1) The right number
You probably want more than four players, and less than four hundred. What’s the right number for your event? Enthusiasm and a friendly crowd will take you a long way, so don’t fall into ‘bigger is better’ right away. A good LAN Party exists with the right mix of people, regardless of size. Your best bet for an initial event is probably between 8-20 players. Past this number, logistics raise the issues of space, comfort, amenities and power. Definitely power.

2) The right time
One-day LAN parties are the easiest to set up, and this should probably be your goal for a first go-round. If you have a good crew of people that are able to help out, your team should be able to help you turn out a multi-day event from the start. Friday to Sunday is your best bet for player availability and location, especially if someone is kindly donating office space for the common good.

3) The right place
Size is always a consideration: do you have enough room to support your guests? One-day events can get by with a playing area only, but multi-day events will require a sleep or rest area. Don’t overlook comfort issues when looking for a venue, as air conditioning or heating will be noticed if they’re missing – just like adequate washroom facilities. Ideally, you should know how many people are coming if you’re planning on renting a venue. This will keep you locked into one place with no risk of losing any deposit or booking fees.

Some issues, such as safety, noise and transportation vary considerably by city and region. Is security something you need to consider? Is your location easily accessible for people carrying expensive and heavy computers? If your area will be out of the way or is particularly noisy, let people know in the invite so that players focus their irritation on gameplay, not your planning.

4) The Right Cost
Will you charge admission to your event? Sometimes the right cost is nothing, if your event is a small smackdown with friends. However, venue rentals, hardware accommodation and your time involvement may make fees necessary. Changing an entry fee can offset costs and make things like prizes, food and drinks feasible.

At this point, don’t forget to search for potential event sponsors. ATI features a sponsorship application form online: allow six weeks so we can respond with promotional material and possibly even retail products. No matter where you look for assistance, try to get your agreements in writing. It makes you look more professional, gives you something to build on for future events and maintains better relations with sponsors so they don’t back out before your event.

5) The Right Invite
Once you know the size, time and location of your LAN party it’s time to spread the word. Use the free resources available to you, such as newsgroups, websites and mailing lists that list events by city. You’ll also have to send detailed information to players coming to your event. If everyone is on the same page, you can expect a more relaxed environment with less confusion and more gameplay.

Your invite should contain enough information to make guests feel that they’ve chosen a good party and they come well prepared. Recommended information to include on your invite is listed at the end of this guide.

6) The right check-in
How would you like to be treated when you arrive at a LAN Party? Keep this in mind when organizing your check-in plans. Again, this may be unnecessary for a stable group. Larger organizations or parties where people may not know each other are smoothed over by a dedicated check-in person. Make a list of what they brought to avoid confusion later – if you can hand out blank labels to be marked, even better. Let people know where they’re sitting and hand them an event pack. Recommended information to include in your event pack is listed at the end of this guide.

7) The Big Event and After
You’ve got your group and are ready to kick in for some serious play. Be sure to take pictures and/or video as a keepsake, to post on your website and/or share with event sponsors. When everything has wrapped up, try to complete your check-in in reverse order, so that everyone leaves with the equipment they arrived with.
Of course, you’ll have to consider additional issues before mailing out those invites. LAN parties require massive power and no one has any fun with constant network problems or non-responsive systems. Advice on power and set-ups are outside the scope of this guide, but we suggest you check additional resources before plotting out your course. Your event will only be as good as the people who show up to play, but even your biggest boosters will lose patience during extended downtime.