1. Registration will take place on Friday 31st August from 4.00 pm – 8.30 pm in the Foyer of the Brighton Centre. There will be an opportunity to register on Saturday 1st September between 8.30 am and 10.30 am for those unable to register on Friday.
   
   
2. Those contestants who have provided their registration details prior to the event are asked to confirm their registration and collect a 'pack' which will contain a tag for access to the Brighton Centre and a competitor's identification pass with competition number and contestant's details. Those who have not paid the registration fee will be asked to do so at that time.
   
   
3. Contestants who have not provided their details in advance will be asked to complete a registration form, pay the registration fee and then be issued with a 'pack'. Currently there is room for more contestants but registration will be closed once 300 contestants are registered – this may be before the event or on the Friday or Saturday of the event.
   
   
4. Please note that registration will close at 10.30 a.m. on Saturday 1st September, in order to allow time for the organisers to finalise the categories and organise the judging.
   
   

1. All contestants must attend pre-judging to ensure they are entered into the correct category. This will take place in the Foyer between 9.00 a.m. and 10.30 a.m.
   
   
2. Once you have been confirmed in a category, your competition pass will be stamped. If you need to change category, you will be issued with a revised competition pass.
   
   
3. There will be a briefing for each category on how the competition will be conducted and what is expected of each contestant. The organisers recognise that this is the first time for many contestants.
   
   

1. Please view the programme for the competition, which opens in a new window. Please note the judging times for each category is open to change. We will be assessing numbers in each category closer to the time and issuing a revised schedule with approximate timings.
   
   
2. All contestants and their friends are welcome to join the reception on Friday evening. This will be held in the Main Hall in the Brighton centre after registration. There is no admission charge but you will need to buy your own food and drink.
   
   
3. There is also a party with live music after the competition on Saturday in the Main Hall in the Brighton Centre. All contestants and those who have bought tickets for the championships will be welcome to attend.
   
   

1. You will note from the programme that there will be a parade (weather permitting) through the town of Brighton.
   
   
2. All contestants wishing to take part must gather at the starting point outside the Town Hall at 11.00 am ready for a start at 11.30 am.
   
   
3. The route is not long and will take about 30 minutes for all the parade to complete.
   
   
4. You will be provided with a map of Brighton and directions on how to find the start. It is only about 15 minutes walk from the Brighton Centre to the Town Hall.
   
   
5. You do not have to take part – but it should be great fun.
   
   

1. The organisers have arranged for a combination of celebrities and knowledgeable personalities to judge the competition.
   
   
2. In a departure from previous competitions, there will be 3 panels of judges who will judge moustaches, partial beards and full beards respectively. This is to avoid judges 'fatigue' common when judging for hours at a time, and to speed up the competition through not having 'rest breaks' for the judges.
   
   
3. The initial judging will be done in secret as proposed in the rules for this competition. Having reviewed the timings, we have decided that there will not be time to show the paddles for the final 6 in each class as originally planned. We now plan to calculate the scores quickly while a class is still on the stage and to announce the first 3 – but not the order. This will hopefully provide some sense of ‘theatre’ for the spectators.
   
   
4. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd places will be announced at the prize giving at the end of the judging of all categories.
   
   
5. There is also an opportunity for the major clubs to nominate a representative as a ‘scrutineer’ to ensure accurate scoring and calculation of scores.
   
   

We have organised with the Brighton Centre additional rooms with mirrors where contestants can check their appearance, make final adjustments or style their moustaches/beards.
There are 4 areas:

1. The Gents toilets have mirrors and will suffice for a quick check and final adjustment.
   
   
2. The Ladies toilet at the East Bar will be closed to Ladies and opened up for contestants. This has mirrors all round the room with stools and vanity surfaces (think Ladies Powder Room). Ideal for final adjustments or even modest styling.
   
   
3. There will be full length mirrors put in the Lounge Bar by the Hewison Room. This will serve a similar purpose to the Ladies toilet.
   
   
4. There is also a private room in the V.I.P. suite for those who have significant styling needs. This will only take 10 people at any one time so access will be strictly limited and controlled by a nominated official.
   
   

A prize will be given to the first, second and third in each category. The organisers have commissioned the making of special prizes which will depict the WBMC and the category, and are typically ‘British’. They are very unique and we are sure they will be highly valued by the winners.

The prizes will be displayed midday on Saturday morning at the photoshoot.

1. All supporters and spectators will be asked to pay an entry fee of £5 for access to the competition on Saturday. There will be no exceptions.
   
   
2. Tickets are available in advance or at the Brighton Centre box office on the day itself.
   
   
3. There is no reserved seating. First come, first served.
   
   

Food and drink will be available for purchase inside the Brighton Centre throughout Friday from 4.00pm and all day Saturday.

There are many restaurants, bars and cafes within a few minutes walk of the Brighton Centre for those who want a break or change from the Brighton Centre food.

1. The Main Hall will have tables and chairs enough for 500 people on the floor of the hall – intended for contestants and their friends. There will be banked seating for about 1000 spectators around the floor facing the stage. The seating in the Hall can be extended well beyond 1000 if we need it.
   
   
2. The Foyer will have registration, pre-judging, merchandising stall, exhibition stands and cloakrooms. It is also likely to be the venue for the photoshoot at midday on Saturday.
   
   
3. The Skyline Restaurant will be reserved for photographers and media interviews.
   
   
4. There are 2 Bars either side of the Main Hall where food and drink may be purchased.
   
   
5. The Hewison Hall is reserved for the WBMA meeting on Sunday 2nd September.
   
   

There will be stewards who will speak some German, Italian, Swedish and Norwegian – look for the flags on their T-shirts.

If there are any questions or queries which are not covered by this brief, please contact any member of the WBMC Organising Committee.