Tournament Hosting Considerations

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We are excited that your school is interested in hosting a debate tournament. Below is a list of considerations for doing so. Chris Baron is available to help facilitate preparations. Feel free to contact him at Towson University (410-704-2969), at home (410-583-8075), by cell phone (410-963-4949), by fax (410-704-3656) or by email.

 

Please provide as soon as possible:

  • Form for school permit (including price of security and custodial services [for check]
  • Map of School
  • Directions to school from out of town (especially Washington, DC)
  • List of which rooms are to be used (see below)
  • Name and Number of facilities coordinator/engineer/room reservations

Hosting duties include hosting making a special effort to recruit teachers from your school as judges. This may involve conducting a training in the week before the tournament. In the event a coach at the host school is unable to conduct the training, BUDL administrators can be enlisted to assist, given sufficient notification.

 

Tournament hosting concerns for host school:

  • Reserve 70 rooms for debates from 6:30am-5:00pm
  • Room for final assembly (large enough for 350 people)
  • Lounge for judges, coaches with food (donated?)-Comfortable place to relax, not too far from prep area
  • Prep area (large room, tables for schools to sit at and prepare-cafeteria works well)
  • A tabulation room (quiet, access to copier, clear table with outlets)
  • Table at entrance of school for registration
  • Hiring custodial staff (if necessary)
  • Hiring security staff (if necessary)
  • Garbage receptacles
  • Bus parking
  • Encouraging parents to help with hospitality, watching debates, etc.
  • Getting important school administrators to stop by (principal, vice principal, assistant principal, academy coordinator, board members, other teachers, etc.)
  • School press (intercom announcements, posters, school paper, etc.)
  • Help making sure things run on time (checking for locked rooms, helping set up 2 hours before tournament, preparing room for assembly, etc.)
  • Coffee machine (if possible)
  • Get building permit application from school, have it signed by principal (or assistant principal). Contact Judy Lucas at North Avenue to let her know you are faxing over the application (410-396-8622). Fax over application (410-889-3410). They like to have it one month in advance. The money must be in within three days before the event (leaving two additional days for processing). The environmental services office will assign staff, determine the costs, and will process the payment of the permit. A copy of the permit is sent to the address listed on the permit, unless otherwise noted.
  • Five to eight students to help run the tournament.

 

Tournament considerations handled by Chris Baron:

  • Tabulation of the tournament
  • Arrangement and payment for food
  • Arrangement and payment for transportation of schools to tournament
  • Press for tournament
  • Trophies
  • Judges
  • Registration

 

If there are concerns not listed, please feel free to contact Chris Baron about who should be doing what at 410-963-4949 or at 410-583-8075.