2014 CYCC sets new attendance record and grosses over $70,000!

[Larry Bevand]

Yes with about 12 days to go, the 2014 CYCC will be a huge success! 305 players are already registered to set a new all time record....about two thirds of the players are from Ontario!

First I think we have to congratulate the FQE. They are hosting this event at the Fairmount Queen Elizabeth Hotel in downtown Montreal...they signed for 1,000 room nights at $140 plus tax per night...they now stand at over 1,500 room nights (this includes the Canadian Open)!

For the hotel we are talking a minimum of $210,000.

For the event we are talking about what I believe will be the largest gross of entry fees on a chess tournament in Canada ever...over $70,000!

It is awesome!

In some of the past years, the CFC has not been great with the finances. This year we are very lucky. First, CFC Pres Vlad D. is committed to Youth Chess. Secondly, I believe the FQE is coming to this event with a healthier attitude thanks to Felix Dumont and FQE President M Labadie.

If I were faced with this delicious situation, as a first step, this is what I would announce today: Due to the overwhelming acceptance of the CYCC by the Canadian Chess Youth Community, the CFC will pay the full airfare for the winners in each section. In other words...we are supporting our champions! Once the final numbers are in, we would look at this again.

What do you say Vlad? And the FQE which is also looking at a very nice situation...Felix...I know you believe in giving back...what is your position ...better even...what is the FQE position :).

We are all involved in not for profit organizations dedicated to improving chess in Canada...what better way than to support our champions at a world event!

Larry

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: 2014 CYCC sets new attendance record and grosses over $70,000!

Yes with about 12 days to go, the 2014 CYCC will be a huge success! 305 players are already registered to set a new all time record....about two thirds of the players are from Ontario!

First I think we have to congratulate the FQE. They are hosting this event at the Fairmount Queen Elizabeth Hotel in downtown Montreal...they signed for 1,000 room nights at $140 plus tax per night...they now stand at over 1,500 room nights (this includes the Canadian Open)!

For the hotel we are talking a minimum of $210,000.

For the event we are talking about what I believe will be the largest gross of entry fees on a chess tournament in Canada ever...over $70,000!

It is awesome!

In some of the past years, the CFC has not been great with the finances. This year we are very lucky. First, CFC Pres Vlad D. is committed to Youth Chess. Secondly, I believe the FQE is coming to this event with a healthier attitude thanks to Felix Dumont and FQE President M Labadie.

If I were faced with this delicious situation, as a first step, this is what I would announce today: Due to the overwhelming acceptance of the CYCC by the Canadian Chess Youth Community, the CFC will pay the full airfare for the winners in each section. In other words...we are supporting our champions! Once the final numbers are in, we would look at this again.

What do you say Vlad? And the FQE which is also looking at a very nice situation...Felix...I know you believe in giving back...what is your position ...better even...what is the FQE position :).

We are all involved in not for profit organizations dedicated to improving chess in Canada...what better way than to support our champions at a world event!

Larry

We need to look at the numbers and we need people to tell us if they are going to WYCC before CYCC even starts. Like last year we will try to do a little something for everyone. At the moment, I have no idea how many are interested in going to South Africa but as long as I am in charge (which might only be another week or so) we will do our best to make such international trips the best experience that we possibly can. Certainly we need to know the day CYCC ends with commitments of money for those who are not official players. However what you are saying is what I was thinking as these numbers keep going higher. Thank you to the FQE for organizing this event so thoroughly and so well.

Anyone who wants to go to WYCC needs to tell us now. This administration is not one that will prevent kids from playing in WYCC as has happened in the past.

[Felix Dumont]

Re : 2014 CYCC sets new attendance record and grosses over $70,000!

Thanks Larry! I was about to make a similar post but you beat me to it :)

As of today, we have 305 registered players for the CYCC and 305 for the Canadian Open. This is much better than what we are expecting, and I believe people will really enjoy both tournaments. And your calculations are correct (although the fees are $135/night). We probably have close to 1800 nights booked as of today, which should represent about $250 000. No need to say that the hotel manager had no trouble giving us additionnal rooms for the parents.

Regarding what to do with the money, I agree with you that paying full airfare would be a good first step. I suggested the same thing last year, but the executive decided to keep some money aside in case future CYCCs were not as successful. However, with another great success, the CFC could now probably afford it. Still, this is not the FQE's decision. We will give $150 per player to the CFC, as in our bid, and they will decide what to do of it. We might have a small surplus from our part ($75 per entry minus all the expenses), but definitely not enough to cover such an expense.

Richard and I contacted 17 hotels last summer, 10 of which accepted our conditions. We both visited a few hotels after that and decided to go for the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth. Since we had so many hotels interested in hosting the tournaments, we were able to get a very good deal. While its us who planned everything, I must say that now most of the work is done by Roman Sarrazin-Gendron, who was hired by the FQE to specifically work on the CYCC and CO this summer. Without him, we would never be able to answer all the emails we receive every day.

[Larry Bevand]

Re: 2014 CYCC sets new attendance record and grosses over $70,000!

We need to look at the numbers and we need people to tell us if they are going to WYCC before CYCC even starts. Like last year we will try to do a little something for everyone. At the moment, I have no idea how many are interested in going to South Africa but as long as I am in charge (which might only be another week or so) we will do our best to make such international trips the best experience that we possibly can. Certainly we need to know the day CYCC ends with commitments of money for those who are not official players. However what you are saying is what I was thinking as these numbers keep going higher. Thank you to the FQE for organizing this event so thoroughly and so well.

Anyone who wants to go to WYCC needs to tell us now. This administration is not one that will prevent kids from playing in WYCC as has happened in the past.

Hi Vlad,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. You are a reasonable person and I respect you.

I guess I look at this from a slightly different perspective. If I think I can win my section at the CYCC, a committment from the CFC at this stage (before the event) saying...if you win your section, your airfare will be paid to the WYCC...that would say to me...YES I WANT THIS! Travel...entry fee and lodging would be paid (organizers and CFC combined) Yes I know the youngster can not go alone and for the family we are still talking major dollars...this is just a way of saying...you are special..you are our champion in your category...and we support you to the best of our ability!

The money is there.

It is simply a question of how we want to spend it. Don't you think that our champions should have their travel paid for from from the funds collected? We are not talking about CFC funds being used here...simply reinvesting the surpluses from the CYCC being reinvested in our champions.

Larry

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: 2014 CYCC sets new attendance record and grosses over $70,000!

Hi Vlad,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. You are a reasonable person and I respect you.

I guess I look at this from a slightly different perspective. If I think I can win my section at the CYCC, a committment from the CFC at this stage (before the event) saying...if you win your section, your airfare will be paid to the WYCC...that would say to me...YES I WANT THIS! Travel...entry fee and lodging would be paid (organizers and CFC combined) Yes I know the youngster can not go alone and for the family we are still talking major dollars...this is just a way of saying...you are special..you are our champion in your category...and we support you to the best of our ability!

The money is there.

It is simply a question of how we want to spend it. Don't you think that our champions should have their travel paid for from from the funds collected? We are not talking about CFC funds being used here...simply reinvesting the surpluses from the CYCC being reinvested in our champions.

Larry

I was on my way out the door to head to a lesson across the city when I made a hasty reply which included the sentence: "However what you are saying is what I was thinking as these numbers keep going higher." That is my opaque way of saying that I agree with you. I need the people who definitely want to go to WYCC to let us know forthwith. I will argue for full payment of the official players' air fare. I have usually been able to persuade people to do the things that I argue for but I will have to talk to the youth coordinator and the executive though in fact I should probably hold off on making such promises until after the CFC election as there is no guarantee that a new president and directors would agree to this. We are going to need pictures of the player and parents and scans of their passports and if they are on a non-Canadian passport there may be some added wrinkles to dispose of.

We are a non-profit. We should not horde the money to sit in no interest bank accounts but should spend it on the kids. If Windsor gets CYCC in 2015 it should be another good year for the youth fund next year and it might even persuade me to stick around another year as CFC president (if I were to win this year).

[Halldor P. Palsson]

Re: 2014 CYCC sets new attendance record and grosses over $70,000!

Great to see the CYCC & CO doing well!

Congratulations on setting a CYCC record.

[Paul Leblanc]

Re: 2014 CYCC sets new attendance record and grosses over $70,000!

The Montreal organizers appear to be doing a great job. I look forward to an excellent Canadian Open. Watch out for Team BC in both events!

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: 2014 CYCC sets new attendance record and grosses over $70,000!

The Montreal organizers appear to be doing a great job. I look forward to an excellent Canadian Open. Watch out for Team BC in both events!

Hi Paul:

It is the BC refrain: we've got a smaller team than Ontario, but we are very efficient and effective.

You've got your work cut out for you. It appears Ontario will have the biggest team, other than Quebec (maybe?).

But, good luck. Look forward to chatting with you in Montreal. Prepare some good blogging material for me!

Bob A

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: 2014 CYCC sets new attendance record and grosses over $70,000!

Congratulations to the organizers of this year's Montreal chess festival---CYCC and Canadian Open. Fantastic turnout. Should lead to a thrilling event. Well done.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: 2014 CYCC sets new attendance record and grosses over $70,000!

Twenty seven of the 305 kids registered for CYCC will be from Windsor. If the rest of Canada would catch up to Windsor CYCC would have 4800 players based on the population of Windsor relative to the rest of Canada.