{"id":2472,"date":"2014-10-29T17:07:46","date_gmt":"2014-10-29T17:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/?p=2472"},"modified":"2014-10-29T17:16:22","modified_gmt":"2014-10-29T17:16:22","slug":"pptqs-what-to-expect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/2014\/10\/29\/pptqs-what-to-expect\/","title":{"rendered":"PPTQs – What to Expect"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Written<\/a>

Written by Brandon Borowicz<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

The scheduling window for the first wave of Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers (PPTQs) is right around the corner. \u00a0Players, judges, and store owners are all looking forward to these events which will crown a champion for each advanced level store during a PPTQ season, culminating in all the store champions dueling it out at the Regional Pro Tour Qualifier for a chance to earn a spot on the Pro Tour. \u00a0These events will be great for all involved if\u00a0everyone plans accordingly. \u00a0Let\u2019s look at this from three perspectives and include\u00a0suggestions for each.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Store Owner Perspective<\/b><\/h1>\n

In the past Pro Tour Qualifiers were regionally run events hosted by select TOs allowing players to earn a spot on the Pro Tour. \u00a0While the new setup is similar, an additional step has been added allowing each advanced level store to host their own PPTQ and help bring new players from surrounding communities. \u00a0Obviously this is a great opportunity for stores to host a premier event and widen their customer base. \u00a0Here are a few things to consider when planning a PPTQ:<\/p>\n

Judge Staffing<\/b><\/h2>\n

<\/p>TOs are required to have a Level 2 Head Judge and should consider having 2-3 floor judges for the event based upon expected attendance. \u00a0This means you will need to determine compensation for your judges before the event and contact the head judge prior to choosing a date. It is easier to have your head judge confirm a weekend that is good for them and their judge staff rather than choosing a date and hoping it works for them. \u00a0The best advice I can give is don\u2019t under-staff your events. Judges will make the event run smoothly and players will appreciate a well-run tournament. \u00a0Additionally, more staffing dedicated to the event (including a designated scorekeeper) allows your store staff to focus on making sales and helping customers as opposed to running the event. \u00a0As this is the first time these events are being hosted, it can be difficult to predict attendance and anticipate how many judges to staff. \u00a0I recommend having your head judge and at least one other floor judge locked in for the event with 2-3 other judges on standby, giving them free entry for the event if they are not needed to judge.<\/p>\n

Choosing a Date<\/b><\/h2>\n

Numerous stores will be scheduling PPTQs in a small window of time meaning numerous events might overlap. \u00a0Be sure to speak with other store owners in the area to determine when they are looking to host their event. \u00a0Players would like to play in as many PPTQs as possible and making sure you give them the opportunity to play in your event is key. \u00a0You also want to make sure judges are available for your event as they cannot work every weekend and their schedule should be taken into consideration.<\/p>\n

Venue and Logistics<\/b><\/h2>\n

<\/p>This should go without saying, but if your location is not set up to host a large event find a venue that can or consider advertising a cap on attendance. \u00a0Many players will be looking to participate in these events. Having seating for 30 when 60 players show up for your event will lead to delays and unsatisfied customers. The key to these events will be in the planning and the stores who do it properly will benefit from better-attended events based on how they do with the first PPTQs they host. Consider your location, usual tournament attendance, and promote pre-registration to estimate attendance during planning.<\/p>\n

Prizes<\/b><\/h2>\n

Players like knowing the prizes they have for the event before they attend. \u00a0While you do not have to lock in 100% what you\u2019re giving out, be transparent with how you will provide prize support. \u201cPrizes based off attendance\u201d versus \u201c3 booster packs per player\u201d goes a long way in a player deciding which event they will be attending in a weekend.<\/p>\n

I would recommend fostering an in-house judge staff that you can use for larger events. This will assist you in making sure you always have the proper staffing for your PPTQs in the future. \u00a0Simply put, there will be too many events and not enough judges to go around so make sure your shop is prepared. \u00a0This can be a great time for you to widen your customer base and players from outside your area will be heading to your location for the event be sure to make a good first impression. Encourage your local judges to connect to the greater judge community in their region and get the help they need to develop their skills and assist the stores in running these events.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Judge Perspective<\/b><\/h1>\n

As a judge, let me go ahead and put this out there for you: things are about to get real! \u00a0I have already been contacted by thirteen store locations to assist them in getting their PPTQ together. These are the stores I consider being ahead of the game and best prepared. \u00a0Lots of stores are going to be asking for help. It is OK to say no. \u00a0You cannot work every event, nor should you be expected to. \u00a0I recommend helping stores that may need assistance running a bigger event and guiding them with your experience, but remember you are being compensated to be a judge, not the tournament organizer. The relative roles are described in MTR Section 1.<\/p>\n

<\/p>Strive to be the best at what you do, but allow others to handle their responsibility or they will not learn. \u00a0Do not take on judging one of these events by yourself as that is not fair to you, the players, or the store. It will make you look ill-prepared when it comes time for the event. \u00a0Be sure to negotiate fair compensation and do not work for less simply to help someone out, as this will hurt other judges who work for that store down the road. \u00a0Be prepared for your event and put in the best effort possible. \u201cGood\u201d judge staffs will be sought out for events. Being a judge who is sought-out to work events not only feels good but means you\u2019re doing your part for the community.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Player Perspective<\/b><\/h1>\n

<\/p>This is going to be a great time to be a player, with lots of events happening every weekend. \u00a0Be sure to talk with your local game store about hosting a PPTQ so you can have one right in your backyard. \u00a0Also, put together a schedule of events so you have a good idea on what you will be attending in the coming months. Most of all, have fun and be patient with stores, tournament organizers, and judges, as many of them will be hosting\/working these events for the first time and it takes time to become great at it. \u00a0Give stores suggestions and constructive criticism to help them host better events in the future. Everyone will benefit from feedback!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h1>\n

Hopefully this primer will generate discussion between the three parties.\u00a0Feel free to pass along this article and discuss topics with your players, stores and fellow judges!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

L1 and Tournament Organizer Brandon Borowoicz discusses expectations for the upcoming PPTQ system from an organizer, judge, and player perspective.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":2486,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[37,9],"tags":[196,199,200,197,198],"language":[180],"class_list":["post-2472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education_development","category-events","tag-brandon-borowicz","tag-judge","tag-player","tag-pptq","tag-to","language-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2472"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2472\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2484,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2472\/revisions\/2484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2472"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=2472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}