LV DVG America

The only all-breed dog sport organization

Hosting the Nationals

Hosting the Nationals is a major responsibility as well as a significant service to our organization. The host club will be required to sign a contract with the LV, taking on responsibility for all direct costs and committing to a schedule for meeting requirements, such as getting a contract with a venue, getting motel contracts, and so on. The contract will also specify how much money the LV will give the club to help cover expenses, and the schedule of payments.

A venue for obedience and protection

While a stadium is preferred, it is not required. A soccer field or other open area that meets the following requirements is acceptable.

  • Adequate parking for 100 or more cars
  • Bleacher style seating for 150 or more spectators (can be portable seating)
  • Bathrooms with running water
  • Area for relieving dogs with appropriate disposal containers
  • Space for vendors
  • Food vendors on site are highly desirable, but not required
  • Lights for the field, if some of the competition will be at night
  • Loud speaker system

Tracking fields

Good quality grass or dirt fields. Allow a minimum of 3 acres per dog, more if possible.

Practice areas

Practice tracking areas are required. The cover should be generally similar to that on the trial fields.

A practice field for obedience and protection is highly desirable, but not required.

Motels

Make arrangements with a local dog-friendly motel or motels for about 60 rooms. In addition to participants, the judges, helpers, and LV Board members will all need rooms. While participants don’t expect the Ritz, rooms should at least be clean, secure, and bug free! No roach motels! Make sure you have nice rooms for the judges.  If possible, judges should be in a separate hotel from competitors.

Meeting rooms

The LV will require you to provide meeting rooms either at the motel or the stadium, or very close nearby. There will be at least 3 meetings – the LV Board (13 or so Board members at a table up front, plus seating for 20-30 spectators from the membership), the judges’ meeting (12 people, no spectators), and the General Membership meeting (seating up front for the board, plus space for 60-80 members). The rooms for the Board and the General Membership meetings should have internet available and phones so people can call into the meetings). You also need a room to host the draw. Often this is done at Thursday night dinner.

Judges

As usual, the LRO will assign judges for the event, and will deal with Germany to arrange for at least one German judge to attend (you can ask for 2). The host club is responsible for all judges’ expenses and fees.

Helpers

The OFG will assign helpers for the Nationals. The host club is responsible for all helpers’ expenses and fees.

Vendors

Try to arrange for at least 3 or 4 good vendors of IPO-related equipment.

Participants’ bibs

The LV provides numbered bibs for the participants. The Host club is responsible for getting the bibs from the previous year’s host or KG president, and passing on the bibs at the end of the event to the president of the KG putting on the event the next year (or to some other responsible person). You can choose to use the bibs as a sponsorship opportunity. Some sponsor may be willing to purchase bibs with its information displayed on the back for some sum over the cost of the bibs.

Signing up participants

The host club is responsible for signing up participants, collecting entry fees and necessary paperwork (scorebooks, etc), and filling out required trial information. You must use Caniva to register participants and print judges’ paperwork.

Trial chair and trial secretary

The LRO, or someone appointed by the LRO, serves as Trial Chair. The host club provides a Trial Secretary.

Expenses

The host club is responsible for paying all judges and helpers expenses, venue rental, and all other direct costs relating to the event. The host club is not responsible for the expenses of the LV Board. The LV will give you up to $6000 toward your expenses but you must keep records of your expenses to demonstrate to the LV that you have spent the funds for which you are seeking reimbursement. The host club keeps all the entry money.

Schedule of events

While the specific schedule may vary, according to need, in general Nationals run as follows:

Thursday morning – Practice on the trial field, supervised by someone from the LV board or a judge (not an event judge). The Board arranges for the supervisors. The host club signs up the participants for their practice slots (on line or on paper) and makes sure all required protection and obedience equipment is on hand for the participants to use. Practice normally takes 4-5 hours.

Thursday afternoon, following practice – Judges’ meeting. Normally about 2 hours.

Thursday evening – draw. Often this is done at Thursday night dinner, but a dinner event is not required, or can be held some other night. The host club arranges for the restaurant and collects dinner costs directly from attendees.

Friday morning. Opening ceremony and competition begins, normally with the 1s and 2s. The host club arranges for any special opening events, but all that’s required is for the LV president to welcome participants and declare the event open.

Friday late afternoon, immediately following competition. LV Board meeting – normally 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Saturday morning – competition continues.

Saturday late afternoon, immediately following competition, or after a short break for supper – General membership meeting. Normally runs 2 to 2.5 hours.

Sunday morning – competition continues.

Sunday afternoon, immediately following competition – closing ceremony. Host club is responsible for any special closing ceremony events. Keep any special events short. LV Board hands out trophies and special awards. Host club should ensure that all participants show up for the closing ceremony.