But what’s the first thing to consider? Location, of course!
Now, depending on who and where you are, this may be hard or it may be the easiest step. Have a local game store or hobby store? Do they have sufficient space? Most importantly, are they willing to host an event? If so, great! You’re done, take a break and move to the next step! If not then you still have a few options.
First thing is to gauge interest in your event- No point in planning the next Grand Tournament if only you and your two closest buddies show up. I will assume though that if you’re even entertaining this idea then you have people who you know will show up, so let’s move onto the next issue, the actual location.
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Ok, so you don’t have a LGS (Local Gaming Store), all is not lost. Should you have sufficient interest then try looking at places such as nation-wide Hobby Stores (ala HobbyTown USA or Hobby-Lobby), some of these places are willing to host events for a cut of the entry fee (or even just having the prize be store-credit, which is the most common action). Failing that, look for universities or event lodges in your area, who will frequently rent out their building for events- a warning though, this will cost you, so unless it’s one hell of a big event this is probably out of the option. Again, you’re best bet is a local gaming store or hobby center!
Tried the local university, no game stores in your town, live in the middle of nowhere? Ok, at this point you may want to reconsider what you’re doing, but if you’re the die-hard type and are having this event regardless of hell-or-high-water then try your basement! Sure, not the most luxurious of spaces but at this point if it’s big enough it’s big enough!
Getting the Word Out!
This can be an easy part but it requires doing- Get the word out about your event. Let’s say you managed to get your LGS to host the event, good for you. Now you need to make sure people show up! Internet forums are the best way to do this in this modern age, so get out there to the masses and let them know! If you’re interested in the hobby then you probably know the most popular websites (I mean, look where you are right now), so that’s a great place to start. Also take the time to make some fliers up to hang around said store, to attract even the computer-unsavvy out there.
This next bit of information is possibly the most important part in this section! Be sure, be sure, to get a sign-up sheet going! I don’t care where you are but space is limited (exactly how limited will depend on your location), it’s imperative to know what your cap is and how many will show up. Get a sign-up sheet going so people know that past X number they’re on a waiting list for drop-outs or no-shows. You don’t want forty people showing up to an event that can at most host twenty!
Scenarios, the Tabletop, and Early-Day Prep
So initial set-up is done, you have your location, you know people are coming. Next up is making the actual event! First things first, you need to determine the format of your event. This is largely up to you and what you want to do but I’ll list a few of the popular formats:
1.Four+ round, highest end score wins.
This is the warhammer standard- Four+ rounds, highest points at the end wins. Be sure to add in modifiers (such as painting, sportsmanship, battle points) or break ties. This format allows everyone to get a full day of gaming in regardless of score.
2. Single/Double Elimination
Not usually seen in miniature events, the staple of the Card Game Format is Single/Double elimination. Basically you lose once your done in single, in double you go to the loses bracket. At the end of the day the winner of the winner’s bracket and loser’s bracket duke it out for the overall!
3. Round-Robin
If you decide to do this then it’s a weekend event. Basically by the end of the event everyone will have played everyone and a grand winner will have been determined. Not usually seen due to the exhaustively large amount of games that need to be played, on the other hand though not a bad choice if you have a small event of four or so people!
Once that is completed you’re going to need a number of scenarios to make up the actual games… Didn’t see that coming did you? One method is to simply scour the internet to find a few to your liking, and if this is your first event that may be the way to go. If you’re the creative type you may wish to make your own, no problem there, just one word of advice- playtest and gather opinions of your scenarios before using them, I have seen too many times well ran events go to hell simply because there was a nasty loophole in Scenario A that the tourney organizer did not catch until it was exploited. This is key, test what you make, read it over and over, post it online, gather intel on it until you’re sure it is both fair and balanced.
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After all this is said and done most of the preliminary work is done, now we’re onto worrying about the work needing to be done the day of the tournament! Most important of this is table set-up, aka the level playing field. Preferably the night before (but very early that day is fine) you will want to arrive and set everything up- make however many tables you need for the event and be sure they have the recommended amount of terrain, obstacles, jellybeans or whatever it is the tables need to have on them. If you’re feeling extra froggy then take the time to make mini-labels for each terrain piece to show exactly what they are (to avoid future hassles and arguments).
Now that that is done make yourself a space to run the event from- a booth, table, corner, etc whatever it is that you have. This will be your communications/paperwork hub where players will turn in score-sheets and whatnot. Be sure to have an area like this! You don’t want everyone being confused and crowded as they wander around the place looking for you!
Dealing With Problem Players
This is one of the harder issues with running an event. Basically, if you’re lucky things will run well and no one will have issue, sure, there may be the odd rules question that comes up but since you’re running the event you probably know the system pretty well (or at least you damn well better), but there will come a time, eventually, where someone will show up and proceed to campaign in the King Asshat elections during your event, and when that happens you need to know what to do.
Now some of you don’t like confrontation, I know, it’s not something most people enjoy since no one ever wins in the end, but this is the part where the duty of being a tournament organizer/judge comes into play- You are the authority, you make the calls, you decide how things resolve and no one else can (or should) have that position. Be sure to explain this to people before the event begins- This is your show, if you make a call it’s final, sorry if you don’t like it but accept it and move on, if you want to talk about it later that’s acceptable, but not while the clock is running! People need to be aware that this is a timed event with prizes and competition and as such must adhere to a schedule, you don’t have time to flip to each codex or rulebook page to show the player why you’re right, he just needs to understand the ruling you’ve made and continue playing.
Will this annoy some people? Of course, no one argues because they think they’re wrong, but there is a time and place for that and it’s not in the last thirty minutes of an Ard Boyz Tournament.
So what do you do with the ones who cause problems? The ones who simply won’t listen and try to brow-beat you down? Well hopefully they can be reasoned with, and by reasoned I mean when you tell them to get back to the game they do, but if they don’t then things are going to escalate- and you need to be prepared to nip that in the bud before it happens. You’ll need to be firm, be strict, be authoritative, if they don’t take your warnings with weight then you may have no choice but to remove them from the event. It’s a rare occurance, but something every tournament organizer needs to be ready to deal with.
Sum it up? Don’t take crap from anybody, they try to intimidate you or just won’t listen? Remind of them they are playing in your event, then kindly ask them to leave.
Da Loot
The overall prize will vary largely on how many people showed up, the entry fee, the type of tournament, etc. But regardless of that you will need a way to break it all down, the easiest way is to determine how many prizes you want to give out. Myself? I follow the format of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Best Painted, and Best Sportsman usually, unless it’s something special like the upcoming Win-An-Army Tournament held at Gigabites-Cafe, in which case the prize is 1st Place and that’s it.
Let’s say we had twenty people entering an event with a ten dollar entry fee. That’s 200 in prize money, assuming the venue doesn’t want a cut and is fine with the sales. I’d usually make it so first got around seventy-five, second fifty, and third twenty-five, in addition having Best Painted and Best Sportsman take twenty-five each as well. If you’re the type who thinks they deserve a little compensation for running the whole thing (and there is nothing wrong with that) then maybe skim five dollars off all those figures, giving you twenty-five for running the deal- just don’t get greedy: you shouldn’t be taking home as much as first place did or any amount that is seriously cutting into the overall prize support!
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And there you have it, a few simple guidelines to running your own event! Hopefully you gained something from this read and can use it in an event of your own someday.Just remember this is but a fraction of the overall things that will come into play should you endeavor to organize something like this, after all, I didn’t compare this to herding cats for nothing.
~What are your thoughts on running a successful event? Have you ran one before and had any issues? Would love to hear about those nightmare incidents at any tourneys you’ve witnessed firsthand! -Mr. Black
