I have a friend who runs a game store. It's a nice little store but only has a single table for demos and game play. They can get tournament kits but obviously don't have the room to run them. There's not a lot of cheap day-rentable space in the area for a tournament venue.
Now, I have four 4'x8' gaming tables and one 4'x6' table in my basement. (*pauses for all the basement gamer / creeper jokes*) This is enough space to comfortably run an 8-person tourney. My local gaming group routinely has 6-8 people gaming down there on weekends so we know it's doable. There's even a convenient bathroom in the basement. It's not a finished basement, but it's as clean as some game store's play areas, well lit, and equipped with chairs and stools. There's lots of fast food locations within a mile or two, and several options for pizza delivery (all of whom know to knock loudly and be patient). In the warmer months we sometimes even grill outside on game nights.
I would be both host and TO, and would probably not play in the tourney unless we had trouble finding people to fill out an 8-person roster (or had an odd number show). The tourney would be invitation only, since we do have a reasonably small upper limit on space.
So, would YOU come to a tourney like that if invited? If not, why not? (specifics).