How to tell a good comp from an also-ran ...

This move to Dallas is giving me lots of new topic ideas.

I'm out prospecting for ballroom comps within a reasonable drive or cheap plane flight of where I'll be next year. I found a ton of stuff. The only problem is that most of the comps have very nice web sites, so I can't tell the great comps from the average comps from the comps it's okay to miss.

I'm not necessarily looking for specific recommendations (although I'll ntake them if you have them 8) ) I'm just wondering. In your opinion, what separates the really good, not-to-be-missed comps from the ones you'd rather skip. Is there any common ground between the really good ones? (Obviously, the really big ones have name recognition, but what about the others?)

If I win it, it is an also ran.

(back to lurk)

1) Competitor friendly - accessable, reasonable cost, organization gives you confidence the experience will go smoothly, in contrast to disorganized/last minute type of feel. Good policies such as allowing you to bring your video camera, as then at minimum you have a tape to evaluate as a snapshot of your dancing.

2) People to dance against - more entires mean more rounds and more dancing - incomplete finals are kind of sad. Getting more specific, it's nice to have competition of various abilities to measure yourself against - after all, one wants to win, but not easily...

Landing in a totally new area, this would be hard to evaluate, but what I tend to do is look at either the previous year's results or the online registration to get an idea of the size of events and who specifically has entered (which suggests, btw, that if your favorite comp has online registration, registering early will help it grow). Looking over the judge list can also be interesting, though sometimes you show up only to find out that most of the top judges aren't working your event.

ALOD said:

If I win it, it is an also ran.

(back to lurk)

Click to expand...

LOL! I can relate.

Chris Stratton said:

Landing in a totally new area, this would be hard to evaluate, but what I tend to do is look at either the previous year's results or the online registration to get an idea of the size of events and who specifically has entered (which suggests, btw, that if your favorite comp has online registration, registering early will help it grow). Looking over the judge list can also be interesting, though sometimes you show up only to find out that most of the top judges aren't working your event.

Click to expand...

These are good suggestions, Chris. I think I'll :google:

It is an also ran if...
1) It's being held the the Main Ballroom (of Motel 6)
2) You win first place in the Pro-Am Championship (and it is an uncontested heat)

I thought all East Coast Swing competitions were held at Motel 6,

And all Tango heats were at Super 8

The hustle is of course held in the waiting area of 4-B's restaurant.

And the quick-step is on the way to the ...

(and now I will really go away)

Giggle! I'm genuinely seeking help, here. Shoulda known better than to ask a serious question on a holiday weekend. :wink: :lol:


Thanks, Chris. :shock: :lol:

That's a good point, though. Maybe taking a look at the facilities could be a good clue as to the quality.

In the UK most comps are organised much less professionally (the "big" ones like Blackpool, International etc. being the obvious exceptions), many organisers probably wouldn't know what the internet was...

The only reliable way to get an idea which comps are good ones to go to is by word of mouth, either from teachers or other competitors.

On the plus side the country is so small, that you can drive to any comp and drive back the same day. And with entry fees around 10 UKP for the whole day, it's not a particularly big investment if it doesn't turn out to be great...

Yup, quite a different system and cost structure outside of the U.S./Canada from everything I understand...

It sounds like run-of-the-mill UK-style comps may be organizationally more similar to the US collegiate-hosted ones, while UK university comps are something else entirely (oriented around team events more than individual couples).

Here are a few things I might look at.

:arrow: Who are the organizers of the competition?

:arrow: Who is judging the competiton? I might look up the judges on the NCDA webpage or run a search on Google.

:arrow: How much is the competition going to cost? What is the package cost and per entry cost? Are there any bonuses for early registration?

:arrow: Where is the competition going to be held? When amenities does the hotel/facility offer? What attractions does the city have to offer? A nice location and hotel certainly doesn't hurt.

:arrow: What type of events are offered? What are the limitations on entering regarding age and levels? I might check the winner's circle page from the previous year to get an idea of how many people might enter events from I would enter.

:arrow: Who came to the competiton last year? I might check the registration page or winner's circle page to get an idea of the caliber of competition from the previous year. I might also check who won the top teacher and top student awards. You can check the Superbowl website for top teachers and top students, at least according to point values from superbowl competitons.

:arrow: What vendors are attending the competion? The theory is the bigger and/or better competitions will attract bigger and/or better vendors.

That being said, I'm still in search mode for my next competition (that is, if I compete again). :wink: