Best Practices: Hsting a Curling Bnspiel Thank yu t the Grand River, Nrth Bay and Windsr-Essex Chapters fr yur advice! Time f year Respnses are incnclusive; chapters have held successful bnspiels at the end f January and at varius times in February, March, April and Nvember (the curling seasn is usually frm September t the end f April). Duratin and schedule The shrtest amunt f ice time bked by respndents was tw hurs, which the chapter cautins as being risky since the best team may nt be the true winners f the day. The ther tw chapters rent the venue fr at least five hurs. Belw is a sample f the duratin and schedule f each participating chapter s bnspiel. Grand River: If yu have 2 s, playing 6 end games, each game takes rughly 1.5 hurs s scheduling a start time every 2 hurs gives lts f time fr warmups, cleaning and ice prep between games. If yu have nly 1, yu dn t need the full 2 hurs between. Lunch is served between games. Start times: 9:00am (Draw 1, Game 1) / 11:00am (Draw 2, Game 1) / 1:00pm (Draw 1, Game 2) / 3:00pm (Draw 2, Game 2) End: by 5:00pm Nrth Bay: Schedule: 2:00pm 2:30pm Registratin 2:30pm 3:00pm Warm up / dem 3:00pm 4:00pm Game 1 4:00pm 5:00pm Game 2 5:00pm 5:45pm Supper 5:45pm 6:45pm Game 3 6:45pm 7:15pm Wrap up and prizes Rules f Play: 1. Each game will have 4 ends nly.
2. Scring will be based n the number f ends wn per game (1 pint per end wn). 3. Draw t the buttn: a. Each player n yur team gets a sht t t the buttn. b. Rck will be cleared after each sht. c. Sweeping is allwed. d. If n a team f 3 ne persn will sht twice. e. Scring is as fllws: 5 pints Buttn 4 pints 4 ft 3 pints 8 ft 2 pints 12 ft 1 pint anywhere else in play f. Ttal scre fr all 4 shts will be added and divided by 2. If the number is an dd number then rund the final number up (i.e. 7/2 = 3.5 rund t 4) 4. In the event f a tie the scre will be based n the final scre frm the 3 games. If a tie still remains between the teams then the winning team will be n frm a hat. Windsr-Essex: We bk the ice fr 2 hurs including tutrial time s we get abut 1.5 hurs f play time. We aim t fit in 3 games fr each team. After the curling we d a buffet brunch. Starting game: teams are randmly matched fr the first rund t fill all the sheets. They thrw the rcks frm ne end t the next and then return back t the starting end. Once they are dne that the game is dne (rather than playing full games r cntinuing t a certain scre). Once the game finishes (they are back t where they started) their scres are recrded. Rules f play: The winning team gets 5 pints plus the ttal number f pints they scred during that game. If it is a tie, bth teams get 3 pints plus the ttal number f pints that team scred during that game. If they lse they get ne pint plus the ttal number f pints that team scred during that game. Fr example, if at team wins 5-3, the winning team gets 10 pints (5+5), and the lsing team gets 4 pints (1+3). Then thse tw teams are matched against a new team. If tw sheets are dne at the same time, the winning team stays n their sheet and the lsing team frm the ther sheet plays them. Smetimes yu have t wait a few minutes fr anther sheet t finish but it s usually nt lng and peple like a quick break anyways. N ne plays the same team twice.
Event revenues & expenses Bnspiels are typically nt used as fundraising events and are budgeted t breakeven. The tw biggest fees yu will incur are the club rental and fd. This may differ thrughut clubs and lcatins. Variables als include the duratin f the rental, the type and amunt f fd prvided and whether the club prhibits utside fd r ffsite caterers. Depending, yur chapter may wish t subsidize the event (and have planned accrdingly in its Chapter Business Plan) r may rely entirely n ticket sales and spnsrships. All three respnding chapters typically apprach rganizatins fr prize dnatins (see sectin belw n Prizes). Belw are tw examples f recent chapter bnspiel entry fees and expenses: We ve been charging $40 / head, $160 / team. The nly real expenses are the club rental and the fd (1 meal and snacks thrughut the day). Chapter des nt subsidize (aims fr ticket sales and spnsrships t cver csts). In past years we charged $25/persn but we als used $200 f chapter mney t subsidize the rest. This year we charged $30/persn because we had nthing planned in ur chapter business plan fr a budget but ran a deficit f a bit less than $100. Overall thugh this price pint desn t scare ff ur participants. Registratin Be clear when prmting yur event t state whether the bnspiel will be a relaxed/fun event, r if it will fcus n cmpetitin/skill. Emphasize this in the registratin frm s participants will knw what t expect frm the day and wn t be disappinted. A sample registratin frm frm Nrth Bay Chapter is attached. Registrants are able t submit anywhere frm 1-4 peple. As mre peple register, they are added t existing teams in rder t make cmplete teams. Expect t have last minute cancellatins and n-shws: All 3 chapters have stated that peple will nt shw up; be prepared and flexible t rearrange teams n the spt. The fllwing methds were suggested:
Re-rganize the number f teams and the number f players per team: ex. three teams f fur get re-rganized int fur teams f three (and everyne makes new friends). Essentially verbk: take n an extra team r sme extra individuals t fill spts fr n shws. The Chapter was hesitant t d this, but if nt, wuld lse mney n this event and it has wrked ut s far. On the ccasin that the Chapter did end up with an extra team, they were able t find a team that was k t take a break every rund. Prizes All three chapters agreed - everyne wh cmpetes needs t get a prize. These have usually been gift cards ranging in value frm $5 t $50. Sme chapters give the higher value cards t the winners, anther chapter likes t d this as a randm (s anyne can get the $50 card). Appraching restaurants fr gift cards has wrked well as has budgeting the entry fees t cntribute t purchasing prizes. Live dem All three chapters strngly recmmend appraching the club t prvide a 20 t 30- minute demnstratin fr thse wh are new t curling (yur event is likely t have nvices). Sme clubs will prvide this service fr free. Fd Have fd fr snacking n between games. In additin, d have a prper lunch/dinner at sme pint, buffet wrks well. Generally, try t serve the meal at the hallway pint if yu re playing fr mre than 2 hurs. Refer t the Duratin and schedule sectin fr mre inf. Other Let thse new t curling knw what srt f clthing is apprpriate t bring (especially ftwear). December 2016
Nrth Bay Sample Scring Sheet Teams Name 3:00 pm Wn 4:00 pm Wn 6:00 pm Wn Draw t Buttn Team Scre ENDS WON+DTB 1 The Outsliders Team 3 1 Team 7 6 Team 6 5 2 The Rlling Stnes Team 9 2 Team 8 2 Team 5 4 3 MU Surveying Team 1 1 Team 4 4 Team 7 1 4 Hpaige Team 8 4 Team 3 4 Team 10 3 5 Lucky Lucketts Team 7 5 Team 6 3 Team 2 4 6 Curling Cnnectin Team 10 3 Team 5 3 Team 1 5 7 Trail Blazers Team 5 5 Team 1 6 Team 3 1 8 Game f Stnes Team 4 4 Team 2 2 Team 9 2 9 Heather's Angels Team 2 2 Team 10 5 Team 8 2 10 Rck Breakers Team 6 3 Team 9 5 Team 4 3 * Cmplete yur t the buttn challange after the 6pm game. All 4 players sht. Buttn 5 Pints Fur Ft 4 Pints Eight Ft 3 Pints Twelve Ft 2 Pints Free Guard Zne 1 Pints NAME NAME TEAM 1 Curl Jam TEAM 6 Sht Rcks NAME NAME TEAM 2 The Rlling Stnes TEAM 7 Trail Blazers NAME NAME TEAM 3 MU Surveying TEAM 8 Game f Brms NAME NAME TEAM 4 Hpaige TEAM 9 Masn's Angels NAME NAME TEAM 5 Curling Cnnectin TEAM 10 The Outsliders