How to Book a Hotel for Live Card or Board Game Tournaments

You are the event planner for a "live" card or board game tournament. Before you call a hotel or convention hall sales department you must have reasonably accurate information regarding your event in order for the sales associate/manager to draft a preliminary contract. After terms are agreed and the paperwork is signed, you will be placed in contact with the catering or function hall coordinator. As the date of your tournament approaches, additional details (e.g. tables, PA systems, Internet connections) will be reviewed. This all seems to be a simple process; however, there are guidelines and pitfalls which demand your attention before you sign any contract--otherwise, you could experience some unpleasant surprises, excessive expenses and possible legal hassles. Here are some steps to "covering your bases" and making the booking process go smoothly.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• The location (city) of event
• The schedule
• The number of expected attendees
• Equipment and supplies required
• Staff and hosts required
• Legal counsel (optional)

Booking the event....

1. Select the date. Keep in mind to avoid the major holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's, Mother's and Father's Day, and interestingly enough, Halloween—when people tend to celebrate with family and friends. Also, be leery of winter dates in cold climates and hurricane season in coastal cities. Choose a weekend (as opposed to weekdays) when most people are off work and rates tend to be cheaper.
   
   Your schedule might include registration and a Meet and Greet early on Friday evening, qualifying games starting on Saturday morning and playoffs after dinner. Sundays are often reserved for "last chance" or optional games, as well as awards presentations. One-day events (all day Saturday) are also in vogue; however, most people do prefer a longer visit and more opportunity to relax, party or visit the host city during breaks in the schedule.

2. Choose a city such as Las Vegas, Orlando or Philadelphia that offers plenty of attractions or perhaps historical features. Consider proximity to an airport and access to major freeways. Take the time to research; as is true in real estate—it's all about location, location, location. It's best if a major airline has a hub in this city and hotels near the airport that offer free shuttles

3. Have a good handle on the number of players you wish to accommodate in order to select the appropriate playing facility. If you book an oversized facility you will be paying for unused space. If you are too conservative you may have an overflow crowd and no place for them to play. Set a limit on the size of your field. For example, you might want to have a 150-player field. Now the hotel can tailor your space needs based on that number and you can announce that the tournament is limited to the first 150 registrants.

4. Determine the number of card or rectangular (long) tables you will need. Traditional card games (e.g. bridge, spades, whist, euchre) will require the standard 3-by-3 inch square-shaped card tables. Other games such as backgammon, cribbage, gin rummy and chess are best played on 6 foot or 8 foot-long tables. Other equipment should include a podium and microphone, easel and paper, chairs and additional long tables for registration, hosts and scorekeepers. You may have to rent card tables, as most hotels do not stock these. The function hall manager will work with you regarding the layout of the playing area. You may also want to ask the hotel to provide ice water stations for the players.

5. Plan your number of hosts accordingly. If you are conducting only one event, you will need at least one host for every 75 players. (You are the director and will be available for any additional support needs, as well as possible refereeing.) The tournament must move along and follow its schedule for each round. If you choose to run two or more different games (e.g. spades and pinochle), then you must have separate staffing for each game. In addition, volunteers are preferred to help with the registration, and any support of a game host. (Most hotels have staff to set up and break down a function hall.)

6. Ask your attorney to review the contract prior to signing it. When you book a facility it is standard practice to have you commit to a "room block" in exchange for the space, which is proportionate to the number of rooms booked. Some hotels offer sliding scales, which give credit for the number of guest rooms booked. Optional meal service will often help to reduce the cost of the facility. If you can pay a flat rate for the hall, that is ideal. READ YOUR CONTRACT AND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE ROOM ATTRITION CLAUSE. You have your right to question any part of the language of the contract. A hasty signing without consideration of possible consequences could leave you in dire straights. Most hotels will always try to work with you, every step of the way.

7. Require that participants register in advance. If you allow door entries you will have no way of managing the size of the field and participants will have no incentive to pay in advance (any door entrants should be surcharged). Also, local players will erode your room block, as they will commute to the event. And another potential problem to keep in mind is participants trying to book the hotel on the Web (outside of the contract) in order to seek additional discounts. Try to negotiate for the best room discounts available to prevent this from occurring.

Tips & Warnings

• Plan ahead! Book your event at least four months ahead of time, preferably six months ahead.
• Create (or have someone else create) a dedicated Website for your event. Include registration information, links to the hotel and your event schedule.
• Work closely with the hotel and be sure to have regular phone discussions with the sales department regarding the number of guest rooms booked.
• Prepare all of the forms and rule sheets for your event.
• Plan on arriving at least one day before the start of the event.
• Do not sign any agreement without legal counsel or a thorough review.
• Do not allow outside-purchased food or alcohol in your tournament room. The latter is especially important, as there are liabilities involved.

[cliasays]

on 8/26/2009 Nice Work!

[smilesatme1]

on 2/23/2009 Good tips! I like tournament and I played poker too~he.he.! The thing in poker is that if you are playing with slow players, I felt sleepy waiting for my turn most especially if I have the nuts..lol