JRW III
Double Eagle Member
This is what got me started running tournaments.
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Fast-Filling Events
- Thread starter DavidSauls
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This is what got me started running tournaments.
JRW III
Double Eagle Member
This year we offered early registration for tournament volunteers. Win/Win. The tournament gets more volunteers and the the volunteers don't have to worry about making sure they register in time.
DatRedDude
Eagle Member
yup, in my area, i only play sanctioned events ran by TD's that i know don't half arse it and respect. Have seen too many td's come and go because they had the wrong approach.
I started assisting running and eventually running events cause one of the founders of the club had done it for 30 years and just wanted to play, there was a void that needed filled.
i don't think most tourney players understand the amount of work that happens on the front end to run a successful event. Pre Reg is great but dealing with the emails and questions(mostly because frolfers can't be inconvenienced by reading) is pretty heavy.
No matter what you do there will always be a small % that will never be pleased which runs good td's off. I have almost walked away too many times to count.
we have finally gotten to a point in my area where pretty much everything sells out quick with a waitlist.
Different TDs, different mindsets. Here in the DFW area it's clear the goal is $$$ for most of the TDs, and we're lucky most of them put on great tournaments so I have no problem with them making as much money as they can. :thmbup: (As I say all the time, I just wish we could opt out of player packs, merch, for discounted fees. lol.. )
biscoe
* Ace Member *
I have often attributed my career as a TD to the fact that "nature abhors a vacuum."
I don't TD tournaments, but am very active in a club that does. We don't really make too much on tournaments. But, they drive activity, membership and our league participation, which does make us some money. The club is non profit, with the monies going back to the local disc golf community. There is the answer, the community. Volunteers, clubs and the disc golf community is the foundation of the entire sport....currently.
Heard a cool podcast on the NY Marathon, and how they dealt with spots filling up too quickly, and leaving various parties unhappy. They came up with a four-part solution, to my recollection it was something like:
1/4 filled by lottery draw, at normal entry fee (equal chance for everyone, but leaves people uncertain)
So to guarantee a slot, folks had the option of:
1/4 filled by donating a very high minimum $ amount to the club (reward significant financial contribution)
1/4 filled by minimum volunteer hours for the club over the previous year (reward time/effort contribution)
1/4 filled by strong performance at select other events (reward performance/achievement)
Seems like overkill for most disc golf events, but I like this system's blend of fairness and different types of preference.
1/4 filled by lottery draw, at normal entry fee (equal chance for everyone, but leaves people uncertain)
So to guarantee a slot, folks had the option of:
1/4 filled by donating a very high minimum $ amount to the club (reward significant financial contribution)
1/4 filled by minimum volunteer hours for the club over the previous year (reward time/effort contribution)
1/4 filled by strong performance at select other events (reward performance/achievement)
Seems like overkill for most disc golf events, but I like this system's blend of fairness and different types of preference.
I was a farmer for many years before going full time on disc golf so making a sub-minimum "wage" isn't all that much different...
Funny - I think you may still be a farmer (at least at heart) - just "growing the sport" one tourney at a time. AND we love you for it!!
biscoe
* Ace Member *
Awww...thanks!
Right now I am pretty much working farmer hours on it too... the amount of design work is starting to border on more than I can do.
krupicka
Double Eagle Member
Another thought. What if tournaments gave priority registration to current PDGA members? Membership should have it's privileges. Not saying necessarily to completely block out non-members, but members should have first shot at registration.
Obviously for A-tiers, everyone already needs to be a current member, but I am thinking about fast selling B & C tier events.
Obviously for A-tiers, everyone already needs to be a current member, but I am thinking about fast selling B & C tier events.
rocthecourse
* Ace Member *
If tournaments are selling out in minutes now would be a great time to fix tournament fees and payouts. The first thing the PDGA should do is eliminate "funny money" payouts for AMs. While they are at it eliminate player packs. If some AMs don't want to play because they don't get some free discs and can't win funny money that leaves more spots for AMs who do.
biscoe
* Ace Member *
I would like to see the current membership requirement extended to B tiers at the least.
The PDGA, a membership organization, isn't in the business of doing what the members don't want. It's an odd "fix" to say that something is drawing too many players, so should be changed to draw less players. Some might say that something that's attracting players is not broken.
Maybe it would work. Or maybe it would be a boon for non-sanctioned events.
On the other hand, the PDGA could do us a favor and stop mandating Am payouts, either prizes or players pack. Perhaps create a "Zero Payout" tournament designation. Then TDs could demonstrate the viability of running events that way.
oldmandiscer
Banned
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- Jun 22, 2020
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- 1,718
Supply and demand. We have too much demand, not enough supply.
So you can either raise the price of events, but then I feel like that can exclude people somewhat unfairly or you need to create more events.
So since the PDGA is making money by having players play in the events I think the best solution is to pay the TD's directly from the PDGA based upon how many players play in the event and maybe consider the tier as well. I don't know what the number is. A dollar per entry? 50 cents? At least something to create more events and thus, the PDGA will be rewarded and GROW even faster because then the players will get more events to play in and value for their membership.
Even at a dollar per entry and say an avg player plays 10 events on the year that's only 10 dollars going back from the 50 dollar membership fee. So it's a small amount to reward the TD's but more incentive for more TD's and current TD's to put on events.
So you can either raise the price of events, but then I feel like that can exclude people somewhat unfairly or you need to create more events.
So since the PDGA is making money by having players play in the events I think the best solution is to pay the TD's directly from the PDGA based upon how many players play in the event and maybe consider the tier as well. I don't know what the number is. A dollar per entry? 50 cents? At least something to create more events and thus, the PDGA will be rewarded and GROW even faster because then the players will get more events to play in and value for their membership.
Even at a dollar per entry and say an avg player plays 10 events on the year that's only 10 dollars going back from the 50 dollar membership fee. So it's a small amount to reward the TD's but more incentive for more TD's and current TD's to put on events.
How many total players in all tournaments, and what's that come to?
And why would $50-$100 encourage a TD to run an event if he wasn't already going to?
And why would $50-$100 encourage a TD to run an event if he wasn't already going to?
oldmandiscer
Banned
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It's something to reward TD's. Do you think it should be more? 1.50 or 2 dollars per entry? How many events does the avg member play?
I don't know what the stats are but having the PDGA reward TD's seems like the best solution to create more events so players have more options to play, more value for their membership. More value, more members join.
It's so little that it won't encourage a TD to run an event. But it adds up to a noticeable chunk out of the PDGA budget.
At C-tiers, which are most common, TDs can already keep 15% of the entry ($6-$8 per player), but don't seem to. Most can "make" money in other ways, most notably through the wholesale/retail merch, though "make" only indicates revenue, not profit, as much of this may go to fixed expenses.
At C-tiers, which are most common, TDs can already keep 15% of the entry ($6-$8 per player), but don't seem to. Most can "make" money in other ways, most notably through the wholesale/retail merch, though "make" only indicates revenue, not profit, as much of this may go to fixed expenses.
oldmandiscer
Banned
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The TD's rep is at stake if he's keeping money at C-Tiers from the entry fee. So I can see why they wouldn't. I understand TD's make money in other ways through players packs and selling discs or other merch. What I am saying is supplementing the TD for his work. Yes more events would be put on if TD's can make an extra cash on top (whatever that number is $50-500 per event). We have a problem because TD's are not being fairly compensated thus not enough events are available.
What we need to know is what is the avg amount of events played per year per player. Then we can figured out how much the PDGA can pay the TD's at the end of the day.
The PDGA could even charge an extra 10 bucks a year, then redistribute that to the TD's per player. Which then add value to the membership because more events are available. Players are pissed off because events sell out in 2 minutes and they can't even play! That's a serious problem. Think about this too, how many members don't re-up because they can't find events to play. We're talking major money lost BECAUSE events are few and far between in many areas. You got to look at the big picture.
In the end we need more events and more TD's putting on events.
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Meanwhile, in the real world.....
