Powerlifting in the Pub or a Fun comp!

I am thinking of organising a competition in a major Scottish city under the following sort of rules and was wondering what the general though was in the barbell types in the UK

- Held under IPF technical rules.
- Would involve singlet, knee sleeves, belt and wrist wraps
- Held in a club/pub/venue that was liscenced ideally would love to have the likes of food stalls etc
- Lifters would need to be of a certain standard (invite only thinking).
- 20 men and 20 women.
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd based off wilks rankings
- Cash prize for 1-2-3
- Pay for refs and loaders.
- Loud music and enthusiastic MC
- Try and get a big enthusiastic crowd.
- Social afterwards.

Ideally I would like to involve a governing body to help with the organisation/running of the platform only tried one so far but with a mixed reception (from the committee lifters are keen as mustard).

Would also like to try and draw some sponsorship and make it a bit of an event.

What are your thoughts on the matter would like to get as much opinion as possible positive and negative just throwing s**t against the wall at the minute.

As a lifter ive came across a few comps in pubs. Theyre fun, if you can handle the late nights.

As an organiser however i imagine its a bit of a nightmare trying to sort everything. And trying to attract sufficient sponsorship to offer prize money will be very challenging, unless you can get at least a couple of big name lifters to sign up.

It works well for strongman, push/pulls generally so it should be fine for PL

I wouldn't split it 20/20. Surely far more men out there at a better standard

Does this mean I would not be allowed to snort halo before deadlifting?

Jokes aside I would love to compete in a nightclub type environment like how they do MMA fights, indeed lifting in a cage would be extra cool too. I generally lift more/better with a good crowd.

Like the sound of this but I agree that you would get more than 20 guys wanting to lift.

I think that making lifting more like darts could only be a good thing. Sounds fun. Especially victory based off wilkes! Would defo hop axtoss the water to watch if the price was right.

Made me think immediately of Benni and this - http://www.sugdenbarbell.co.uk/forum/Benedikt-MAgnusson-487.5kg-attempt..-5850

From memory I think I posted something about it on the old PLUK site and the story was he put 487.5ks on the bar as that was all the weight that was at the competition.

would have to be like proper darts on sky... not that lakeside s**t they show on bbc.

The bigger names to make it interesting would mean you'd need to get sponsorship for it to be financially feasible. I was contemplating doing something along these lines, but the figures just wouldn't add up. I'd say you'd be looking at around £3,000 prize money plus to have UK names only (including Benni from Yorkshire), plus venue hire, getting the kit up there, insurance etc. Tickets might sell for £25, but it's in Scotland. You'd need around 160 people to pay £25 each to get £4,000, which would give you a gross total of £0.

Licensed? Class A4 Licence: Drinking establishment
PLUS D2: Assembly and Leisure.
It will be one or the other, I really don't see it having a class A and a class D license at the same time.

I really don't think you'd get the insurance to have weights lifted where alcohol will be sold.

1/2/3 for men AND for women? What will the cash prize be? Why would people who don't have a chance of winning travel that far to compete? Is there another incentive?

get 50 or so lifters, charge them £20 to enter, find a decent local venue (not a pub but somewhere like the corn exchange) give a bit of prize money for the winners but don't try to attract the top guys through payment, if it picks up and the competition is good fun, lifters will come (not to quote Kevin Costner).

if you can organise a seminar with Benni/Terry Hollands/Misha etc on the same day and comp after then you can generate revenue from that, attract a few lifters, charge a premium for people attending the seminar and at the same time have a good fun comp.

Dont run it with Scottish Powerlifting, they are the dreary presbyterians of powerlifting and their no fun Calvinist approach will just ruin the thing, unless you want to run it in a prison.

The GPC do some great comps, Tattooed and Strong has a great atmosphere and the GPC British is excellent.

also I would say to decide if you want juicy or non juicy lifters or a mix. dont let the s**te "been lifting a year and think Im a powerlifter" enter either, they are crap to watch. just invite people with loads of instagrams or whatever that means

or run a puregym bro comp, winner gets a free sleeve and 30ml tren.

Misha was supposed to be in the UK later this year, but there weren't enough people. They tried charging too much and it fell through. If there was a workshop with Benni for the right price, I'd go.

Cheers for the input lads all useful. The thread in the SPF Facebook confirmed they aren't the fed for the job no imagination. Corn exchange is a good idea for a venue was looking at summer hall as well.

I wouldn't be interested in getting "big names" I'm not paying someone to lift at my comp. Would also have a minimum standard of lifter.

My thoughts are I am going to be PED "agnostic" can't be arsed with the politics just come and lift some tin.

Plenty of food for thought.

This would be amazing mid-summer as it gets pretty quiet on the comp front due to all the international stuff that's ongoing!