NicholasAtSCG
09-12-2008, 08:48 AM
SHARDS OF ALARA PRERELEASE – VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA
Held one week before each new Magic card set goes on sale, Prereleases provide a way to play in a large-scale event in a low-stress environment. You get to play with the cards before you can buy them, special promotional cards are given out to attendees and the top players can win even more cards. So have fun!
Prereleases are sanctioned by the DCI, which is the governing body for all Magic tournaments – from the smallest local events up to the multi-million dollar Pro Tour. Playing in a sanctioned event means your results are recorded and begin to give you a player rating among the thousands of Magic players worldwide. If you don’t have a DCI number yet, the event staff on site can provide you with one. For many players, Prereleases are a fun and easy way to play in their first sanctioned events.
At Prerelease events, the emphasis is on casual play with a high degree of sportsmanship. You don't need to know the rules well, but you should always be polite and respectful to your opponents. If there is a disagreement, or a question about a ruling, please call a judge.
LOCATION
Virginia Beach Convention Center
1000 19th Street
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Get Directions on Google Maps! (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=1000+19th+St,+Virginia+Beach,+VA+23451&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=49.444078,79.101563&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16)
FORMAT CHANGE
Star City Events will no longer be using the 32-player flight system as we did for previous Prereleases. Instead, we will now run one large Shards of Alara Prerelease tournament with unlimited enrollment followed by a second Shards of Alara Prerelease tournament and a Shards of Alara 2HG Prerelease tournament, both of which will also offer unlimited enrollment.
MAIN EVENT PRERELEASE TOURNAMENT @ 10AM
Doors Open: 9AM
Main Event Prerelease Tournament Begins: 10AM
Entry Fee: $25.00 per player
Preregister now for this event! (http://sales.starcitygames.com/events/signupform.php?event=350)
Format: Shards of Alara Sealed Deck. Participants will each receive one (1) Shards of Alara tournament pack and three (3) Shards of Alara booster packs.
Prizes:
- Shards of Alara booster packs based on attendance
- The T8 finishers will each receive a copy of the limited-edition Shards of Alara Prerelease playmat (see pic below).
PRERELEASE TOURNAMENT #2 @ 3PM
Prerelease Tournament #2 Begins: 3PM
Entry Fee: $25.00 per player
Preregister now for this event! (http://sales.starcitygames.com/events/signupform.php?event=351)
Format: Shards of Alara Sealed Deck. Participants will each receive one (1) Shards of Alara tournament pack and three (3) Shards of Alara booster packs.
Prizes:
- Shards of Alara booster packs based on attendance
- The T8 finishers will each receive a copy of the limited-edition StarCityGames.com-exclusive Angel playmat featuring artwork by Zoltan Boros and Gabor Sziksai!
2HG PRERELEASE TOURNAMENT @ 3PM
2HG Prerelease Tournament Begins: 3PM
Entry Fee: $40.00 per team
Format: Shards of Alara 2HG. Each team will receive one (1) Shards of Alara tournament pack and five (5) Shards of Alara booster packs.
Prizes:
- Shards of Alara booster packs based on attendance
- Each member of the T4 teams will receive a copy of the limited-edition StarCityGames.com-exclusive Angel playmat featuring artwork by Zoltan Boros and Gabor Sziksai!
OPEN DUELING ALL DAY LONG
Entry Fee: $15.00 per player
Format: Open Dueling is a casual format in which players each receive a random 60 card Intro Pack (formerly known as a Theme Deck) that is ready to play out of the box. Play who you like, when you like, and at your own convenience. This format is well suited for players new to Magic the Gathering or Prereleases.
Prizes:
Once you complete five games against other players in Open Dueling, and turn in your scorecard, you will receive one additional Shards of Alara booster pack.
PRERELEASE FOIL MYTHIC RARE AJANI VENGEANT!
While supplies last, each Shards of Alara Prerelease participant will receive a Shards of Alara Prerelease Foil Mythic Rare Ajani Vengeant! Preregistering (https://sales.starcitygames.com/events/) for any of the tournaments advertised above will guarantee that you receive a copy of this card!
DIRECTIONS
From the North or West: Take I-95 South to I-64 East across the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel to I-264 East. As you approach the end of I-264 you will see the Virginia Beach Convention Center on the right-hand side. At the first light, turn right onto Parks Avenue and then the next right onto 19th Street. The main entrance will be on your right, with parking on both sides of 19th Street.
From the South: Convenient routes include I-85, I-95, US 13 and US 17. Each of these routes intersect with US 58. Follow US 58 East to I-64 West and then to I-264 East. As you approach the end of I-264 you will see the Virginia Beach Convention Center on the right-hand side. At the first light, turn right onto Parks Avenue and then the next right onto 19th Street. The main entrance will be on your right, with parking on both sides of 19th Street.
Not coming from the highway? Use Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=1000+19th+St,+Virginia+Beach,+VA+23451&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=49.444078,79.101563&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16) for directions to the Virginia Beach Convention Center from anywhere!
MORE INFORMATION
Your question may already be answered in our tournament FAQ (http://forums.starcitygames.com/viewtopic.php?t=288770). However, if you still have questions, please feel free to email us at events@starcitygames.com or call (540) 767-GAME (4263). We want your experience to be as enjoyable as possible, and will do our best to assist you in any way that we can.
TRADING
While trading is fine, please note that buying/selling cards with anyone except for our authorized dealer(s), or soliciting to do so elsewhere, is strictly forbidden at this event. Failure to obey this rule may result in both the buyer and the seller being removed from the event without refund, and banned from attending future events.
Star City Events also reserves the right to limit the amount of space being occupied by any one individual while trading, and does not allow the use of suitcases, handcarts, luggage carts, etc. to be used for the purpose of transporting excessive amounts of trade stock
SHARDS OF ALARA PRERELEASE FAQ
Since Wizards of the Coast announced a number of changes in regards to the way Prereleases will be run, many players have been asking questions in regards to both these changes and how they would affect Star City Events. The following is a run-down of some of the more common questions being asked. Please note that all answers are based solely upon the positions and opinions of Star City Events and me, Pete Hoefling (owner). They are NOT intended to be views expressed on behalf of Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast, or any employees of those companies.
Q: What's happening to the Prereleases run by Star City Events?
A: We’re actually running more of them. On Saturday, September 27th, Star City Events will be hosting “old school” (i.e. big) Prerelease tournaments at each of the following locations:
Richmond, VA
Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 N. 3rd Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Roanoke, VA
Star City Game Center
5728 Williamson Road
Roanoke, VA 24012
Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Beach Convention Center
1000 19th Street
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Charleston, WV
Charleston Civic Center
200 Civic Center Drive
Charleston, WV 25301
My staff and I realize what made the “old school” (i.e. big) Prerelease tournaments so much fun to attend, and as long as fans show their support by continuing to come, we at Star City Events will do everything we can to give them the same experience they’re used to.
Q: Why makes a Prerelease run by Star City Events different from any other?
A: Each Star City Events Prerelease location will offer:
1. Enough Shards of Alara product to accommodate hundreds of players.
2. Enough Prerelease Foil Ajani Vengeants to accommodate hundreds of players
3. Comfortable seating for hundreds of players.
4. Two “larger” sealed deck tournaments, one 2HG tournament and Open Dueling
5. Certified judges
6. Buying, selling and trading with StarCityGames.com
7. 10+ years of experience professionally organizing large-scale events
8. Limited-edition Shards of Alara Prerelease playmats as prizes
9. Tons of new faces to play against and trade with
10. The fun and good times that you’re accustomed to having at a big Prerelease
Q: Is it true that we can't booster draft at the next prerelease?
A: Unfortunately, yes. Wizards of the Coast expressed concerns over too product being distributed before the actual on-sale date with Prerelease drafts being the primary agent of that distribution. They also expressed concerns over not being able to logistically manage the sanctioning of booster drafts for ten times more Prerelease locations. As such, they have decided to disallow booster drafts at Prereleases, beginning with Shards of Alara. No Shards of Alara Prerelease location is allowed to offer booster drafts – sanctioned or unsanctioned – and any location that does is in directly violation of Wizards of the Coast policy.
If any player wishes to contact Wizards of the Coast, and share their thoughts regarding these recent changes, you may do so by contacting Wizards of the Coast Customer Service at http://wizards.custhelp.com or 1-800-324-6496 from 9am - 6pm PST M-F.
Q: Is it true that we will not be able to play Two-Headed Giant at the next Prerelease?
A: No. An error was made on the initial information release that Wizards of the Coast put out earlier. The option to run Two-Headed Giant is available to all Premier Tournament Organizers, and Star City Events will be offering a 2HG event at each of our Shards of Alara Prerelease locations
Q: Will Open Dueling Still be available?
A: Yes, but Shards of Alara Prerelease Open Dueling will look a little different than at past events. Preconstructed decks are no longer being produced in the same way. Wizards of the Coast is now making "Intro Packs" instead. See above for more details.
Q: Can pretty much anyone hold a Prerelease now?
A: No. Prerelease events are only available to select locations and Premier Tournament Organizers (such as myself) that meet a set of specific criteria. Moreover, Premier Tournament Organizers have advantages that the majority of other locations do not have. For instance, most Prerelease locations will only be able to order a limited amount of product for their Prerelease events. In the majority of cases, these locations will only be able to accommodate exactly twenty-four (24) players. Once these locations run out of product, they will not be able to accomodate any additional entries.
"Advanced" level organizers are able to order more product than “Core” level organizers. However, they too have a maximum amount of product they can order. In many cases, they may also have to turn people away.
Premier Tournament Organizers, such as Star Cit Events, have no real limit on the amount of Prerelease product that we can order, nor on the number of players we can accommodate.
Q: So does that mean there is a chance I could get turned away if I go to play at a location not run by a Premier Tournament Organizer?
A: Yes. I believe that Wizards of the Coast will make every effort to ensure that the number of players a location is accustomed to getting for its Launch Parties and FNM tournaments will be accommodated. However, if a location has more players show up for a Prerelease than they are used to seeing at those other events, then that could certainly be a problem. If you plan on attending a Prerelease not being run by a Premier Tournament Organizer, my suggestion is to speak with the person running the event at that location and find out how many players they'll be able to accommodate and how likely they think that number will be reached.
Q: Could I get turned away at a Prerelease run by Star City Events?
A: Star City Events has the ability to order product for as many entries as we realistically think we might have, so I would put the odds of us having to turn anyone away at near zero.
Q: Will we be able to buy packs from the new set at the Prerelease?
A: No, and any organizer selling Shards of Alara product at a Prerelease, either sealed product or singles from opened packs, will be in strict violation of their agreement with Wizards of the Coast.
Q: What's the deal with the Prerelease foil?
A: For Shards of Alara, the same foil Agani Vengeant Mythic Rare promotional card will be distributed at both the Prereleases and the Launch Parties. This card is stamped with the release date of the set (Oct. 3rd), and will be given out to attendees of both events while supplies last.
Q: What are your personal feelings about these changes?
A: I’m still not sure.
Although these changes directly affect me as a Premier Tournament Organizer, I understand Wizards of the Coast's motivations for making them. They simply want more players to be able to experience the excitement of Prerelease tournaments, theoretically leading to more people starting to play, or continuing to play, the game. Increasing the number of places offering these events seems like a logical step in that direction, especially given the cost of gas nowadays.
On the other hand, it is entirely possible that these changes could have the exact opposite effect, and all of the new Prerelease locations could siphon enough players away from the traditional, larger Prereleases resulting in the real “Prerelease experience” (the large, casual gathering of players all crackling with energy from sampling the new cards simultaneously) now being denied to everyone.
At this point, nobody really knows what is going to happen, but I do believe that the folks at Wizards of the Coast are doing what they genuinely believe to be in the best interest of the game.
In the meantime, Star City Events will continue playing the hand we’re dealt, adapting as best as we can, and moving forward. That’s what we’ve always done, and it’s worked pretty well so far. :-)
Best wishes,
Pete Hoefling
President, Star City Events
Wizards of the Coast Premier Tournament Organizer for Virginia and West Virginia
(Thank you to fellow Premier Tournament Organizer Jason Ness for allowing me to copy/paste parts of this FAQ from his website)
Held one week before each new Magic card set goes on sale, Prereleases provide a way to play in a large-scale event in a low-stress environment. You get to play with the cards before you can buy them, special promotional cards are given out to attendees and the top players can win even more cards. So have fun!
Prereleases are sanctioned by the DCI, which is the governing body for all Magic tournaments – from the smallest local events up to the multi-million dollar Pro Tour. Playing in a sanctioned event means your results are recorded and begin to give you a player rating among the thousands of Magic players worldwide. If you don’t have a DCI number yet, the event staff on site can provide you with one. For many players, Prereleases are a fun and easy way to play in their first sanctioned events.
At Prerelease events, the emphasis is on casual play with a high degree of sportsmanship. You don't need to know the rules well, but you should always be polite and respectful to your opponents. If there is a disagreement, or a question about a ruling, please call a judge.
LOCATION
Virginia Beach Convention Center
1000 19th Street
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Get Directions on Google Maps! (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=1000+19th+St,+Virginia+Beach,+VA+23451&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=49.444078,79.101563&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16)
FORMAT CHANGE
Star City Events will no longer be using the 32-player flight system as we did for previous Prereleases. Instead, we will now run one large Shards of Alara Prerelease tournament with unlimited enrollment followed by a second Shards of Alara Prerelease tournament and a Shards of Alara 2HG Prerelease tournament, both of which will also offer unlimited enrollment.
MAIN EVENT PRERELEASE TOURNAMENT @ 10AM
Doors Open: 9AM
Main Event Prerelease Tournament Begins: 10AM
Entry Fee: $25.00 per player
Preregister now for this event! (http://sales.starcitygames.com/events/signupform.php?event=350)
Format: Shards of Alara Sealed Deck. Participants will each receive one (1) Shards of Alara tournament pack and three (3) Shards of Alara booster packs.
Prizes:
- Shards of Alara booster packs based on attendance
- The T8 finishers will each receive a copy of the limited-edition Shards of Alara Prerelease playmat (see pic below).
PRERELEASE TOURNAMENT #2 @ 3PM
Prerelease Tournament #2 Begins: 3PM
Entry Fee: $25.00 per player
Preregister now for this event! (http://sales.starcitygames.com/events/signupform.php?event=351)
Format: Shards of Alara Sealed Deck. Participants will each receive one (1) Shards of Alara tournament pack and three (3) Shards of Alara booster packs.
Prizes:
- Shards of Alara booster packs based on attendance
- The T8 finishers will each receive a copy of the limited-edition StarCityGames.com-exclusive Angel playmat featuring artwork by Zoltan Boros and Gabor Sziksai!
2HG PRERELEASE TOURNAMENT @ 3PM
2HG Prerelease Tournament Begins: 3PM
Entry Fee: $40.00 per team
Format: Shards of Alara 2HG. Each team will receive one (1) Shards of Alara tournament pack and five (5) Shards of Alara booster packs.
Prizes:
- Shards of Alara booster packs based on attendance
- Each member of the T4 teams will receive a copy of the limited-edition StarCityGames.com-exclusive Angel playmat featuring artwork by Zoltan Boros and Gabor Sziksai!
OPEN DUELING ALL DAY LONG
Entry Fee: $15.00 per player
Format: Open Dueling is a casual format in which players each receive a random 60 card Intro Pack (formerly known as a Theme Deck) that is ready to play out of the box. Play who you like, when you like, and at your own convenience. This format is well suited for players new to Magic the Gathering or Prereleases.
Prizes:
Once you complete five games against other players in Open Dueling, and turn in your scorecard, you will receive one additional Shards of Alara booster pack.
PRERELEASE FOIL MYTHIC RARE AJANI VENGEANT!
While supplies last, each Shards of Alara Prerelease participant will receive a Shards of Alara Prerelease Foil Mythic Rare Ajani Vengeant! Preregistering (https://sales.starcitygames.com/events/) for any of the tournaments advertised above will guarantee that you receive a copy of this card!
DIRECTIONS
From the North or West: Take I-95 South to I-64 East across the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel to I-264 East. As you approach the end of I-264 you will see the Virginia Beach Convention Center on the right-hand side. At the first light, turn right onto Parks Avenue and then the next right onto 19th Street. The main entrance will be on your right, with parking on both sides of 19th Street.
From the South: Convenient routes include I-85, I-95, US 13 and US 17. Each of these routes intersect with US 58. Follow US 58 East to I-64 West and then to I-264 East. As you approach the end of I-264 you will see the Virginia Beach Convention Center on the right-hand side. At the first light, turn right onto Parks Avenue and then the next right onto 19th Street. The main entrance will be on your right, with parking on both sides of 19th Street.
Not coming from the highway? Use Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=1000+19th+St,+Virginia+Beach,+VA+23451&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=49.444078,79.101563&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16) for directions to the Virginia Beach Convention Center from anywhere!
MORE INFORMATION
Your question may already be answered in our tournament FAQ (http://forums.starcitygames.com/viewtopic.php?t=288770). However, if you still have questions, please feel free to email us at events@starcitygames.com or call (540) 767-GAME (4263). We want your experience to be as enjoyable as possible, and will do our best to assist you in any way that we can.
TRADING
While trading is fine, please note that buying/selling cards with anyone except for our authorized dealer(s), or soliciting to do so elsewhere, is strictly forbidden at this event. Failure to obey this rule may result in both the buyer and the seller being removed from the event without refund, and banned from attending future events.
Star City Events also reserves the right to limit the amount of space being occupied by any one individual while trading, and does not allow the use of suitcases, handcarts, luggage carts, etc. to be used for the purpose of transporting excessive amounts of trade stock
SHARDS OF ALARA PRERELEASE FAQ
Since Wizards of the Coast announced a number of changes in regards to the way Prereleases will be run, many players have been asking questions in regards to both these changes and how they would affect Star City Events. The following is a run-down of some of the more common questions being asked. Please note that all answers are based solely upon the positions and opinions of Star City Events and me, Pete Hoefling (owner). They are NOT intended to be views expressed on behalf of Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast, or any employees of those companies.
Q: What's happening to the Prereleases run by Star City Events?
A: We’re actually running more of them. On Saturday, September 27th, Star City Events will be hosting “old school” (i.e. big) Prerelease tournaments at each of the following locations:
Richmond, VA
Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 N. 3rd Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Roanoke, VA
Star City Game Center
5728 Williamson Road
Roanoke, VA 24012
Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Beach Convention Center
1000 19th Street
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Charleston, WV
Charleston Civic Center
200 Civic Center Drive
Charleston, WV 25301
My staff and I realize what made the “old school” (i.e. big) Prerelease tournaments so much fun to attend, and as long as fans show their support by continuing to come, we at Star City Events will do everything we can to give them the same experience they’re used to.
Q: Why makes a Prerelease run by Star City Events different from any other?
A: Each Star City Events Prerelease location will offer:
1. Enough Shards of Alara product to accommodate hundreds of players.
2. Enough Prerelease Foil Ajani Vengeants to accommodate hundreds of players
3. Comfortable seating for hundreds of players.
4. Two “larger” sealed deck tournaments, one 2HG tournament and Open Dueling
5. Certified judges
6. Buying, selling and trading with StarCityGames.com
7. 10+ years of experience professionally organizing large-scale events
8. Limited-edition Shards of Alara Prerelease playmats as prizes
9. Tons of new faces to play against and trade with
10. The fun and good times that you’re accustomed to having at a big Prerelease
Q: Is it true that we can't booster draft at the next prerelease?
A: Unfortunately, yes. Wizards of the Coast expressed concerns over too product being distributed before the actual on-sale date with Prerelease drafts being the primary agent of that distribution. They also expressed concerns over not being able to logistically manage the sanctioning of booster drafts for ten times more Prerelease locations. As such, they have decided to disallow booster drafts at Prereleases, beginning with Shards of Alara. No Shards of Alara Prerelease location is allowed to offer booster drafts – sanctioned or unsanctioned – and any location that does is in directly violation of Wizards of the Coast policy.
If any player wishes to contact Wizards of the Coast, and share their thoughts regarding these recent changes, you may do so by contacting Wizards of the Coast Customer Service at http://wizards.custhelp.com or 1-800-324-6496 from 9am - 6pm PST M-F.
Q: Is it true that we will not be able to play Two-Headed Giant at the next Prerelease?
A: No. An error was made on the initial information release that Wizards of the Coast put out earlier. The option to run Two-Headed Giant is available to all Premier Tournament Organizers, and Star City Events will be offering a 2HG event at each of our Shards of Alara Prerelease locations
Q: Will Open Dueling Still be available?
A: Yes, but Shards of Alara Prerelease Open Dueling will look a little different than at past events. Preconstructed decks are no longer being produced in the same way. Wizards of the Coast is now making "Intro Packs" instead. See above for more details.
Q: Can pretty much anyone hold a Prerelease now?
A: No. Prerelease events are only available to select locations and Premier Tournament Organizers (such as myself) that meet a set of specific criteria. Moreover, Premier Tournament Organizers have advantages that the majority of other locations do not have. For instance, most Prerelease locations will only be able to order a limited amount of product for their Prerelease events. In the majority of cases, these locations will only be able to accommodate exactly twenty-four (24) players. Once these locations run out of product, they will not be able to accomodate any additional entries.
"Advanced" level organizers are able to order more product than “Core” level organizers. However, they too have a maximum amount of product they can order. In many cases, they may also have to turn people away.
Premier Tournament Organizers, such as Star Cit Events, have no real limit on the amount of Prerelease product that we can order, nor on the number of players we can accommodate.
Q: So does that mean there is a chance I could get turned away if I go to play at a location not run by a Premier Tournament Organizer?
A: Yes. I believe that Wizards of the Coast will make every effort to ensure that the number of players a location is accustomed to getting for its Launch Parties and FNM tournaments will be accommodated. However, if a location has more players show up for a Prerelease than they are used to seeing at those other events, then that could certainly be a problem. If you plan on attending a Prerelease not being run by a Premier Tournament Organizer, my suggestion is to speak with the person running the event at that location and find out how many players they'll be able to accommodate and how likely they think that number will be reached.
Q: Could I get turned away at a Prerelease run by Star City Events?
A: Star City Events has the ability to order product for as many entries as we realistically think we might have, so I would put the odds of us having to turn anyone away at near zero.
Q: Will we be able to buy packs from the new set at the Prerelease?
A: No, and any organizer selling Shards of Alara product at a Prerelease, either sealed product or singles from opened packs, will be in strict violation of their agreement with Wizards of the Coast.
Q: What's the deal with the Prerelease foil?
A: For Shards of Alara, the same foil Agani Vengeant Mythic Rare promotional card will be distributed at both the Prereleases and the Launch Parties. This card is stamped with the release date of the set (Oct. 3rd), and will be given out to attendees of both events while supplies last.
Q: What are your personal feelings about these changes?
A: I’m still not sure.
Although these changes directly affect me as a Premier Tournament Organizer, I understand Wizards of the Coast's motivations for making them. They simply want more players to be able to experience the excitement of Prerelease tournaments, theoretically leading to more people starting to play, or continuing to play, the game. Increasing the number of places offering these events seems like a logical step in that direction, especially given the cost of gas nowadays.
On the other hand, it is entirely possible that these changes could have the exact opposite effect, and all of the new Prerelease locations could siphon enough players away from the traditional, larger Prereleases resulting in the real “Prerelease experience” (the large, casual gathering of players all crackling with energy from sampling the new cards simultaneously) now being denied to everyone.
At this point, nobody really knows what is going to happen, but I do believe that the folks at Wizards of the Coast are doing what they genuinely believe to be in the best interest of the game.
In the meantime, Star City Events will continue playing the hand we’re dealt, adapting as best as we can, and moving forward. That’s what we’ve always done, and it’s worked pretty well so far. :-)
Best wishes,
Pete Hoefling
President, Star City Events
Wizards of the Coast Premier Tournament Organizer for Virginia and West Virginia
(Thank you to fellow Premier Tournament Organizer Jason Ness for allowing me to copy/paste parts of this FAQ from his website)