Few words about WTC WM&H and GB

Hello Geeks, 

Today I would like to write to you about organizing one of the biggest Warmachine & Hordes and Guild Ball event on earth. Of course it is about World Team Championship, which was started at 2013 in Belgium. Throughout years it was organized in different countries: 
2013 - Belgium 
2014 - Poland 
2015 - Ireland 
2016 - Netherlands
2017 - Belgium 
2018 - Poland 
2019 - Belgium 

I was actually involved into organizing three of this events. First of all I was coorganizers of WTC 2014 in Poland - during this event I've helped Artur from Gnom (one of Polish LGS in Bielsko-Biała) and Ice-T (you may know him as a painter with his own studio - Arcane Steam Studio). Next event, which I've organized (as a main organizers this time) was a WTC 2018 in Warsaw. This year I'm helping as a committee member.

What can I say about organizing WTC? 

It's really hard job. Really, really hard. From my experience it takes about 14-18 months to organize such event. One WTC was smaller committee has received pitches for WTC about 14 months before this event. These pitches have included info about hotel and estimated price per person. Usually it takes few weeks to receive interesting offers from hotels. Throughout this months sometimes you need to spend working around 2-3 hours per week and sometimes 20+ hours. If there are more complex things, that need to be solved, then you will take more time. 

Known heroes  

Here I would like to mention who normally is responsible for organizing WTC: 
- WTC Committee: 
Here is a group of people, who make all important decisions around WTC. For example if errata is released, then they will let you know, that no matter what will happen we are going to use this errata ;) Of course amount of work they are doing is much bigger and for example last year we've only 3 active members of WTC Committee, who has helped me to prepare for this event. 

- Logistic's team:
This is a group, who want WTC to be organized in their country. They are communicating with WTC Committee and they have two temporary members in WTC Committee. There is a lot of things to cover such as venue, meals, gaming aids etc.. 

Unknown heroes

There is also second group, which I've called unknown heroes, because normally they are not mentioned enough, but they should be. I will start here a short list: 

- Judges: 

Each year we've 7-10 volounteers, who are part of this event. Maybe not everyone will know, but really often they are helping with event long before each WTC. For example this year there is special group chat with WTC WM&H judges. This group approves every submitted conversion (hello various hermit's conversions ;) ). Few years ago judges have to check all submitted lists in few days. Right now they don't have to because... 

- Conflict Chamber: 

David, who is running conflict chamber has helped a lot throughout last few years. He has put a lot of effort and really helped us. Also this year he has made enormous job with Oblivion update!!! 

- Data entry: 

Online updates of scores is made by around 5-7 persons each year. Two behind the desk computers and few running around the halls and taking helping with players sheets. Sometimes there are mistakes, but please remember, that each round (around 3 hours) they need to select 320 casters and they need to fill in around 1250+ variables (who has won, how he has won, number of CPs, number of VPs). 

- Streaming: 

Sometimes we're referring to them as streaming guys, but it's not fair. For example last year, there was organized streaming by Warroom.pl and here was a really big work made by Marcin Nowicki. Amount of equipment, which he has took to this event was enormous and he has prepared for all games. He was even called during his WTC games. I'm really thankful to him, that he has made such an awesome job :) Thank you Marcin! 

- Organization from Belgium:

They are really important to mention, because they we've organized three WTC in Belgium, they were gathering funds for WTCs 2013-2017 and 2019, and they've bought a big amount of terrains, zones, mats and clocks, which were used during WTCs 2017-2019. 

Thank you all for your work during these last few years. 

What will happen next? 

Members of organization from Belgium can't spend so much time for helping in WTC each year (it involves a lot of unpaid work) and because of this, there will be some changes. WTC Committee will still be working and there for sure will be election this autumn.

Also WTC Guild Ball and WTC Warmachine & Hordes will be two seperate events. Organizing only WTC WM&H has around 450+ participants, which limits ability to grow WTC Guild Ball. It will make it much easier for organizers to make such events. 

This doesn't mean end of WTC, but there will be some changes, which will be mostly done by future organizers. 

What I need to do if I want to organize WTC? 

You can start by calculating if such event is possible to be done ;) I will probably try to write an article about costs, which need to be calculated, but it's story for another time. If you've any questions about WTC please leave a comment here. I would try to answer it.