Site Selection
In selecting a Tournament site, the following considerations should be taken into account:
1. Everything under one roof - - hotel with rooms/catering/convention center.
Separate convention center-hotel-contracted catering is always more expensive.
2. Minimal room guarantee (or none) with generous block is best.
Option to buy out rooms is better than any penalty.
There should be no cut-off, if possible: honor room rates thru entire tournament
3. No food and beverage guarantee is best.
a) Concessions are always a problem, but 10:00 and 3:00 times help due to captive audience. (Much hard work here to get best prices ($1.00 coffee) with no guaranteed amount and no labor charges)
b) A Sunday (getaway) meal function is best - - box lunch or two-sided, two-table, two-entrée buffet. Extra $20.00 per Sunday team helps, but hotel meals run $17.00-$20.00. If you have sizeable guarantee, this meal virtually meets the requirements.
c) Prepaid or free coffee during off-sessions reduces hotel's labor costs. Also,
clandestine caddies with cokes is a possibility (50 cents plus tip)
4. Availability of transportation and nearby eateries -- important!
5. Player hotel rates -- stress to the hotel that members are NOT using expense accounts. Need best rates or players will use alternate accomodations or not attend.
a) Get staff rates for TD's and volunteers and BOD, if possible. This is usually 10-25 per cent off negotiated rate. (Fifteen to twenty rooms, hopefully)
b) Try for one comped room per 30 room reservations made - - one per 50 minimum.
c) Always get, without charge, two-bedroom suites for TM and Hospitality. Also try for extra suite for volunteers to share.
At least one office and one caddy/storeroom should be comped.
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e) Space for BOD meeting (and meal?)
6. Space requirement: 12,000 square feet for small regional, 20,000 for large --
approximately 100 square feet per table. One large room is ideal.
a) TD's need 4-6 tables (1-2 per room if multiple rooms are used)
b) Hospitality/partnership/registration/vendor tables in foyer/lobby.
c) Discuss Audio-Visual support - cheap or free with whiteboard and dais for lecturers.
7. Player Convenience
a) ADA compliance
b) Elevators convenient and sufficient
c) Alternate lodging
d) Sufficient valet and self- parking (comped or cheap)