Need Help Organizing a Competition

[UnsolvedCypher]

I am thinking of organizing a cubing competition, as I would like to see one in my area. I know about MIT and Harvard's competitions, but I think it would be nice to have one in the summer. Unfortunately, I seem like a bad candidate to organize a competition, since I haven't ever been to one before. So, what I would like to do is to contact my town (Lexington, MA) and then get some more experienced cubers from that area take over. My question is, who do I contact? I think the high school might be a good place to host this, but I'm not sure who I should contact. Any suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[JyH]

The only delegates in the area already have all their competitions scheduled for this year -- try for next summer (and attend some competitions, too, as well as help out with running them). Even if the delegates were available, it would be a bit too late anyway.

 

[UnsolvedCypher]

OK, thanks. Where exactly did you get this information? I'm looking at the upcoming competitions on the WCA website, and it doesn't show anything for Massachusetts.

 

[JyH]

http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/s...ns-on-the-New-Jersey-Area&p=743338#post743338

There are only three delegates that would come to any competition in the northeast area, and they have planned out the entire summer. Most of the competitions they have planned to delegate already aren't announced yet because competitions sometimes aren't announced that early. Not to discourage you, but even if the delegates were available, they probably wouldn't agree to come due to lack of experience. Try holding an unofficial competition (example) first to show that you have the ability to run a competition smoothly, but even before that, definitely attend some competitions and help with running them.

 

[UnsolvedCypher]

Thanks for your help so far. My main issue so far is how to ask the town. But an unofficial competition sounds like a great idea, so I can figure out how it's done before (if) I decide to do an official one. If I am doing an unofficial competition, should I say anything to the WCA?
Thanks!

 

[qqwref]

You can tell someone in the WCA if you want - if you are hoping to hold an official competition in the future, they'd be interested to see how you do with this one. It's not necessary, though.

 

[UnsolvedCypher]

How do I tell the WCA? Do I email a delegate? The board?
Thanks!

 

[JyH]

Kian Barry (NJ) - [email protected]

Tim Reynolds (MA) - [email protected]

Bob Burton (NY) - [email protected]

 

[UnsolvedCypher]

Ok, I'll email them and let them know. Thanks for all your help!
~Unsolved Cypher

 

[Bob]

Are you planning on organizing a competition in the Boston area? There are typically four competitions per year in that area. Do you not think that is enough? ...and you haven't even been to any of them?

We have two competitions planned in that area for Fall 2012. History will be a good clue as to what they might be. They will be announced within the next month or so.

<RANT>

Seriously, I don't understand why some people want to host competitions. I have been seeing a lot of posts from people saying that they want to host a competition in Area X, when Area X has lots of competitions already. Not to be a jerk, but when we have at least a dozen experienced organizers on the East Coast already, why would we agree to allow somebody with no competition experience at all to organize a competition? Tim, Kian, and I have better things to do in our lives than to spend hours of traveling and then do a bunch of work because somebody else who wants to host a competition doesn't really know how and we have to intervene so that the competition doesn't turn into a complete failure.

It's one thing when somebody has been to competitions before and offered to help judge and scramble (especially judge...yeah, everybody offers to scramble, and when we ask those people to judge instead because we already have 3 scramblers, they usually just go back to their tables to play with their cubes) and has actually seen what it takes to make a competition progress, but it's something entirely different when somebody just decides "Oh, yeah, 15 minutes to travel to a competition? TOO FAR! I want to host one in my backyard so that I don't have to drive! Ooh, that would be great! It doesn't matter that I don't have any timers or displays, I will just use Bob Burton's and make him travel 4 hours because he has no life!"

Summary: Show up to a few competitions, help out so that we actually know who you are and have some faith that you are competent and actually know how a competition works, and then ask about hosting a competition. In general, I prefer new organizers to have been to at least 10 competitions and have helped out and judged at most of them. If somebody's not every helpful, I am disinclined to even read an email from them about hosting a competition.

</RANT>

 

[UnsolvedCypher]

Are you planning on organizing a competition in the Boston area? There are typically four competitions per year in that area. Do you not think that is enough? ...and you haven't even been to any of them?

We have two competitions planned in that area for Fall 2012. History will be a good clue as to what they might be. They will be announced within the next month or so.

<RANT>

Seriously, I don't understand why some people want to host competitions. I have been seeing a lot of posts from people saying that they want to host a competition in Area X, when Area X has lots of competitions already. Not to be a jerk, but when we have at least a dozen experienced organizers on the East Coast already, why would we agree to allow somebody with no competition experience at all to organize a competition? Tim, Kian, and I have better things to do in our lives than to spend hours of traveling and then do a bunch of work because somebody else who wants to host a competition doesn't really know how and we have to intervene so that the competition doesn't turn into a complete failure.

It's one thing when somebody has been to competitions before and offered to help judge and scramble (especially judge...yeah, everybody offers to scramble, and when we ask those people to judge instead because we already have 3 scramblers, they usually just go back to their tables to play with their cubes) and has actually seen what it takes to make a competition progress, but it's something entirely different when somebody just decides "Oh, yeah, 15 minutes to travel to a competition? TOO FAR! I want to host one in my backyard so that I don't have to drive! Ooh, that would be great! It doesn't matter that I don't have any timers or displays, I will just use Bob Burton's and make him travel 4 hours because he has no life!"

Summary: Show up to a few competitions, help out so that we actually know who you are and have some faith that you are competent and actually know how a competition works, and then ask about hosting a competition. In general, I prefer new organizers to have been to at least 10 competitions and have helped out and judged at most of them. If somebody's not every helpful, I am disinclined to even read an email from them about hosting a competition.

</RANT>

Sorry, I didn't know competitions were announced on such short notice, since there were already 2013 competitions annouced. But if there are other competitions around, I'll definitely choose that over organizing one. Sorry to bother everyone.

 

[Cheese11]

Sorry, I didn't know competitions were announced on such short notice, since there were already 2013 competitions annouced. But if there are other competitions around, I'll definitely choose that over organizing one. Sorry to bother everyone.

Sa'll good man. Just remember to do your research before wanting to take on a job like this.

Oh and Bob, I liked the "<rant></rant>" tags.

 

[BlueDevil]

I am thinking of organizing a cubing competition, as I would like to see one in my area. I know about MIT and Harvard's competitions, but I think it would be nice to have one in the summer. Unfortunately, I seem like a bad candidate to organize a competition, since I haven't ever been to one before. So, what I would like to do is to contact my town (Lexington, MA) and then get some more experienced cubers from that area take over. My question is, who do I contact? I think the high school might be a good place to host this, but I'm not sure who I should contact. Any suggestions?
Thanks!

I'm on board with you. I live in Lexington and go to the high school. I'm going to start a cube club once school starts up in the fall, and I'm also interested in hosting a competition. But like JyH said, the delegates are booked out, so it would have to be next spring/summer. I sent you a PM

Also, as a response to Bob: I've been to 6 competitions already, and plan to attend more in the fall. I help out with judging and scrambling when I can (you can confirm that with Tim) and I'd be willing to really learn what it takes to organize a competition so I'd be ready to host one later on. But of course, only if you (or Tim) are willing to fit a Lexington competition into your schedule

 

[Bob]

I'm on board with you. I live in Lexington and go to the high school. I'm going to start a cube club once school starts up in the fall, and I'm also interested in hosting a competition. But like JyH said, the delegates are booked out, so it would have to be next spring/summer. I sent you a PM

Also, as a response to Bob: I've been to 6 competitions already, and plan to attend more in the fall. I help out with judging and scrambling when I can (you can confirm that with Tim) and I'd be willing to really learn what it takes to organize a competition so I'd be ready to host one later on. But of course, only if you (or Tim) are willing to fit a Lexington competition into your schedule

For a moment, I was thinking Kentucky and was about to yell at you.

MA is Tim's jurisdiction now, so if there's anybody that'll delegate that, it'll probably be him. Tim graduated from MIT, so they have some new organizers now, (and they'll be graduating this upcoming year) and Amy will be graduating from Harvard, so it would actually be a great idea for people to get more involved. There was a long time when that area had no competitions at all, so I'd love to see that area continue to flourish.

If possible, people should attend the seminar at Nationals about how you can help organize and get involved. It will be pretty important in the whole scheme of things.

 

[Ninja Storm]

If possible, people should attend the seminar at Nationals about how you can help organize and get involved. It will be pretty important in the whole scheme of things.

BTW, are you guys going to live-stream seminars and such? I talked to Felix about it after RH, and I really want to see that, since I'm not going to go to Nats.

 

[KingTim96]

how about hosting a competiton in the central michigan area? other than the hillsdale winter competition earlier in march. the last one in michigan wasin detroit quite some time ago. any chance of another one being held here anytime soon?

Are you planning on organizing a competition in the Boston area? There are typically four competitions per year in that area. Do you not think that is enough? ...and you haven't even been to any of them?

We have two competitions planned in that area for Fall 2012. History will be a good clue as to what they might be. They will be announced within the next month or so.

<RANT>

Seriously, I don't understand why some people want to host competitions. I have been seeing a lot of posts from people saying that they want to host a competition in Area X, when Area X has lots of competitions already. Not to be a jerk, but when we have at least a dozen experienced organizers on the East Coast already, why would we agree to allow somebody with no competition experience at all to organize a competition? Tim, Kian, and I have better things to do in our lives than to spend hours of traveling and then do a bunch of work because somebody else who wants to host a competition doesn't really know how and we have to intervene so that the competition doesn't turn into a complete failure.

It's one thing when somebody has been to competitions before and offered to help judge and scramble (especially judge...yeah, everybody offers to scramble, and when we ask those people to judge instead because we already have 3 scramblers, they usually just go back to their tables to play with their cubes) and has actually seen what it takes to make a competition progress, but it's something entirely different when somebody just decides "Oh, yeah, 15 minutes to travel to a competition? TOO FAR! I want to host one in my backyard so that I don't have to drive! Ooh, that would be great! It doesn't matter that I don't have any timers or displays, I will just use Bob Burton's and make him travel 4 hours because he has no life!"

Summary: Show up to a few competitions, help out so that we actually know who you are and have some faith that you are competent and actually know how a competition works, and then ask about hosting a competition. In general, I prefer new organizers to have been to at least 10 competitions and have helped out and judged at most of them. If somebody's not every helpful, I am disinclined to even read an email from them about hosting a competition.

</RANT>

 

[Ninja Storm]

That's not something to ask Bob. I'd ask Mike and other delegates in the area about that.

 

[KingTim96]

thanks, i didnt know who was at the hillsdale competition i mentioned. so i thought i'd bring i up to get some information on it. who are the other delegates in that area?

That's not something to ask Bob. I'd ask Mike and other delegates in the area about that.

 

[Yuxuibbs]

how about hosting a competiton in the central michigan area? other than the hillsdale winter competition earlier in march. the last one in michigan wasin detroit quite some time ago. any chance of another one being held here anytime soon?

I just contacted Jim a few days ago and he agreed to let me organize a competition. I'm thinking of having one in November or something at Skyline in Ann Arbor. I'm working on getting a venue right now because I don't know who to contact in the school to use the commons area on a saturday or sunday. Should I make a thread for date/events?

 

[KingTim96]

yeah totally! im totally behind you on this if you need help. i coudl judge and scramble too! anything i can do to help!

I just contacted Jim a few days ago and he agreed to let me organize a competition. I'm thinking of having one in November or something at Skyline in Ann Arbor. I'm working on getting a venue right now because I don't know who to contact in the school to use the commons area on a saturday or sunday. Should I make a thread for date/events?