I am currently working on some sponsorships to hopefully beef up the prize packages. I honestly feel that the Houston expo is an underrated gem of a show. It has an awesome free play area that is open late, and a fun party atmostphere. As an added bonus, the expo is moving to a much nicer hotel this year, and I’m really looking forward to filling out this space.
I hope that you can make it out to Houston this year!
May I ask a potentially dumb question without coming off like an idiot or jerk (yeah, probably not)?
I know that this year the tournament changed from limited entry to a match play event. Is it possible to remove the requirement that a tournament player must also pay for a weekend pass in order to play in the tournament?
I ask as that was the one thing that got my head scratching. If we are now in a match play event then we wont be able to really participate in the show so paying for the show just didn’t make much sense to me anymore (like it used to).
You are not a jerk for asking! But, yes, you must still purchase a ticket to the show. I have no control over that.
FWIW, I think there should be plenty of time for tournament players to enjoy the show. On Friday, the show runs from 12pm to 2am, and the qualifying portions run 6pm - 11pm. So that’s 9 hours of show time. On Saturday, the show runs 10 am to 2am. The qualifying portions are 10am - 4pm. For players that don’t make it into finals (64%), that’s 10 hours of show time. YMMV depending on how well you play, and if you play in TPL finals.
Thanks for bringing your concern to my attention! Next year I’ll look into potentially bundling the tournament entry with the show cost. It’s probably too late to make that change for this year, but I’ll look into it. And I am definitely trying my hardest to bring in sponsors to lower the cost further. Let me know if you have any other ideas!
@chuckwurt I’m super torn right now— I really want to go portable but It’ll be a lot of $$$ to make the switch. But it would be sooooo much easier than the current mess of cables and c920s. I need a sponsor!
as far as getting to see the rest of the show, i have never been asked to leave the floor after the posted end time, nor have i seen anyone else be asked to. i am regularly playing games until sunrise sunday morning. i suppose it could be different this year at the new hotel, but typically the organizer is the last one to leave each night.
What info will I need?
You will need your email, name, and ifpa number handy.
Can I register more than one person at once?
No. You can only register one person at a time.
Do I need to pay when I register?
No. Payment will be taken when you check in for the tournament.
What happens if I don’t make the cut?
A waitlist will be maintained. If a spot opens up, it will be offered to the first person on the waitlist, and so on until the spot is filled.