Scottish Judge Conference 2023
| Game: | Magic The Gathering |
| Region: | Europe - North |
| Location: | Mox in the Hole, 18-20 Lochrin Buildings, Edinburgh |
| For questions, contact: | r.e.woodrow@gmail.com Organizer Profile |
| Date/Time (Europe/London): | Date(s) - 2023 Mar 25 09:30 am - 05:30 pm |
| Date/Time (Europe/London): | Date(s) - 2023 Mar 25 9:30 am - 5:30 pm |
| Format: | Not Applicable |
| Categories: | Judge Conference |
Scottish Judge Conference 2023
ScotConf has returned! Welcome to the application page for the first Scottish conference since 2019.
Conferences are one of the few opportunities for members of the judge community to come together and share stories, ideas and knowledge and in-person conferences are a fantastic way to add sharing company to that list. This conference will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland and we invite you to come and spend time with your friends, peers and mentors.
LOCATION
Scottish Judge Conference 2023 will take place in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. Our LGS, Mox in the Hole, has kindly offered to provide the venue for this conference. The store is in central Edinburgh with excellent bus connections, meaning that it is very easy to reach on public transport from Waverley Station or Edinburgh Airport. The nearest car park can be found at Fountain Park, roughly 15 minutes walk from the store.
Edinburgh city centre is packed with accommodation to suit all budgets, and there are also a small number of local judges who can offer accommodation – please contact the organisers you are interested in taking advantage of this.
PROGRAMME
It has been four years since the last Scottish conference and we are excited to be able to bring the Scottish judge community (as well as the wider UK, Ireland and EU North community) together again after all this time. We are working to bring you an exciting blend of lectures, seminars and workshops alongside opportunities to build your networks and catch up with old friends. Due to the time and space limitations of the venue we will be looking to offer a more traditional conference with multiple tracks where we will expect delegates to attend four out of the five sessions.
As we finalise the agenda, we will be posting updates in the EU North Discord Server and via email/forum posts here on JudgeAcademy.com
If you have ideas for content you would like to see or would like to be part of the delivery team then you can let us know in the application form.
TIMES & DATES
The conference will take place on Saturday 25 March 2023.
The programme is likely to run from 10:00 until 17:30 on Saturday. We are expecting to have some social activities after the conference and are also hoping to have a judge dinner on the Saturday night, subject to interest.
ATTENDEES
Scottish Judge Conference 2023 is open to all judges and we encourage those at all levels to apply. We would like to emphasise that this will be a conference aimed at catering to judges of all levels and at all points in their judging journey, whether entirely new to the Judge Program, old hands or anywhere in between.
Judges from outside of EU North are also welcome to apply to attend; however, Scottish judges will be given priority in the event that the conference is over-subscribed, followed by those from the wider EU North region.
The event has a maximum attendee capacity due to venue restrictions and early applications are encouraged. Once the capacity has been reached, further applications may be placed on Standby and accepted on a first come, first served basis.
All Judge Academy members in attendance will receive a pack of Judge Promo Foils.
We will be closing applications for those wishing to present content or otherwise help facilitate at the conference at midnight BST, Friday 24 February 2023. If you would like to help out with providing presentations, workshops, etc. then please apply as soon as possible. We are also keen to receive applications to facilitate simulations and for backup presenters.
Judge Foils will only be available to certified judges who apply before midnight BST, Friday 24 March 2023!
APPLICATION
For those wishing to attend the conference as a delegate, we ask that you use the Apply button on this page AND complete the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/U1gHVpcHy6ZgSto76
Anyone wishing to present content or help to facilitate at the conference use the Apply button on this page AND then please use the following Google Form (you will not be expected to also complete the attendee form): https://forms.gle/r3opcHxzY6r64vCq5
SCHEDULE
| Time | Track 1 | Track 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 – 09:45 | Doors open! Come in and mingle… | |
| 09:45 – 10:00 | Welcome to the conference and housekeeping speech! | |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | Scourge Divas Live: Judging and Social Media – Kirsty Armstrong and Cayce Lauder The Divas are back! Join Kirsty and Cayce as they take you through some dos and don’ts of navigating the social media circus. Featuring an all-new Tibalt’s Rager, audience participation S***e or Delight, and more! |
|
| 11:00 – 11:15 | Break | |
| 11:15 – 12:15 | Teaching Magic with Vorthos – Ryan Smith Not sure where to start helping new players learn how to play? Hear how Vorthos can help with some general tips and tricks to try as well! |
Customer Service: the Importance of Knowledge at Events – Daniel Neville This talk will explore how clearly communicating event information, both before and during events, can help improve the event experience for players, judges and staff. Maximum 10 spaces |
| 12:15 – 13:15 | Lunch | |
| 13:15 – 14:45 | Simulations – Neil Macgregor Your opportunity to take judge calls in a safe space, where your answer can be given at Regular or Competitive REL. After each simulation, there will be a brief opportunity to discuss the scenario. |
Free Form Practical Workshop – Imogen Lyford-Tilley A chance to try out your choice of the hands on elements of judging such as deck checks, card counting, development worksheets and the chance to have conversations about your personal development/goals as a judge. Maximum 6 participants at a time |
| 14:45 – 15:15 | Break | |
| 15:15 – 16:15 | Effective Feedback: An Interactive Session – Aoife Ní Bhriain This session will explore how feedback is relevant to the judge role, how we can ensure feedback we provide is effective, and how best to deliver that feedback. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own experiences of giving or receiving effective feedback, as well as the opportunity to practice using feedback framing tools and techniques to improve the feedback they give to others. Participation in the interactive elements of the session is optional, but encouraged. |
Judge! Why are you here? – Maverick Chamberlain A look at how we influence game changes as part of our roles as judges. A space to consider the types of change we seek to create during a ruling and the rationale for balancing both changes in actions and education for change in expectations, values, and beliefs. Maximum 10 spaces |
| 16:15 – 16:30 | Break and early foil handout | |
| 16:30 – 17:30 | LGBTQ Representation & Inclusion – Hary Barlow Hary explores LGBTQIA+ representation in Magic and what we can do to make our spaces more welcoming and inclusive. This session will include some group discussion. |
What do Local TOs Really Want from a Judge? Q&A with a Store Owner – Jamie Fraser Got a question you’ve always wanted to ask a store-level TO? Now’s your chance! Jamie is here, as the owner and tournament organiser for Mox in the Hole, to answer all your questions. Maximum 10 spaces |
| 17:30 | End of conference, foil handout and social activities | |
We plan to make a judge dinner reservation for 19:30 at Mr Basrai’s World Cuisines at Fountain Park. If you would like to be included in this reservation and haven’t already let us know, please contact Ruth Macgregor by 22 March at the latest.
ORGANISERS
The organisers for this conference are:
Ruth Macgregor
Liz Mackie
THANKS
We are very grateful to Mox in the Hole for providing the venue for this conference!
A big thank you to the organisation team for UK Conference Live 2022 who kindly gave us permission to more or less completely rip off their event page and application forms – you saved us so much time and effort, you rock!
If you are interested in applying for this event, please make sure you are logged in to do so.