EVENTS 101
About stock-class events
Participating in a true stock-class event is an amazing experience. Beyond the thrill of competing against experienced and honorable players, there is the camaraderie that exists off field. The friendships that are created can last a lifetime. Many players will proclaim that they will look forward for an entire year for the next stock-class event to come. That sentiment says a lot about how awesome these events are.
Where are these events?
Many of you are probably thinking “These stock-class events sound great and all, but where are the stock-class events in my area?”. For the vast majority of players, there simply aren’t enough other people into stock-class to justify hosting an event. Even when there are enough players interested in stock-class, there is rarely anyone willing to organize an event, or who is willing to make it stock-class only because they want the event to be more “inclusive”.
The problem with wanting to make a stock-class games “inclusive” is that once you allow players to use hoppers or tanks, then it’s no longer a true stock-class event. As long as there is available stock-class equipment, then there is no reason why a true stock-class event can’t happen.
As far back as 1994 there have been players who insisted that in order to have an all stock-class event that there should be a slow transition in game play from semi-autos over to all stock-class equipment. For example, a well-known player at the time named “Durty Dan” suggested creating a series of events that would “ween” players into the stock-class format. The first event would allow semi-autos, but players were limited in how much paint a player could carry. The second event would involve replacing hoppers with vertical stick feeds. The third event would replace vertical stick feeds with horizontal ones. The fourth event would involve replacing tanks with 12-grams and so on. To me this sounds like a ridiculous nightmare of constantly changing formats until you get to where you want to be. And how much confusion (both on and off the field) would this create over the course of however many games? I have found that experienced adult players don’t need or want to take these unnecessarily complicated baby steps in order to participate in an all stock-class event.
The solution is to find someone who is passionate about the format, and who is willing to commit the time, energy and effort required to organize a stock-class-only event. Most organizers will need to start off small with renegade games and invite interested players. Pick up as much used loaner equipment as possible. Purchase 10-round tubes and 12-grams to sell to your players. Help players convert open-class pumps over to stock-class and ensure every player follows basic safety protocols. Using social media and websites like MCarterBrown.com to promote the event is crucial. If no one knows about your event, then no one will show up. Promoting and marketing your event is the single most important thing you can do to make it a success.
If the events go smoothly, and word spreads about how much fun is being had, then over time you will see these events grow larger and larger. The people who have participated in the large stock-class only events will confirm that those games were the most fun they have ever had playing paintball! Yes, it can require a fair bit of effort to pull off, but the payoff can result in unforgettable good times for you and your crew.
Making it happen
STEP 1: SET A DATE
The biggest mistake new event organizers make is not being decisive. Many new organizers seem to think that if they offer players the ability to choose a date that works best for them (via an online poll) that they will somehow maximize attendance. This could not be further from the truth. Attendance is going to be whatever it’s going to be regardless of whatever results an online poll produces. You will always have people who say they will attend an event, and then never show. You will always have people that never respond and then show up. Creating an online poll to see what date works best for everyone is a massive waste of time that will inevitably end up in never-ending arguments. Save yourself the headache, forget making a poll and just pick a date that works best for you - the organizer.
Pro tip #1: Pick a date that is at least 3 to 4 months away. The longer you give yourself to plan, organize and promote an event, the better attendance you will have.
Pro tip #2: Never plan an event on or near a major holiday.
Pro tip #3: Never plan an event on the same date as another similarly formatted event in your area (within a 3 hour drive).
Pro tip #4: Always consider the temperature when looking at dates. Obviously, stock-class guns run on 12-gram CO2s, so colder temps will have a noticeable negative impact on efficiency. Spring and fall are usually the best seasons for stock-class.
The key is to be decisive, pick a date and stick to it (unless you absolutely have to change it due to circumstances that are beyond your control - i.e. an extreme weather event, a pandemic, unforeseen family tragedy, etc. ).
STEP 2: PICK A VENUE
Picking the right venue for a stock-class event can be tricky and there is a lot to consider. Here are just some of the questions that will need to be addressed when considering a potential venue…
1) DOES THIS VENUE ADHERE TO AND ABIDE BY STRICT SAFETY GUIDELINES???
This is the single most important consideration when selecting a potential venue for your event!
2) Will the venue allow you to run a private event at no cost to you? If so, what is the minimum number of players required to hold a private event?
3) Will the event allow use of 12-gram CO2 cartridges? If so, do they sell 12-grams on-site?
4) Many stock-class players use finicky guns with larger bores. Will the venue allow you to Bring Your Own Paint (BYOP), or is it a Field Paint Only (FPO) venue?
5) What are the per person field fees and cost of paint?
6) What kind of paint do they stock? Is it fresh? Do they offer different grades?
7) What are their operating hours?
8) Does the venue have experienced, adult refs?
9) Will the venue guarantee your event has at least two refs?
The first question a field owner is going to ask you is how many players you have. At first, simply tell them you have the minimum number they require to reserve a private event.
Once you have settled on a suitable venue, and have all of the field details in hand, you can start promoting your event. As you are planning this event MONTHS IN ADVANCE, keep the field owner updated on any changes to attendance - hopefully reporting that you will have far more players committing to attend than the field’s minimum requirement.
STEP 3: PROMOTE YOUR EVENT
As stated above, promoting and marketing your event is the single most important thing you can do to make it a success. Create a “buzz” about the event on as many social media platforms as possible. It’s critical to post as many details as possible - When is the event? Where is the event? What time does the event start and end? Is it BYOP or FPO? How much is the entry fee? What are the paint grades and associated costs (it’s helpful to list even if the field allows BYOP)? Will 12-grams be available for sale? Will there be loaner equipment available? Finally, what are the equipment and event rules?
Take every opportunity to spread the word about your event. Mention it while playing/visiting local fields, and have your other stock-class players do the same. Also ask if the venue owner will advertise it on their website and social media pages. Every little bit of advertising will help.
STEP 4: DON’T BUDGE ON THE RULES!
Another obstacle an organizer is going to face is resistance from certain players who don’t want to adhere to the equipment rules. Over the years I’ve had several players bitch and moan about the limitations of 12-grams, stick feeds, spring feeds, woodsball and the stock-class format overall. These players made quite a fuss insisting that I change or bend the rules in order to satisfy their personal desires. I will admit that on certain occasions I conceded in order to be flexible with them. And every time I bent the rules, there was a problem because bending the rules resulted in an imbalance in the fairness of play. Suffice it to say I have learned to never repeat this mistake.
Stock-class isn’t for everyone. Either players are going to embrace the established rules, or they’re not. Those that don’t are free to participate in another format that is more suited to their liking. If you want a smooth running event, NEVER, EVER bend the rules! In the end, you’ll be left with the players who embrace stock-class for all of the positive attributes it promotes, and be able to enjoy all that entails.
STEP 5: GATHER AS MUCH LOANER EQUIPMENT AS POSSIBLE
In the months prior to the event, collect as many SC markers as you can, and ask other players if they will be willing to loan out some of their equipment. You’ll also need extra harnesses, empty tubes with caps and 12-gram CO2s. Also let players know that they may be able to modify their existing pump guns to stock-class with very little effort or expense.
STEP 6: HAVE AN AWESOME EVENT!
As the event organizer, make sure you have a printed set of rules with you on the day of the event. It is extremely helpful to go over all of the stock-class specific rules with the Field Manager and refs prior to the reading of the rules to the group. Usually, the staff at the field will have the safety briefing first. Once that ends, you will welcome your group to the venue and read the stock-class specific rules to everyone. I can’t stress enough how important it is to read these rules to the group prior to game play. Even after more than a decade of hosting events, it is still critical for me to remind players about the basic SC rules. It does help avoid issues during the day.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU ALLOW THE FIELD STAFF TO INTERFERE WITH THE FORMAT OF YOUR EVENT! Over the years there have been quite a few organizers of “stock-class” events who have allowed staff at the field to talk them into mixing walk-ons or other groups of players with their stock-class group (especially if the stock-class group is smaller). In all instances, the non-SC players were armed with semi-autos. Obviously, this derailed the entire stock-class aspect of the event and left players with a less than positive experience. If you and your group want to experience a true stock-class event, then NEVER allow the field staff to mix other players into your group.
At the end of the day, I measure the success of my events by asking two simple questions… 1) Did anyone get hurt? and 2) Did everyone have fun? If the answers are No and Yes, then I have run a successful event. Obviously, there is a lot more to it than that. An event can be ruined by a lot of things - the weather, shitty paint, players who takes themselves too seriously or who don’t abide by the rules, swarms of mosquitos, etc., but you, as an organizer, only have control over so much. So yes, it does take a fair amount of effort and diligence to make an event a success, but there is also a fair amount of luck involved. If all the other things that are out of your control go your way, then you’ll be setting up your next event in no time!
Anyone who is interested in organizing a stock-class event are free to use the new stock-class 2.0 rules in order to help them facilitate smoothly-run games. Please note: if you do adopt these rules, but choose to modify them in any way, please do not refer to them as “stock-class rules” or especially “stock-class 2.0 rules”. Doing so will only serve to create confusion and convolute existing definitions with players, and that is something we should all be working hard to prevent.
I am currently working on a comprehensive guide on how to host a stock-class event. As soon as that’s done I’ll be providing it here as a printable PDF as a free resource.
Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in organizing stock-class-only events and need any assistance. Here at Stock-Class HQ we are committed to growing the format and preserving the original spirit of the game with skill, sportsmanship, camaraderie and fun!
Stay stock classy!
Mark “Slim” Hatfield