Top Cut Comics
Member
With the overall growth of the game in the past few years our tournaments arent exactly getting any shorter. With tournament times creeping into the 20-24 hour range considering drive times, this is something that we need revisit and consider what is best for the people of this game. Regionals is one of the most enjoyable local-ish event we have. The prizes are fantastic, the competition is fierce, and the day is soooo long. Ugh!
Ok, now onto the issue at hand…
Should Regionals be a 2 day event???
I would like to take this time to point out some pros from each stand point. 1) the player, 2) the PTO, and 3) the parent. This is going to be a little long winded. However if you take the time to actually read it all, you may actually understand the issues at hand and offer up logical, UNSELFISH solutions to this issue facing our game. Keep in mind, it is not meant to benefit YOU personally. These are suggestions/issues that face all of us as a whole.
First let me start by saying, I support it as a Player, a PTO and a Parent. It is no secret I would prefer to have these events over a 2 day stretch. It is an exciting event and should be celebrated for as long as possible. For those who feel otherwise I will try to point out how it can be done logistically.
Below I pulled the attendances from last years events. This will be the guide I use to show a simple structure that could possibly be used.
South East 31 / 57 / 103 = 191
Southern California 35 / 63 / 229 = 327
Mountain West 22 / 46 / 76 = 144
Midwest 42 / 58 / 105 = 205
North East 48 / 49 / 160 = 257
East Canada 42 / 46 / 81 = 169
Great Lakes 36 / 48 / 146 = 230
Northern California 22 / 28 / 72 = 122
Florida 50 / 63 / 131 = 244
Mid-Atlantic 24 / 42 / 100 = 166
Mississippi Valley 45 / 73 / 117 = 235
North West 60 / 69 / 172 = 301
New England 27 / 44 / 75 = 146
Southern Plains 69 / 70 / 166 = 305
Based on these numbers I noticed the highest attendance in one particular age group was 229 players. GREAT JOB CALIFORNIA!!! With this attendance P!P requires that we run 8 rounds for players between 129 and 256. If I recall correctly, Regionals can allow up to a top 32. This part alone could be up to a 5-6 hour event all its own. WOW!!!’
Below I would like to show a basic timetable for 8 rounds of swiss and a top 32 if I were running the event.
Registration…10am to 11:30 am
Start time 12:00pm
Round 2 1:00pm
Round 3 2:00pm
Round 4 3:00pm
Round 5 4:00pm
Round 6 5:00pm
Round 7 5:45pm (All have eaten by then)
Round 8 6:30pm
The above schedule is if you have food on site or VERY close to the venue. Below will be a schedule if you do not have a place for food relatively close.
Registration…10am to 11:30 am
Start time 12pm
Round 2 12:45am
Round 3 1:30pm
Lunch
Round 4 3:30pm
Round 5 4:15pm
Round 6 5:00pm
Round 7 5:45pm
Round 8 6:30pm
I prefer to use the top schedule. The organizer has the control over where the tournament is held. If they want to use the top schedule, find a location near food. It is the optimal way to run an event. As you see all players should be out by 7ish. The ability to start every round on the hour absorbs all lag time and the event WILL stay on schedule. This will allow the players who didn’t make the cut to travel home that evening and possibly have no lodging costs for the whole event.
In the bottom schedule there can be lags between rounds by players going past time, and the time it takes to get everyone seated. However, if the expectation is set prior to the event, players WILL do their best to ensure a timely tournament. Put the ownership in their hands. Do not give them any reasons to blame the organizer or staff. Definitely all should be gone by 9pm, even with the lag time. This includes staff as well.
Take notice of the later start time. Let me explain the thinking behind this. As pointed out in the other thread, people have to drive several hours to go to attend Regionals. This would allow them to sleep in a little longer and NOT have to absorb a hotel room for that particular night. This would limit the players cost to one night of hotel expenses.
Day 2
There have been many suggestions/complaints about where to host this. Some sighting budget reasons, some sighting proximity of local venues, some just don’t like day 2 period. To the people who don’t like day 2 let me ask you this… Do you or have you ever traveled to play Pokemon cities over a weekend? 2 events, 2 days same amount of time only MUCH, MUCH more on the line. Why would you even consider bashing a day 2 idea if you have gone to a full weekend event before? I just don’t get it. Let me address the other two issues separately.
Budget (This includes staff, venue, food, lodging)
Staff – Day 2 would require 2 judges per age group and a head judge for each under optimal circumstances. This should be compensated the same as day 1. There can be a more exclusive staff card printed to encourage judges to stay. It could also be an incentive used by the Head judge to promote some consistency and as a training tool. Don’t automatically pick your day two staff. Let them earn it on day one. Product can also be a strong compensation draw. I read someone say... P!P can print money. I never looked at it that way, but it seems to be true.
Venue – I always thought having it at a local card shop would be ideal. Even if the place is 30 minutes away from the day one venue it can still be used. These people travel for cities and should have no qualms about traveling for a day two TOP CUT event, especially with what’s on the line. I simply don’t understand this argument. If a card shop is not available, there are some other venues that would LOVE to host a 60ish player event for minimal or no cost. Libraries, restaraunts, village or town halls, the organizer just has to find them. I know it’s difficult, but it can be done.
Food – Again, I am using cities as my benchmark. What do we do when we host 2 cities in a weekend? This should be no different. We all need to eat regardless.
Lodging – Most PTO’s live close enough to the venue to travel for day 1 and day 2. Out of town judges should only come if they have the understanding they will receive XYZ compensation in exchange for a potential 2 day event. Knowing this up front will allow them to make a logical decision on whether or not to attend.
If we choose to go to a 2 day Regional event, it would decrease stress on everyone involved. Players, Judges, and parents would be able to make good decisions while not under duress from the event.
To wrap this up, I believe this is needed to compensate the growth of the game at the Regionals level. Attendance is way up. People will travel. We just need to do a good job at promoting it as a 2 day event UP FRONT!!! If the players, judges and parents understand that this is a real possibility they will adjust accordingly.
Discuss,
Jimmy
Ok, now onto the issue at hand…
Should Regionals be a 2 day event???
I would like to take this time to point out some pros from each stand point. 1) the player, 2) the PTO, and 3) the parent. This is going to be a little long winded. However if you take the time to actually read it all, you may actually understand the issues at hand and offer up logical, UNSELFISH solutions to this issue facing our game. Keep in mind, it is not meant to benefit YOU personally. These are suggestions/issues that face all of us as a whole.
First let me start by saying, I support it as a Player, a PTO and a Parent. It is no secret I would prefer to have these events over a 2 day stretch. It is an exciting event and should be celebrated for as long as possible. For those who feel otherwise I will try to point out how it can be done logistically.
Below I pulled the attendances from last years events. This will be the guide I use to show a simple structure that could possibly be used.
South East 31 / 57 / 103 = 191
Southern California 35 / 63 / 229 = 327
Mountain West 22 / 46 / 76 = 144
Midwest 42 / 58 / 105 = 205
North East 48 / 49 / 160 = 257
East Canada 42 / 46 / 81 = 169
Great Lakes 36 / 48 / 146 = 230
Northern California 22 / 28 / 72 = 122
Florida 50 / 63 / 131 = 244
Mid-Atlantic 24 / 42 / 100 = 166
Mississippi Valley 45 / 73 / 117 = 235
North West 60 / 69 / 172 = 301
New England 27 / 44 / 75 = 146
Southern Plains 69 / 70 / 166 = 305
Based on these numbers I noticed the highest attendance in one particular age group was 229 players. GREAT JOB CALIFORNIA!!! With this attendance P!P requires that we run 8 rounds for players between 129 and 256. If I recall correctly, Regionals can allow up to a top 32. This part alone could be up to a 5-6 hour event all its own. WOW!!!’
Below I would like to show a basic timetable for 8 rounds of swiss and a top 32 if I were running the event.
Registration…10am to 11:30 am
Start time 12:00pm
Round 2 1:00pm
Round 3 2:00pm
Round 4 3:00pm
Round 5 4:00pm
Round 6 5:00pm
Round 7 5:45pm (All have eaten by then)
Round 8 6:30pm
The above schedule is if you have food on site or VERY close to the venue. Below will be a schedule if you do not have a place for food relatively close.
Registration…10am to 11:30 am
Start time 12pm
Round 2 12:45am
Round 3 1:30pm
Lunch
Round 4 3:30pm
Round 5 4:15pm
Round 6 5:00pm
Round 7 5:45pm
Round 8 6:30pm
I prefer to use the top schedule. The organizer has the control over where the tournament is held. If they want to use the top schedule, find a location near food. It is the optimal way to run an event. As you see all players should be out by 7ish. The ability to start every round on the hour absorbs all lag time and the event WILL stay on schedule. This will allow the players who didn’t make the cut to travel home that evening and possibly have no lodging costs for the whole event.
In the bottom schedule there can be lags between rounds by players going past time, and the time it takes to get everyone seated. However, if the expectation is set prior to the event, players WILL do their best to ensure a timely tournament. Put the ownership in their hands. Do not give them any reasons to blame the organizer or staff. Definitely all should be gone by 9pm, even with the lag time. This includes staff as well.
Take notice of the later start time. Let me explain the thinking behind this. As pointed out in the other thread, people have to drive several hours to go to attend Regionals. This would allow them to sleep in a little longer and NOT have to absorb a hotel room for that particular night. This would limit the players cost to one night of hotel expenses.
Day 2
There have been many suggestions/complaints about where to host this. Some sighting budget reasons, some sighting proximity of local venues, some just don’t like day 2 period. To the people who don’t like day 2 let me ask you this… Do you or have you ever traveled to play Pokemon cities over a weekend? 2 events, 2 days same amount of time only MUCH, MUCH more on the line. Why would you even consider bashing a day 2 idea if you have gone to a full weekend event before? I just don’t get it. Let me address the other two issues separately.
Budget (This includes staff, venue, food, lodging)
Staff – Day 2 would require 2 judges per age group and a head judge for each under optimal circumstances. This should be compensated the same as day 1. There can be a more exclusive staff card printed to encourage judges to stay. It could also be an incentive used by the Head judge to promote some consistency and as a training tool. Don’t automatically pick your day two staff. Let them earn it on day one. Product can also be a strong compensation draw. I read someone say... P!P can print money. I never looked at it that way, but it seems to be true.
Venue – I always thought having it at a local card shop would be ideal. Even if the place is 30 minutes away from the day one venue it can still be used. These people travel for cities and should have no qualms about traveling for a day two TOP CUT event, especially with what’s on the line. I simply don’t understand this argument. If a card shop is not available, there are some other venues that would LOVE to host a 60ish player event for minimal or no cost. Libraries, restaraunts, village or town halls, the organizer just has to find them. I know it’s difficult, but it can be done.
Food – Again, I am using cities as my benchmark. What do we do when we host 2 cities in a weekend? This should be no different. We all need to eat regardless.
Lodging – Most PTO’s live close enough to the venue to travel for day 1 and day 2. Out of town judges should only come if they have the understanding they will receive XYZ compensation in exchange for a potential 2 day event. Knowing this up front will allow them to make a logical decision on whether or not to attend.
If we choose to go to a 2 day Regional event, it would decrease stress on everyone involved. Players, Judges, and parents would be able to make good decisions while not under duress from the event.
To wrap this up, I believe this is needed to compensate the growth of the game at the Regionals level. Attendance is way up. People will travel. We just need to do a good job at promoting it as a 2 day event UP FRONT!!! If the players, judges and parents understand that this is a real possibility they will adjust accordingly.
Discuss,
Jimmy
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