5A-2 Discussion Item: FQE bid for 2018 CYCC/Canadian Open

[Lyle Craver]

(discussion requested by Richard Bérubé )

[Richard Bérubé]

Hi !

We are ready to present the BID for the CYCC 2018 and Canadian Open 2018.
The twin project is a partership between the FQE, the Quebec City Convention Center, the City of Quebec and hopefully, the CFC.

The BID document is divided into 7 sections :

1) Letters of support
2) The Local host
3) The destination : Quebec City
4) Proposed Hotels and facilities
5) Optional activities
6) Budget and Fundraising potential
7) Great Interest for the WYCC 2018

Some additionnal notes :
- The document contains 53 pages (PDF) including a letter from the Quebec Prime Minister to Mr Lyle Craver.
- The sections and elements are open for argumentation.
- A donation to the Kalev Pugi fund is budgeted.
- There is fundraising possibilities for the Federations.
- We would like the BID to be voted soon (before march 31st) for the reason that two years is just ok to prepare important events.
- Also A Quebec City delegation will go to the Sport Accord Convention this april to open discussions with FIDE about the WYCC 2018. The CYCC is an important spring board.
- The sections and Prizes distribution of the Canadian Open are not decided for the moment. We want some tips from CFC Governors and chess amateurs before doing that. A unique section, or multiple sections ?
- The Quebec Open and Canadian Open will be two different tournaments at different dates.

Here is the link for the BID document : CYCC and Canadian Open

http://64.18.189.74/positionnement_Echecs_10037_10038_FINAL2_LR.pdf

If you have any problems with the link, let me know.

Richard Bérubé

[Richard Bérubé]

Here is a letter from Mr. Marc Magny from The Quebec City Convention Center

It’ s with enthusiasm that I am providing you today our proposal to host those two great events here in Québec city :

• Canadian Youth Chess Championship 2018 (CYCC 2018)
• Canadian Open Chess Championship 2018 (COCC)

2016 (Windsor) and 2017 (Sault Ste Marie) will precede a unique Chess Championship Experience in 2018 … Quebec City ! Fiftieth anniversary of the Quebec Chess federation and a great line up of 3 majors chess events : The Carnaval Chess Tournament, the CYCC, the COCC and maybe, the WYCC !!!

As mentionned during our site inspection, we would like to receive a confirmation for the 2018 CYCC and COCC prior March the 31st because our main objective will be to organize an action for the FIDE while I am going to be at Sport Accord next April and also to insure that the great 2018 Quebec program is well secured. WE, as a destination, want to provide to all your participants, volunteers and officials something they deserve and something they will refer to in the future. Nothing less !

I am available for any questions or comments any time from now to March 31st .

Best regards to Mr. Craver ,

Marc Magny
Sales Manager, International Sports Conventions
Business Development, Cercle des ambassadeurs
Société du Centre des congrès de Québec
mmagny@convention.qc.ca
Tel.418.649.7711 # 4047
Cel.418.569.8228

900, boul. René-Lévesque Est, 2e étage
Québec (Québec) G1R 2B5

www.convention.qc.ca
www.cercledesambassadeurs.com

[Halldor P. Palsson]

Can we have confirmation that the CYCC bid includes $150 per player to the CFC to send a delegation to the WYCC?

In the CYCC calculations there are 300 players *$75, which I take to be the local organizer share of the entry fee.

It would be great for the CFC to be able to award the 2018 tournament and be looking for someone for 2019.

[Richard Bérubé]

Hi !

Yes, there is a share of 150 $ per player for the CFC. So the total amount for one registration is 225 $, and 250 $ after a certain date to be determined.

[Aris Marghetis]

Can we have confirmation that the CYCC bid includes $150 per player to the CFC to send a delegation to the WYCC?

In the CYCC calculations there are 300 players *$75, which I take to be the local organizer share of the entry fee.

It would be great for the CFC to be able to award the 2018 tournament and be looking for someone for 2019.

I agree with Halldor's points. I think it's wonderful that this bid is coming in so early, and that it seems to coincide nicely with local celebrations. However, I would prefer to see a super-complete bid, and in time for the next CFC AGM. That gives any other contenders the same level playing field for submitting their bid(s). Offhand, I am uncomfortable at HAVING to decide by this March 31st. I don't know if it's publicized anywhere, but I recommend the CYCC/CO deadlines be changed to something to the effect of "2 CFC AGMs before". In other words, for bids for 2018, they would be compared and chosen at the 2016 CFC AGM, etc. I am tremendously happy how CYCC/CO bidding is blooming!

[Lyle Craver]

My thinking is pretty much as per Halldor's and as he says it would be great to be looking to 2019 particularly after recent experience.

[Richard Bérubé]

One of the problems in waiting too long is the avaibility of the rooms-playing site at the Hotel Delta. Also the tarifs may changed. Our window is not very large. Quebec City is terribly popular in summer.

[Valer Eugen Demian]

Congratulations for putting this bid together! I look forward to vote on it ASAP :-)

[Vladimir Drkulec]

At the moment there is only one bid and we know that the FQE are quite capable. If someone else is thinking about bidding lets get things together for 2018 or put together a bid for 2019. I think we will need assurances from whoever puts on the tournaments that they will take on making sure that players have up to date memberships as this creates much of the random variation in membership numbers which are endlessly debated. Forcing everyone to be a member before they can sit down and play and then making sure that the collected memberships and youth fund fees are accounted for and remitted to the CFC on a timely basis is an important requirement.

[Paul Leblanc]

Very thoughtful to consider a contribution to the Kalev Pugi Fund from the CYCC.
I hope to play in the 2018 Quebec City Canadian Open. I do not have a problem awarding these events now. The organizers have gone through a great deal of effort and need some certainty to proceed.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

We did hear previously from Alberta that they would be bidding on these events or at least on the Canadian Open.

[Halldor P. Palsson]

Can we ask the Executive to set a deadline for competing bids and approve the FQE bid if no proposals are received.

We can vote if other bids are received.

[Richard Bérubé]

ON THE REGISTRATION SYSTEM

We will worked with QVC Quebec City which is a bureau associated with the Quebec Convention Center to adapt there integrated registration system. That means that any registration for the CYCC and the CDN OPEN will be double checked : correct amount for the entry fee and expiry date for the CFC membership.
The system can also register people/players for extra activities. People can even buy there flight ticket on this platform. One window for all the tournament.

[Aris Marghetis]

Can we ask the Executive to set a deadline for competing bids and approve the FQE bid if no proposals are received.

We can vote if other bids are received.

I agree with Halldor's proposal regarding CYCC/CO bids. I believe the deadline used to be the previous year's AGM. I propose that we now make it the 2-years-before AGM.

As an aside, in my opinion, another problem with voting at THIS meeting is that it was previously announced that there would not be any voting at this meeting. Maybe it's just me, but since that announcement, there seems to be less attendance and participation than usual, when more people are getting involved in preparation for voting.

[Valer Eugen Demian]

I have one question only regarding the bid presented: is this the best deal money wise we can get for those hotel rooms? I have never been to Quebec City yet and my knowledge of the room rates could need an update since the rates listed seemed high to me.
Thank you in advance!

[Richard Bérubé]

ON THE HOTELS : DELTA SITE OF THE TOURNAMENT

It's the best deal for a 4 star hotel. But people are not forced to stay at the hotel of the tournament. There is 4 hotels at five minutes walking distance. See page 39 of the PDF document.

But remember : a remittance of 10$ per night goes to the organizers for the DELTA.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

I agree with Halldor's proposal regarding CYCC/CO bids. I believe the deadline used to be the previous year's AGM. I propose that we now make it the 2-years-before AGM.

As an aside, in my opinion, another problem with voting at THIS meeting is that it was previously announced that there would not be any voting at this meeting. Maybe it's just me, but since that announcement, there seems to be less attendance and participation than usual, when more people are getting involved in preparation for voting.

Anything involving votes of the voting members under the NFP act now requires proper notifications which means three weeks ahead of the vote. We only learned of the bids a few days before the meeting. The normal practice is that bids are received at the AGM. This rule was created when there were no quarterly meetings. In fact, when there are two competing bids according to the handbook then they should not be voted on at the AGM but through a governors letter presumably to include all governors in the decision as previously the AGM held at the Canadian Open might include only a small subset of the governors. Given that the meetings are now online and everyone has the opportunity to vote at the AGM and the quarterly meetings we can probably dispense with this idea.

We were previously notified that Alberta intended to bid for the 2018 Canadian Open and had some significant financing available. I believe that we will need to contact them to see where they are with this possible bid. That said, I would hate to lose the Quebec City bid and then have no bidders for 2018. If there is only one party bidding then normally it is a decision for the executive which also has more flexible rules with respect to voting and decision making so we could accommodate the March 31st deadline if it is a hard deadline.

The AGM will most likely be held in August (after this year's NAYCC) as it was last year. We could have a special meeting in three weeks to deal with this question if it turns out that there are two or more bidders.

I think it is a very good thing if we can start getting these events nailed down three or even more years in advance. This will avoid the situation of 2015 where the Canadian Open was not held.

I have been somewhat distracted from this meeting as the result of a somewhat catastrophic (for my car) accident which occurred this past Monday. Adding the required interactions with police, insurance, auto body shop etc. has not done my available time any favours.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

Can we ask the Executive to set a deadline for competing bids and approve the FQE bid if no proposals are received.

We can vote if other bids are received.

I will confer with the executive and set a reasonable deadline before the end of this meeting.

[Richard Bérubé]

This is reasonable. The organizers (FQE, Quebec Convention Center and City of Quebec) hopes that the CFC arrives at a decision no latter then March 31st. A lot of work has been done on this BID including an inspection from me in Quebec City during 3 days for the visit of 8 hotels.

[Valer Eugen Demian]

ON THE HOTELS : DELTA SITE OF THE TOURNAMENT

It's the best deal for a 4 star hotel. But people are not forced to stay at the hotel of the tournament. There is 4 hotels at five minutes walking distance. See page 39 of the PDF document.

But remember : a remittance of 10$ per night goes to the organizers for the DELTA.

Thank you for your feedback! It is also possible we are spoiled here on the West Coast with 4 star hotels for traditional tournaments like the GPO:
http://grandpacificopen.pbworks.com/w/page/15387541/FrontPage
Over there the deals listed for 4 stars are within $109 per night. Of course you know the best what is your local reality. It just surprises me Quebec City is more expensive than our BC (Bring Cash) Coast :)

[Vladimir Drkulec]

I have talked to my friend in Calgary and it doesn't seem that a bid from Calgary is on the front burner. (Edit: This is now confirmed so the only bid we have so far is the FQE bid.) I will confirm this with the other stakeholders though we do have to give at least some opportunity that people who were preparing a bid for the AGM to come forward now. If there are no other bids then it is possible that we might be able to meet your March 31st deadline through a decision by the executive.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

I do not yet have a consensus by the executive with respect to the proper time line to use for entertaining alternative bids. We will keep the meeting open for at least one more day while we work it out.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

There is still no consensus. We will close the meeting and announce the resolution of our deliberations on the CFC forums within a day or two.