Please also see the Kingdom of Atenveldt Frequently Asked Questions for Kingdom Events for answers to some general questions.

Determining Which Calendar Events are Kingdom Events

In Atenveldt, all Kingdom events are held on the first full weekend of the month. Without knowing this, it may be hard to identify what is a Kingdom event. If you look in the Southwind, at the Kingdom Calendar, it may say "Kingdom" in the title of the event, however not always. Looking at the "group" in the far right also doesn't always state "Kingdom". The group listed may be the local group that was awarded the bid, and is therefore organizing the event.

Who Can Submit Bids

Anyone can submit a bid as long as they are a paid member of the SCA and at least 18 years old; however, the event must be hosted by an official SCA group (ie: Barony, Shire, Canton, College, etc). Households, ships, etc can submit bids as long as they have the backing of an official SCA group. Any profits from the event would go to the official group hosting, NOT the household, ship, etc.

Locating Bid Deadlines & Baronial Sponsorship Information

Kingdom event bids are submitted to the Kingdom Financial Committee (KFC). The deadline for bid submission is 6 months prior to the date the event is scheduled to be held. Check the most recent Southwind. There is a list, "Autocrats Needed", that is included in each issue. This list includes the Kingdom Events scheduled in the next 8-6 months in which the KFC is soliciting bids. It will list the date the event is to be held, the name of the event, and the date that bids are due by.

Check the Kingdom Calendar, also listed in the Southwind (this is usually located on the back of the front cover). This will also list the date that a bid is due for upcoming events in which bids have not been awarded yet. After the deadline date there will also be, in parenthesis, a Baronial ID designation for the Barony sponsoring the bid (see "Barony Sponsorship of Bids" section below for further info).

Barony Sponsorship of Bids

The Barony ID indicates the Barony assisting with the bid solicitation & submission for the Kingdom Event. This does not mean the Barony is putting on the event, or that other SCA groups may not submit bids. It means that the Barony is assisting the Kingdom to ensure that bids are submitted, and assisting groups with questions about submitting bids. If your group wishes to submit a bid for a Kingdom event, please contact the Seneschal of the sponsoring Barony. A list of the ID abbreviations, and which Barony they represent, is included in the "Autocrats Needed" section in the Southwind. Check the Baronial websites for contact information for each Baronial Seneschal.

The Kingdom Financial Committee

The Kingdom Financial Committee, or "KFC", is the group of Kingdom officers who make the financial decisions regarding Kingdom funds. Someone wishing to autocrat a Kingdom event must submit a bid to the KFC. The members of the KFC are defined in Lex Atenveldtus (section XII. B.) and are as follows:

Items to Include in a Bid Submission

Bid Letter
For specifics on what this letter should contain, please see the Kingdom Event Frequently Asked Questions - "What must a bid for an Atenveldt Kingdom Event include?". For some examples, see the Samples of Bid Letters page.

Sample Draft of the Kingdom Newsletter (Southwind) Article
This would be a sample of what you intend to submit to the Southwind. There will be pieces of information that you won't have yet (for example: who to send reservations to, etc). That's OK, just put X's where the name and address can be inserted at a later date. Please see the Sample of Bid Letters page for examples.

Pre-Event Budget Report
For further information on this report, please see the Forms and Reports: Before the Event page.

Event Registration Form
For further information on this report, please see the Forms and Reports: Before the Event page.

Feasts

Feasts for Kingdom events must be carefully planned so that they comply with the Pre-Paid Feast Policy for Atenveldt Kingdom Event Bids. The Event Steward and Feast Steward should both review this document before adding the feast details into the bid. This policy includes information on how to come up with the budget figures that are required to be in the bid, wording for the event article, and additional required information.

Mandatory Projected Profits

Kingdom events are also required to make a profit for the Kingdom. As per Thegn Robin, Kingdom Seneschal (May 7, 2006 Kingdom Calendar meeting), bids will not be considered unless they make a certain minimum profit. The minimum amount of projected profit required for a Kingdom Event depends on the type of the event. These figures are listed in the yearly projected Kingdom Budget report that is printed yearly in the Southwind. As of the 2011 Kingdom Calendar Meeting the figures were as follows:

Event bids which do not project the required amount of profit for the Kingdom will not be considered by the Kingdom Financial Committee.

The Process and Timing of Submitting a Bid

Following is a general outline of the process.

  1. Determine what event you'd like to submit a bid for.
  2. Determine the bid submission deadline.
  3. Talk to your group, friends, significant other, etc. Find out if you will be able to get enough support from them to properly staff and run the event. Properly autocrating an event takes a lot of help and support from those around you, and a lot of your time. Even if your significant other / family / friends / etc. will not be involved in the planning and running of the event, they will have to deal with you when stress hits and the lack of time you will have to spend with them.
  4. Talk to the Baron & Baroness (if applicable) and Seneschal of your local official SCA group to see if they will agree to back you as the "hosting" group if you are awarded the bid.
  5. Locate a site. This can be very challenging. Talk to others that have autocrated similar events for suggestions on places, ideas, requirements a site should have, etc. Also keep in mind the time of year of the event. Planning for a camping event, in January in Ered Sul, or in July in Sundragon, may not be the best choice. The Sites, Listing and General Information page of this website can give you some ideas of places to try. When talking to site owners please remember the following:
    1. You are representing the SCA. Be polite, friendly, and business like.
    2. Typically Kingdom level events are large, usually over 200 attendees, depending on the event. Planning for 200 - 250 is usually a good place to start. Also, talk to past Event Stewards, Seneschals, Crowns, etc. They should be able to give you some idea of the size of past events or what may be expected for this event.
    3. For additional info please see the Contacting Site Owners page.
  6. If this is an event that will involve serving food, find a Feast Steward. Work with them on deciding on a menu and working out a budget. Make sure to review the Feast page and the Pre-Paid Feast Policy for Atenveldt Kingdom Event bids. This document includes information that is required to be included in your bid.
  7. Write up your bid letter, article draft, and fill out required forms (see "Items to Include in a Bid Submission" section above).
  8. Submit your bid to the KFC BEFORE the bid submission deadline.
  9. About a week after you have submitted the bid contact the members of the KFC to verify that your bid has been received.
  10. Now it's time to wait. The KFC cannot review bids until AFTER the bid submission deadline. It is not uncommon for it to take several weeks, even a month or more, to come to a final decision. Be patient.
  11. Once they make their decision you will be contacted and informed of it.

Submitting Additional Information

If you would like to submit some advice or additional information, please submit it here