Running Gala Days & Tournaments — GoClubPro

Training Module 96 | Coordinating Multi-Team Events, Managing Entry Fees, and Accounting

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What This Guide Covers

Many clubs run gala days, tournaments, or round-robin competitions — either as annual events, pre-season practice rounds, or fundraising activities. These events involve coordinating multiple teams (from multiple clubs), managing entry fees, scheduling fixtures, and recording income and expenses. GoClubPro supports gala days through the Schedule and Accounting modules. This guide covers the full event cycle.

Primary audience: Club Admins, Tournament Coordinators, Treasurers Also useful for: Association Admins running inter-club competitions

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SECTION 1: TYPES OF GALA EVENTS

Event Formats

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SECTION 2: PLANNING THE EVENT

8-Week Planning Timeline

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Adding the Event to GoClubPro

For your club's own team members (if they're participating):

1. Schedule → Add Event
2. Type: Club Event / Tournament
3. Name: "[Tournament Name] — [Date]"
4. Venue, date (all-day or specific time range)
5. Description: what members need to know (arrival time, what to bring, draw details)

For external teams: GoClubPro only manages your own members. External teams from other clubs will be coordinated externally (their own platform, email, etc.).

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Noticeboard for Tournament Promotion

Initial invitation to other clubs (posted on your Noticeboard for your own members; external clubs get an email/invitation):

"[Tournament Name] — [Date] at [Venue]

[Club Name] is hosting our annual [Grade/Format] tournament on [Date].

Open to: [Who can enter — e.g., 'Open grade teams; U14 Boys and Girls'] Format: [e.g., 'Round-robin pool play + finals; 20-min games'] Entry fee: $[X] per team Entries close: [Date] To enter: Email [name] at [email] with team name, grade, and contact details

Trophies awarded to [1st, 2nd, 3rd place / Best Player / Spirit of the Game].

Questions: contact [Tournament Coordinator] on [phone/email]."

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SECTION 3: MANAGING ENTRY FEES

Collecting Entry Fees from External Teams

Entry fees from other clubs are not collected via GoClubPro (those teams don't have accounts in your system). Collect via:

Bank transfer (preferred): "Please transfer $[X] to [BSB/Account] with reference '[Team Name] — [Tournament Name]' by [Date]. Email remittance to [email]."

Cash on arrival (for smaller events): Collect at the registration desk; issue receipts; count and record at the end of the day.

Record each entry fee received: Treasurer → Accounting → Add Manual Entry

• Type: Income
• Description: "Tournament Entry — [Team Name/Club Name] — [Tournament Name] — [Date]"
• Amount: entry fee per team
• Date: date received

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Your Own Club's Entry Fee (if applicable)

If your own members/teams are paying an entry fee to participate in an event you're running:

Option A: No charge (event is included in their club membership — most common for internal events) Option B: Collect via standard Payments process and record as income

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SECTION 4: EVENT DAY OPERATIONS

Registration Desk

Set up a registration desk at the venue to:

• Confirm team entries (check against your list)
• Collect any outstanding entry fees (cash)
• Hand out draw/schedule printouts
• Distribute bibs, balls, or other equipment
• Direct teams to their designated ground/court

Volunteer for this role: 2 people; needs to arrive 45 minutes before the event starts.

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The Fixture Draw

For round-robin tournaments, use a round-robin draw generator (free online tools exist for this) to create the schedule:

1. Enter team names → tool generates fixture schedule
2. Allocate games to grounds/courts/timeslots
3. Print copies for all teams; post on Noticeboard for your own members

For GoClubPro: Add individual matches to the Schedule if you want your own members to receive notifications for each game:

• Schedule → Add Fixture → set as non-competition → opponent team name, time, ground

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Scoring and Results

Live scores: A whiteboard or scoreboard at the ground works well for most community events.

Recording results in GoClubPro: If you're tracking results in the platform (for your own teams' record): Schedule → find the match → enter result

External scorekeeping: For multi-team tournaments, a Google Sheet shared with all team managers works well for live standings during the day.

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Volunteers Needed for a Typical Gala Day

Noticeboard volunteer request (3 weeks before):

"We're hosting [Tournament Name] on [Date] and need your help! Roles available: [list]. Each role is [X hours]. If you can help, comment below or contact [name]. Volunteers get [lunch / entry / priority seating]."

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SECTION 5: ACCOUNTING FOR GALA DAYS

Recording All Income and Expenses

Income entries:

• Entry fees: "Tournament Entry — [Club/Team Name]" → one per team
• Canteen income: "Tournament — Canteen — [Date]"
• Sponsorship (if event is sponsored): "Tournament — Sponsorship — [Sponsor Name]"
• Raffle or auction (if held): "Tournament — Raffle — [Date]"

Expense entries:

• Venue/ground hire: "Tournament Expense — Venue Hire — [Venue]"
• Umpire/referee fees: "Tournament Expense — Umpire Fees — [Date]"
• Trophies: "Tournament Expense — Trophies — [Supplier]"
• Canteen stock: "Tournament Expense — Canteen Stock — [Supplier]"
• Volunteer catering: "Tournament Expense — Volunteer Catering"
• Equipment hire: "Tournament Expense — Equipment — [Item]"
• Marketing/printing (draw sheets, signage): "Tournament Expense — Printing"

At year-end: Filter Accounting by "Tournament" to see full event profit/loss.

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Typical Tournament Financial Model

For a 12-team tournament at $150 entry per team:

A well-run community tournament can generate meaningful income for the club while delivering a great experience.

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VISUAL: Tournament Workflow

8 WEEKS OUT
 Date/venue confirmed
 Entry invitations sent (external) + Noticeboard post
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6 WEEKS OUT
 Entries confirmed + entry fees collected
 Draw generated
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3 WEEKS OUT
 Volunteer roster on Noticeboard
 Umpires confirmed
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1 WEEK OUT
 Final draw published
 Equipment check; canteen stock ordered
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EVENT DAY
 Registration desk opens 45 min early
 Games run to schedule
 Results tracked
 Canteen open
 Trophy presentation
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POST-EVENT (within 1 week)
 Bank cash proceeds
 Accounting: all income + expense entries
 Noticeboard: results + thanks post

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TOOLTIPS & HINTS

• Entry fees in bank before the event — chasing entry fees after the day creates admin burden; set a firm deadline with a cancellation clause
• Draw generator online — don't build round-robin draws by hand; free tools handle the maths perfectly for any number of teams
• Whiteboard for live standings — simple and effective; everyone can see the table during the day
• Canteen is a significant income source — stock well; a 12-team tournament can generate $300–$600 in canteen sales
• Filter Accounting by "Tournament" — consistent prefix lets you see the full event P&L in seconds

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FAQ

Q: An external team entered and paid but had to withdraw the week before. Do we refund their entry fee? A: This is a policy decision that should be stated in your entry invitation: "Withdrawals with more than [X days] notice: full refund. Within [X days]: 50% refund or credit toward next year's event. No-shows: no refund." Having the policy published in the invitation prevents disputes.

Q: We want to invite teams from outside our association. Do we need any special permissions? A: For non-competition events (gala days, friendly tournaments): typically no special permission from your association, but check your affiliation agreement. For events that award association points or affect competition standings: always check with your association first.

Q: Our tournament is getting big — 30+ teams. Do we need additional insurance? A: Yes — notify your insurer before the event. A large event with teams from outside your club may not be covered under your standard policy. You may need an event-specific extension. This is a one-off premium, usually modest for community events.

Q: Can we use GoClubPro to manage entries from external teams? A: Not directly — external teams won't have accounts in your platform. The platform manages your own members. Use a Google Form for external entry collection and bank transfer for fee collection. Your own members' participation is managed through GoClubPro normally.

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COMMON MISTAKES

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SHORT ONBOARDING SCRIPT

"Running a tournament has three financial components: entry fees (collect via bank transfer before the event; record in Accounting as 'Tournament Entry — [Team Name]'), event expenses (venue, umpires, trophies, canteen stock — all 'Tournament Expense — [Category]'), and canteen income ('Tournament — Canteen — [Date]'). Use the 'Tournament —' prefix consistently so you can filter at AGM for the full event P&L. Add the event to the Schedule for your own members. Use a free round-robin draw generator — don't build the draw manually. Publish the draw at least a week before, state your refund policy upfront, and have the registration desk staffed 45 minutes before kick-off."

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MICRO-TRAINING QUICK TIPS

• 8-week planning timeline: venue first, then invitations, then draw, then volunteers
• Entry fees: bank transfer before the event; "Tournament Entry — [Team Name]" in Accounting
• Draw: use a free round-robin generator; publish 1 week before
• Volunteers: Noticeboard ask 3 weeks out; specific roles + hours
• Event day: registration desk 45 min early; whiteboard for live standings
• Accounting prefix: "Tournament —" for all income and expenses → filter at AGM
• Refund policy: state in the entry invitation before entries open

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Training Module 96 | See also: 07 Treasurer & Accounting · 10 Noticeboard & Feed · 83 Club Insurance · 88 Canteen & Club Shop · 51 Training Sessions & Events