Are there any benefits to the new event structure?

[LostAgain]

So far I am unable to see any benefits from the revised event structure.

I am probably of the old school "If it ain't broke then don't fix it".

We used to attend a couple of District (Colour coded) events each month. At these I would run the brown, no hope of winning but could compete, easily gain standard and probably a top 10 finish. Enjoyed the length and this gave a good base for the Regional (Badge) events where I would run my age class (M45L), shorter distance and feel I could run harder for the shorter distance.

I know this could be achieved by running longer on my training runs, etc. But some of us are not elite, have no ambition to be so and time constraints as we aim to feed the family.

As others have indicated, we now seem to have rolled both District and Regional events in to one, from which there is evidence emerging that all the events will be at the higher price, equating to the old Regional.

Is this due to increased levy (Badge event Vs District)? In which case BO could be accused of a hidden agenda, or at best a vested interest.

Since there has been such a major shift, should the members not be given the vote on the changes?

[Scott]

Is this due to increased levy (Badge event Vs District)?

No. BOF levies are at a flat rate for all levels of event, and depend solely on the number of participants.

[DM]

LostAgain,

If you think you'll be running harder on a shorter M45L course, take a close look at the course details for BOC which are now available.

[Red Adder]

The only thing the change has done for me has emphasised now similar Badge & District events had become, and generally how much better value district events are.

Not everyone is using the change as an excuse to raise fees. NOR certainly aren't, and the adult fee for my club's event this weekend remains at £ 5 (proper toilets, free parking, SI , first aid cover, choice of 7 cc courses on new map of an interesting area, overprinted, bagged, all EOD so we bear the risk of a poor turn-out) and we have also had to bear increased land access fees. So you are all most welcome at SufolkOC event at Knettishal, between Diss & Thetford.

[geomorph]

As one who favours a 3(4) component (4th is the 'informal' category) structure - but not the hierarchy and geographic naming I'm pleased that there are less levels.

I've seen most of the district events reclassed as locals, but retain the depth of courses offered when appropriate.
The fuzzy old level 2 is gone .
Level 1 is extended and hopefully this will drive up competition levels.

I like the simplification.

Now can anybody pass that message on to electronic gadget manufacturers

[SJC]

As one who favours a 3(4) component (4th is the 'informal' category) structure

It would certainly make life easier if the 4th category was officially recognised so that the informal events could easiliy be identified in the fixture list.

[seabird]

Looking at the revised fixtures. Fixtures Secretaries are using the event title to make clear what is on offer. In these parts, at least, the old term Colour Coded is being used to denote events with 7-8 courses which are not Regional. I appreciate that this term will not be entirely clear to the non-orienteering public, but reading down a list of events I am not having much trouble in determining at a glance what is likely to be on offer, and clicking on the event details usually tells you clearly what is actually on offer.

I think Fixture Secs need to think about the shorthand "White-Brown" now we have all the subdivisions of some colours available. I think the basic course description should name all the courses on offer - as well as possibly some terrain details.

The system by having fewer categories allows as much more flexibiity in describing our events accurately.

[ricardito]

The system by having fewer categories allows us much more flexibility in describing our events accurately.

Or: forces us to describe events more accurately? Not a bad thing to do of course, but puts more onus on those adding the descriptions and us to read them

[awk]

from which there is evidence emerging that all the events will be at the higher price, equating to the old Regional.

Not in our club: our fee structure, is based on the 'prestige' of the event and the effort put into the quality level. Most of our Level 2 (regional) events are actually at the old C4 entry fee level, with one or two at the old C3 level, as that is what they would have been at under the old scheme. We look at the totality of income throughout the year, as I'm sure do many clubs,: one or two of our events cross-subsidise others because we want to keep events going in certain areas even if they aren't themselves cost effective due to landowner fees.