5 Tips to run a better Tournament
Following our “how to run an on time tournament” article, we keep on spreading tips to run better events - and make your tournament organizer life easier.
Here are 5 of our favorite tips !
- Don’t underestimate the setup
The most underrated part of an event is outside the event itself. We’re talking pre and post event here. Setting up things is time consuming and can turn into a massive headache, if not thoroughly prepared. Get a dedicated, experienced team to handle what goes where, where to unpack PCs, how to dispatch electricty, network, lights, tables etc. The same goes when your event is done : exhaustion is your worst enemy, as you have to clean and pack in time. You could even get fined by the location owner for such delays. More than ever, time is money. So make sure you don’t waste time on setup. - Take time for important decisions
Like any sport, video games can lead to tricky situations. Bug, cheat, server down and other issues requires to act fair and swift. Your admins and referees may sometimes crush under pressure and make questionable calls.
You want to avoid those at all cost. When a situation occurs meet up as fast as possible with the involved people. Cut the others so that discussions are as productive as possible without any “noise”. Get the demos and replays, think out loud. This will help you get the better of a possible bad buzz. - Spare, spare, spare
If your event is not a BYOC LAN Party, chances are your computers are from a sponsor or partner. Most of the time, they’ll have limited ressources and thus, will provide you with the bare quantities. But be sure that are computer is the greatest of all buggy technology in mankind history. They will break. They will bug. They won’t install that mouse driver. That faulty RAM will fault sometime. Our experience in the Esport tournament fields showed. 5 to 10% spare from your computer fleet should allow you to quick switch when in need. - Keep your participants active
Being a competitor in a tournament is like being an actor on a movie set : it’s 30% action for 70% waiting. This idle time can weight in your participants moral, if it happens to often, lasts to long and above, isn’t dealt with. Set up a players lounge, organise FFA servers, get dedicated wifi... Active players will have a better experience, while being less prone to be away/late. Win win situation here. - Have lieutenants
People of trust is the root of all successful team, because let’s face it : no one can handle an event alone, as much “one man army” as he is. A simple video tournament yes, an complete event, no. If you’re to build an admin team, start with a handle of trusties dedicated for each critical mission (schedule, stage, stream etc.). And let them lead their own admin teams. They will act as the backbone of the admin team and buy you precious time and energy to be where you have to, when you have to be (which means everywhere, all the time).
