Features

Fully web-based

• SpeechWire runs through a web browser, which means that any computer with an internet connection already has everything it needs to run a tournament.
• You don't have to download or install any software to run a tournament with SpeechWire.
• Rooms with at least five or six computers, such as computer labs and science classrooms, would make great tab rooms.
• Problems like data loss when someone accidentally closes a spreadsheet program without saving it are a thing of the past, since SpeechWire's data is in a secure data center. No data is stored at your tournament site.
• If there's a power outage at the school, once the power comes back on, all the tournament data will be just like it was before the power outage, so you can resume right where you left off.
• Just register your tournament on SpeechWire, and when your tournament order has been approved (almost always within 24 hours if not sooner), you will be ready to start!

SpeechWire Wizard

• The SpeechWire Wizard will guide you step-by-step through every part of setting up your tournament, minimizing the chance that you might accidentally miss a setting or skip a step that could cause problems later, and making the entire process simple and intuitive.
• After you've used SpeechWire once, you will be able to import your settings into future tournaments, making setup even faster.
• Color-coded messages in SpeechWire will provide information for you, and will give clear indications of when actions have succeeded, or when further attention is needed.
• You also receive an electronic handbook that accompanies you through running your tournament.

Registration

• You can invite teams to your tournament via automatically sent emails and let them register for your tournament online, eliminating the labor of digging through papers and e-mail for the number of entries and judges on each team, and automatically adding the numbers from each team's coach to your tournament.
• SpeechWire keeps a record of every team and every competitor that competes at any tournament using SpeechWire. If a team has already competed at one SpeechWire-enabled tournament, then registering for another is a snap - SpeechWire will automatically guess competitor names as you type, saving time and aggravation.
• SpeechWire can track entry fees for each team customized for your tournament.

Scheduling

• You can choose to schedule as few or as many rounds as you want for each event either before the tournament, or on the day of the tournament. If you want to get scheduling done early, you can do so, or you can wait for late drops and run the scheduler right before your tournament - the scheduler is quick enough to handle it.
• With SpeechWire, you'll spend no more long nights going over tables of codes to schedule speech events, making sure teammates don't face each other, and judges don't judge their team's competitors - SpeechWire does it all for you in a matter of seconds.
• SpeechWire makes sure that, unless it seems unavoidable, no teammates will face each other in competition. It also ensures that judges won't judge students from their own team.
• Whenever possible, SpeechWire also tries to create schedules that minimize the number of times competitors will have to face each other in speech rounds, and checks to make sure judges aren't judging the same entries multiple times in speech.
• SpeechWire is capable of scheduling tournaments with separate varsity and novice or JV divisions, and can also group divisions together in prelim rounds if you choose. You can even use different settings in different events, keeping the divisions separate in one but combining them in another, in case some events are much smaller than others, for example.
• SpeechWire will recommend how many sections to have in each event, but you still have final control over your tournament's structure.
• SpeechWire generates printable tournament schematics, tab sheets, judge ballots, team judging assignment sheets and entry forms for each team.
• SpeechWire supports debate scheduling using random pairing, high-low and high-high pairing within brackets, and following side equalization throughout the tournament.
• On the day of the tournament, you can add, move or drop competitors as needed during the day to react to late changes.

Tabulation

• Any computer with an internet connection and a web browser can be used as a tabulation station, since SpeechWire runs entirely through a web browser.
• There is no fee for using more than one computer to tabulate - use as many computers as you want. You could still also tabulate the whole tournament on a single computer if you don't have access to a roomful of computers.
• Entry of ranks and results is intuitive, and SpeechWire checks the ranks before submitting them to try and prevent typos and mistakes.
• Creating elimination rounds is easy. SpeechWire will show you a list of all competitors in an event, and how large the final round will be if you make the cut at each possible cut point. You then select where to make the cutoff, and SpeechWire automatically creates the elimination round, including the bracket in debate and shuffles the speaking order for speech.
• SpeechWire can create separate varsity and novice/JV finals and next-in finals for speech. It also supports and assists you with a color-coded, point-and-click interface in power-balancing (or snaking) of speech semifinals, quarterfinals, octafinals, and beyond.
• SpeechWire supports all the way up to quadruple-octafinals for elimination rounds.
• You can print tab sheets at then end of the tournament, and you could even print incomplete tab sheets during the tournament in case of an extended power outage or similar occurence cutting internet service to your site if you are worried about that.
• Coaches in your tab room can enjoy viewing tab sheets and results and reports that are updated live throughout the tournament.
• Tabulation is password-protected to maintain your tournament's privacy and security.

Posting

• SpeechWire supports live posting of schematics/pairings and round-by-round results if you choose to use these features. They are entirely optional but included at no extra charge.
• SpeechWire also supports electronic email or text message alerts calling judges to pick up their ballots and letting students know what room they will be debating or speaking in that your tab room can send before each round.
• You can post final medal placements from your tournament once the awards assembly has finished with a click of the mouse.
• For posting at your tournament, SpeechWire generates final round rosters that you can print out and use to copy onto posters.
• Once posted, your tournament's final results will be linked to results from other tournaments in the SpeechWire database on the SpeechWire website.

Free documentation and support

• If you order SpeechWire, you will have access to PDF handbooks that will assist you in registration, scheduling, tabulation and posting.
• Technical support is always free, and is available by phone or email on the day of the tournament, as well as email support in the days and weeks leading up to your event.