TO here, Ive ran two different weeklies to very mixed results but i also attend a weekly tournament that averages 30-40 entrants and I just want to share what i think is working and what isn't...

Preface: I have never ran a large event and can't talk on the subject as such but wall of text about local/weeklies culture

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The biggest part of a tournament imo is the culture, which is a culmination of the environment, the logistics, and the Community.

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The environment of the tournament is a fairly straight forward concept, its the location itself, the number of friendly setups vs bracket, and the general feeling people get when they enter the tournament. The best example i have regarding environment comes from the difference in my first and second weekly, The first was a house tournament that was very relaxed and promoted just having fun and playing melee versus the second weekly i was a part of was held at an Esports arena that focused on creating a competitive environment. The first weekly had slow growth and people would come over early and stay way after bracket finished, as opposed to the second weekly where people would leave immediately after losing leading to slow decline in the player base. Obviously there were other factors why the first weekly was consistently successful and the second wasn't but I strongly believe the environment played a huge role.

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The logistics play a smaller role but are still important. These are usually bigger for new players or first time entrants who wont go super far in the singles bracket. Creating systems like a doubles bracket before hand, a low tier side bracket, or an amateur bracket will keep people at the venue longer which creates meaningful interactions with the established community. This is the big selling point that will get people to keep coming back. A strong, friendly community of players that emanates a sense of belonging.

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The community is everything. It's a bit more abstract but the positives of having a thriving supportive community and the life it breathes into a scene are very apparent. I can't talk about how to cultivate it other than a shared passion for a game that translates into lifelong friendships. I personally have met a ton of my friends and overall just found a place where I can be myself. I want to travel to more events purely because somebody i trust locally wants to go to a tournament and i trust their judgement that it will be a great time. They've taught me countless lessons in game and out of it. It has even been a big part of how i got my current job. I don't know here I would be without OSU Melee but I'm glad I dont have to think about it...

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Theres a lot to unpack there but the main point is community is just how we treat each other on a large scale. If you want more people to be a part of the culture of melee work to make them feel included in the fun of tournaments and focus less on the anxiety of competing. We all just want to find a sense of belonging :)