Organizers: full addresses for events, please

[Victor]

Just a open-letter request to those of you who help organize fencing events:

Please ensure that a full street address of the venue is included in your competition advance info. Although your directions and personally crafted maps are appreciated, many of us prefer to have in hand a copy of the bigger picture to suit our own needs (via MapQuest, for example). There's nothing more frustrating than studying the presentation of a micro-detailed map of a college campus or community center complex only to be left wondering how to reach the big X from which Interstate ... especially when you're from far out of town.

(And don't forget to double- and triple-check those addresses, too. I once ended up across town at 1234 Something St. because of a single-digit typo on the flyer that should have directed me to 12345 Something St.)

Thank you.
I feel better now.

[mifencer]

Good topic, good suggestion.

Could I also mention to have the nearest airport code with the directions. That would help with planning.

(Please note that I haven't mention anything about overhead projectors, or folding chairs! )

[esskreemr]

Originally Posted by Victor

Please ensure that a full street address of the venue is included in your competition advance info. Although your directions and personally crafted maps are appreciated, many of us prefer to have in hand a copy of the bigger picture to suit our own needs (via MapQuest, for example).

Right On! I don't know how many times I've had to look an address up based on the name of the venue.

[DHCJr]

That is not always a good thing. For example the Long Beach Invitational. If they put the address 1250 Bellflower Blvd. Not only would there be no building, it is actually just the entrance to the school. If you were to park on Bellflower, you would be very upset, I for one would not want to carry my things to the Gym.

That is why there is directions from each direction, you might come from. If a venue is a school an address is not always good. I recently was the Armorer at a competition at a school and instead of using their directions, I looked up the school address. The problem was the Gym didn't have an address, except for the school address and it was on the opposite side of the campus.

Be wary of what you ask for, you might get it.

[Victor]

It need not be an either-or option, DHC. Both types of information are useful in conjunction with each other.

[DHCJr]

I know that. What I was trying to show (besides how stupid I was) that for some venues, especially schools pushing to have an address can be bad thing.

If you have an address and rely on that, you make not get to where you want to go. I know I am always asking for an address, but there have been times, it has backfired on me, when I forget to bring the directions given by the organizers and rely on the address.

[fence1848]

As the person putting together the schedule for my division, I have to agree wholeheartedly that specific addresses are required. Following is a listing of what I usually get from people who tell me they're holding a tournament. It is sorted with the worst situation listed first:

1. Unfortunately, the most common situation is an announcement that a club is hosting a tournament - and NO information on the venue. Not even a name of the place, and sometimes not even a CITY.

2. They only give me the name of they city.

3. They give me the name of a school that has a very generic name and could refer to anything. For example, the Hillel School. I had to research every Hillel school in that area of the state to find out where it was.

4. I receive directions from a local street to the specific venue. Problem is, they don't tell me what city it's in and there's no specific address.

Since tournaments are often held in the same venues over and over again, it's well worth the time to compile comprehensive directions and links for each venue, since there are usually a limited number of venues used.