February 2015 - 63

A Clever Approach

Pre-selling novice entries increases tournament attendance.
BY HAZEL HEWITT, UNIT 249

To increase attendance at
of novices per session
tournaments, pre-sales for novice
if these games were
events may be the way to go. In his
scheduled in 2014. To
CEO report at the Providence NABC,
reach this goal, we printed
Robert Hartman noted, "Regional table discounted tickets, and
count is 70 tables higher through the
offered a deal for those
first ten months of the year (156,270 vs. who played in all four
156,200) ..." The London ON Regional
games.
99er event in July 2014 accounts for 68
We asked bridge
of those tables. Bridge teachers preteachers to market them.
selling tickets which contributed to the Novice/intermediate
record-breaking turnout. It is newer
players love the game and
New players Spencer Bateman and Stamen Hristow
players that are going to keep our clubs are very serious about it
attended the London ON Regional in 2014.
and tournaments thriving.
if they are guided to the
Lyn Kligman, an oncology nurse,
tournaments by their
took her first bridge lesson in February teachers. It worked like a charm. We
greeters, a free pen at the registration
2014, joined ACBL in June, and played
generated 68 tables at the 99er level
desk, and committee members to
in the London Regional in July, where
over four games in two days.
welcome new players.
she won masterpoints.
Most novices did not
A dedicated part of our unit website
She was the first to
think that pre-purchasing had helpful how-to's for novices.
purchase a reduced-fee
tickets was unusual. They Handouts were available about scoring
ticket that covered all four
liked having that ticket in
devices, joining ACBL, going on cruises
99er games offered. She
hand. More experienced
and upcoming tournaments. Before
would not have been there
players knew this was not
each session, we had a guest lecturer,
without the pre-sales
the usual way to buy enand the attendance was excellent.
effort.
tries, so they bought theirs Because scoring devices were new to
Kligman says, "People in
at the tournament.
many of the players, we had people on
the pre-retirement group
Bridge teachers Tom
hand to help. By round two, helpers
are looking for what's
Rajnovich and Doug Elwere not needed. Younger players (the
next. I had so much fun at
liott manned the table
newly retiring crowd) "get" technology
the tournament. Bridge is
that traded pre-sales for
quickly.
Kligman
so different from what I
entries. Volunteer bridge
We just finished doing the
do every day. It seems like
teachers were there to
same thing at the local Stratford
the best activity to travel, have fun and
explain entries making the registration Sectional with similar success. Other
meet a lot of lovely people."
process easy.
tournaments can do this, too. These
When the bi-annual London
We offered free plays to future area
ideas can increase attendance at
Regional 99er games were cancelled
tournaments as prizes. These were
tournaments in your area.
due to poor attendance in 2012, the
donated by the sectional chairs of these
For information on what we did
unit education committee was charged tournaments. They were well received, and how you can do it, please contact
with attracting at least seven tables
and many novices used them. We had
h.hewitt@rogers.com.
◾

February 2015 Bridge Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2015