The Great Lakes Region has some truly spectacular Judges who do great things everyday. Sometimes we get a glimpse of these great things through reading Exemplar nominations. And other times we hear of them through stories told by other Judges. We in the Communications Project are shining a spotlight on the Judges in our region who make a difference at events, in their communities, and in the Judge program.
This is the Great Lakes Spotlight!
Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a Level 2 Judge from Warren, Michigan. He has been a member of this program since 2014 and a Level 2 Judge since 2015. As a Judge, Alex travels fairly extensively to work at StarCityGames Opens, Grand Prix, and at various conventions, such as GenCon, Origins Game Fair, and the many iterations of PAX. Within the region, Alex has previously served as the project lead for the Communications Project.
Having worked events alongside Alex, I can confidently attest that one of his greatest talents as a Judge is his ability to ensure that events run smoothly and on-time no matter what is happening behind the scenes. And when events throw a curveball to the Judges, as events often do, Alex is a master of handling these exceptions in such a way that players really have no idea that anything went wrong at all. Time and time again, this inglorious effort culminates in one of the most important elements that we as Judges offer to TO’s: players have a fun, positive experience playing the game we all love.
Never was this talent of Alex’s on better display, I think, than in his operations staff role at Grand Prix Hartford 2018…
Welcome to Low Tech Friday
Due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, the trucks transporting most flight cases of Grand Prix kit, containing operational tools, banners, and product were significantly delayed in arriving for setup at Grand Prix Hartford. Accepting the fact that the operations staff was going to be under-equipped to begin their work at the GP, Alex simply looked forward. Players were going to be arriving. And those players were going to want to play Magic!
The Ixalan/Rivals of Ixalan product for On-Demand Events (ODEs) hadn’t arrived yet. Not a problem. After conferring with the Scorekeeper regarding which ODEs could be run, Alex had a sign made to detail the events that would be offered, when they were to begin, and the costs of each. This sign saved a significant amount of potential lost time to repeated questions being asked about ODEs. The sign also served to notify players that ODEs were, in fact, happening, which in turn tends to result in more people playing Magic.
Though the trucks did eventually arrive at the GP around noon on Friday, Alex was instrumental in preventing that operational hiccup from impacting the attendees’ ability to both enjoy and participate in the Grand Prix experience.
Whatever Needs Doing
On Saturday and Sunday of the GP, Alex continued to channel his roll-with-the-punches mentality. Coverage was needed on the Special Operations team. Alex stepped up to provide breaks for the artists, who spend their GPs signing playmats, altering cards, and chatting with their fans. But even these enthusiastic artists need to eat lunch. And when that time came, Alex was there at the artists’ tables, minding their inventory and ensuring everything was as it should be.
As Grand Prix wind down on Sunday afternoons, there is a collective ritual repeated by most, if not all, players who participated in the Side Events and ODEs: Redemption of prize tickets. Magic players who attend GPs tend to want to get the most playtime out of their experience. As such, there is a natural surge of customers redeeming their winnings at the end of the last day. And as the tsunami of customers began breaking on the horizon, the Show Lead, Sides Stage Lead, and both Special Operations team members were helping guests claim their prizes. But still, the surge persisted. And when asked if he could lend an additional set of hands, Alex gladly jumped into the fray. This extra effort, combined with the efforts of the staff already at the Prize Wall, aided in reducing potential wait times for the players.
This may seem like a small thing, but consider how each little thing we do as Judges (cleaning up trash, pushing in chairs, running signed match slips to the Scorekeeper) adds up to one whole, positive experience for our players. And in the case of the Prize Wall, not only is this another touch-point where excellent customer service can be provided, but it also aids in the ability for the Prize Wall to pack up earlier, helping to reduce the total time it takes to tear down the event.
Every Step Matters
Giving exceptional effort is not enough to achieve success. Every step you take while working an event as a Judge has an impact. In a literal sense, 30 steps in one direction could put you in the center of multiple Side Events for which you are responsible. Those same steps could also put you on one extreme of that same play area. In a figurative sense, the order in which to prioritize and accomplish tasks can translate to the same level of success.
When largely attended, double-prize side events saw massive rushes of players queuing to register within minutes of the events beginning, Alex moved methodically to ensure that the events fired off at as close to their originally scheduled launch times as possible. He set aside tasks that were not critical to launching the events until after the registered players were seated and playing. Alex put the players’ enjoyment of the event ahead of the convenience of his workflow.
Sunday mornings tend to incur a rush of players interested in participating in Side and On-Demand Events. Here, again, every step – every action taken – matters in how quickly players can pay, be registered, and then seated to play in their events. There are several moving parts that need to fall into place for each player registering and all while that player is standing at the front of the registration line. The players not noticing the complexity of the process is the ultimate goal. It is also something that Alex achieved seamlessly event after event.
Staff Dinner
Post Grand Prix dinners are a fairly common occurrence amongst the Judges and staff. They stand as one last show of camaraderie and acknowledgement of a job well done by all. ChannelFireball Events management has a tradition wherein they recognize a few Judges who made a tremendous impact at the GP during these Sunday dinners. Recalling the deeds that led to the public recognition serves as an additional ‘thank you’ in front of the subject’s peers.
And after GP Hartford, Alex was one recognized thusly for his outstanding, meticulous efforts that contributed to the success of the event as a whole.
Closing Remarks
As a Judge, Alex is thoughtful in his preparation and artful in his execution. His professional delivery conceals the vigorous mind at work beneath the surface.
And perhaps my favorite assessment of Alex’s performance at GP Hartford comes from our own Meg Baum, who writes, “He understands and knows that as much as we want to get as many people playing Magic as we can, it’s still important that registration for an event ends on time. The tournament would never be able to start on time otherwise.” To this end, she concludes, “He stood sentinel like an ancient dragon watching, making sure that the gates closed when they should have.”