Council of Elrond

Hello everyone,
I'm interested in starting with other MECCG fans who are willing to undertake the responsibilities associated with organizing tournaments in the next few years. My goal is developing a 5 year plan and to potentially grow this into something that happens every year. It can move around anyplace where we can get a strong player base to emerge: Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta. Or, if others are not ready to step up, we can continue having it in Sacramento, CA.
There are many ways we can bring a national tournament to your neck of the nation. Best if we form partnerships with one of your local businesses or perhaps a gaming convention organizer. The key is to work together and to be willing and able to contribute your time and energy!
Let's get Worlds back on a rotation back and forth, across the pond!
Heed the Call! Muster for Middle Earth!

Hi All,
I posted this some time ago and nobody has had any response, which is fine. It is something that may take time. But I think this would be a good space for those who want do discuss the issue of how a strong American (by this I mean all Americas, from Brazil to Canada and everyone between) representation can be created.
A couple of things I would like to put out there drawing on my vast experience of hosting one Worlds
I think we have to start first by building up hubs of players again in key locations. That means finding those players who are out there in the area and getting them to dust off their cards and start playing on a regular basis (monthly at least). Try to build up that community and track down those players.
In CA we started these efforts using the many gaming convention up and down the state throughout the year. There are three annual conventions in Los Angeles and two in Sacramento. Those became our first meeting points. Get on the program and host small events (ARDA / or Challenge Decks). Invite new folks to try your favorite game.
At gaming conventions you will run into a lot of people who will walk up and say, 'I have a bunch of those cards in the closet.' Get their contact information! Offer to show them how to use those cards! Activating the collectors and making them players a great way to grow your base.
Keep in touch with that network of players! From there, expand it when you can to meet outside of gaming conventions.
That's how we've organically grown a base in Northern CA and another in So. CA.
It was because of this loose network that I decided to launch a national tournament. I figured if nothing else, I could at least get some CA people to show up.
The next big decision point in having a national or regional event is to decide if it will stand alone or if it will be part of a larger gaming convention. There are pros and cons to both ways:
Gaming Convention Pros: No financial risk to the organizer. The convention organizer takes all the risk and gets all of the benefits. The tournament organizer can focus on just the event.
Gaming Convention Cons: The biggest one is getting the convention organizer to agree to give you the time and space that your tournament wants and needs. This can be a tall order and honestly it was the main reason I decided not to have a national tourament inside of a larger gaming tournament. You need to be on very very good terms with the convention organizer or you might find yourself and your players being pushed around.
Stand Alone tournament Pros and Cons are really the other way around: You don't get pushed around and you can take the time and space that you want for the tournament but the issue is that you are on the hook to pay for all of it. Site rentals are not cheap and the contracts for them area also no joke!
If you are someone out there who wants to organize a MECCG tournament inside of a larger Gaming Convention in your city, I would love to hear from you, I would love to support you in doing that. If you are someone interested in putting a tournament together from scratch and you have a location in mind, I would love to hear from you. Let's talk about making it happen.
I'll write some more in this thread at another time about some of my ideas for things like volunteers needed to run an event. And making an event accessible to people who either don't know or don't remember the MECCG rules.
Until Next time!
Goblin King

As GK knows I am deeply invested in this project and in particular the Mountain time zone (which I claim under the domain of Meduseld ). But I currently feel like the forum environment is not hospitable for this, so for me these discussions will continue on Discord.