At the high end, a national event for 400–800 players would almost always be held in a hotel ballroom or convention center and be organized by NASPA staff. Such an event would usually be planned at least a year in advance based on in-house research, though unsolicited bids are welcome.
Our premier event, the [[North American SCRABBLE Championship]] (NASC), is currently being scheduled with some flexibility on a four-year geographic rotation in the Northeast (2014, 2018), West (2015, 2019), Midwest (2016, 2020), and South (2017, 2021). As of spring 2018, we are booked through 2018 and have received some bids for 2019 and 2020. The event was recently held in the following locations:* 2018: Buffalo, NY. Hyatt Regency and Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.* 2017: New Orleans, LA. Hyatt Regency* 2016: Fort Wayne, IN. Grand Wayne Convention Center.* 2015: Reno, NV. Silver Legacy Resort Casino.* 2014: Buffalo, NY. Hyatt Regency and Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.* 2013: Las Vegas, NV. Riviera Hotel.* 2012: Orlando, FL. Royal Pacific Resort.* 2011: Addison (Dallas), TX. Hotel Intercontinental.
NASC competition starts on the last Saturday in July, give or take one week, and runs for five days ending on a Wednesday. Before the event, supplies begin arriving on Monday and staff on Wednesday; setup takes place on Thursday and a warmup event alongside registration on Friday. After the event, teardown takes place on Wednesday, some staff leave on Wednesday night, and remaining staff and supplies leave on Thursday. Depending on other local attractions, players may wish to book additional shoulder dates.