How to Organize a Tennis Tournament

Decide the type and scale of your event. You could stage a local amateur tournament, or a national tournament for professional tennis players. Each has different standards and requirements for organization and success. You could also stage a tournament for a local or national charity, or as a corporate promotional event.

Define your financial goals. For example, a tennis tournament staged as a local amateur event might only have the goal of breaking even by having a few sponsors pick up minimal costs. If it's a national event for pros, you can produce it as a profit-making event. And if it's a charity tournament, you'll want to maximize revenues and minimize costs in order to donate the largest possible percentage of your revenues to the charity.

Select a venue. The type of venue should primarily be based on the size of the audience you expect to attract. It should offer comfortable facilities for both the audience and players. If it's a national event, you'll need a major facility, such as an arena or outdoor tennis complex. That will represent a significant expense, with a 50 percent deposit required at the time you sign a contract. If you're organizing a small local tournament, you can do it in a high school gymnasium, at minimal or no cost.

Assemble a roster of players. If it's a national event for professionals, you'll need to work with major agents such as IMG or WME Entertainment to lure big-name players. Lesser-known pros often represent themselves. Top local amateur players can be found at college, high school and even elementary school levels. Match your level of player to your overall level of ambition or the audience you're targeting. For example, if you're staging a national tournament designed for maximum profits through ticket sales and corporate sponsorships, you'll want top-name players. If your goal is community goodwill for a local bank, elementary or high school children will do the trick just fine.

Draft an event-specific business plan. Calculate all costs, including venue, security, insurance, prize money, advertising and public relations, accommodations and meals for out-of-town guests including players, and any other incidental costs such as transportation or officiating fees. Then create offsetting revenue streams, such as ticket sales, corporate sponsorships or TV rights, and plan your operating budget. If you're aiming for a profit, determine the exact amount you want to generate and build a budget that delivers that profit margin.

Pick a date and check for competition. Make sure there are no competing events of any sort on the same date that might draw your prospective audience away. Treat this step as a key element of your due diligence in planning the tournament.

Seek official sanctioning by a recognized body such as the U.S. Tennis Association. You could also seek official sanctioning from a local organization. A number of major U.S. cities, such as Houston, have well-organized, non-profit local tennis associations. If it's a local event, you would also enhance your credibility by having the local school system, a bank or other corporate neighbor endorse your tournament.

Solicit sponsors. If you want national sponsors, you'll need celebrity players and TV coverage. If it's a local event, simply staging it can often mean a local bank or the local newspaper will underwrite your tournament as a community initiative. Determine a multi-tier sponsorship platform. In a typical structure, top-tier sponsors, who get the most exposure, pay the most. The next two tiers pay less, but are guaranteed less in marketing terms. For a national professional tournament to be broadcast on a major TV network, such sponsorships could cost anywhere from hundreds of thousands to $1 million or more. For a small local tournament, sponsorships might sell for as little as a few hundred dollars.

Create excitement and sell tickets. If you don't have marketing skills, hire a local advertising agency and PR firm to help promote the event. If it's a charity tournament, ask them to do it pro bono, or free, in return for publicity as an official sponsor. Create a Facebook page and strive to attract a community of enthusiasts as anticipation of the event builds over time.