Go backforward
to your bridge club
These services and tools will help players enjoy clean, safe bridge play in 2021.
Our mission is to forge a new future for competitive bridge by helping bring the benefits of online technology back into the face-to-face environment.
INTRODUCTION
ONLINE BRIDGE
DIRECTING
TABLE MONEY
SCORING
SMARTPHONES
FACE-TO-FACE BRIDGE
PRE-BOOKING
PERFORMANCE RECORDS
LIVE RANKINGS
FEES PAID
FACE TO FACE PRACTICALS
HOSTING ONLINE GAMES
TECHNOLOGY TOOLS for competitive bridge games
All our tools are designed for integration of face to face play with current sessions online.
ONLINE BRIDGE DIRECTING & PRIVATE GAME HOSTING for duplicate pairs, teams-of-4, teams-of-8, swiss teams, swiss pairs games on BridgeBase or RealBridge for 2+ tables.
TABLE MONEY COLLECTION – Players pay their table money by credit card or bank transfer and view their transactions in a virtual wallet. The service creates a payment page for players to pay an amount remotely (cc or bank transfer) which sits in a virtual wallet to be deducted from their account each time they play. Players are sent an email reminder when they need to top up their wallet and there is a weblink on the club site to get started. Members who wish to pay for their guests can instruct it so.
TABLE MONEY ADMINISTRATION –This service manages the bridge bookkeeping side of club administration, giving a club the option for us to pay providers eg UMS and platform/scorer activity. Table money rates can be set once, or varied by game. And players could pay from the same wallet for games at different clubs.Activity reports are available, and returns are made to the club bank account monthly as a fixed fee (by agreement) per player.
This service is intended to operate seamlessly for players whether the game is played online or face-to-face, providing a cash free club, and reducing the workload of the director.
Credit control is an additional service we can offer with a focus on putting the experts at such in control of the task, designed to reduce the administration workload.
GAME BOOKING SYSTEM – A playing programme & calendar is helpful for many reasons. Our system is simple to use and allows players to book with a partner, or let others know their availability to play. It helps the organiser know how many will be attending and give relevant information about a game. Players can check what they have pre-entered for at any time, and register for game reminders, session updates and joining instructions.
LIVE RANKINGS – for sessions played online & face to face. If a club wishes to run sessions simultaneously this service would allow players online and in the club to view their ranking updates each round as a merged field.
AFTER GAME RESULTS – this is a comprehensive display system where a club has its own area for members in any division to review and track their performances over time. There is a weekly/monthly leaderboard – it’s a virtual club noticeboard. There is a feature for teachers to add commentaries, and players to ask questions.
SCORING – Players are now familiar and confident with using technology to quickly review and replay deals, check results and follow their progress during games. To manage these new expectations we have invested in our own brand of a SMARTPHONE APP to replace electronic scoring, table cards and paper travellers. The App is free for players and operates from a cloud server giving a low cost solution that means any game can be set up and run from any smart device removing the need for a laptop, printer or display screen. The game output can be uploaded to the national association for masterpoint processing. Deals can be added as a file, or manually if hand dealing. Support links go direct to our team – available to help with in-session scoring & movement queries and simultaneous online/f2f integration & rankings, director consultations, player table money queries etc.
We also have an app in development which will give players a tool to view their wallet status, top-up, book to play in the club, or online at sessions and score. For now players will have a dedicated web space to do this.
So that’s CASH-LESS, PAPER-FREE, INFORMATION-RICH bridge to bring your players forward to the club!
We have strong relationships with carefully chosen providers and strive to pass on the benefits and skills knowledge from these relationships to our clients.
Our business model works best when we take care of the online technology expenses – so fees as standard are based on that. We aim to be transparent and will be happy to negotiate a fair arrangement based on specific requirements.
OUR ROLE
We are remote helpers who untangle the web of bridge game solutions for clubs so you don’t have to. You, and your players can relax and focus on the cards – face to face – or online.
By bringing IBE Ltd virtually into your club, you are gaining a team of experts, who know their stuff and want to make life easy for Club administrators to provide enjoyable bridge games.
We see a future where nearly everything about playing bridge at the club can be provided using technology support to make life easier for the administrator and director, and simply contemporary – there’s let’s not think about getting to back the club. With us on board to help, your players will only go forward!
MORE INFORMATION
Any training is provided at no extra cost and delivered virtually. Where customisations are available to create a Bridge Club special feature, an additional fee may apply.
Our services are designed to be on a pay-as-you go system, so your club should feel confident to give it a try, and stop at any point a particular service is no longer needed.
Our range of services can be adopted as an out-sourced monthly DONE FOR YOU package + user pay fees, or as STAND ALONE items to pick and choose.
ABOUT US
We are a team of world class event organisers from six different countries and we tally at least 100 years event organisation and directing between us. We have evolved as a company from lockdown resourcefulness.
Taking care of the payment methods and playing technology for more than 300 client duplicates each month has honed our competence with technology for game promotion, finance, communication and administration as well as on day directing, security and scoring.
We operate as a team approach – by that we mean that you would have one point of contact, but services will be delivered by a variety of people during any one session (supporting a f2f director).
By bringing IBE Ltd into your club, you are gaining a team of experts, who know their stuff and want to make life easy for your Bridge Club.
We have strong relationships with carefully chosen providers and strive to pass on the benefits and skills knowledge from these relationships to our clients.
Myths
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” – GET REAL our f2f bridge world broke irreparably 18 months ago – there is no going back – go forward!
“Cash is still king”- Is it? Are you seriously thinking about making your people collect & bring coin? Count notes? To squirrel under the mattress? Get real guys and gals – even if you might like the idea of past habits being easy – think of your players – how many of them have moved on ?
Be sure your bridge club gets with the programme rather than simply creates one!
GO FORWARD PRACTICALLY
OUR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE: GO FORWARD PRACTICALLY
In order to give players and directors confidence to come to the club to play as we transition into the COVID-free game of the future here are other measures we really hope the club will consider. Plus we would really love to be able to say that our clients are those who are doing their very best to create a clean, enjoyable playing environment.
These are intended as bridge specific supplements to government regulations for social distancing, hand washing and sanitising.
Promote players getting in the habit of bringing their own readily foldable bidding boxes and ask players to keep them closed and off the tables during the play.
Only welcome players into the playing room a few minutes before game time – if they are using the booking system it is known who is due.
Use clear table covers and require players to place dummy and played cards under the edge to reduce contact. And wipe them before the move on.
Encourage players to develop the habit of holding cards below the table not at eye level. This will reduce opportunities for contact when only a single set of boards is in play.
Play barometer movements – (remember our wallet service does allow for a different table money rates – so perhaps charge a premium for players to enjoy extra social distancing and single use card sets). Additionally this security when merging with online.
Communicate with players regularly to reassure and offer alternatives- all our tools designed to support clubs to give their players choice to play as they prefer – just so long as they play! Bridge is our beautiful game!