With a new season come new Invitational Qualifier and Open Trial artwork and products. The latest Spring products feature Kristen Plescow’s Sphinx artwork for IQs and Celestial Dragon artwork for OTs. Sign up to get yours today! As the Spring season begins, you can start planning ahead and schedule July events. Don’t forget to check your inboxes at the beginning of every month for this newsletter, where we’ll announce the next window to schedule your events!
Pulling up stakes and leaving a store in Montana to start a new business in Tampa, Florida can’t be easy, but Todd Schreier of Learn 2 Play Games makes it look that way. Within four weeks of opening, Learn 2 Play reached Advanced on the Wizards Play Network and regularly hosts successful Invitational Qualifiers. While Todd attributes some of his growth to StarCityGames.com In-Store Programs, much of it is due to his abilities as a tournament organizer and store owner. Read on as he shares some of his secrets and tips with me.
Todd’s first store, Good Games, opened in 2009 with a tournament that drew players from all over Montana for a foil playset of Baneslayer Angels. He ran a series of tournaments offering Moxes when Learn 2 Play opened. Running tournaments with high-profile prizes is invaluable in getting a new store’s name out to the players, but Todd also said, “Implementing the Invitational Qualifiers in Tampa, Florida is the best decision I have made for tournament play. I went from basic to Core in four days, Core to Advanced in four weeks. Each tournament the turnout keeps on getting better.”
With a second Learn 2 Play location opening soon, Todd told me, “We are moving up to have four IQs a month. I trust the brand and the team behind all that is StarCityGames.com.”
Advertising communicates who you are and what you do to your local Magic-playing community. It doesn’t have to be expensive; posters are inexpensive, while social media and word-of-mouth are free. The more people who know about your store, the better your business!
Brand awareness is crucial for Magic stores, especially those with competitors nearby. When players know about your store and what it has to offer, they are more likely to show up at your events and buy your products.
Remember to show your strengths as you try to build your brand. Emphasize your friendly service and great deals. Players remember which stores cater to them … and which don’t. Read more
Invitational Qualifiers can be any of four formats: Standard, Modern, Legacy, and Sealed. While $25 is the maximum entry fee you may charge players for Constructed IQs (Standard, Modern, and Legacy), you may charge up to $30 for Sealed IQs. Open Trials are more flexible, as any Magic format is acceptable and entry fees are determined by you, the tournament organizer. If you have questions about tournament formats or you want to ask something else for the mailbag, please send us an email at isp@starcitygames.com and we’ll be happy to assist!