London Open: Organisers Handbook

by Geoff Kaniuk 2010

1. OVERVIEW

Purpose

The purpose of this manual is to set out the details of running the London Open so that it is easier for organisers to get assistance in managing this event. The London Open has been run in the International Students House now since 2001 and it really is an ideal venue with an affordable price. The premises and tournament format are very stable, so the detail set out here should be relevant for some years to come.

We discuss the details of the premises and then how the format of the event fits in with that structure. So, knowing what we want to achieve, and where we are going to achieve it, we then detail how we set about achieving the goal.

Brief History

The London Open Go Congress had its first meeting at Imperial College in January 1975. The 2nd to 4th were at the London Go Centre in Belsize Park. After the Go Centre closed down, the 5th to 13th Congresses were held at the IVC premises in Covent Garden. The 14th was a Hoskyn's sponsored event at the Kenilworth Hotel near Bloomsbury Square, then back to the IVC for the 15th Congress. The IVC then sold its premises and the London Open continued in basic surrounding for the 16th to 27th Congresses at the Highbury Round House. Numbers had dropped from a peak of about 150 to 92 at the last Congress of the old millenium, and so it was moved to the more central location at International Students House from 2001. So far all the subsequent Congresses have been held there, and the attendance has risen to 132 in 2008 and 115 in 2009.