>Dear Go friends,
>
>It is a great pleasure for the EGF to officially announce that Toyota Motor
>Corporation and Toyota Motor Europe Marketing & Engineering will support a
>new tournament system in Europe, the TOYOTA European Go Tour.
>
>The TOYOTA European Go Tour unites the traditional tournaments through a
>system of prizes for the top players combined with a uniform PR and
>promotion policy to create large and lively events. The EGF, National
>Associations and the organisers of the tournaments will work closely
>together to realise the objectives of the TOYOTA European Go Tour.
>A detailed explanation is given in Annex 1.
>
>The TOYOTA European Go Tour will consists of five yearly and seven
>tournaments on a rotation bases. The rotation schedule is given in Annex 2.
>The official start of the TOYOTA European Go Tour will take place in a
>festive way at the Paris tournament at Easter 2000. The twelve tournaments
>included in the first rotation cycle will get a letter next week to explain
>the procedure and requirements to become a Toyota Tour Tournament.
>
>TMME and the EGF expects the TOYOTA European Go Tour will be a big boost
for
>the European Go World. We wish all top players, participants, associations
>and organisations good luck in realising a successful TOYOTA European Go
>Tour.
>
>With best regards,
>
>
>Erik Puyt,
>president EGF
>
>
>
>Annexes Toyota European Go Tour, objectives and structure
>Rotation schedule Toyota European Go Tour 2000-2002
>
>
>           Annex 1
>
>Toyota European Go Tour, objectives and structure
>
>1. Introduction
>
>The official name will be TOYOTA EUROPEAN GO TOUR. The support of Toyota
>Motor Europe Marketing & Engineering (TMME) will be Euro 25.000 annually.
>Five yearly tournaments and seven tournaments on a rotation bases are part
>of the TOYOTA European Go Tour. More than 85% percent of the total budget
is
>allocated for prizes and expenses.
>The generous support of TMME makes it possible that for the first time in
>the history European Go prizes are made available at the traditional
>tournaments. The twelve tournaments are connected by a point system which
>will lead to an overall ranking.
>
>Apart from stimulating the participation of stronger players the most
>important goal of the TOYOTA European Go Tour is to create large and lively
>events for everybody interested in Go. Special attention will be given to
PR
>and promotion, both internal (to the European Go community) and external
>(general public). The organisers of the tournament are expected to do their
>utmost to attract as much players as possible.
>
>At the end of this document we give the prizes for each category and the
>division of the total budget. The rotation schedule and the Toyota Tour
>Tournament Calendar, have been prepared in consultation with the Rules and
>Rating Committee and are given in a separate annex.
>
>The proposal for the Toyota Tour centres on a three track policy:
>1. Top players,
>2. Maximum participation,
>3. Organisers support.
>In the period from September to December each issue will be elaborated.
>Depending on the issue this will be done together with the either the Rules
>& Rating Committee and the Promotion committee. Below we will shortly
>explain each issue:
>
>2. Top players
>Toyota, under supervision of the EGF, will make prizes available for the
top
>players both at individual tournaments as well as for the overall ranking.
>The R & R committee has already been requested to assist in developing
>regulations for the tournaments, the point system and other technical
>elements related to the distribution of the prizes.
>
>3. Maximum participation
>The MO's and the organisation committee will make arrangements to make
their
>tournaments more attractive for the other players. They can do this through
>extra promotion, by organising special events, lotteries and anything else.
>The budget, which was in the past available for prizes for top players,
must
>now be partly used to realise maximum participation.
>In the period to December the Promotion and Education committee will
collect
>suggestions. Following this guidelines will be prepared for tournaments how
>to allocate their new promotion budget most effectively.
>4. Organisers support
>Apart from the prizes at tournaments and the aim of mass participation, the
>Toyota Tour Tournaments will have to satisfy several quality requirements.
>The aim is to create a uniform image for tournaments that are part of the
>Toyota Tour. These requirements will focus on technical and PR aspects. The
>EGF will actively assist organisers to be able to fulfil the requirements.
>The EGF, advised by the R & R committee will prepare guidelines for an
>efficient organisation. The EGF, assisted by the P & E committee will
>prepare guidelines for a uniform internal PR policy. This will include the
>production of identical promotion material and the timing of mailing and
>registration.
>
>5. The Toyota Tour Tournament Conditions
>To be part of the Toyota Tour, tournaments must meet with the criteria
>mentioned above. Failure to do so will mean losing their place. The
>arrangements will be laid down in an agreement specifying obligations of
>tournament organisers and EGF.
>
>6. Distribution of prizes and total budget
>More than 85% of the total budget will de distributed to the players.
13.450
>Euro as prizes at tournaments and 7000 Euro for the top twelve in the
>overall ranking.
>Ten percent is allocation to realise the organisers support and the uniform
>promotion material. Thousand Euro is reserved for unforeseen expenses and
>other costs.
>
>Distribution of prizes (all amounts in Euro)
>Place Major Four Paris Final (*) Super 7  Category B Super 7 Category C
>Overall Ranking
>1st place 500 500 400 300 1500
>2nd place 400 400 300 200 1200
>3rd place  300 300 200 100 1000
>4th place 200 200 100 50 800
>5th place 100 100   600
>6th place     500
>7th place     400
>8th place     300
>9th place     250
>10th place     200
>11th place     150
>12th place     100
>Total 1500 1500 1000 650 7000
>
>(*) An extra budget of 1000 Euro for expenses is available to stimulate
>eastern European players and youth players to come to the Paris Final.
>
>           Annex 2
>
>Rotation schedule Toyota European Go Tour 2000-2002
>
>Based on the discussions with Toyota Motor Europe Marketing & Engineering,
>and in consultation with the Rules & Rating Committee the rotation schedule
>for the first two years has been established.
>Below you will find the rotation groups and the Toyota Tour Tournament
>Calendar for the first two years.
>
>1. Rotation groups
>
>Majors (yearly)
>Amsterdam, Hamburg, United Kingdom, Prague, Paris (final)
>
>Top Tournaments, Category B (two-yearly)
>Brussel/ Barcelona
>Bucharest/ Budapest
>Vienna/ Bratislava
>Bled/ Warsaw
>
>Top Tournaments, Category C (three-yearly)
>Russia/ Belgrade/ Kiev
>Milan/ Zagreb/ Dublin
>Sweden/ Helsinki/ Copenhagen
>
>2. Rotation groups in the first two years
>
>2000-2001  period   2001-2002  period
>
>Majors (yearly)
>Amsterdam  03-06/06/2000 Amsterdam  Ascension Day
>Hamburg  10-12/06/2000 Hamburg  Witsent
>United Kingdom New Year 2001 United Kingdom New Year
>Prague  February 2001 Prague  February
>Paris (final)  Easter 2001  Paris (final)  Easter
>
>Top Category B (two-year rotation)
>Brussel   October 2000 Barcelona  February
>Bucharest  October 2000 Budapest  May
>Vienna  March 2001  Bratislava  October
>Bled   06-07/05/2000 Warsaw  June
>
>Top Category C (three year rotation)
>Russia  08-09/07/2000 Belgrade  October  (*)
>Milan   29-30/04/2000 Zagreb  June   (*)
>Sweden  November 2000 Helsinki  July   (*)
>(*) In 2002/2003 The C category tournaments are Kiev, Dublin and Copenhagen
> 3. The Toyota Tour Tournament Calendar in the first two years
>
>The tournament schedule in 2000-2001 will be:
>
>1. Milan (Top C)   29-30 April 2000
>2. Bled (Top B)   06-07 May 2000
>3. Amsterdam (Major)  03-06 June 2000
>4. Hamburg (Major)  10-12 June 2000
>5. Russia (Top C)   08-09 July 2000
>6. Prague (Major)   September 2000
>7. Brussel (Top B)   October 2000
>8. Bucharest (Top B)  October 2000
>9. Sweden (Top C)   November 2000
>10. United Kingdom (Major) New Year 2001
>11. Vienna (Top B)   March 2001
>12. Paris (final)   Easter 2001
>
>The tournament schedule in 2001-2002 will be:
>
>1. Budapest (Top B)  April/May 2001
>2. Amsterdam (Major)  May 2001
>3. Hamburg (Major)  May 2001
>4. Warsaw (Top B)   June 2001
>5. Zagreb (Top C)   June 2001
>6. Helsinki (Top C)   July 2001
>7. Prague (Major)   September 2000
>8. Bratislava (Top B)  October 2001
>9. Belgrade (Top C)  October 2001
>10. United Kingdom (Major) New Year 2002
>11. Barcelona   February 2002
>12. Paris (final)   Easter 2002