I/N Tournament and Program Planning Guide

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

I/N Tournaments vs. I/N Programs 2

I/N Sectional and Regional Tournament Allocations 2

Tournament Timeline 3-21 Three Years to One Year Out ............................ 3-6 ♠ChoosingaSite...................................................3-5 ♤Tournament Site Checklist ............................ 3-5 ♠SanctioningtheI/NTournament..................5-6 ♤TourneyTRAX ................................................... 5-6 One Year to Eight Months Out ......................... 6-16 ♠ScheduleofEvents............................................7-8 ♤Diverse Scheduling ......................................... 7 ♤Bridge Plus+ ...................................................... 7 ♤0-5 Masterpoint Events ................................. 8 ♤Swiss Teams ...................................................... 8 ♤Conventions ...................................................... 8 ♠StaffingtheTournament.................................8-9 ♤Tournament Chair ........................................... 8-9 ♤Director-in-Charge .......................................... 9 ♤Directing Staff .................................................. 9 ♠Committees..........................................................9-16 ♤Publicity and Promotion Committee ........... 10-11 ♤Hospitality Committee ................................... 12-13 ♤Partnership Committee ................................ 13 ♤Membership Committee ............................... 13 ♤Prize Committee .............................................. 14-15 ♤Entertainment Committee ............................ 15-16 ♤Caddy Committee ............................................ 16 Five Months Out ................................................. 17 ♠TournamentSupplies.......................................17 ♠SuppliesChecklist..............................................17 Four Months Out to Tournament Start ............ 18-19 Daily Checklist .................................................... 20 Final Session of Tournament Checklist ........... 20 After the Tournament ........................................ 20-21

Roles and Responsibilities of Tournament Sponsors and DICs 21-22 Pair Game Type Movements ............................. 21 Swiss and Round Robin Team Games ............. 22 Knockout Event .................................................. 22

1

Introduction

Intermediate/NewcomersectionalsandI/Nregionalsarerunexclusivelyforplayerswithalimitedmasterpointholdingandstandalone;I/Nprogramsalsoarerunforplayerswithalimitednumberofmasterpointsandareorganizedasapartofaregularsectionalorregionaltournament.

ThematerialinthisguidehasbeendesignedtoassistinplanningandrunningasuccessfulregionalorsectionalI/Ntournamentorprogram.

IftheACBLcanbeofanyassistancetoyouinthedevelopmentofyourI/Ntournamentorprogram,sendanemailtomarketing@acbl.orgorcalltheMarketingDepartmentat662-253-3112.

Ifyouhavequestionsaboutscheduling,sanctioningordirectors,pleasecontacttheBridgeAdministrationDepartmentattournaments@acbl.orgorat662-253-3100,ext.3164.

2

An Intermediate/Newcomer program should not be confused with simply scheduling newcomer games at a tournament. An I/N program is a collection of bridge activities designed for new and advancing players.

I/N tournaments offer all I/N program components in a relaxed atmosphere, among fellow Intermediate and Newcomer players. When these elements are combined, a tournament becomes an ideal experience for new players who are interested in competitive bridge.

Components of the ACBL I/N program are:

♠ Games for 0-5, 0-20, 0-49er, 0-99er, 0-199er and 0-299er players each session

♠ New Player Services Committee

♠ Directors who are experienced in working with newcomers

♠ Fliers to invite the players and guarantee partners

♠ Celebrity speakers

♠ Social events

♠ A special area or room for the I/N games

♠ Trophies for each overall win in a newcomer event

♠ An area that highlights the winners

A unit or district is encouraged to offer an I/N program in conjunction with all of its sectional or regional tournaments. An I/N program does not require a separate sanction.

Limited/Junior Sectionals must be at least one day and no more than five days in duration. A Limited Sectional is defined as a sectional with a masterpoint limit of no more than 500. A unit may not schedule more than three one-day Limited Sectionals in any calendar year.

Each district is entitled to run three limited regionals which may be any of the following:

A. Junior

B. Youth

C. Non-Life Master regional with an upper limit of 750 masterpoints.

These regionals can be held concurrently with an open sectional or a senior regional. A district may allow a unit to conduct its I/N regional.

A unit can run its own I/N tournaments, or it can give one or more I/N sectional sanctions to a club under its jurisdiction. An I/N sectional sponsored by a unit should be organized to attract players from a larger area, whereas one run by a club may attract only local players and should be organized accordingly.

I/N Tournaments vs. I/N Programs

I/N Sectional and Regional Tournament Allocations

3

Tournament Timeline

Choosing a SitePriortoapplyingforasectionalsanction,aunitshouldappointaTournamentChair,selectdatesforthetournamentandsecureasite.

Whenselectingasite,afewthingstokeepinmindare:

Location safety –Istherealightedparkinglot?Isitinagoodpartoftown?

Amenities –Arethereenoughbathrooms?Isthelighting(especiallyatnight)sufficientforcardplay?

Hotel discounts–(Regionals)Checkwithhotelslocatedwithineasywalkingdistance(ifpossible)oftheplayingsiteforaweekendpackagedeal.Somehotelsgivespecialratesforroomsandalsoserveacomplimentarybreakfast.Ifenoughroomsarebookedforthetournament,theunitordistrictmightbeofferedoneormorecomplimentaryroomstouseasahospitalitysuiteortohousevolunteerworkers.

University campuses–Someuniversitiesoffersitesontheircampusthatcanberentedasplayingspace.Theymayalsoofferroomsandamealplan.Thesedormitorylocationsareattractivetobridgeplayers.Theyallowtheplayerstoenjoytournamentswherelodging,diningandplayingcanbearrangedunderthesameroof.Campussitescanoftenbesecuredduringsummerbreakorlongholidayweekends.Checkwiththelocalcollegeoruniversitiesinyourtowntodiscoverthesesuperbargains.

State parks–Tournamentsheldintheselocationscanbefunfortheentirefamily.Parkswitharesortfacilitygenerallyofferspecialratesduringthe“off”season.Notonlycanyougetspecialroomrates,butyoumightalsoarrangeextradiscountsformealsthatcomewiththeplan.Resortparksmayoffergolf,swimming,fishing,boatingorotheractivitiesfornon-bridge-playingfamilymemberstoenjoywhilethebridgeplayerishappilyplaying.

Chamber of Commerce–CheckwithyourlocalChamberofCommerceforotherconventionsandactivitiesscheduledfortheweekendyouareconsideringforyourbridgetournament.Itisimportantthatyouverifythathotelroomswillbeavailableforyourout-of-townplayersbeforemakingafinaldateselection.

Oncethesiteischosen,meetwithsitemanagementtodiscussthenecessaryarrangementsforthetournament.Sitemanagementwillusethesenotestocreateasetofspecificationsforthetournamenttodistributetotheirstaff.

Theitemsonthefollowingchecklistshouldbediscussedandagreeduponatthattime.

Three Years to One Year Out

4

Tournament Site Checklist

Oncethesitehasbeenchosen,meetwiththefacilitymanagementtodiscussthenecessaryarrangementsforthetournament.Thesitemanagementwillusethesenotestocreateasetofspecificationsforthetournamenttodistributetotheirstaff.

Theitemsonthefollowingchecklistshouldbediscussedandagreeduponatthattime.

□ Playing space-ACBLrequiresatleast81squarefeetpertablewithextraroomfordirector’stables,waterstands,bookvendors,etc.asneeded.AcopyoftheprojectedplayingareashouldbesenttotheDirector-in-Charge.Ifthereareanychanges,arevisedcopyofthefloorplanshouldbesenttotheDICofthetournament.

□ Lighting-Atleast20-footcandlesofillumination,30inchesabovethefloor,areneededforalltables.Additionallightingmaybenecessary,particularlyatthedirector’stable.

□ Tables and chairs-Arrangefortableand/orchairrentalsifnecessary.

□ Smoking-Areasforsmokingmustconformtolocalandstatelaw.

□ Extra tables-Ifpossible,six-andeight-foottablesareneededfordirectors,PartnershipDesk,HospitalityDesk,bookstore,supplies,watertables,etc.Impressuponthefacilitytheneedforfrequentmaintenanceofthewaterstations.

□ Director’s office (Regional)-Atleasta12x18sq.ft.roomthatcanbelockedisneededforsuppliesandthedirector’soffice.

□ Hotel rooms (Regional)-Bookenoughroomsforstaffandvolunteersandahospitalitysuiteatthehostornearbyhotels.Aroomblockshouldbereservedforplayerswhowishtostayatornearthetournamentsite.

□ Refreshments-Aprovisionforcoffeeandsoftdrinksmustbemade.

□ Cleanup-Ifcleanupisnotprovidedbythefacility,otherarrangementsmustbemade.

□ Microphones-Microphonesmaybeneeded,especiallyinlargerooms.

□ Coat racks-Eithercoatracksoracheckroommustbeavailable,especiallyincoldweather.

□ Mirrors-Anymirrorsintheplayingroommustbecovered.

□ Food service -Iffoodisservedbythefacility,informthemofthehoursbridgeplayerswillbeeating.

□ Power-Thereneedtobepoweroutletsforthedirector’stableandfortimeclocks.

□ Trash-Largetrashcontainersneedtobeplentifulthroughouttheplayingrooms.

□ Wall space-Ifthefacilitydoesnotallowforhangingrecapsandpostersonthewalls,easelsorpushpinboardsmustbeprovided.

□ Daily bulletin-Arrangementsmustbemadeforbulletinproductionifthetournamentchoosestoproduceone.

□ Safe deposit box-Arrangetohaveasafedepositboxtostoretournamentreceipts.

□ Bookstore-Ifthetournamenthasabookstore,hallspacewillbeneeded.

□ Tournament Desks-Wherewillthedesksforprizes,hospitality(registration),partnershipsandinformationbelocated?

□ Signage-Someofyourcommittees,suchasregistration,willneedsignsanddecorationstoidentifythem.

5

Three Years to One Year OutCont.

Sanctioning the I/N TournamentBeforeaunitordistrictappliesforasanction,itshouldselectthedatesfortheI/Ntournament,secureasiteandappointaTournamentChair(TC).TheunitmaylistaTournamentCorrespondentorTournamentContactiftheTChasnotbeenofficiallynamed.TheTCforthistypeoftournamentisoftentheUnitIntermediate/NewcomerCoordinatorortheUnitEducationLiaisonifthereisnoI/NCoordinatorappointed.

ThesanctionapplicationmustbesubmittedthroughTourneyTRAXoneyearpriortoanI/NsectionalorthreeyearspriortoanI/Nregional.

AnyACBLmembermayapplyforasectionalorregionaltournament.

Applicationssubmittedinatimelyfashionaresanctionedsubjecttoconflictswith“traditional”tournaments.

Untimelysanctionapplicationsaresubjecttotheregulationsgoverningconflicts.(SeetheACBLHandbookofRulesandRegulations.)

TourneyTRAX

IfyouarenewtoTourneyTRAX,youwillneedtocreateanaccount.YoumaycreatetheaccountwiththesameinformationthatyouuseforyourMyACBLlogin,buttheaccountswillremainseparate.

Tocreateyouraccount,clickon“Clickheretoregister”nextto“NewUser?”ontheloginscreen.

Onceyouhavecreatedyouraccount,loginandclick“TournamentApplication”ontherightsideofthescreen.

Completeallfields(fieldswithasterisksarerequired)andsubmittheapplication.

6

TourneyTRAXwillautomaticallyselecttheappropriateDistrictTournamentCoordinator.

Oncetheapplicationissubmitted,itmustthenbeapprovedbytheDistrictTournamentCoordinatorbeforebeingsanctionedasatournament.

OnlytheTournamentChairisallowedtomakecertainchangestoatournament.FliersmustbesubmittedtotheACBLTournamentCoordinatorforapprovalandposting.

Thescheduleofeventsshouldbedoneatleasteightmonthsbeforethetournamentstarts.

I/NSectionals–Onetofivedayslong.

I/NRegionals–Twotosixdayslong.

I/NPrograms–Runaspartofaregularsectionalorregional,thisshouldrunconcurrentlywithalloftheregularsessionsofthetournamenttoencourageplayersfromoutoftowntoattend.

Three Years to One Year OutCont.

One Year to Eight Months Out

7

Schedule of EventsHavethesamescheduleeveryday.Offerthesameeventsatthesametimebothafternoonandevening.UseimaginationinnamingyoureventsandaddmorninggamesandSwissteams.Youcanevenscheduleknockoutevents.

I/Nsectionaltournamentscanhaveanuppermasterpointlimitof50,100,200,300orNLM(500).Nomatterwhichlimityouselect,eventsforallgroupswithintheselectedrangeshouldbescheduledeachsession.Forexample,thereshouldbeeventsforplayerswhohavemasterpointsof0-5,0-20,0-50,0-100,0-200,0-300or0-NLM(500).The0-200andthe0-300or0-NLM(500)categoriesareforintermediates.

Byofferingallofthesesingle-sessioneventseverysession,itiseasierforplayerstofindpartners.Withspecificactivitieslistedforeachsession,theIntermediateandNewcomerplayerswillfeelinvited,andmorepeoplewillattend.Don’tworryaboutofferingsomanydifferentevents.It’sbettertohaveonlyafewplayersforastratificationthantohavenone.Wheneveraneventattractstoofewtablestoformaseparategame,thedirectorcanstratifyanytwoorthreegroupstocreateaveryenjoyableevent.

Diverse Scheduling

Theschedulingshouldbeasdiverseaspossible.Single-sessioneventsinallcategoriesareamust,butbyallmeans,offertwo-sessionchampionshipgames,too.

Becreativeandusespecialnamesandthemesforeachofyoureventstogivethempersonality.Youcannamethegamesaftersponsorsand/orteacherswhosestudentsareplayinginthetournament.

Considera“BestofTwo”trophy.Apartnershipmusthavethebest-combinedpercentageforbothsessionstowin,butplayerscanchoosetoenteronlyonesession.The“BestofTwo”eventoffersmoremasterpointsthanatwo-sessionchampionshipmakingitapopulargame.

Consideratrophyforbestoverallperformanceinthetournament.Thisisanexcellentwaytohighlightsomeonewhoparticipatesinalotofsessions.

Bridge Plus+

BridgePlus+isashorter,friendlier,low-keyduplicateexperiencecreatedespeciallyforstudentswith0-5masterpointswhohavetakenoneormoreoftheACBLbeginningbridgecourses.Thegameispatternedafterthestudents’classroomexperience.Theyplay10to14dealsinatwo-hourgamesupervisedbyanACBLAccreditedTeacher.UsethisgameatonesessionofyourI/Ntournamenttointroducelocalbridgestudentsandsocialbridgeplayerstoduplicatebridgeforthefirsttime.ConsiderstartingwithafreelessonfollowedbyaBridgePlus+game.ThisisapopularformatusedwiththeNABCI/Nprograms.

ScheduleaBridgePlus+game(withoutentryfees)ononeafternoonofyourtournament.Asuccessfulgamerequiresthecooperationofyourlocalbridgeteachers.AskthemtodistributefreeplaycouponsandencouragetheirstudentstocometotheBridgePlus+games,orallowtheteacherstosellentriestotheirstudentsandkeepthemoney.WhenthestudentarrivesattheBridgePlus+game,giveafreeplayforanothersessionofthetournament.Thisisanexcellentpromotionalidea.Studentswhoplaytwicewilltendtocomebacktoplayinmoresessions.

BridgePlus+playersareencouragedtoaskquestionsonbiddingandplay.Theteacher’sjobistoguidetheplayerstoanswertheirownquestions.Invitelocalteacherstohelpoutatthesesessions.

One Year to Eight Months OutCont.

8

0-5 Masterpoint Events

Considerhavingadayorsessionwhenthe0-5playersplayfree.Thisisanexcellentpromotionaltooltobringinnewpeople.Mailoutcouponsoraskteacherstodistributethem.

ACBLregulationsstatethatthreetablesconstitutealegalgame.Ifthereareatleastthreetablesofplayerswith0-5masterpointseach,thedirectorshouldofferthemaseparategame.Theseplayersaremorecomfortableinagroupoftheirpeers.Iftheyhaveagoodtime,theyaremorelikelytoreturntoplayinanothersession.

TheDirector-in-Chargeshouldlimitthenumberofboardsplayedinentry-levelgames.I/Nplayersoftenplaymoreslowlythanthosewithmoreexpertise,andtheyarenotconditionedtohavingagoodtimeplayingcardsformorethanacoupleofhoursatatime.ACBLregulationsstatethataminimumof18boardsmustbeplayedineachsessiontoawardmasterpoints.I/Ngamesrunnomorethan24to25boards.Whentheseplayersareabletoplaymore,it’stimetomovethemtoanopengame.(InBridgePlus+games,ACBLrequiresonly10to14boards.In0to5games,asfewas10boardscanbeplayed.SeetheACBLHandbookofRulesandRegulationsfordetailsorcalltheTournamentDepartment,ext.3164formoreinformation.)

Swiss Teams

ScheduleaSwissteameventonSunday.Alsoscheduleafullcomplementofpairgames(0-5,0-20,0-50,0-100,0-200,0-300and0-500).Advertisingadiversescheduleusuallyattractsmoreplayers,andbecausenewplayersenjoyplayinginteamgames,havingpairgamesgivesyoutheopportunitytoinvitenewplayerstoparticipateintheteamgamesifateamisneededtofilloutthemovement.

Conventions

TheDICandtheTournamentChairshouldreviewtheconventionsthatwillbeallowedfortheI/Ntournament.TheACBLLimitedConventionChartmayapplyforI/Ngameshavinganupperlimitof20masterpoints.

However,ACBLsuggeststhattheACBLGeneralConventionChartbeallowedinallI/Ngames.(ClickheretoseealloftheACBLConventionCharts.)

Staffing the Tournament

Tournament Chair (TC)

TheunitappointstheTCwhohastheoverallresponsibilityforplanningandrunningthetournament.TheTCworkstogetherwiththeunitordistrictboardandtheunit’sTournamentCoordinatortogetthetournamentsanctionedandtodevelopatournamentbudget.TheTCisthesponsoringorganization’sofficialliaisonwiththeDirector-in-Charge.

TheTCshouldincludetheI/NCoordinatorintheplanningandorganizingoftheI/Ntournament/program,ortheI/NCoordinatorcanserveastheTC.TheTCshouldalsoworkwiththeunit’sEducationLiaisonandthearea’sbridgeteacherstofocusonopportunitiestobringnewplayers(students)intothegames.

Torunasuccessfultournament,theTCmustputtogetheraneffectiveteamofvolunteersforcommittees.

TheTCand/ortheI/NCoordinatorareresponsiblefor:

♥Ensuringattendance.

♥Providinganattractiveselectionofeventsforeachgrouptoplayineachsession.

One Year to Eight Months OutCont.

9

One Year to Eight Months OutCont.

♥Providingafriendlyenvironmentthatwillencouragesnewerplayerstoplaymorebridge–bothatthetournamentandclublevel.

♥Providingsocialactivitiesfortheplayers.

♥HavingacontinuousdialogwiththeI/Nplayersthroughoutandafterthetournament.

Director-in-Charge (DIC)

ACBLallowsalocaldirectortoserveasDICofanI/Nsectionalifthetournamenthasanuppermasterpointlimitof100.Asectionalforplayerswithmorethan100masterpointsmusthaveatournamentorhigher-ratedDICunlessuseofalocaldirectorisapprovedbyACBLmanagement.AllDICassignmentsmustbemadebytheACBLTournamentDepartment.

I/Nregionaltournamentsmustbestaffedbyanassociatenationalorhigher-rateddirectorassignedbytheACBLTournamentDepartment.

I/Nprogramsheldaspartofasectionalorregionaltournamentwillusethedirectorialstaffassignedtothetournament.ItissuggestedthattheunitrequestanI/Ndirector,onewhoisexperiencedinworkingwithnewplayers,andthattheI/NdirectorworkallofthesessionsintheI/Nprogram.Thiswillallowthenewplayerstobondwiththedirectorandfeelasenseofsecurityandfamiliarity.

Theunitordistrictcanrequestaspecificdirectoronthesanctionapplication.Theserequestswillbehonoredwheneverpossible.

TheDIChandlesallaspectsofrunningtheI/Ntournament.Thisincludessettingupthegames,sellingtheentries,handlingthetournamentproceeds,supervisingtheothertournamentdirectorsandpayingtheirexpenses,handlingappealsandcompletingandsubmittingtherequiredpaperwork.

Directing Staff

InadditiontoaDIC,otherdirectorsarenecessarytohelprunthetournament.Thenumberofdirectorsyouneedwillbebasedontheexpectedattendance.

Ifyouhaveapersonable,localdirectorwhowouldliketoworkwiththeI/Ndirectorsatthetournament,contacttheTournamentDepartmentforinformationonhowtoproceed.

CommitteesForsmallertournaments,theworkofseveralcommitteescanbecombined.Hospitality,RegistrationandMembershipcanallworktogether.Insomecases,groupsandindividualswillbegivenspecificassignmentsandaskedtoreportbacktotheTC.

Committees

♦PublicityandPromotion

♦Hospitality(NewPlayerServices)

♦Partnership

♦Membership

♦Prize

♦Entertainment

♦Caddy

10

One Year to Eight Months OutCont.

Atthefirstmeetingofeachcommittee,themembersshouldbrainstormaboutwhattheycandotoensurethesuccessofthetournament.TheTCshouldthenmeetregularlywiththecommitteeheadsforseveralmonthsbeforethetournamenttoreviewandcoordinatetheactivitiesofeachgroup.TheTCshouldmakeregularreportstotheunitboardastheplansforthetournamentdevelop.

Publicity and Promotion Committee

ThemainresponsibilityofthePublicityandPromotionCommitteeistogetthewordoutaboutthetournament.PublicityandpromotionarethekeyingredientsinattractingoutsideattendanceandensuringthesuccessofanI/Ntournament.

Ifthenewplayersaren’tinvited,theywon’tcome.Newplayersliketofeelthattheyweregivenapersonalinvitation.

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.)

Tournament Flier –Yourflierneedstobebrightandcheerful.Inadditiontotheschedule,itshouldincludespecialfeaturesoftheI/Ntournamentorprogramsuchas:

♣Guaranteedpartners–Foranyonewhoshowsupanhourbeforegametime

♣Playingwithyourpeers–AlltheparticipantswillbeNewcomerorIntermediateplayerswithaboutthesameamountofbridge-playingexperience

♣I/Ntournamentdirectors–SpecialdirectorswhoworkwellwithNewcomersandIntermediateplayers

♣Freelessonandspeakerprogram

♣Free0-5game

♣FreeBridgePlus+game

♣Entertainmentandrefreshments

♣Doorprizes(goodiebags,etc.)

♣Trophies

ToviewasampleI/Nflier,clickhere.

Schedule –Inadvertisingtheschedule,makecertainyoushowthedifferentstratificationsontheflier.Itisimportantthateachpersonknowthereisaspecificplaceforthem(e.g.,Ifit’sa199ertournament,show199er,99er,49er,0-20and0-5newcomers).Remember,thedirectorwilltrytomakethebestgamespossiblefortheplayers.Whatyouwantisforeveryoneineverycategorytoknowtheyhaveaplacetoplay,sotheywillshowup.ThisisespeciallyimportantifyouaretalkingaboutanI/Nprogramaspartofalargertournament.

Neveradvertiseevents,aswarranted.Thiswillkeeppeoplehome.Havethesameeventseveryday–samestratificationandsametime.Useyourimaginationtonametheeventstoincreasetheirappealandtochallengetheplayers.

Note:Thetournamentcanofferafreegameashighas199erandnothavetopayanysanctionfees,aslongasthegamehaszeroentryfeeandisusedasapromotionaltooltoattractnewplayers.

Extra Activities–ThechairofthiscommitteeneedstoworkwiththeEntertainmentandHospitalityCommitteestoseewhattheyareplanning.Thetournamentwillbefun,somakeitsoundthatwayintheflier.

11

One Year to Eight Months OutCont.

Mailings–AmailingtoadvertisetheI/Nprogramshouldbemadetothegrouptargetedtoattend.Selectyourtargetgroupforthemailingbasedonthenumberofmasterpointstheyhaveearned(0-5,0-20,0-50,0-100,0-200,0-300orNon-LifeMaster0-500masterpoints).Pressure-sensitive,printedmailinglabelscanbepurchasedfromtheACBLtargetingalmostanygroupyouwishinthesponsoringunit.Theselabelscost$.25eachforthefirst1000and$.15eachlabelafterthat($20minimumorder).Thelabelscanbeorderedbytelephoneorbyemail(listlabel@acbl.org).

Forthebestresults,mailyouradvertisementssixtoeightweeksaheadofthetournamentdates.Thisgivespotentialparticipantstimetosetuppartnershipsandmakearrangementstoattend.Thisisveryimportantforout-of-townerswhomustmaketravelandhotelarrangements.

ACBL Tournament Email Services –ACBLwillsendanemailannouncingyourtournamentfreeofcharge.Forguidelinesandinstructions,clickhere.

Special Funding from ACBL–TheACBLhasacooperativeadvertisingprogram(CAP).CAPwillrefund50%ofeligibleadvertisingcostswithamaximumreimbursementof$500.Qualifyingadvertisementsaredate-specificadcampaignsforbeginnerbridgelessons,newcomerprograms,socialbridgerecruitmenteventsandACBLmemberrecruitment.ClickhereformoreinformationontheACBLCooperativeAdvertisingProgram.

Radio and TV Public Service Announcements–Manycommercialradioandtelevisionstationswillbroadcastacertainnumberofpublicserviceannouncements(PSAs)everyday.BymakingtheFridaynightgameacharitygame,thesponsoringunitoftencangetfreeannouncementsonradioandtelevision.Ifyouareofferingfreebridgelessonsatthetournament,thestationswillusuallyannouncethemaswell.Manynewspapersarehappytopublishsuchnewsintheirweeklyormonthlycalendarofevents.Clickhereforinformationoncreatingapressrelease.

Newspaper Articles/TV News Spots–Calloremailtheentertainmenteditorofyourlocalpaperandthe“abouttown”newsreporteratthelocalTVstationstotellthemabouttheI/Ntournament.Youmaygetsomeadditionalfreepublicityforyourlocalbridgeactivitiesbyincludinginformationaboutfreelessonsorafreegame.

Telephone Subcommittee–ThePublicityandPromotionCommitteeChairshouldappointatelephonesubcommitteetocontacttheI/Nplayersintheunit(s)toencouragethemtocometothetournament.

Social Bridge Players–SeveralmembersofthecommitteeshouldarrangetovisitallsocialclubsintheareatoinvitepeoplewhoplaybridgetoparticipateintheI/Ntournament.Thisisanidealwaytogivesocialplayersapositive,funintroductiontoduplicatebridge.Remember,theremaywellbehundredsofpeopleinyourtownwhohavenevertriedduplicateandwhomightenjoythegameifyougivethemachancetodiscoverthatcompetitioncanbegreatfun.

Area Bridge Teachers –Thecommitteeshouldcoordinateitseffortswiththeunit’sContinuingEducationCommittee(orEducationLiaison)toaskareabridgeteacherstoinvitetheirstudentstothetournament.Theseteachersshouldreceivefreeinvitationsfortheir0-5playersandflierstosharewithalloftheirstudents.GivethenamesoftheteachersyouareworkingwithtotheHospitalityCommittee.Theyshouldbeaskedtoserveashostsandhostessesattheplayingsite.Studentsliketoseefamiliarfaceswhentheyarrive.

Distributing the Fliers–Encourageplayersatthelocalclubstotakeflierstoanysocialplayerstheyknow.Askunitmemberstopostthefliersatlibraries,shoppingmalls,YMCA,YWCA,seniorcentersandcountryclubs.

Convention and Visitors Bureau (Local Chamber of Commerce)–Checkwiththesegroupstoseewhattheymightbeabletodoforyourtournament.TheConventionandVisitorsBureausometimesoffersgiveawaysprovidedbytheirmembers(boxesofcereal,perfume,etc.)orabookletofcouponsforyourcustomerstouseduringthetournament(restaurants,etc.).Ifyouapplyinatimelyfashion,theChamberofCommercemaysupportthetournamentwithagrant.

12

One Year to Eight Months OutCont.

Hospitality Committee (New Player Services)

ThemainfunctionoftheHospitalityCommitteeistomakethenewplayersfeelwelcome.

New Player Services (NPS) Program

ItissuggestedthatyoutakethisopportunitytodevelopaNPSprogramforyourunit.NPSisprimarilyapublicrelationsprogram.AgroupofunitmembersserveonacommitteewheretheytaketurnsbeingintheI/Narea,welcomingtheplayers,answeringquestionsandchatting.

Newplayersoftenventureintoclubgamesortheirfirsttournamentwithmorethanaslightleveloftrepidationorfear.Fearofembarrassmentorfailuremaycloudtheexcitementofanadvancingplayer.NPSCommitteemembershelpadvancingplayersputthesefearsaside.Theworkofthiscommitteeresultsinapositiveexperiencefortheplayers–onethattheywillwanttorepeatagainandagain–eveniftheycomeinlast!

ThroughaNPSprogram,agroupofvolunteersareabletogreetnewcomerswithafriendlyfacewhileprovidinginformationandassistance.

TheNewPlayerServicesProgramGuidecanbefoundhere.

ByimplementingaNPSprograminyourunit,youwillestablishacommitteethatcancontinuetofunctionatalllevelsofplaytohelpeasenewplayersintothebridgecommunity.It’sanicefeatureataclubgame,asectionaloraregional.NPSCommitteemembersareencouragedtovisittheI/NprogramatallNABCstohelpout.

Iftheintermediateandnewcomerplayersfeelwelcome,theywillbeinclinedtoattendtheunit’sfutureI/Nsectionalsandregionals.

Hospitality Desk

ThepeoplemanningtheHospitalityDeskneedtobeabletoansweralltypesofquestions,andwhentheycan’tcomeupwiththeanswer,promisetogetbacktotheplayerlateron.

Setupatablewhereplayerscangetlocalinformationaboutbridgelessons,clubgames,localhotelsandlocalrestaurants.Take-homematerialsonthesesubjectsareinvaluable.Asktheareaclubstoprovideflierslistingtheirnewcomerandintermediategameschedulesanddistributethemduringthetournament.Polllocalbridgeteachers–it’shelpfulifyoucanproducealistofthebridgecoursescurrentlybeingofferedinthearea.

HaveonhandanamplesupplyofACBL’s“WelcometotheWorldofDuplicateBridge,”apamphletthatcontainsvaluableinformationonwhattoexpectataduplicategameincludingbiddingboxes,AlertsandAnnouncements,computerscoringandethics.Italsocontainsthe“FatFree”conventioncard,asimplifiedversionoftheofficialACBLconventioncard.

“WelcometotheWorldofDuplicateBridge”canbeorderedfreeofchargefromtheACBLResourceCenter.

YoucandownloadaPDFofthe“FatFree”conventioncardhere.OrorderinbulkfromBaronBarclay.

Registration Desk

Setupadesktoregistertheplayersandtodistributespecialregistrationgifts,or“goodiebags,”astheyareoftencalled.Newplayerslovereceivingpresents.

Registrationcards:Haveeachplayerfilloutacardsotheunitordistrictcangetvaluableinformationoneachnewplayerandatthesametimeproperlydistributeanygifts.

Gifts:Freeplaysfromlocalclubs,listsofareaclubs,I/Ngamesandbridgeteachers,atournamentflierforthenextsectionalorregionalinthearea,aconventioncardholder,aninstantscorer(availablefreefromACBL),alistofrestaurantsintheareaandacandybarorsomeothertreataregreatitemstoinclude.

13

One Year to Eight Months OutCont.

Nametags:Nametagshelpnewplayersgettoknoweachother.Theymaybeissuedattheregistrationdesk,includedinthegiftbagsormadeavailableatthesellingdesk.Tohelpthenewplayersfeelmoreatease,thepeoplehostingthetournamentshouldalsowearnametags.

Extras:TheHospitalityCommitteeshouldaimtomaketheroominwhichtheeventsareplayedmorepleasantandcomfortablefortheplayers.Forexample,thecommitteecanplacedishesofhardcandiesontheregistrationandPartnershipDesk,providecoatracksandhangdecorativesignsforthevariousinformationdesks.Balloons,posters,paperflowers,etc.,alladdafestiveair.

Partnership Committee

Staffing the Partnership Desk–UnitsordistrictsoftenstaffthePartnershipDeskwithlocalintermediateplayersandnewcomers,generallybecausetheyhaveagoodfeelformatchingupotherintermediatesandnewcomers.Inaddition,theseplayersmaybewillingtofillinwithpeoplewhoarestilllookingforpartnerswhenitistimeforthesessiontobegin.

Guaranteed Partners–Ifyouwanttoattractnewplayerstothetournament,offeringaguaranteedpartnerserviceisextremelyimportant.Ideally,playersseekingpartnersshouldarriveonehourbeforegametime.Haveastand-bypersonreadytoplayincasethereareanoddnumberofplayerswhoneedpartners.Ifyourvolunteerstand-bydoesn’tgettoplay,it’sagoodideatothankthispersonforhelpingoutwithafreeplayforanothersessionofthetournament.

Standby Pairs–It’sagoodideatohaveapairofeligibleplayersstandbyincasetheyareneededtofillagamewithahalftable.Anyonewillingtofillinshouldbeallowedtoplayfree.

Membership Committee

Membership Desk –It’sagoodideatohaveaMembershipDeskorboothavailableatyourtournamentandlocatedwiththeHospitalityDesk.

Supplies: StocktheMembershipDeskwithinstantmembershipforms(availablefromtheDIC),ACBL’sYourBestPartnerInBridgebrochureandBridgeLifemagazine.Oneofthebesttimestogetanewplayertojoinisimmediatelyafterwinningamasterpoint.

Help from Local Clubs–AsklocalclubmanagerstohelpattheMembershipDeskandusetheinstantmembershipformsthatbearpre-designatedACBLplayernumbers.Membershipsissuedfromthisdeskcanhelpclubsearnanupgradedclubchampionshipandincreaserebatestoclubofficials.Theclubofficialscanearntherecruitmentcredit.Thisisaperkthattheunitordistrictcanoffertoaclub(orclubs)thatmighthavecanceledaregularlyscheduledgameindeferencetothetournament.

Junior Memberships–ACBLoffersaJuniormembershiptoplayersage25andunderatacostof$15peryearprovidedtheplayerisenrolledinschool.Thenameofthestudent’sschoolandthestudent’sbirthdatemustbeontheapplication.AJuniormembershipentitlesastudentto:

♠12annualissuesoftheBridgeBulletinmagazine.

♠ParticipateintheonlineCollegeBridgeBowl.

♠Scholarshipopportunities.

♠DiscountedentryfeestotheNABCsandsimilardiscountsatmanysectionalandregionaltournaments.

♠OpportunitytoparticipateintheJuniorTeamTrialsandwinatriptotheWorldJuniorTeamChampionships.

14

One Year to Eight Months OutCont.

Prize Committee

Overall Awards –Itissuggestedthatyouawardtrophiesforeachoverallwinandoverallineachstratification.Theseawardscanbetrophies,engravedglasses/mugs,ACBLBridgeBucks,etc.Trophiesofanykindareextremelypopularwithnewplayers–butifit’satrophyyoudecidetogive,rememberthebiggerthebetter.

Section Top Awards–Sectiontopawardsarenicebecausetheyallowmorepeopletocollectprizes.DecksofACBLcards,conventioncardholders,glassesengravedwiththenameofthetournamentoranitemthatrepresentstheareaareallpopularchoices.

Door Prizes–Doorprizesarefun,andyoucanawardtheminseveralways.

First,fillthreeseparatecontainerswithslipsofpaperbearingsectionletters,tablenumbersanddirections,respectively.Bydrawingoneslipfromeachcontainer,awinnercanbedetermined,(e.g.,SectionA,Table3,East).

AnotherwaytoawarddoorprizesistoplayBridgeBingoattheendofeachsession.Thiswillonlyworkwellifthegamesintheroomarescheduledtofinishatthesametimeandthisactivityisgivenpublicitybeforethefact(otherwisetheplayerswillleaveorgatheraroundthescores).

Here’showitworks:Playersusethelasthandplayedasabingocard.Atthemicrophone,amemberofthePrizeCommitteeinstructstheplayerstoputtheirhandsfaceuponthetable,dummy-style.Takinganotherdeckofcardsthathasbeenshuffled,thecallerturnsthecardsuponeatatime,callingeachoneouttotheplayers.Whenplayershavethecardthatiscalled,theyturnthatcardfacedown.Thefirstplayerwhoturnsoverallthirteencardsisthewinner.(It’salsopossibletousethisgimmicktogettheroomquietbeforethegamestarts.)

Awards Presentation–Toaddmoreinteresttothetournament,alocalofficialcouldbeinvitedtoformallyacknowledgethewinnersimmediatelyaftereachsessionasyouawardthetrophies.Theexcitementisinthemoment!Itgeneratesenthusiasmforotherstotrytowinatrophy.Newcomersliketoseewhowonthetrophies,somakethemostofthepresentations.OneofthemembersoftheNPSCommitteemightbeavailableforthisjob.

Rememberthatmanyplayerscomejustforonesession.Theyshouldbeabletotaketheirtrophieshomewiththemrightafterthegame–evenifthereisalaterscoreadjustment.Thegoodwillyouhavecreatedisworthmuchmorethanthecostofanadditionaltrophy!

Copies of the Event Overall Award–TheDICcanruntwoextracopiesoftheeventoverallawardsonthecomputertogivetothewinners.AmemberofthePrizeCommitteeshouldchecktomakecertaintheDIC(oradesignatedTD)isplanningtodothis.

Club Free Plays–ThePrizeCommitteecanworkwithlocalclubmanagerstoarrangeforfreeplaycouponsfortheparticipantsintheI/Ntournament.Ifaclubiswilling,afreeplaycouponcanbeaddedtoeachgiftbagorgivenoutasadoorprize.Theplayersappreciatethemandthesecouponsgivetheplayersareasontovisitaclubandpossiblybecomemembers.

Photos of the Winners–Intermediateplayersandnewcomersliketobephotographedwhentheywin.

Photosplacedonacomputer-generatedeventleadersheetmakeagreatWallofFameorRisingStarsdisplay.Thelasttimethewinnersplayatthetournament,theycantaketheirpicturewiththem.Makesureeachwinningplayergetsaphoto!

LetyourimaginationgoandgetmorecreativewithyourWallofFame.Considerapotofgoldwhereyoupostpicturesofthewinnersonthegoldcoins.Suspendstarsfromtheceilingandhangthepicturesonthem.

OftentheI/Ndirectorwillbeavailableandwillingtohelpwiththephotography.

Withalldecorations,makecertaintheplayingsiteallowsyoutohangmaterialsonthewall.Ifnot,planonfree-standingdisplays–useeasels,wirearches,whiteboards,etc.

15

One Year to Eight Months OutCont.

Prize Desk–AtanI/Ntournament,thesectiontopscanbegivenoutatthesametimeastheoveralltrophies.Atalargertournament,thereisusuallyaprizedeskforsectiontopawardsbecausesomanyaregiven.

Entertainment Committee

TheEntertainmentCommitteeplaysaveryimportantroleinthesuccessofanI/Ntournament.Herearesomesuggestionsforactivitiesyoucanprovidethatarepopular.

Speaker Program

Organizeaspeakerprogram.Localexpertsandteachersmakegreatspeakers.Whoismoreofacelebrityorexperttobeginnersthantheirteacher?Ifteachersarespeakingatthetournament,theyaregoingtomakesurethattheirstudentsaretheretohearthem.Teachersdon’twanttospeaktoanemptyroom.Mini-lessonsorbridgetipsshouldbescheduledforeachafternoonandeveningstarting45minutesbeforethesession.

Here are some steps to follow:

♥Puttogetherascheduleforthetournament.

♥Confirmandreconfirmwithyourspeakers.

♥Trytohaveacoupleofback-upspeakerswhocanstepinifsomethinggoeswrong.

♥Checkoutthetournamentsiteandselectanareaforthespeakerprogramthatisappropriate–nottoomuchtraffic,goodlighting,sufficientspace,etc.

♥Askyourspeakerstoprovideaone-pagehandoutthatyoucaneitherphotocopybeforethetournamentorreimbursethespeakerforcopying.

♥Provideamicrophoneandawhiteboard.

♥Schedulelocalexpertsandbridgeteacherstospeakfor30minutesbeforeeachsession.Ifyoudon’thaveenoughvolunteers,schedulespeakersonlyonceaday.

♥Decidehowyouaregoingtocompensatethespeakers–withanhonorariumorafreeplay–andbepreparedtogivethemtheircompensationattheconclusionoftheirtalk.

The speaker program can lead into a lot of other possibilities:

♦Youcouldhaveabooksigningforspeakerswhoareauthors.

♦Youcouldgiveadoorprizeofoneofthebookswrittenbyaspeaker.

♦Youcouldgatherapanelofthespeakerstoanswerquestionsafteroneofthesessions.(Coordinatethiswithapizzapartybetweensessions,andyou’llseealotofplayersreturningfortheeveningsession.)

Free Lesson on Saturday Morning

Offerafree“IntroductiontoDuplicate”lessonontheSaturdaymorningofthetournament.CoordinatethisactivitywiththeEducationCommittee.Thisgroupwillhelpyouselectalocalbridgeteachertomakethepresentation.

Thisgiveslocalteachersachancetobringtheirstudentswhohaven’ttriedduplicatetothetournament.

ScheduleaBridgePlus+gametofollow.Don’tchargeanentryfee.Thisisanexcellentpromotionand,ifdonewell,shouldbringtheunitorthedistrictsomenewbusiness.

Youalsocouldofferabeginningbridgelesson–LessonOneoftheACBLBridgeSeriescourse“Biddinginthe21stCentury”(TheClubSeries)wasdesignedasapromotionalpiece–andrecruitpeoplewhodon’tplay.Theteacherwhogivesthelectureshouldoffertherestofthecourseforafeefollowingthetournamentforthosewhoareinterested.

16

One Year to Eight Months OutCont.

Special Saturday Night Bridge Show

OfferaspecialSaturdaynightbridgeshow.Thisactivitytakesalotoforganizationandworkbutiswellworththetimespentpreparingit.

Inviteeightofthebetter-knownplayersintheareatogettogethertodealandplayabout10handsasaboard-a-matchcompetition.Includefiveorsixofthemoreinterestingdealsinapre-duplicatedsetofboardsfortheSaturdayeveningevents.Writeoutthehandsontransparenciesandattheendofthegame,showthemwithanoverheadprojectoronascreen,chalkboardorlargesheetsofpapertapedtothewall.

Thispresentationshouldbedoneinanentertainingfashion.Whendiscussingthesehands,includesomeerrors.It’sgoodforthenewcomerstorealizethatexpertsdon’talwaysmaketherightbidorplay.

Note:Theplayerswhopre-playthehandscan’tparticipateintheactualevent.

Panel of Local Experts

Organizeapaneloflocalexpertstoanswerbiddingandplayingquestionsabouthandstheintermediatesandnewcomershavejustplayed.(Handrecordsfortheplayersarenecessarytomakethisactivitywork.)

Social Activities

Socialactivitiesareimportant.Youcanholdaninformaldancebyclearingthebridgetablesandturningonadiscortapeplayer.Unitordistrictvolunteerscancookvariousdishestocreateabefore-the-sessionbreakfastordinnerbuffet.Awineandcheesepartyisfuneitherbetweensessionsoraftertheeveninggame.

I/N Reception

Ifyouhostabetween-sessionspartyfortheI/Nplayers,becertaintoinvitesomelocalbridgestarsordignitariestoattend.Thenewplayersenjoyknowingwho’swho!

Caddy Committee

Caddy Chairman–TheChairoftheCaddyCommitteeiscalledtheCaddyMasterandisusuallytheonlymemberofthiscommittee.

TheCaddyMasterhires,schedules,supervisesandpaysthecaddies.

The Right Kind of Caddy–Caddiesarenottherejusttopickupscoreslips.Theyshouldbepleasantandfriendly,anditishelpfuliftheyhaveaninterestinbridge.Apersonablecaddycanenhancetheplayers’enjoymentofthegame.Inaddition,caddiesoftenhearaboutproblemsthatdirectorsmaybeunawareofandcanbringthemtothedirectors’attention(suchasaveryslowtable).

Training the Caddies–ClickheretoseetheCaddyMaster’sGuide,abrochuredesignedtohelptrainthecaddies.

Caddy Bridge Lessons –Ifyouhavefourormorecaddiesinterestedinbridge,askoneofthelocalteacherstogivethemsomemini-lessonsbetweensessions.TheseyoungsterscaneasilygetstartedwithMiniBridgeandmaywanttotakelessonswhenthetournamentisover.Thisactivitycouldleadtoanentryintooneoftheschoolsthecaddiesareattending.

17

Tournament SuppliesIfyouarenotprovidingyourownsupplies,checkwiththeDICtomakeanarrangementforordering.Iftheunit/districtisprovidingitsownsupplies,aninventoryshouldbetakenatthistime.Orderanyadditionalsuppliesneededfromthesupplycompanyofyourchoice.

Remembertoincludehandrecords.Normally,theDICoranothersupply-carryingdirectorwillbringtherequiredhandrecordsandprintoutstothetournament.

Timeclocks(optional)andbiddingboxes(required)mustbeprovidedbythesponsoringorganization.

Supplies Checklist – 200 or fewer tables□FivesetsofDuplicateBoards

□DecksofCards

□TableCards–SectionsAandB

□HowellGuideCardsfor3-4-5-6-7tables

□SmallGuideCardsfor14-16-17-18-20-22-24pairs

□Entries

1padofblankentryblanks

1padofSectionAentryblanks

1padofSectionBentryblanks

1padofTeamEntries

□600SwissReportingSlips(100eachof6colors)

□1000ACBLConventionCards

□500“FatFree”ConventionCards

□200SwissTeamsInserts

□PickUpSlips

1000White(102A)

1000Yellow(102A)

500Green(102A)

□RecapandPressSheetsaregeneratedbythecomputer.

(Ordertheseonlyifyouarenotusingacomputer.)

□3boxesofpencils

□ZeroTolerancePosters

Five Months Out

18

TheTournamentChairandtheTournamentCorrespondentarenotifiedthroughTourneyTRAXofthestaffassignedforthetournament,theirsessionsandlodgingrequirements.Reservationsshouldbemadeforthespecificstaffmembersandcommitteememberswhowillbestayingatthehosthotel.Ifthehotelhasprovidedanyfreerooms,itisoftenagoodideatoassigntheseroomstostaffmembersratherthancommitteememberssincethestaffwillgenerallyspendmorenightsatthehotel.

Three months out

♣Reviewtheplansforpublicizingthetournament.

♣SchedulemeetingwithNewPlayerServicesCommitteememberstodecideontournamentassignments.

♣DesignafliertoadvertisetheI/Nprogram.

♣Confirmhospitality,speakers,panelshow,freelessons,etc.,whichwillbeadvertisedontheflier.

♣SubmitthefliertoACBLforapprovalpriortoprinting.

♣Orderpreprinted,pressure-sensitivelabelsformailingI/Nfliers.

♣CheckplayingspaceandarrangefororderingnewcomerchampionshiphandanalysesfromtheDIC.

♣Decideondecorationthemeandpurchasesupplies.

♣Ensurethatprizesandtrophiesareordered.

♣Prepareaclub/teacherlistingforI/Ninformationtable.

♣CheckthatasupplyofACBLmaterialshasbeenorderedfortheI/Ninformationtable(WelcometoDuplicate,BridgeLifeandYourBestPartnerinBridge).

♣Discusswithareatournamentdirectorstheirwillingnesstodistributeflierstonearbytournamentstheyattend.

♣Confirmspeakerschedulewiththespeakers.

♣Begincoordinationwithteacherstoinvitetheirstudentstospecialgamesandevents.

♣ReviewplansfortheI/Nhospitalitygoodiebags.

♣Checkwithtournamentsitemanagement.Itisimportanttoreconfirmallarrangements.AllsectionalandregionaltournamentsforwhichtheACBLissuesasanctionarecoveredunderageneralliabilityandpropertydamagepolicy.Acertificateofcoveragecanbeobtainedbycompletingthisform.

Eight weeks out

♠SendoutI/Nfliers.

♠SendinformationtoACBLTournamentEmailServices.

♠Followthroughwithlocalpublicity.

♠Reconfirmarrangementsforallsocialactivities.

♠SendconfirmationsforallNPSassignmentsincludingI/Nguaranteedpartnershipprogram.

♠Reconfirmwithteachersallspecialactivitiesfortheirstudents.

♠Ordertrophiesandprizes.

♠CollectfreeplaysandsponsorgiftsforI/Nhospitalitybags.

Four Months Out to Tournament Start

19

Three weeks out

♥TheTelephoneCommitteeshouldphoneallI/Nplayersintheunitandextendaninvitationtoattendthetournament,mentioningthatpartnershipswillbearranged.

♥Getnamesofcommitteememberswhowillbeworkingduringthetournamentandarrangetohavebadgesmadeforeveryone.

Twelve days out

♦Ifthesuppliesaretobeshipped,verifytheirarrivaltimewiththetournamentsite.

One week before the tournament

♣Reconfirmagainwiththespeakers.

♣Verifythatallsignsforthetournamentareready.

♣MakesureZeroToleranceposters(orsimilarsigns)areavailable.

♣Continueworkingwithlocalpublicity.

♣ConfirmwiththeCaddyMasterthatthecaddiesarehired,trainedandhavetheirassignments.

Three hours before first session of tournament

♠Ensureplayingareaissetupincludingdecorations,signsandinformationtable.

♠Ensureeverythingisavailableforspeakerprogramandthatsomeoneispreparedtointroducethespeakereverysession.

♠MeetwithI/Ndirectortodiscusslastminutedetailsandannouncementstobemadebeforeeachsession.

♠ReviewwiththeDICwhatyouexpecttobedoneeachsession:

♤Awardingofprizesaftereachsession,

♤Takingphotographsofthewinners,

♤AskingwinnerstojoinACBL,

♤Givingwinnerscopiesoftheoverallawardsheet,

♤Explainingthescoresheetsandmasterpointawards.

Before each session

♥BeresponsiblefortheperformanceofallspecializedI/Nservices.

♥Followthroughwiththespeakers.(Isthereathank-yougift?)

♥Confirmthatallpositionsarestaffed(includingI/Npartnership).

♥Checkonlast-minutearrangementsforsocialactivities.

♥Haveapplicabletrophiesinview.

♥GivetheI/Ndirectoranyspecialannouncementsfortheplayers.

♥SocializewithI/Nplayers!

Four Months Out to Tournament StartCont.

20

HereisalistofthethingstheTournamentChairshouldcheckeachdayofthetournament.Youmaywanttoprintanddateanewchecklistforeachdayofthetournamenttoassurenothinggetsmissed.

□Seethatthehotel/motelbulletinboardshavetheproperinformationconcerningeventsandstartingtimes.

□Askforalistingifthepropertyhasaclosed-circuitTVchannelfordailyactivities.

□Inspectthetournamentsite(wellbeforegametime)forpropersetupoftables,cleanlinessandsitecompliancewithcleanupinformation.

□SeethattheHospitalityDeskandPartnershipDeskareproperlymanned.

□Checkdailyarrangementswithhotel/motel/conventioncenterconcerningentertainmentandrefreshmentsorderedforthatday.

□Seethattrashcontainersareavailable.

□Checkdrinkingwatersupplyandstations,cups,etc.

□ Inspectrestroomsforcleanlinessandmaintenance.

□Lookforobstaclesthatmightblockemergencyexitsandeliminatethem.

□Checkthatsitehasunlockedemergencyexitdoors.

Daily Tournament Checklist

Final Session of the Tournament Checklist

After the Tournament

□ SettlefinanceswiththeDICunlessotherarrangementshavepreviouslybeenmade.AllfeesduetheACBLmustbesettledbytheendofthetournament.

IfyourI/Nsectionalhasbeenapprovedtoberunbyalocalclubdirector,theTournamentChairisresponsibleforsubmittingtheresults(acopyofthegamefilesondisk)withintwodaysoftheendofthetournamenttoTournaments@acbl.org.TheunitwillbebilledfortheamountdueACBL.

□Arrangegratuitiesforsitepersonnel.

□ Arrangewiththesitemanagementforprotectionofunusedsuppliesuntiltheyarepickedup.

Afterthetournament,thereadditionalstepstocomplete.

♦Publicizethenamesofwinnersinlocalmedia.

♦Handleanyproblemsthatmayhaveoccurred.

♦Thankcommitteemembers.

♦GetadiskofthenamesandACBLnumbersofparticipantsinthetournament;askfortheentryblankstoretainaddressesandcontactallnewplayers.

♦Submitareporttotheboardonthetournament.

21

♦Forsixmonthsafterthetournament,thePublicityCommitteeshouldassisttheunitordistrictinsendingadvertisementsannouncingtheirregulartournamentstotheplayersthatattendedtheI/Ntournament.Iftheunitordistricthasanewsletter,thiscommitteeshouldsendcopiestotheseplayers.Follow-uppublicitycanhelpbringplayerstofuturetournaments.

♦WorkingwiththeEducationCommittee,youmightalsowanttophonetheplayerswhoparticipatedtoseeiftheyenjoyedthetournamentandtogetsuggestionsforthenexttournament.It’sagoodideatohaveaspecialgameinmindtoinvitetheseplayerstoattendwhenyoucall.Yourgoalistoseeifyoucangetthemtobemoreactivelocally.

After the TournamentCont.

Roles and Responsibilities of Tournament Sponsors and DICs

Thisisalistofareasrequiringpre-eventdiscussionbetweenaDICandasponsor.WhentheDICandsponsorarenewtoeachother,thesetopicsshouldbecoveredbeforethetournamentinordertoensureasmoothandcohesiveoperation.Overtime,thesponsorpreferencesbecomeknowntotheDICandlittleornodiscussionisnecessary.

Whilethefinaloptiononmanyofthesedecisionsrestswiththesponsor,thesponsorshouldrecognizetheprofessionalexpertiseoftheDICandmakealleffortstoreachacollaborativeconclusion.

Inunusualorunexpectedcircumstances(e.g.fire,powerfailure,impendingsevereweather,etc.)theDICisresponsibleformakingdecisionsineveryone’sbestinterest.

Pair Game Type Movements (Individual, Pairs and BAM): Numberofboardsplayed(numberofroundsisafunctionofsectionsize).Typically24to27inopengames,24ingoldrushgamesand24maximuminI/Ngames.

Sponsor’spreferenceof24or26/27shouldbedeterminedingeneral,notsession-by-session.

Type of movement

TheenvironmentinwhichourgamesbeginrequiresthatmovementdecisionsbemadebytheDIC.

Ifthesponsorhasspecificsuggestionsinthisregard,thesponsorshoulddiscussthiswiththeDICinadvance.

Combined scoring

TypicallysectionsarecombinedforscoringandrankinginopenandflightA(X)andB/Cevents.

NotcombinedingoldrushandI/Nevents.

Sidegamesvarybycircumstance.

Aswithtypeofmovement,thisisusuallylefttotheDICwithsponsorinputwelcome.

Time per round

Typicallythetimeallowedforpairgamesis15minutesfortwo-boardroundsand21minutesforthree-boardrounds.

SponsorswishingtodeviatefromthesesuggestionsshouldconsultwiththeDICpriortothetournament.

22

Swiss and Round Robin Team Games: Number of rounds and number of boards per round

Fortwo-sessionevents,commonchoicesrangebetween48and56boards.Topflightsoftenplaymoreboardsperroundthanconcurrentlowerflights(sevenroundsofeightandsevenroundsofseven).Whenasmalleventandalargereventshareclosequarters,theyoftenbothplaysixroundsofnine(orsixroundsofeightinsteadof7x7).

RoundrobinorSwiss,dayoftheweek,getawayday,lengthofbreak,playerdesiresandotherfactorsneedbeconsidered.

Onesession(sidegames)arefourroundsofsix.Thestartingtimeofthenextsessionisoneofthedeterminingfactorsforthenumberofboardsplayed.

Theoption,providedthesubjecthasbeendiscussedinadvance,restswiththesponsor.

Time per round

Asetamountoftimeinwhichtoplay,compareandreporthasbecomethenorm.Thetypicaltimeallottediseightminutesperboard;thisincludesplayingtheboards,comparingscoresandturningintheresults.Oftenanadditionalminuteortwoneedstobegiventoinexperiencedgroupsandaminuteortwolesswhenthesponsorhasrequestedanearlydeparture.SponsorswishingtodeviatefromthesesuggestionsshouldconsultwiththeDICpriortothetournament.

When (and if) to break (length)

Sponsoroption.

VP scale (20 or 30)

Typicallyincludedinadvertising.

Sponsoroption.SubstantialdeparturefrompastpracticemustbediscussedwiththeDICinadvance.

Pairing

Complete(andalmostcomplete)roundrobinsarepairedentirelyinadvance.SwisseventstypicallyarerandominroundoneandpairedbySwissteamrulesthereafter.TheTD,basedongamesizeandotherconsiderations,setsvariousparametersoflooseortightpairinginACBLscore.

Bracketing

BracketsaretypicallydeterminedbytheTDwhenentriesclose.Inanopenevent,thetopbracketistypicallyplayedasaSwissandissometimessoldasopentoanyteam.

Knockout Events: Number of boards

Typically,KOsplay24boardspermatch.FlightAKOs(rare)sometimesplay28.CompactKOsare24boards.Morningsessionsare24boards(orfewer).

Handicapping

Sponsoroption.ACBLrequiresthatadvertisingnotewhetherthetournamentwill,mayorwillnothandicap.SponsorandDICshoulddiscussexactdetailsinadvance.

Replays

Typicallynotpermittedbutasponsormayopt(inadvance)toallowortoallowafteraninterveningmatch.

Roles and Responsibilities of Tournament Sponsors and DICsCont.

23

Bracketing (including where to break and three sessions)

Sponsoroption.LargeKOsrarelyposeproblemsinbracketing.Inrelativelysmallevents,whenentriesclose,theTDmustmakebracketsthatwilldispleasethefewestcontestants.Sometimesoneortwothree-sessionbracketsisthebestsolution.Thesponsorshouldmakedesires,ifany,knowntotheDICinadvance.

Additional Sponsoring Organization Responsibilities Conventions permitted

ThesponsordecideswhetherconventionsfromtheMid-Chart(orinraresituationsfromtheSuperChart)willbepermitted.ACBLrulespertainingtopublicationofconventionspermittedmustbefollowed.

Electronic scoring

Thesponsorarrangesforelectronicscoringdevices,ifdesired,inadvance.Somesponsorsownthem,othersrentthemfromvarioussources.TheDICmustknowinadvancewhat,ifany,thosearrangementsareandifasufficientquantitywillbeonhand.Financialdetailsneedbeagreeduponinadvanceifdirectorsareinvolvedintherentalprocess.

Hand records

Electronicsets(purchasedfromACBL)areprovidedbytheDIC.TypicallytheDICarrangesforcopiestobeprintedforafter-gamedistribution.Ifboardsarenotpre-duplicatedtheDICarrangesfornecessaryhandrecordstobeprinted.Thesponsorpaysallcosts.

Masterpoint Averaging

Sponsoroption.Masterpointaveraging,ifused,mustbenotedinthetournamentadvertising.

Number of breaks

Sponsoroption.Typicallyzero,oneortwohospitalitybreaks.Numberand/orlengthofbreaksisoftendeterminedbydistancetoandnumberoffacilities.

Pre-duplicated boards

Thesponsormayarrangetohaveboardspre-duplicated.TheDICmustapprovethesecurityandreliabilityofthearrangementsandsuppliestheACBLpre-dealthands.

Seeding

Thesponsormayprovideapersontoassistthesellingdirectorwithseedingorleaveittothedirectortoseedtheplayers.

Roles and Responsibilities of Tournament Sponsors and DICsCont.

ACBL

6575WindchaseBlvd.

HornLakeMS38637

662-253-3100

Revised12/15