What do we do now?

[ComBBAT_Amy]

Our mentor in charge of travel ran into a problem whiling make arrangments to travel to this years nationals. We as a team can not afford to fly or pay the fees through the meeting place though we managed to work it out with taking a bus and staying in cheaper hotels. The problem arose in the team parties, if a team does not make plans through the meeting place they are unable to attend the parties. The difference in our cost and theirs is $5680.

Posts: 2
Registered: Jan, 2003


The Meeting Plaxe Posted: Jan 23, 2003 9:05 AM
Reply

I have been in touch with the Meeting place We as a team can not afford the packages they are offering. I have a coach with what we need to do our own meals. I have rooms at a much lower rate. The cost difference is $5680 cheaper. I was told we would not be able to participate in any parties at Six Flags without buying the package. What if you are a local team? They must be able to go without buying rooms Meals Transportation from the meeting place. I think it is not FIRST'S intentions to exclude teams from the parties because we cant pay higher rates. We are willing to buy whatever tickets we need to attend Six Flags.

[Edited by: first on Jan 23, 2003 12:09 PM]



first

Posts: 796
Registered: Dec, 2002


Re: The Meeting Place Posted: Jan 23, 2003 2:41 PM
Reply

Championship packages were negotiated to save teams money while providing food, busing, hotel rooms, and fun at Six Flags. They were also designed to make planning the trip easier for the teams. Unfortunately, not every team makes use of these packages and prefers to make other arrangements. The following provides some differences the non-package teams will experience:
Without packages, teams cannot use the buses.
Teams cannot go to Six Flags on Friday because the park is open to FIRST teams with packages only, and is not open to the public. Teams without packages are considered "the public."
The Team Social is also a part of the package and teams without the package will not be admitted.
Teams can buy tickets to the park on Saturday, but they must do so on their own. There is no FIRST discount.


[Edited by: first on Jan 23, 2003 10:09 PM]

Does it really seem fair for us to be excluded if we were willing to buy our own tickets? Is there anyone else in this situation?:confused:

[ianbbat]

This just isn't right.

Someone should try and set up another party or something...that is really messed up.

I miss EPCOT...they were nice........

[Raven_Writer]

As far as I'm concerned, we ain't in that problem, but it doesn't seem fair. I hope you all make it though (good luck on the money situation)

[Katie Reynolds]

I was talking with our head teacher today about this. I, personally, do not really like how you have to use the hotel packages for admittance into the team party. I liked what Disney did, with the paying $75 per person to get in. That way, if you couldn't afford the hotel packages, you were still good to go. I guess we'll have to wait and see. :(

- Katie

[Rickertsen2]

I don't understand why everybody is already making plans to go to the nationals. you guys must be really confident. Will the city be that clogged with FIRST ppl that there will be no hotels left unless we make reservations this far ahead? Please enlighten me.

[Cory]

I think this is a load of BS... For what the package gets you, it is a very good rate. I think it is really bad that teams are being excluded from the festivities simply because they cannot afford the packages...this is simply not in the spirit of FIRST.

Does anyone know if this is FIRST's policy, or Astroworld's. It sounds to me as if Astroworld is making these requirements, and not FIRST, as this is totally contradictory to what FIRST is all about...


I don't understand why everybody is already making plans to go to the nationals. you guys must be really confident. Will the city be that clogged with FIRST ppl that there will be no hotels left unless we make reservations this far ahead? Please enlighten me.

Teams make preparations early because prices are cheaper, airfare, etc. Also, reserve now, and you are guarenteed rooms. Room in march-april, and that may not be such a definite thing

Cory

[IsabelRinging]

ComBBAT!

I made a post about this in the Championship forum a while ago. We don't have the packages either. We're in negotiation, if most of our team is willing to pay an extra $175ish each, we're in. But... I'm not sure if it'll happen.

How about we get together and have our own parties? :D

[ianbbat]

I will be going to the SPAM party. We'll bring the food and the tunes ;-)

Oh yeah, and as far as Houston goes...

there were, what, 13,000 team members at nationals last year, and FIRST has grown a lot since last year (a quarter of all teams are rookies this year - - exponential growth). Let's be really, really, really generous and say that there are 2,000 students in the houston area, that don't need hotels, and lets say only 13,000 students will be attending, the same number as last year...

That's still 9,000 students alone that need hotel rooms. I know houston is big, but making reservations soon is really, really, really smart.

[Mike Norton]

I really think the meeting place has done more harm to the teams then if team did it on them self.


These are my opinion and not fact so take it as you wish

FIRST want you to use the meeting place because they get so many room free for there personnel. Because in the past the meeting place has never gotten cheap rooms. there price has always been high even at the regionals.


We will be at the Orlando regional. The Meeting place has nothing less than $80 for regular rooms. and miles from the campus.

We are saying only 1 block from USF and paying $54 per room per night. These rooms are Suites. so we get a kitchen and living room per Room.


Why did not the meeting place get this hotel on there list. Maybe because there were no free room kick back to help the FIRST people.

we save just on the rooms over $1500. and this is just a regional. Are we going to teach our kids to waste money, or our we going to teach our kids how you can make money go alone way. Engineers fly and travel. I hope they would not just go and spend the company money just because they did not spend the time to find the less expenses way of going. In no means am I saying to go cheap. because we are going to be in suites which are a lot better than just a plain room. the kids have more room for themselves. but find a less expenses way.


I am sorry but I know people will say it is all for the good. but I will say everything we show and teach these kids is what they will do when they become the future work force.



so to answer your question. Have a party for you team and invite everybody you want. You can have a better party then what they can give you. I know from the past 9 years. every year the party have gotten worse and worse. We use to have a sit down dinner when the awards where given out on Friday. now it is take your award and move on.

[Jason Morrella]

I have rooms at a much lower rate. The cost difference is $5680 cheaper. We are willing to buy whatever tickets we need to attend Six Flags.
ComBBat Amy - out of curiosity, how many team members are going to Houston ( I'm assuming alot, as it sounds like your team is booking many hotel rooms)?

[ComBBAT_Amy]

We are taking 38 people all together. But we have our own bus so we don't need transportation. We do our own meals on the bus it has tables and supplies to fix meals. We got rooms at a nice hotel for $52.00 per person for three nights. so hotels are a total with tax of $ 2950 for 14 rooms We can do meals for about $900 total $3850. Meeting place cost $9500 Difference $5680 and all we get for that money is the two parties at Six flags so figure $5680 between the 38 people and its $150 per person for two parties at Six flags. In the reply from FIRST it says "unfortunately some teams choose not to use the Meeting Place" This is not a choice of using the Meeting Place or not. Its a choice of going to Nat's. or not. We chose to go to Nat's. for the competition in the spirit FIRST intended and if we have to be excluded from the FIRST socials to to so.... so be it. Its there lose we are darn good dancers and social type people. Our mentors will make arrangements for us to have a party but we will miss being with everyone.

[ianbbat]

we should see if we can rent out a club in houston.

[Raven_Writer]

Mosh pit party! That'd be so sweet if us FIRST kids could have that.

[Madison]

Originally posted by ComBBAT_Amy
We are taking 38 people all together. But we have our own bus so we don't need transportation. We do our own meals on the bus it has tables and supplies to fix meals. We got rooms at a nice hotel for $52.00 per person for three nights. so hotels are a total with tax of $ 2950 for 14 rooms We can do meals for about $900 total $3850. Meeting place cost $9500 Difference $5680 and all we get for that money is the two parties at Six flags so figure $5680 between the 38 people and its $150 per person for two parties at Six flags. In the reply from FIRST it says "unfortunately some teams choose not to use the Meeting Place" This is not a choice of using the Meeting Place or not. Its a choice of going to Nat's. or not. We chose to go to Nat's. for the competition in the spirit FIRST intended and if we have to be excluded from the FIRST socials to to so.... so be it. Its there lose we are darn good dancers and social type people. Our mentors will make arrangements for us to have a party but we will miss being with everyone.

Please, don't forget to account for some fee involved with setting up and maintaining the competition venue. Again, by booking outside of a Meeting Company arranged package, you are shirking your team's responsibility to take up some of this burden.

With that said, it is disappointing to see that the Meeting Company and FIRST aren't offering some alternative pricing method to all teams.

Perhaps you can contact a 'local team' and ask that they make arrangements for 38 extra people? Then, you can use their local status to obtain access to the parties - something you definitely deserve - while still doing your part to support the infrastructure.

[Katie Reynolds]

Originally posted by Raven_Writer
Mosh pit party! That'd be so sweet if us FIRST kids could have that.
Remember what happened last year when there was a mosh pit at a regional competition? :(

- Katie

[ComBBAT_Amy]

Again, by booking outside of a Meeting Company arranged package, you are shirking your team's responsibility to take up some of this burden

I can understand that, it would be helpful if they had an activity fee like at nats last year, it was like 75$ per person, we would be more than willing to pay something like that. And we also pay the 4k entry fee along with the 200 some other teams. Maybe this year will be a learning year, get all the things like this worked out, afterall it is a rather large change.

[Jeremy_Mc]

my team is less than 20 people....it's sort of outrageous for us to have to pay that.

we're throwing a party haha....if anyone wants more info/wants to help them contact me somehow.

*jeremy

[ianbbat]

the average team size is 36 (or was last year), and most teams don't even have as much money as our team...I really don't think that Six Flags is going to have that many people there.

[Raven_Writer]

Originally posted by Katie Reynolds
Remember what happened last year when there was a mosh pit at a regional competition? :(

- Katie
This is my first year...but I heard many poeple got kicked out of the tourney for doing it.

[etoleb]

We're in the same position, and we're really bummed out about it. We only secured enough funds to pay for everything a week ago, and we barely got the hotel reservations to stay anywhere near the event. Its not like we're trying to avoid helping FIRST pay the burden, but at $5680, thats $316 a person! Last time I checked, FIRST was about building a new culture, not filling someone's pockets.

Greg

[DriveTrainFRK]

around our area, alot of teams are hardpressed for cash :/

[Fredo]

I just find it sad that the problem all comes down to money. I hate "Package Deals" every activity should be "A la carte". Packages trap people into wasting someone's money and time.

[Powers]

if, and i say IF, we get to go to nationals, there will be no way we can afford the package, and apparantly many teams also wont be attending six flags, seems that six flags would make more money if they found a way to sell to teams w/o the travel and hotel arrangements

[ComBBAT_Amy]

yeah thats what we thought, it didnt make sense for them not to even let us go if we bought our own tickets..we are making arrangments to go ice skating or a arcade place..well its like chucky cheese for older people..so, we will still have fun..afterall combbat is pretty easily amused

[Powers]

how much exactly is this package, and what does it include?

[ComBBAT_Amy]

It depends on how many people are traveling. Its all done throught the MeetingPlace website that is linked on first

i think it is

http://www.meetingcompany.com/tmc-bin/f.wk?tmc.firstc.login.gen

good luck

[Cory]

Originally posted by etoleb
Its not like we're trying to avoid helping FIRST pay the burden, but at $5680, thats $316 a person!
Greg

whoaaaa....thats super super cheap. I did all the math for our team, although now the chances of us attending are almost negative, but anyways, I came up with a total of $470ish per person for a 4 night stay, which to me is incredibly cheap. I know we paid almost $700 to go to Orlando last year, so $316 seems really cheap to me, but I do realize it is still a good deal of money.

Cory

[Powers]

After reading it sounded like me that it was $316 more w/ the package then what they have.... but thats just what i thought it sounded like.

[ComBBAT_Amy]

Originally posted by Cory
I know we paid almost $700 to go to Orlando last year

Thats insane! do you guys fly? you have to fly. Our team tries really hard to keep the price low for the team because a lot of people cant afford to pay to much, and we take everyone on the team because everyone works hard. We manage enough fundraising that by taking a bus everyone on a team only paid 175$ to go to UCF and get lunch and drinks both days, 2 shirts, travel hotels and food for houston, and are managing to plan our own party at an ice skating rink...i quess its the bus that makes it cheaper..But if a team can afford to fly, and buy the package then i dont blame them at all for doing so..but i know we cant

[Alexander McGee]

Wow, how does that work. My team fund raised for park hopper passes, and they wernt even close to that. Six flags is gnna be cool though.

[Harrison]

What it costs our team to go PER PERSON:

$1025.00

Of course that is Candian Dollars, which = $685 US.

That is flying from Toronto to Houston on Wednesday the 9th, and flying back on Sunday the 13th. Both on Continental Airlines.

We'll be staying in the Downtown area.

All of this was done through the Meeting Company.

And Honestly, $685 for 4 nights, 2 flights, team party, and meals (and aparently 6 Flags) seems like a pretty good deal to me.

[etoleb]

Originally posted by Powers
After reading it sounded like me that it was $316 more w/ the package then what they have.... but thats just what i thought it sounded like.

Yeah, thats what I ment, $316 per person for a Six Flags ticket... :P

Greg