Holiday Time Frame
In the last two issues of SKM we discussed the justification for the length and time of year for the Super Grands World Games. If you care to revisit the stories they were on page 18 of issue #84 Mar-May and page 16 of issue #85 June-Aug or on our website www.nblskil.com. This final installment explains the reasoning behind the typical holiday weekend proximity of the SG. Keeping the length and time of year in mind, the dates must allow us to find a facility that is available, have enough function space, guest rooms and be a reasonably priced and to be held during a time frame that people have flexibility with work and school.
• Why a Holiday - Summer does have the enticement of school and college recess and job vacations. However, that’s also a time that many already have plans for family related activities not unlike our usual holiday proximity for the SG. And as we’ve explained in Part 2, summer is impossible in order to process the rest of the NBL circuit. That leaves us with November to January. So why a holiday? Choosing a holiday is the NBL’s saving grace despite what some people’s impulsive reasoning may be against it. Generally speaking Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are the only times in winter when both grade school and college students have multiple days off. Furthermore the same holds true for adult jobs. Picking any other 5-6 day time frame would require a near impossible amount of time off for the players or parents. No matter where you would pick in those months for a week (outside a holiday), it’s bould to infringe upon school testing days as well, a major obstacle.
Furthermore the SG depends upon recruitment of a staff of 160, fifty of whom are judges. People have vacation time during the holidays and many karate schools close during those holiday weeks allowing us to get the needed referees that are free from teaching.
However the absolute most important factor is hotel rates and availability. Lets use the Panama City SG as an example again. We already know from Part 2 that attendee guest room rates would be an additional $150 or more per night in the summertime. So what does that mean if guest rooms were prohibitively expensive... more attendees would search elsewhere for rooms:
a) If they stay elsewhere there would be more late morning arrivals - thus missed divisions, not to mention more equipment bags all over the floor and stolen since they’re not staying in hotel rooms. And the hotel public bathroom for five days... I don’t even want to imagine it.
b. Less hotel revenue leds to more financial burden upon the league to make it feasible for the hotel to accommodate our group with function space. But we’ve only just begun. Our staff accommodations would cost the league nearly $100 more a night as well. Multiply that times 350 room nights used for staff! I’ve heard it said “Yea, the hotel gives the promoters room rates free or cheep for their staff!. WRONG - It’s purely supply and demand. If they know that they will be booked by the group anyhow, they won’t discount anymore than they have to.
Then there is the function space issue. Holidays are the hotel’s downtime. Why? Because just like you most people want to be with their families rather than in a hotel during holidays. So function space in hotels is more available during holidays. Not only for the tournament itself, but equally for set-up and tear down time before and after the event.
Believe it or not the week before and after the SG are harder for our staff and office than during the event itself. The elaborate set-ups and efficient operation that NBL followers have become accustomed to don’t miraculously appear and disappear, it’s a full week’s set-up and preparation and full week tear-down.
If only a few guest rooms are being booked during any given time frame, hotels don’t much care to give up their function space during that same time when function space is the prime enticement to get groups in house to fill guest rooms. In case you’re unaware, hotel revenue is not dependent upon meeting room rental, it’s hotel guest room revenue first and food and beverage second.
However with holidays so slow they are willing to sacrifice the function space before and after the SG in order to sign us up over their traditionally dead holiday season to book so many guest rooms at that time. Any other time of year would require us to pay literally tens of thousands of dollars to reserve the function space before and after the event for set-up and tear-down.
The holiday downers. Yes, we understand there are several; flights are more difficult and expensive and everyone wants to be with family. However the $100 more for a flight hardy compares with $150 more per night for guest rooms on non holidays and there is always a chance they will be sold out during peak season. Then in order for us to produce the revenue to support our yearly league expenses and the SG ambiance that attendees have become accustomed to, your competition fees would start at $195 per division! And on a final note, after 14 years experience it can be noted that SG on holiday weekends have significantly improved overall attendance.
Hopefully we’ve answered all the questions about the Super Grands length and time of year. We understand the difficulties of winter and holidays, but we feel that the cost factors overrule. Thanks for your continued support. Hope to see you in Myrtle Beach in November.
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