I'm organizing my first large-scale Competitive event. I want to make sure all my bases are covered, so I'd love to hear your perspectives on what makes an event amazing for you as a Judge. I'd prefer if you focus on things a tournament organizer has direct control over, but feel free to bring up any relevant opinions or experiences.

My big 3:

1. Be prepared with basic supplies like tape, a good paper cutter, plenty of paper, and a sturdy printer with backup cartridges.

2. Have a scorekeeper with some experience in timely and efficient registration/results entry/penalty entry. It's often as simple as having an assembly line to have registration slips or someone else take their money to verify enrollment so the scorkeeper can just keep putting in DCI #s nonstop.

3. Be personable with your judges. It sounds simple, but it makes a big deal. The TO works primarily with the HJ, but it doesn't hurt to make the floor judges feel appreciated and build rapport. You never know; you may have to call upon them to HJ another event if your preferred HJ is unavailable.

It can be really frustrating for the judges when things delay the tournament that could have been prevented with better preparation. If you get a 15 minute extension because of an appeal or investigation, that's understandably unpredictable. But when you lose 10 minutes because a printer goes out or start 10 minutes late because the SK is overwhelmed, you could have done better by planning ahead. A good working relationship helps a lot too, especially when they feel like you're working with them and not over them!

Something that means a lot to me, as a judge, is when the TO supplies water and light snacks (granola bar, fruit, candy bar). The water isn't totally necessary if there is a drinking fountain. Snacks are a great way to give me a small boost of energy when I'm taking a 5 minute break. I've only ever seen it at GP level events but it would be swell to start seeing it at PTQ level events, since they can be just as long as Day 1 of a GP.

I just judged an IQ this past weekend where the TO supplied drinks. It was EXTREMELY appreciated!

Turns out, keeping judges happy and players happy are very similar.

To me, the biggest things a TO can do is:
1) Have enough judges on staff to handle the expected turnout. I can
understand if more players show up. But staffing 2 L1s and an L2 for a 160
person PTQ is bad times.
2) Have enough space to handle the expected turnout, an overly crowded
venue is bad times.
3) have a reasonable start time, and create a plan that allow you to meet
it. (Dont start a sealed PTQ where you expect 8 rounds at 1pm cause you
think your players like to sleep late/ have a plan for registration.)
3) Have the requisite supplies. (Printer, internet, updated WER, paper,
ink, tape)

Everything else is a “nice to have”. You might cater my lunch, but i I
have to read off pairings for 80 players each round cause we ran out of
toner, or get home at 2 am, because your start time was too late in the
day, guess what Im going to remember? Guess what the players will remember?

Check the venue to be aware of its limitations and think about ways to overcome them (L-shaped venue or having the event to be split into 2 separate rooms, for example). Bear in mind that judges might need to know how much time is left in the round when they are called to a table.

Check if the wifi connection is available and working properly.

Have some DCI pads in case you need to register a new player.

If possible, have a spare printer in case that, by any chance, the other doesn't want to work anymore.

Plan ahead, but expect the unexpected; be prepared for that and don't panic. Trust your staff, but work with them; make them sure that you will be helping them if they need it. Enjoy it, and make your players and judges enjoy it; be open for feedback, and thank the people that give it, that will make your future events better and smoother.

I think that if I had to summarize what makes good impression in one sentence, I would go with “Not only cover the expectation flawlessly, but also bring something unexpected.”
I think it's true for judges, TOs, and shops alike.

Greetings…

…and congratulations, Darcy, on organizing your first large event! I'm sure that you are quite excited over this prospect.

I will probably end up echoing much of what was said (and if I don't, it only means I was trying to keep it short - all the advice given thus far is sound), but I wanted to insure that I added my own tidbits as well.

First and foremost, in my opinion, is to keep in mind the two most important words in the universe: Don't Panic!
Everything may not go exactly as planned; and that's alright. The important thing is to learn from the opportunities that become present; and to bask in the afterglow of success of the things that went right.

Preparation is, of course, of great necessity. Insure that you have enough of the tangible supplies to insure a smooth running tournament. Extra paper (and I usually suggest at least two different colors of paper); extra toner (I heavily suggest a laser printer - or you'll be spending a fortune in ink; and most inkjets are much slower in comparison); access to an extra printer (which can be an inkjet) in case the original printer fails; and perhaps an extra laptop (as a backup, or for multi-person multitasking). Of course, you'll want to add tape (both “regular” tape and a decent roll of duct tape); at least one paper cutter; and perhaps a couple of baskets (or small boxes) for match report slips (you may also want to take a peek at Riki's SuperSecretTech ).

Review the area that the tournament is being held. Have ideas of what to do if your turnout isn't as expected (both for below expectations and above expectations). While players will deal with overcrowding (they're already there); if they discover that the overcrowded feeling was what was planned for, they won't be happy.

Lay the plans for happy judges. Something as simple as free refreshments (even if it's just bottled water) goes a long way to helping judges maintain their ability to work at their best. Help them feel appreciated and welcome.

Have extra paper and lifepads handy for use. Whether the players need to make notes to the nearest quick service restaurant, or want to actually keep track of life, it is very helpful if the venue can assist with these matters. Pens. Lots of them. For some reason, everyone seems to forget to bring them to an event that requires them. (Yes, even judges sometimes forget!)

Communicate with the staff; and let them know that you expect them to communicate with you. Both positive feedback and constructive feedback - both ways. This will help your next event (and the ones after that) to be better. In time these events will be looked forward to, and you'll miss them when they aren't occurring.

And last, but not least, Don't Panic!
I know I said it twice, but it is always important.
That - and always know where your towel is.

Until that time…

Darcy, you've already done one thing that escapes many TOs - asking for input, first! :)

I'll add a few things to the already great list others have provided.

I found I usually needed about a ream (500 sheets) of paper for a PTQ - so I'd make sure I had 3 reams with me. Also, if you're thinking of running side drafts, a second event later in the day, etc., then I suggest getting a ream of colored paper; that way, result slips from other events can end up in one Results box without confusing things too much. (That's much easier on the players!)

I don't think this is normal for TOs, but - as a Judge - I felt it was appropriate: I usually provided breakfast (burritos, donuts, something), snacks, water and sport drinks, and lunch - either a cash stipend or something everyone could enjoy. And for those who stay until the bitter end, I'd try to provide dinner, too.

You don't have to have a backup printer - but you do need a plan. My last PTQ had us calling out pairings and collecting verbal results for one round, while my wife ran to Wal-Mart. I've found incredibly cheap printers at places like Big Lots - with those prices, it's probably worth having an extra. (But the extra box didn't always fit in my car!)

That same PTQ, my PA system failed. You may not feel the need for a PA - or maybe the venue will offer one, cheap - but if you don't have one, make sure you have at least one really loud judge on staff. Failing that, you can steal from my friend & frequent Head Judge Luke - who is anything BUT loud - and simply tell the players who are paying attention that you need their help getting everyone else's attention. Word spreads quickly, esp. once the players realize they're not going to get to play until that noisy guy in the back corner shuts up. :)

I never had a retail store, so I would sell vendor tables to local stores/vendors. That helps offset the cost of venue rental. If you can fit your event in a store's play space, they should be overjoyed by the sales opportunities - and free space is a given, in such situations. (At least, that's been my experience - YMMV.)

If you're doing a constructed event, make sure there's someone to sell singles. (Fits into the note above about stores/vendors.) And for either constructed or limited, make sure at least one supplier for new sleeves is still around for the beginning of the Top 8. Be sure the vendor(s) know what the format is, so they can plan; if your format includes Innistrad block, you might try to find a source for blank checklist cards. For Eternal, the vendors probably want “perfect-fit” sleeves for the double-sleeve crowd.

Do you have enough land? Don't leave it in the garage! (Yeah, did that once, too - that same, last, PTQ.) Got tokens? Players often won't, and their solution is lots of little scraps of paper that you get to pick up. :)

From memory, so not at all exhaustive, my TO kit included:
fresh or recently recharged batteries
stapler
lots of tape, for pairings and repairs (most use duct tape, I like Gorilla tape)
paper cutter
scissors (because I'm on my third (!) paper cutter)
razor knife
pens
more pens - and some of a different color for judges
scratch paper (I'd even save scraps from cutting result slips, and cart them to the next event)
tissues and paper towels
hand sanitizer (players really appreciated that)
cash box
receipts (rarely, but a couple players might insist)
deposit slips (so my wife could make a bank run during round one)
PA system
external keyboard w/ numeric keypad (I used a laptop for WER/DCIR)
results box and boxes for land - I bought a six-pack of “plastic shoe storage boxes” from some discount store, they were perfect for 5 land boxes and one results box
power strip and extension cord

That's all I can think of, for now - best of luck to you!

d:^D

clarification: two kinds of tape; I do NOT use duct/Gorilla tape for pairings, tends to ruin the paint on walls…
That blue tape used for masking when painting works well for pairings.

Darcy, Thanks so much for asking this! I was trying to find a post on running your first event as I am doing my first GPT this weekend. This is great information. Thank you to everyone!

Think about a first aid kit. If this event is in your store you probably already have one, but make sure there are bandaids and a CPR mask (if you are trained in CPR). If you're renting space, it's likely that someone has first aid supplies and training. Find out who that person is. Know the address of your venue in case you need to call 911 (is it 911 in Canada?) to call an ambulance.

Medical emergencies are rare but it's best to know how you'll cope should there be one.

(Helpful hint - cellphones will automatically change 911 in Europe to 112
and vice versa in the US. The emergency numbers will also work without a
SIM card and with a blocked keyboard)


On Wed, Apr 2, 2014 at 10:13 PM, Martha Lufkin <
forum-9330-b2de@apps.magicjudges.org> wrote:

> Think about a first aid kit. If this event is in your store you probably
> already have one, but make sure there are bandaids and a CPR mask (if you
> are trained in CPR). If you're renting space, it's likely that someone has
> first aid supplies and training. Find out who that person is. Know the
> address of your venue in case you need to call 911 (is it 911 in Canada?)
> to call an ambulance.
>
> Medical emergencies are rare but it's best to know how you'll cope should
> there be one.
>
> ——————————————————————————–
> If you want to respond to this thread, simply reply to this email. Or view
> and respond to this message on the web at
> http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/post/57856/
>
>
> Disable all notifications for this topic:
> http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/noemail/9330/
> Receive on-site notifications only for this topic:
> http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/noemail/9330/?onsite=yes
>
> You can change your email notification settings at
> http://apps.magicjudges.org/profiles/edit
>
>


–
Adam Cetnerowski
Gdansk, Poland

Originally posted by Patrick Cossel:

I was trying to find a post on running your first event as I am doing my first GPT this weekend.

Patrick, the following article by Evan Cherry could be useful:

http://blogs.magicjudges.org/articles/2013/06/04/head-judging-a-gpt/

If you're running this in a place that already runs these events (like your local store) I'd recommend helping to run one or more previous events, like FNM.

Make notes on what is used, how it might need to be different during your event, and what the points of failure (or critical path) are.

Then devise a plan to deal with those changes and possible failures (printer breaks down? you run out of change for cash? you're out of chairs? the AC starts leaking?).

Try and run through the event in your mind from beginning to end, and make notes.

Write everything down.

During the event, take time to give everyone a break, including yourself.

After the event, go over what worked and what didn't- with yourself, with some players, with the staff. This is your first big event. It shouldn't be your last; but you don't want to repeat mistakes or miss an improvement because you forgot to write it down or didn't ask someone.