Opening for Entries

[Dee]

This year I know that a few competitions delayed opening for entry until later in the year, closer to their competition which does, to me, make sense at least for later races. Does it work?

Also, when should we open the first ones? This year I set the date on canoeslalomentries to be 4th January, but my gut feel is that this is really too early. The issue being that it means setting up of the races is hitting the Christmas period and most paddlers not being geared up to enter quite so early. The reason I set it early this year to avoid receiving a load of postal entries just because online wasn't open. I can be a hard-hearted soul and if I state that open date was 14th Jan, say, I would 'lose' any postal entries arriving before the open date. However, I don't know what other organisers think.

[djberriman]

Leave it to the organiser to set.

I traditionally have not accepted more than 5 months before the vent due to the hassle cashing cheques etc. As nearly all entries were online this year I'll be reviewing this. People seem to want to plan their year which is fair enough. For events that were full it may be fairer to have later opening dates.

Great thing is I don't have to do much until about 2 weeks before the event due to the online entry system. So much less stress for organisers.

[djberriman]

I guess you could limit the number of entries a paddler can have booked up to a certain number of weeks prior to the event (assuming postal entries are put on - I do them on the day they arrive). Postal entries would be refused if limit has been reached to prevent getting round the online system.

Thus events would not become fully booked months in advance but you could book your priority events such as say August Tully as part of your 'entitlement'.

Might prevent a free for all at the start of the year.

So for instance you can enter any event if less than 3 months to go but you can book say 2 that are more than 3 months away.

Probably only applies to Prem and Div 1.

[Dee]

Leave it to the organiser to set.

Not intending to remove the option from the organiser, but I do need a default back stop otherwise we will get races published over Christmas becoming immediately open for entry which just is not fair. It also means that the few that would rather do postal will be at a disadvantage as the postal details won't be available.

[Dee]

I guess you could limit the number of entries a paddler can have booked up to a certain number of weeks prior to the event (assuming postal entries are put on - I do them on the day they arrive). Postal entries would be refused if limit has been reached to prevent getting round the online system.

Aaaarggghh! No!!

[paddlerparent]

For some reason i didnt get my sons entry into graveyard. its possible that it was due to the entries opening later than others so from my point of view open asap.

But its prem & there are only a few races & he wants to attend all


Its just our perspective but hope it helps

[djberriman]

Aaaarggghh! No!!

My suggestion was just to prevent 'block' booking in advance and then loads of cancellations and allow those who can't commit financially in advance a chance to enter. Something which regularly seems to come up with regard to full events.

[lesf]

As a paddler and organiser I'm happy with a similar default opening date to this year.

I know a few people have missed entering races that opened later as they thought they done all their entries at the start of the year.

As an organiser, yes there was a rush of entries initially but it's only a few weeks before the event I've reach the point of being full. Even then the flow of new entries and withdrawals are pretty much cancelling each other out. And I'd much rather open for entries in early Jan (for an October event) and have rush of online entries than be getting dozens of postal entries.

[JimW]

Most people will be doing their online entries using a device which has a capability to schedule reminders on the date the entries open... Whether or not they know how to make it do that is another issue.

[CeeBee]

I think it would be good to set a date that no events can accept entries before. This could be mid/late January as this will give organisers time to set up their event after Christmas and New Year have passed and also give paddlers sufficient time to enter the early races in March.

I think that for entries for some Division 1 and Premier events need to be staggered to allow paddlers promoted during the year to enter. The Llandysul Div 1 event which is an ideal event for those new to Div 1 was full many many months before the event and so very few promotees have been able to enter. I'm not sure if we have this problem at any Div 2 events and suspect it doesn't apply to Div 3 and Div 4 events.

There will be advantages and disadvantages to allowing all events to open in January or allowing events to open a set period before a race e.g. 4 months.

Would it help if there was a clear entry release policy e.g.

Entries open in January (on an agreed date) for all events from March-June
Entries open on 1 March for all events in July
Entries open on 1 April for all events in August
Entries open on 1 May for all events in September
Entries open on 1 June for all events in October

[paddlerparent]

Whatever you do it wont be everyone's cup of tea, but your proposal seems to have logic & i support it

[Dee]

Would it help if there was a clear entry release policy

Yes, but I'd tried to get one last year and failed. I don't think it will happen as everyone thinks differently. My key thing is when to default.

[paddlerparent]

Is it as simple as letting organizers decide in the same way they did for the old card entry system?

.........or does that complicate things for the online entries (possibly prompting this thread)?

[CeeBee]

The vast majority of people are now entering online as this is a few simple clicks compared to writing a card, cheque (if you have one and not knowing when the entry will be banked), envelope and then finding a post box.

Paddlers (and their parents) are also entering far sooner for many reasons e.g.
-full races
- a much simpler entry process
- entry fee only taken from your account 3 weeks before the race
- Seeing all the entries for a race also makes you aware that a race is getting full and prompts you to enter whereas before you had no idea how many entries the organiser had received
- At Prem/Div 1 races, paddlers want runs on the Saturday for the Div 1 on the Sunday so are entering as Officials and Paddle Ups

We do need a consistent opening date that applies to both postal and online entries. Currently, an event may not have been set up on online entries but if you know the organiser's address, you can still post an entry. So, if we were to set an 'open' date of say 1 May for September events, this would apply to postal and online entries.

Most host division paddlers will usually get an entry well after the entry open date but there are few paddle up entries at Prems, so those Div 1 paddlers who are first to apply for either a Paddle Up or Officials are getting the scarce spaces. Most of the paddlers are juniors, so the parents are the ones tracking when entries open and applying. The current system favours those who are aware of the constraints and are checking online entries daily to get an official or Paddle up entry.

I'll put a motion to the ACM around the entry date being the 1st of the month 4 months before the race and then at least it can be debated and the majority view will decide.

[Dee]

I'll put a motion to the ACM around the entry date being the 1st of the month 4 months before the race and then at least it can be debated and the majority view will decide.

I would support this, but could you make it 1st Month 4 months before the race or 14th January, whichever is the later, please. Otherwise, I will have to accept entries arriving with the Christmas cards!