The thread on small event promotion raises the interesting question of how to brand a tournament. The branding process is basically how one tournament distinguishes itself from others in the mind of the consumer. Here are some thoughts on the subject, hopefully it will stir up some discussion.
Tournament branding occurs on a number of variables including but not limited to: Buy-In levels, blind interval structure (how frequently and by what percentage do the blinds increase ?), rebuy and add-on policy, game(s) played, the venue (location, comfort, etc.), ancillary venue services like food/drink/other gaming, player comps, payout percentages, awards, day & time, types of players attracted, personalities of management & other staff, etc. etc. etc. Even the title of the event(s) can be meaningful.
For a director just planning a new event series, I think it's best to ask a simple question "what kind(s) of tournaments would I like to play in ?". Chances are if you design the tourney that you yourself are enthusiastic about, your staff and customers will pick up on that in a positive way. And then pay attention to feedback, when you find something that your market just doesn't appreciate, even if you think it's great, you have to think about making a change.