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BGonline.org Forums
What Is The Best BG Tournament In The USA?
Posted By: Bill Riles In Response To: What Is The Best BG Tournament In The USA? (Paul Weaver)
Date: Saturday, 24 January 2015, at 9:52 p.m.
I'm not going to touch that with a personal opinion, Paul; however, we are flattered by those opinions of others.
With incredible support from the backgammon community, Tara and I work very hard to create the best tournament we can for the fun and enjoyment of all. If some consider it the best in the States, then it is all the more gratifying.
As directors soon to host our third tournament, we now have better appreciation for all of the effort every director and staff invests in putting on an event. It's not easy.
We designed a destination event and chose a great city geared toward tourism/conventions -- much to see and do; relatively easy to get to with the airport only ten miles from downtown. We found a great historic host hotel right in the middle of downtown very near all of the attractions -- and we have developed a great relationship with them and receive superlative service and attention. We chose a date with temperate winter weather while much of the country is very cold. Somewhat by default, and with some misgivings, we chose Super Bowl weekend. In retrospect that was a most fortuitous decision as the associated Super Bowl parties have become very popular.
Some other things that have benefitted us are extensive marketing and promotion. We make extensive use of social media. We make many personal contacts -- e-mails, phone calls, personal meetings at tournaments and more. Tara pioneered our bright/beautiful brochure that we want to always stand out in any display -- she outdoes herself each year. One of most important factors in our recognition and reputation is that we stream, to my knowledge, more matches than any other tournament in the world. Players around the world see our matches and know our name.
Tara and I are both fortunate to have a lot of visibility through our backgammon service and activities. I attend a lot of ABT tournaments and play overseas a bit. Tara does more than most know -- with the USBGF (the PrimeTime Backgammon magazine with Karen Davis and the direction of all on-line tournament play), for the World Championship in Monte Carlo, and more. She is finally getting the recognition she deserves. Our activities are not for the purpose; however, our profiles and visibility provide us so many contacts, friendships, and associations.
The tournament's association/affiliation with the USBGF in hosting USBGF events -- which began in the first year and preceded Tara's and my current USBGF roles -- has proven invaluable in the credibility, visibility, and success of the tournament.
As with many things in life and the world, success breeds success. Our support throughout the backgammon community has provided us a great reputation, considerable recognition, and, this year, brought a great sponsor to us in Geoffrey Parker Games.
We are humbled by the success of the tournament. We have always said that we will help and share from our experiences with any other tournament director -- established or someone starting a new tournament. We don't know everything, we know what has worked for us. We are happy to help others. It is all for the good of the game.
Tara and I have lived our tournament and our primary goal is to provide a great and fun event for the community. That is our contribution to the game. To be mentioned as some have done is a realization of that goal.
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