Competition Organizers - our suggestions

[elisedance]

This has come up a couple of times and I would like to collate the ideas here: 

What would like to see at competitions and what things would you wish they got rid of?  Or maybe you saw one comp with a great idea that you would like to see everywhere.

My first example came up in the 'International' topic where we were discussing changing rooms and DSV commented that co-ed rooms were usual in Europe but not allowed the the US.  At my last comp (Kingston Canada Dancesport) they had three changing rooms: men, women and co-ed.  That means that couples who like to dress each other can do so easily.

[cornutt]

I know that around here, co-ed changing rooms would not go over at all, at least not among the ams.  Pros, maybe.  Although I understand the point about helping each other dress -- I've had to help my DW at times (one thing that's good about having a hotel room at the venue).  It's not so much of a problem with guys; usually the things we need help with are detail things after we're already dressed, like cuff links or bow ties.

[Dora-Satya Veda]

I have seen this at some competitions and I think it is a great idea.

Little towels next to the water stations! It is great for the competitors to have them there to wipe their hands and faces.

[QPO]

good food choices would be great....as most dont have time to leave the venue.... I am so over chips!

[elisedance]

Water!!  At one of our local comps there were no water stations and they charge for bottles.  I had a series of heats but did not have any cash in my ball gown ( ) and had to fight with the water sellers to get a bottle and pay later... grrrr...

Such comps should be boycotted - indeed organiizations should make it obligatory that there are free water stations - its actually dangerous to not provide it.

[SwingWaltz]

That means that couples who like to dress each other can do so easily.

Or undress eachother. 

Yea that's an good idea. More important for junior and juvenille dancers who might need an adult to dress them.

Little towels next to the water stations! It is great for the competitors to have them there to wipe their hands and faces.

Is that hygenic? 

[elisedance]

I'm sure she meant disposables SW.  

[cornutt]

Since scrutineering these days is all computerized, I've thought for a while that comps should have a video screen to display results as they are entered.  This would be particularly useful for comps that are large enough to need semis, since they can post callbacks as soon as the scrutineer has entered them.  It would also be nice if the screen could be tied into the music system, and display the title and artist for each piece of music played.

[elisedance]

Nice ideas - love the openess of seeing the scores as they happen - though it might put some of the dancers off - imaging the scores coming up for the professional standard championships if you are doing junior latin immediately after...

[Dora-Satya Veda]

Is that hygenic? 

They had stacks of towels and next to the towels was a bucket that you could throw the used towels in. As the day went on they would then add more towels and wheel away the buckets with the dirty towels for them to be washed. I would say it is/was more hygienic then using the same towel for hours even days if the competition lasts several days.

[Rugby]

Kingston did a great job posting the heats and numbers up on a screen so you knew who was on and when.  I love the idea of posting the name of the song.  I have a few times gone up and asked the guy playing the tunes the name of a song.  By the way, I'm still looking for the rumba used in the 2007 World Latin Championships.  Not the "Come As you Are" but the other one.  I think it was used in the semi-finals.

[elisedance]

Is that hygenic? 

They had stacks of towels and next to the towels was a bucket that you could throw the used towels in. As the day went on they would then add more towels and wheel away the buckets with the dirty towels for them to be washed. I would say it is/was more hygienic then using the same towel for hours even days if the competition lasts several days.

Empire ball had exactly this.  It was truly luxurious... in particular when you had two heats back to back

[standarddancer]

Water!!  At one of our local comps there were no water stations and they charge for bottles.  I had a series of heats but did not have any cash in my ball gown ( ) and had to fight with the water sellers to get a bottle and pay later... grrrr...

Such comps should be boycotted - indeed organiizations should make it obligatory that there are free water stations - its actually dangerous to not provide it.

wow that's so terrible, luckily most of the USA comps have water stations, most of the NDCA comps have water stations with plenty of empty cups for competitors, quite good service.

[standarddancer]

Since scrutineering these days is all computerized, I've thought for a while that comps should have a video screen to display results as they are entered.  This would be particularly useful for comps that are large enough to need semis, since they can post callbacks as soon as the scrutineer has entered them.  It would also be nice if the screen could be tied into the music system, and display the title and artist for each piece of music played.

I like this idea, especially the displaying music title, very cool;) I would also like marks to be ready as soon as comps over, so competitors don't have wait for weeks for their marks, we deserve to know our marks immediately.

[standarddancer]

Plus also appreciate on line registration, online payment, no need to lick the envelop, no need to run to post office purchase mony order, etc. Much easier for both competitor and organizer, much less paper work.

Online registration means some system like O2cm, instantly displaying couples names under their registered heat, so total transparency, no need to guess who else would be in my heat, no need to guess how big my heat, how many rounds it might be, etc.