So me and a fellow player is talking about hosting a local tournament at the FLGS later this year. And I was wondering if any of you had any suggestions and advice for undertaking something like this.

What are your concerns? If you just follow FFG's tournament rules, you should be fine during the event. It's the prep that will make things go smoothly, though.

I strongly recommend using the Cryodex free tournament software.

Publicize your event well. Post on Facebook, print fliers to leave on the counter at the game shop, post in the relevant forums (here, A Few Maneuvers, Reddit, BoardGameGeek, Dakka). Make sure you include the point total, time limit on rounds, and how many rounds are planned. I recommend sticking to 75 minute rounds at 100 points, but if you shorten this to 60 minutes you need to let people know ahead of time because it will affect their squad builds.

Set a start time around 1pm, but start the first round at 1:30. Pad that sucker, because people will show up late.

Have some cool prizes. Store credit is fine, but it's great if you can get hold of a tournament kit. Third-party templates and tokens are also a good idea. Try to make sure everyone goes home with something, even if it's just a couple of tokens. That can go a long way toward lifting the moods of players who didn't do so well.

If possible, have good grippy play mats. I use black yoga mats and stand by my claim that they are the absolute best surface for playing this game.

Some might think this is overkill, but I suggest collecting squad lists from everyone when they walk in the door, or even the day before the event. This should eliminate any scouting. Early registration will also help you better prepare for the turnout, and will let you know if you have an even or odd number of players.

For your first tournament, stick to the standard format. You can experiment with different things later, but it's good to see how things are supposed to run before you make any changes. Except that you may want to run three or four Swiss rounds and call it a day, especially if attendance is 12 or less. A full tournament with several elimination rounds makes for a long, exhausting day, and really isn't necessary for most small local events.

Be familiar with the rules and the FAQ, and have at least one copy of the FAQ on hand. Weird questions will come up.

Don't interfere in games unless you see something that's obviously wrong.

Do wander around and watch a couple of minutes of each match. Be lighthearted and encouraging. Be friendly.

Excellent response, DagobahDave. That's everything I'd want in a tournament.

I totally agree. My main takeaways would be using Cryodex, have cool prizes and make sure everyone walks away with something. When I host, I think prize for the Champion, Top 4, Participation prizes and I always do a "The Force was not with them" prize for the person who finishes in last place.

Collecting squad lists is a good idea no matter how small the event is. IME guys going to small tournaments often don't have much experience in the tournament scene so going though the "official" process is a great learning experience.

Thank you for all the advice. At the moment I have no pressing concerns. I was just wondering if there was anything important to remember as I have never hosted a tournament of any kind before.