What you like to see/have at a trial? - Page 1

So we are at crunch time for our club's first trial. My husband and I have both been in other clubs in the past where we have served as Trial Chair or Secretary, helper, tracking coordinator, etc. We got out of the competitive side of the sport for a while (raising kids, starting a business) so I'd like to hear the current stuff on trials. This is the first trial for most of our members, but what they lack in experience they more than make up for in willingness and effort. We would like this to be an enjoyable trial for all involved, the judge, the competitors, the dogs, the members helping out and even spectators if we get any.
We have a regulation sized field that is grassed and has permanent blinds. Our tracking fields (that are NOT ours) are absolutely beautiful. The guy usually rents out this place for $1000 a day for weddings and corporate events, but he is a dog lover and is giving our club a break. We are planning on charging $60 for BH and $75 for IPO 1,2,3, or therabouts. 
At our training field we have a clubhouse where we will serve concessions and it has a bathroom (no porta potties :)).
As a competitor what things have you seen at trials that you liked or not liked? 
What do you like to get as a trophy (assuming you earn one!). This is a club with a small membership, so we don't have big cash reserves so want to do nice awards that winners will enjoy having. Maybe an engraved mug or cookie jar? 
Should we just offer drinks and lunch for sale? I'm thinking most people will stop for breakfast on the way here. Maybe offer coffee for sale in the morning? Also, one of our members owns a tshirt company and has offered to design a tshirt we can sell, and also add to the trophy swag. Would you buy a tshirt with the trial info on it? How much would you be willing to spend (this will be a fund raiser like the concessions). The club member will sell us the shirts at cost, I'm guessing about $6 per shirt so maybe we could sell them for $12 or $15. Personally I'm a tshirt nut and buy a tshirt at every event, even if I just want it as a night shirt. I realize that is how the clubs make some money so I am happy to buy whatever.

Anyway, any answers to my questions would be helpful (answer all or none, I just appreciate the time). 
I would love to hear about great trials or seminars you've attended, or even instances where things were not so great.

Annette

At our last trial, we had a buffet, hot stew in slow cookers with bread, coffee and charged a set price for as much as you wanted to eat and drink, you just helped yourself.  Almost everyone paid it even if all they planned to do was drink coffee all day and they had the choice of snacking as well, those that didn't had brought their own anyway.  Added bonus of not needing anyone to man the table apart from taking the money when people first arrived and we made a profit on it.  We also gave every qualifier a trophy and trophies for Best in each of the 3 phases irrespective of whether they qualified or not, gave everyone a chance to take home a prize.  The T shirts sound a great idea, might try to use that ourselves.

Margaret N-J

My husband and I drove several hours to a small trial to cheer the competitors on and just to learn/gain experience for when we trial. In an entire afternoon, only one person would say hello to us (the wife of a competitor); when we said hello to people near us at appropriate times (ie. not while someone was on the field), they would just stare at us and move on. It was so awful that we will never go back there again, as spectators or competitors.

Greeting people is NOT an issue at our club. We have quite a few people that are in sales in their professional lives and I assigned them the job of club liason at the get go. This way when someone new comes out to see the club and the TD or I am busy doing regular club stuff I know someone will go introduce themself and get the ball rolling.
I know how you feel though, my husband and I went to a trial a couple years ago when we were getting back into the sport. We were chuckling at how rude the members of the club were until their TD recognized us and ran over and gave us both a hug. Then suddenly the rest of the people were kind of nice (not really, but better). I told my husband I never wanted anyone to feel like that when they came to our club which is when we assigned the task of club liason (we have 3, just in case). We are lucky that the 3 people are all very outgoing and funny people who love to meet new people.

It IS a shame when clubs are not welcoming. The newbies are the future of our sport!
The clubs I have started over the years were nothing if not hospitable. :-) This was written right into the by-laws as part of the mission statement.

We fed 'em well too! No awful, cheap Costco hamburgers and hot dogs on gooey white buns (yuck) for OUR guests. One time we had pork tenderloin with a mushroom Madiera sauce and salmon, smoked right at the event. I always enjoyed events at South County and Menlo Park SC's. Those clubs bring out a KILLER lunch buffet, (or used to, haven't been there in awhile) with BBQ tri-tip roasts and sides brought in by members who could cook up a storm. Hauptstadt up in Wisconsin puts on a hell of an event too, with Mary and Charles Lachowich even showing up with a free, HOT homemade breakfast casserole, gourmet coffees, and a delicious assortment of breads and muffins as the sun comes up over the tracking fields. There are more, of course, but those clubs stand out in my memory.

Sherry was always in the lead in Feather river S.C. Too bad she moved to the sticks. I'd love to start another club here.
Wouldn't hurt the training aspect that I live on an orchard with 100 pt. tracking conditions as far as the eye can see.

My last three trials have been FRIGID and each one had a roaring bon fire!

Tracking EARLY in the morning, breakfast for everybody, obedience and bitework afterwards, than a HUGE lunch, the victory ceremony, some cakes, and afterwards a lot of beer with a lot of telltales...
A tiny cup for everybody should be - in particular for the beginners, they love´m...

This is typically an AKC thing..but I think it's cool.  Often there are prizes along with the ribbons and trophies...and sometimes those prizes are cool dog toys.  I'm more excited about the damn dog toys!  lmao  (if not dog toys or dog bed, dog training stuff, dog grooming stuff...then the next thing I like best is tasteful dog art, either statuette or a print that can be hung on the wall)

Raffles!  with cool dog items...especially more dog toys, gift baskets full of dog toys. 

I personally dislike purchasing t-shirts that have the date of an event on them, unless I actually participated in the event and wasn't just a spectator.  So if you're going to offer t-shirts you may want to have some that don't include event dates on them, but still have cool GSD pic (or whatever breed...) offer several different designs.

You should definitely have breakfast items there for those that are there for the tracking.  Even if it's just donuts and coffee, LOL. 

Also, this is a pet peeve of mine, when I go to an event an there is no printed event program that I can take and look at.  Something that shows me the names of the participants and their dogs, the time that something is supposed to start at, etc.   Programs can include advertisements from breeders, pet food brands, pet products, etc.  The ads help pay for the cost of printing.   These are particularly useful for newbies if they contain explanations of what is going on. 

may also want to have a huge board that shows the competitors' scores for people to look at. 

following with what Susie said, I think it's a good idea to give recognition for anyone that earns a title (or pre-title) be it a certificate, trophy or ribbon that gives recognition for a BH, AD, SchH1, 2 and 3 (bigger the title, fancier the reward) as well as marking the highest scorers for each.  People love taking home a boatload of awards, LOL.
but try to keep the award ceremonies short and sweet and short.