New 4-tier Event rules and guidlines

[DaveK]

The DFOK event at Chelwood, Ashdown Forest yesterday was a level 'C' 'Regional' event. Pre-entry available, but not with what would be the normal level 'B' range of courses. Good parking/toilets/catering facilities at the nearby Llama farm, but a realisation, I assume from the club (or possibly the Regional Fixtures Committee), that an area previously regarded as a 'Regional' event area, probably lacked the necessary degree of technicality for a level 'B' event - especially given the extensive marsh grass/vegetation, etc. Good honest call from DFOK, with what seemed to be quite well planned courses, given the restrictions.
Off to another level '3' 'regional event at Savenake Forest (NWO), next weekend - will be interesting to compare the two.

[SeanC]

Good parking/toilets/catering facilities

I was told the lemon cake and scones were level B, quite possibly level A.

[Clive Coles]

GML ~ I stand corrected.

Looking back to my first post on this thread I used the phrase

aspirational rather than deliverable

This looks like another rule that comes under that definition.

Perhaps the Chairman of that National Body ( whoever that turns out to be ) will let Controllers know where and when they should submit their assessment and how the evaluation decision is to be enforced.

We in EAland , quite possibly in error, have taken the view that the Regional Association hold the responsibility to ensure that level B technical standards are met at any Level B event on our patch. Clubs who stage level B events are meant to be supplying update reports to our Association committee.

Not sure it's working that well yet but surely there is more chance of this scrutiny being achieved at regional level rather than giving the responsibility to a more remote national body which probably has little knowledge of the area.

[NeilC]

As I understand it an intended Level B event will have to appoint a controller approximately 12 months in advance. The controller will then visit the area, complete a terrain assessment form and then make a recommendation (to the National Fixtures Committee) as to whether or not the area is suitable for a Level B event.

That should cut down the number of Level B events.

[IanD]

Don't forget that these Levels apply to all types of terrain. East Anglia may be short of suitable terrain for a long forest Level B, but it certainly has good Middle Distance (eg Rowney Warren) and urban (eg Cambridge) areas. If clubs feel an insatiable urge to put on a top quality event, they may need to be a bit more imaginative in looking for a format which suits what they have available.

[Clive Coles]

That should cut down the number of Level B events

Given the National Fixtures Group only meets twice a year and already has an agenda as long as your arm I will be surprised if we get any level B events approved in 2012

[pete.owens]

I don't think it is fair to blame the Salcay organisers. They will have registered and planned their event at level 2 and only discovered a few weeks ago that their event was supposed to be run according to level B guidelines - and what those guidelines specified.

Hopefully, what we are seeing is a transitional feature due to the hurried introduction of the new event structure. The decisions needed to hold an event at level B should really be made 15 months before the event is held so it is not really surprising that events held within a few weeks of the publication of the guidelines, and less than a year after it was even decided to introduce the new level, fail to meet the specifications, both in terms of organisation and quality of terrain. We have seen level B events without traders, using start blocks rather than times, with maps printed by club laser printers rather than accredited printers, run on questionable terrain and so on.

We really need to wait till the middle of next year (when everybody will have seen the event guidelines at the time they were setting up their events) before we can judge whether the new event structure is working - just as critics of the previous system should have.

[RJ]

At least Level B events are being put into the fixture structure well ahead of time.... twelve months and more!

If a club wishes an area to be used are they prepared to publicly state that the area is up to it? Is the club chair prepared to 'sign off' the area as meeting most if not all of the criteria for the level B status?

Then, when your customers (the competitors) have a poor experience at the event they will know who to send their comments to. It is not in any of our interests to have poor quality at a level B event. Maintaining (at the very least), and increasing (hopefully) participation levels is the aim of the exercise..... not the making of a profit!

Level B events are where we improve the general competitive standard of the sport, and you can't do that if the top competitors don't turn up and enjoy themselves.

Quality control.... it's your call, club chair!!!

[pyrat]

I wonder what level the next Purple Thistle will be? I am guessing a Level C.

But we are also introducing the nopesport events structure, and within that it will be listed as Level Amazing.

[harry]

Thread killer strikes again!!!!

[Mrs H]

can we introduce our own ranking list too?

[HarryO]

The SMOC level B event in Salsey last weekend attracted 135 runners.

I heard that the SMOC event numbers were low because the Yvetter Baker Trophy (cancelled in December) was moved such that it clashed with SMOC's event, even though it involved all of SMOC's neighbouring clubs. Numbers would have been much higher, especially as it was an East Anglian League event.
If "level B events are to be something special" then they should be protected from such clashes with other events. I heard the YBT organisers never even contacted SMOC about the clash. I don't know at what level these decisions are made but it was very poor planning by the Fixtures person who was responsible!

[pete.owens]

If you rearrange a national competition at very short notice then it is bound to clash with some event somewhere in the country.

If "level B events are to be something special" then they need to be held somewhere other than Salcey Forest.

[awk]

If "level B events are to be something special"

Even I, one of the strongest pro-3 tier protagonists, can see the point of Level B when it's genuinely 'special'. Now the Twin Peaks promises to be something special: not least the entry and the standard of competition, and I'm really looking forward to next weekend. To my mind, this is a genuine Level B, as would be events like the November Classic etc.

However, the vast majority of Level Bs are not something 'special', don't promise to be something 'special', and make a mockery of the whole idea of Level B events. I really hope that whoever are the powers that be get a grip on this, and get the whole thing sorted, because the current situation is quite silly.

[mharky]

Hmm, in Scotland there are 4 general levels of events.

A) JK's and BOCs when we have them, Scottish Champs, 6-days
B) SOLs
C) SoSOLs and equivilant, "colour codeds"
D) Training events, local night leagues etc.

I don't know how I'd put that into 3 types of events.