What does it take to start a large pro tournament

ForumGhost516

ForumGhost516

AzB Silver Member
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What does it take to start a large professional tournament? For those of you wise asses out there who want to just type in MONEY please look elsewhere. I understand that money is the largest aspect but I am trying to start a large pro tournament perhaps bi annually or quarterly. Please let me know any ideas or insights.
 
Money

ForumGhost516 said:
What does it take to start a large professional tournament? For those of you wise asses out there who want to just type in MONEY please look elsewhere. I understand that money is the largest aspect but I am trying to start a large pro tournament perhaps bi annually or quarterly. Please let me know any ideas or insights.
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1) Find a location
2) Secure sponsors
3) Arrange vendors
4) Decide on a format
5) Promote
6) Always keep your word.
7) Support & work together with other promoters

It can be done using OPM, but is easier with your own.

Good Luck!

Ray
 
1. Sponsors, Sponsors, Sponsors, Sponsors

2. Great equipment to play on like Diamonds, with NEW Cloth, New Balls, or Good Tables with New Cloth that are are equal, New Balls

3. A good PR Advertising Person to get the word out, and do promotion in the local regional area

4. A Good TD to make things run smooth

5. Location for event close to major transportation hubs, (ie. airport, and interstate highways)

6. Room for players to stay that do not cost a gazillion bucks

7. Local COPS who will not bother gamblers

8. You are the promoter/organizer doing everything you promise to do in your advertising.

8. Good food, and Drink available at Venue that is priced with in reason, no $3.50/12 can of Coca Cola...

Think that is a good start.
 
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More information would help such as;

Are you in it for a profit or for just a noble act of sponsoring the sport?

Would it be an Open or an Invitational?

Co-ed with M/F Divisions or just co-ed?

For the moment, I will assume you have a profit motive and if so, here are some initial thoughts.

1. Contact Diamond to discuss a Joint Venture with them. There is little about large-scale tournament management that they don't know and yet their core business is building and selling pool tables so there is as limit to the economic and human resources they could devote to doing anything more on the scale of the DCC.

However, it occurs to me that if they can act in a Partnership capacity where they would provide mostly consulting services and a minimum of human resources and you would provide the capital and the staff, they might be interested.

2. The physical venue would be critical. It would be difficult to beat Vegas IMHO...assuming you want to do it in the United States...which might well not be the best country to do it in.

3. Pre-sell sponsorship opportunities to all of the obvious entities. That would largely depend on the size of the prize money purse and therefore, the breadth and quality of the players.

4. Determine ESPN's willingness to negotiate an air play deal...ditto the last sentence above.l

5. Be prepared to post the prize money...well in advance...into an escrow account that would guarantee the players that the tournament will A) Take place as advertised and B) that 100% of the prize money would be paid out within 24 hours of the end of the finals.

6. You will need a full time staff of at least a half dozen people for at least 6 months prior to the start of the first tournament.

7. Decide upon the game or games to be played. 10 Ball is sort of the new kid on the block but a No Slop 9 Ball rule set might be very interesting...i.e. spot the 9 on the break...call ball and pocket...slopped in balls spot unless the shooter misses the lowest ball in which case any slopped in balls stay down...no soft breaks etc.

I will post any more thoughts that occur to me.

Good luck. I wish you well.

Regards,
Jim
 
Think hard about this but....

ForumGhost516 said:
What does it take to start a large professional tournament? For those of you wise asses out there who want to just type in MONEY please look elsewhere. I understand that money is the largest aspect but I am trying to start a large pro tournament perhaps bi annually or quarterly. Please let me know any ideas or insights.
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For starters:

*Know what you are getting into.
*Gather emails, mailing addresses, and phone numbers of players.
*Have your cell-phone always ready to receive calls.
*You need a nice venue (pool hall) with at least 8 Pro Tables.
*Tables need to be in excellent conditions
*Check availability dates of the venue.
*Tournament dates should not conflict with others in the area.
*Venue should have food or food courts nearby.
*Shopping Malls within the area.
*Hotels within the area.
*Gather info on Taxi's within the area.
*Nearest Hospital
*Nearest Police Station
*Nearest Fire Station
*Do a map.
*Think about the entry fees.
*Think about the added money.
*Think how to distribute prize funds
*Trophies
*Sponsors
*Learn how to do time-tables (number of hours each match will take).
*Learn how to to do and prepare tournament charts.
*Know the rules.
*Show no favoritism with players.
*Set tournament rules.
*Set entry fee due dates.
*Do the flyers at least 2 or 3 months ahead of time.
*Have pocket money ready for unexpected expenses.
*Be ready for anything going wrong.
*Have lots of patience.
*Earn a reputation.
*Try it again next year.

Just a few things on top of my head....
 
There are lots of good ideas here and I won't run back over the obvious.
I would just add two more things:
Hire a good tournament director. They are worth their weight in gold.
The most important thing though,,,,, Promote like crazy and when you think you have done that properly, do it again and again. Don't ever let up.
Good luck to ya.
 
I saw just about everything you need to do in the previous posts.

However, promoting, is one of the biggest keys. You can't just throw flyer's out there or make posts on forums or place ads in Mags and expect to get great results.

Hiring a good promoter along with a respected TD is the key.

As an example: Scott Smith is an excellent TD (Probably the BEST - I have even hired Scott to TD some of my events in the past.) but he is not a Promoter. I am a mediocre TD but an excellent Promoter.

There are a dozen (Good) TD's that you could use and all have excellent credentials but there are many less good promoters.

ALSO, your question of "What does it take to start a LARGE pro tournament?"

Do you mean LARGE as in money or LARGE as in Spectators or LARGE as in Everyone ?
For me as a Promoter LARGE = Maximum value for the venue, sponsors and players.

There is always a budget involved and most times there someone looking for a return on their investment. This usually means its a promotion for a location or sponsors and not just someone throwing money into the wind to see who catches it.

What are you looking to do ?



Mj
 
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ForumGhost516 said:
What does it take to start a large professional tournament? For those of you wise asses out there who want to just type in MONEY please look elsewhere. I understand that money is the largest aspect but I am trying to start a large pro tournament perhaps bi annually or quarterly. Please let me know any ideas or insights.
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PRO'S !!!!
 
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