Hosting an edition of the ETC-H competition is a massive undertaking but also an immensely rewarding challenge for the experienced tournament organizer. With more than 20 teams of 6 players, ETC-H is the largest Flames of War competition in Europe, and much of the European competitive scene revolves around each summer’s ETC-H weekend.
Process
Creating a Bid
When you create a bid, you as an organizer have a lot of freedom about the format. There is some required information which must be included for teams to evaluate, but you’re also welcome to “jazz things up.” You’re not only pitching your date and venue, but your city as more than a gaming location: An exciting, accessible, affordable destination for teams to visit this summer. There are examples of past bids below if you need inspiration.
Deadline
Bids must be submitted to the ETC-H Chairmen by email or on Discord by July 31st, the year prior to edition your bid is for. That means if you would like to host the 2027 ETC-H, you must submit your bid before July 31st, 2026. This allows the bids to be discussed by teams prior to the current ETC edition, as well as at the Captains’ Meeting during the event.
Selection
The Chairmen are responsible for facilitating a Captains’ Vote after the current ETC-H edition, such that by September 1st, the year prior to the event, a bid has been selected and teams can begin planning for the following year.
Bid Requirements
There are several pieces of information which must be present in your bid:
The date. Please select a single date. If multiple dates are possible, you are responsible for "conducting market research" to see which date is more preferred by teams.
The location. Please provide the address of the venue, and include photos, as well as relevant information about facilities (air condition, toilets, etc.).
The price per team.
The tables & terrain. Please include information on the amount of scenery per table, the type, how it will be produced, etc.
The prizes. ETC-H requires that there are prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, as well as "Most Sporting" and "Best Painted" teams. Please provide deatils about what the prizes will be, and how they will be sourced/funded.
ESC-H (Singles) Tournament. If you are able and willing to host a singles tournament the day before, please also include the price and prize information for that if relevant. Understandably, this section may be prefixed with, “If there is enough interest.”
Staff and reserve players. Running an ETC-H tournament requires the help of several individuals. This means set-up, judging, starting and stopping round timers (particularly if the TO intends to be playing). Please provide information about how these responsibilities will be covered, as well as if the local community can field a whole or partial mercenary team if needed.
Nice to Have
As mentioned above, besides the required information, you are encouraged to add additional information that will help teams make an informed decision about the bid they vote for. Below is a list of topics which have been included in the past and which are valuable additions to any complete bid:
Hotel options and price ranges. Some organizers are able to set up deals with local hotels, although this is not required. If you are hosting in a larger city with an extensive offering of hotels and short-term rentals, this may not be relevant.
Travel options and price ranges. Travelling to an ETC-H competition can be an expensive endeavor and information about travel, both to the host city as well as to-and-from the venue each day is appreciated.
Food and drink options. There is no requirement to provide meals at ETC-H, however providing an option which is onsite is often appreciated by teams. What options you can provide and what they will cost players/teams is useful to include within a bid.
Are you (and the local community) in a position to provide a mercenary team if it is needed?
Will the TO be playing? If so, how will the required staff (tournament administrator and judges) be sourced.
Hosting Responsibilities
The winning bid will be required to contribute an amount of €200 to the ETC-H Organization in order to cover one year’s administration and operating costs (For example: This ETC-H website, domain name registration, etc.).
Furthermore, because the rules pack will always be created a after a location and date are locked down for the following year, keep in mind that how you address points 3 and 7 above may need to be adjusted if the rules pack eventually includes specifics about the types of tables or terrain required, as well as specifics about non-playing judges or other staff.
