FIRST Packages for Championships

[KathieK]

We are trying to estimate costs since we are a Tier 1 team who was able to register last week to attend Championships.

Does anyone know if the package information has been released yet, meaning, will it include meal coupons like last year? The "sample" hotel rates are significantly lower this year, but does that mean they eliminated something else?

[Ricky Q.]

From the welcome letter:

Championship Packages
Hotel packages in Atlanta will be simpler and much cheaper this coming year. With the increase in the registration fee, FIRST has been able to eliminate some cost from the packages. Packages will include simply the hotel accommodations and tickets to the Saturday night celebration. Lower-priced hotels outside the downtown area will be available for teams traveling by charter bus. As in 2004, tickets to the Saturday night celebration will be offered separately at a much lower cost. FIRST feels this new package structure will be far more competitive and should offset the registration fee increase for most teams.

[KathieK]

Thanks, I missed that.

[blue_crew]

when can you usually purchase these packages?
i am assuming they are purchased through THS right?
also do you think it is better to make hotel reservations now
if you are planning on attending the championship event?
can you buy tickets to the Wrap party without buying a package?

sorry about all the questions but we are trying to figure this whole
thing out as this will be our first year attending.
thanks

[Cory]

when can you usually purchase these packages?
i am assuming they are purchased through THS right?
also do you think it is better to make hotel reservations now
if you are planning on attending the championship event?
can you buy tickets to the Wrap party without buying a package?

sorry about all the questions but we are trying to figure this whole
thing out as this will be our first year attending.
thanks

It depends on what you want to do.

If you want to stay in a nice hotel, downtown, the packages are a great deal. For $200 or so you get 4 nights in good-excellent hotels, plus the wrap party wristband.

If you want to stay in a potential rathole, or farther away from downtown to save costs, I imagine you can find a motel for about $60 per person for four nights.

IIRC, the wrap party wristbands were $25 each (Im not sure though. I didn't have to buy one). They were definitely available for sale at the competition.

[KathieK]

Your team leader will receive an anouncement from FIRST (which is also probably an E-mail Blast that you will see here on Chief Delphi) regarding the date that the hotel reservations become available. Your team can start doing research right now, looking at all the hotels in Atlanta. Look at their normal prices (to give you an idea of what they cost), their location in regard to the venue and mass transportation. Do they offer continental breakfast? An indoor pool? Are they near Centennial Park (great for burning off energy a the end of the day) or near restaurants, etc. If traveling by Air (I'm assuming you will be), how will you get to the hotel with all your stuff, from the airport? Other amenities that might be important to you? Determine how many rooms you will need to reserve. Then have the team (or the travel committee) narrow your selections down. That way when THS anounces the hotels that are being offered, you will know what your top selections are. The popular hotels tend to get completely booked within hours of the time you can start making reservations. Assign someone with computer access the job of hopping online to make your reservations as soon as it opens, if you decide to use one of the hotels THS offers.

[Elgin Clock]

Your team can start doing research right now, looking at all the hotels in Atlanta. ....their location in regard to the venue and mass transportation. ....Are they near Centennial Park (great for burning off energy a the end of the day) .....If traveling by Air (I'm assuming you will be), how will you get to the hotel with all your stuff, from the airport?...

I have found 2 maps that were very helpful when we were looking into these very issues in 2004 (the first year in Atlanta.)

They are:

Downtown Atlanta:
http://www.centennialpark.com/images/Downtown%20map.pdf

&

The immediate area of the Georgia World Congress Center & Centennial Olympic Park:

http://www.gwcc.com/images/gwccmap.pdf

(I'm not sure where the new Aquarium is in those maps though)

And another useful map, this time for restaurants:

http://first.atlanta.net/media/docs/Downtown%20Restaurants%20map%20&%20key.pdf

The MARTA system takes you pretty much anywhere you want to go and is relatively cheap (with discounted group weekend ride packages usually offered as well). The longest ride you will have will be the one from the airport to this vicinity which is about 20-30 minutes or so(?)
(I didn't go last year, so I'm not absolutely sure, but it's not that far).