View Full Version : Championships location from 07 and onwards
So where do you all think championships would be the best place to b hld after Atlanta's contract expires?
I personally really enjoy Atlanta.
It is a fun spot to be at. Everything is within a very close distance of the Dome. And if not, Marta is there. There are tons of cheap restaraunts right outside the Dome at the CNN center. There are a few issues with the certain gates being opened and some being closed, but what do you guys all think?
Please don't turn this into a "It should be here because it would be really close for my team" thing.
alphaone
26-04-2005, 20:05
I'd like to see it go to a place like maybe NYC or San Diego, CA (awesome city, though I don't know if it has the proper facilities) or maybe LA.
Ali Ahmed
26-04-2005, 20:06
I think it should be held in a very large ship in international waters to make it a truly international event. :D
Back to the real topic, I think it should be held in a city where there has been an Olympic event held there because it is already suited for a large number of people. For example, Salt Lake City or L.A.
I think it should be held in a very large ship in international waters to make it a truly international event. :D
Back to the real topic, I think it should be held in a city where there has been an Olympic event held there because it is already suited for a large number of people. For example, Salt Lake City or L.A.
That was my answer, Utah would be the prefect place to hold it.
alphaone
26-04-2005, 20:09
Yeah Salt Lake city would be awesome too :D
Bharat Nain
26-04-2005, 20:12
I heard the championship will be held in Hawaii soon...:rolleyes:
Alex Pelan
26-04-2005, 20:13
I've said it before, and I'll say it again...
Anywhere but Hartford.
Seriously, anywhere would pretty much be fine. Atlanta is good, but then again I've never experienced any other place. Any major city will be tons of fun, NYC, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, LA, you name it, and I'm sure that, since those are the only places that can hold all these people, Nationals will stay in a city.
Joshua May
26-04-2005, 20:17
I heard the championship will be held in Hawaii soon...:rolleyes:
Really, I heard it would be held in the Atlantic Ocean because of the water game in 07.
I think Los Angeles would be a prime location. It's a large city, with many teams already around, and the facilities if the olympic site could be secured.
If not LA, I'd like to see somewhere more to the geographic center of the US so that it is more accessible to all teams. However, I can't really think of many places that would be able to handle the large load in that geographic region.
Another place that just came to mind would be a place like Detroit, another area where there is a large concentration of teams locally.
Too many choices!
tiffany34990
26-04-2005, 20:17
i say tampa so i def. can go
where ever it may end up...it def. needs to be in a big city and places to hang out..well with big cities always something to do..
sanddrag
26-04-2005, 20:30
I would hope for somewhere more west. Every year except Houston in 2003 the western teams always have more distance to travel (and perhaps more $ to pay).
nobrakes8
26-04-2005, 20:37
It would be kinda cool to see FIRST move around a little.
I understand that they want to stay in the same place for a while because they really learn the area, the facilities and could best run a compeition from year to year just being familiar with the facility.
I'd love to see FIRST go to Orlando for a year or two, LA for a year or two, NYC, Chicago, etc..
First reason is FIRST would really spread and word would get around about the program by local media.
Next reason is because I think each of those big cities almost everybody would like to see, I mean who doesn't want to go to LA just once or hang out in Time Square?
Unfortunatly those cities probably out price themselves. I mean for those teams that have buses drive them everywhere, the gas prices just outside NYC on Sunday were $2.37 a gallon, and I could only imagine how much money it would cost to get a hotel room or for FIRST to pay for a building, and I'm sure LA and the west coast out price themselves too.
Kyle Love
26-04-2005, 21:27
My vote goes for Indianapolis or Cincinnati, both are cities with great things to do with down time.
ARcanUSNUMquam
26-04-2005, 21:28
I agree with the less time in between changes. It'd be cooler if they changed every year, so teams could go to different places all the time. The 4 year contract just shafts the people who are froshes (Year of '06, '10, etc) on the year that the contract begins because they don't get to go anywhere else. Luckily, though, I get to experience one year of non-Atlanta-ness.
D.J. Fluck
26-04-2005, 21:33
Rumor has it that 4 cities are currently bidding for the championships
Atlanta
Indianapolis
Detroit Area
Disney
Then again, its just a rumor..or is it? :p
Kyle Love
26-04-2005, 21:34
Rumor has it that 4 cities are currently bidding for the championships
Atlanta
Indianapolis
Detroit Area
Disney
Then again, its just a rumor..or is it? :p
I hope its not a rumor! I like the sound of all of 'em actually!
I would do anything to see it go back to Disney... That was probably one of the greatest places of all to have Nationals/now called Championship
San Fransisco
Seattle
Salt Lake
Hawaii
Any of those placed would be pretty cool. We need to cut flight costs for Western Based teams for a few years since Houston was the last closest venue (still far from California). I know Eastern teams (like mine) probably want to keep it close, but let others share the benefit.
Side note: What did people pay for travel? Would a bus or plane be better? I took a plane to Atlanta becuase it was better then a car (our team really didn't look into a charter bus).
David Brinza
26-04-2005, 22:06
Remember that the venue needs to be something on the order of a domed football stadium with an adjacent large facility to accommodate the pits AND, ideally, enough hotels within walking distance. (Unless you liked the large tents such as those used in the Epcot parking lots and bus rides to and from the hotels!)
For example: I don't think the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles could accommodate 5 FIRST competition fields, although the LA Convention Center is nearby for the pits. There may not be enough hotels walking distance from Staples either.
Nikhil Bajaj
26-04-2005, 22:42
Remember that the venue needs to be something on the order of a domed football stadium with an adjacent large facility to accommodate the pits AND, ideally, enough hotels within walking distance.
For that reason, I think Indianapolis would be perfect. They hold Gencon (a big nerdy convention) in this Convention Center there which would be perfect for pits, and the great thing about that center is that for competition stuff, you can walk directly from the Convention Center to the MAIN FLOOR OF THE RCA dome (where the Colts play.)
Now THAT would be cool.
My top three choices are:
1) DISNEY!!!!
2) DISNEY!!!!
3) DISNEY!!!!
Barry Bonzack
26-04-2005, 22:47
My top three choices are:
1) DISNEY!!!!
2) DISNEY!!!!
3) DISNEY!!!!
Location location location.... And Disney would be an Awesome one in my book. I know many have already talked about how it wouldn't work because the way they used to have it way back when... but I have a strong feeling that Disney DOES have everything it needs to accommodate the event even at its much larger size. I HIGHLY doubt the Championship will ever be held outside again, and do not believe there is a thing to worry about if it were to be moved back where magic lives.
Rumor has it that 4 cities are currently bidding for the championships
Atlanta
Indianapolis
Detroit Area
Disney
Then again, its just a rumor..or is it? :p
I like Atlanta. But Indy would be cool too. It IS Indiana, which is a happy state, not on a coast, with strong robot support.
I think we're too big to go back to Disney (and I love Disney). 2002 felt cramped. Atlanta is much nicer, IMHO.
Before I weigh in on Detroit, I want to see how well they pull off the Superbowl. If they can pull it off, then I think it qualifies them to try out for FIRST. It's a nice runner-up. :)
My take is that there will be a renewal at Atlanta for the next 7 years since the venue is the right size and the hotels and city is pretty safe. Other than those pan handlers out in the street that beg for money but when you dont give them anything they curse the hell at you.
Just my 2 cents on what I've heard down in Atlanta from key people.
Ellery
sirbleedsalot
26-04-2005, 23:13
To me it does not matter where they have it, but it should be advertised more. I was in a hotel that was mere block from the dome and nobody knew that there was a robotics competition there. If we really want to spread the word we need to pack the spectators in. I know in our town nonprofit organizations get free radio time, I am sure that there is something similar in other cities. At least throw up some posters or banners around town, and announce that it is free to get in, and let people know that they are allowed in the pits. I mean there are how many people that live in Atlanta, and how many that are in the downtown area I think some people would have stooped by if only for an hour if they knew what was going on.
David Brinza
26-04-2005, 23:14
For that reason, I think Indianapolis would be perfect. They hold Gencon (a big nerdy convention) in this Convention Center there which would be perfect for pits, and the great thing about that center is that for competition stuff, you can walk directly from the Convention Center to the MAIN FLOOR OF THE RCA dome (where the Colts play.)
Now THAT would be cool.
That would be cool. But I've got one better...
I think the Edward Jones Dome in St.Louis (home of the Cleveland/Los Angeles/Anaheim/St.Louis Rams) would make a great venue. I went to the inaugural FIRST event in St. Charles, MO in 2002? and FIRST has made a HUGE impact in the St. Louis Area. (John Doerr from Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers brought FIRST to St.Louis and the program has been immensely successful there). It is right next to the America's Center - a large convention facility. There are plenty of nearby hotels. The Jefferson National Memorial (also known as the Arch) is nearby as is Laclede's Landing (plenty of restaurants). There's a light rail system that connects downtown directly to the airport. The St.Louis Science Center is just a few miles away...
Why not "Meet Me in St. Louis"???
Eugenia Gabrielov
26-04-2005, 23:16
From a distance standpoint, I see Atlanta staying for a few more years. However, more and more teams in the West are popping up, and I definitly agree that this issue needs to be addressed.
However, many Eastern and Midwestern teams are crowded into sponsor centers, i.e., some teams rely on shared sponsors for travel fare AND competition fees. While this makes it more competitive, sending everyone to California becomes exceedingly difficult.
I see Denver, Salt Lake City, and St. Louis as possibilities in the future (region-wise), as well as Chicago. Chicago I am sure has the capacity to hold teams, and I am not familiar with the others capacity wise. As Nikhil said, Indianapolis is very well-geared to hosting.
I will likely not be attending college in Indiana, so I don't feel that biased considering Indianapolis a pretty decent Championship venue. From a standpoint of access however, Detroit and Chicago probably beat out Indy.
- Genia
Should the Championship ever come to L.A. (haha), there are only two places that have a chance at hosting it. The Olympic site is impractical, as the Coliseum is open-air and the Sports Arena is too small to hold anything bigger than a regional. The two places are: Anaheim Convention Center and Long Beach (Convention Center and Sports Arena). Anaheim: big enough, but there is at least one major distraction across the street, and you might have trouble getting bleachers in. Long Beach: also big enough, if Einstein and maybe one other field are in the Sports Arena and the pits and other three fields are in the convention center.
Should the Championship ever come to L.A. (haha), there are only two places that have a chance at hosting it. The Olympic site is impractical, as the Coliseum is open-air and the Sports Arena is too small to hold anything bigger than a regional. The two places are: Anaheim Convention Center and Long Beach (Convention Center and Sports Arena). Anaheim: big enough, but there is at least one major distraction across the street, and you might have trouble getting bleachers in. Long Beach: also big enough, if Einstein and maybe one other field are in the Sports Arena and the pits and other three fields are in the convention center.
Well, FIRST could potentially take over the Staples Center. I would like to see it come to the West Coast to allow teams over here a little break from the travel costs that many east coast teams enjoy.
mtaman02
27-04-2005, 02:21
I'd like to see it go to a place like maybe NYC or San Diego, CA (awesome city, though I don't know if it has the proper facilities) or maybe LA.
NYC wouldn't be a bad place just a few issues
Traffic IS a big issue in the city
There is not a big enough arena to hold the Nationals let alone parking for it or storage of equipment
NYC lacks Entertainment for the youngins but has many tourist attractions =)
Some positive things though
If the new Jets stadium gets built on the west side (which also is a Super bowl candidate city as well as the 2012 olympics) maybe FIRST will put a bid in holding it in NYC
There are 3 area airports within an hour to the west side stadium - LaGuardia, John F Kennedy and Newark Liberty Airports
If the west side stadium gets built up parking should be resolved as well as transportation - MTA Going Your Way =)
If The NY Yankees build their enclosed stadium you have a slim shot of getting at least one year of nationals there
David Brinza
27-04-2005, 02:22
Well, FIRST could potentially take over the Staples Center. I would like to see it come to the West Coast to allow teams over here a little break from the travel costs that many east coast teams enjoy.
Of the potential LA sites, Staples Center would be the most attractive. Unfortunately, I doubt that 5 FIRST fields could be placed on the floor of the arena. As I recall from when the great game of hockey was played professionally in LA, it's 60 feet from the blue line to the goal line and a lot less from blue line to blue line in the center of the arena. (Our Canadian friends can set us straight on this).
Maybe FIRST would opt for four fields (two in the center and one on each end), but I don't think 5 fields will work in Staples.
sanddrag
27-04-2005, 02:27
The problem with finding a place for chamionships (besides space for the pits) is that you need not just a big floor space but a big area of elevated viewing around it. In places like convention centers, this may me hard to come by. They are great for floor space but don't have any provisions for spectating.
The stadium where the AZ Diamondbacks play in Phoenix is really nice. It has a roof that closes over it. The fields would all fit on the baseball field and the pits could be in the large corridors underneath the stands all the way around the arena. The only problem would be lack of a concrete floor.
David Brinza
27-04-2005, 02:38
BTW
Seating capacity is rather limited at Staples in the hockey configuration (16,000). It's not much better at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim (17,500).
Problems for accommodating fans for FIRST teams would be amplified compared to that at the Georgia Dome or other domed football stadiums. Teams would have to reserve seats and the logistics would be even more complicated.
As hard as it seems to believe, the FIRST Championships are TOO BIG for Los Angeles!!!
activemx
27-04-2005, 02:49
How about Antartica,i would love to go there. Besides the fact that all the drivers will have to wear fur coats. More people will be chearing to keep them selves warm:)
David Brinza
27-04-2005, 02:56
How about Antartica,i would love to go there. Besides the fact that all the drivers will have to wear fur coats. More people will be chearing to keep them selves warm:)
Sounds VERY COOL!
Robots on snowshoes.
No need for freeze spray to cool motors and breakers.
Woody in penguin camoflage.
20 hours of daylight.
It all fits!!
I don't particularly care where they are, as long as it isn't snowing and freezing :)
They need to be near a major airport. Atlanta, Orlando, NYC, Chicago, LA, etc all come to mind. The bigger the airport, the cheaper the flights (most likely)
It doesn't cost all that much to fly to Atlanta. You could find $200 roundtrips from the west coast, booked far enough in advance. This is reasonable.
Hawaii...impossible, no facilities large enough, that I know of, and airfare is astronomically high. Something on the order of $600 r/t from San Francisco.
Atlanta is pretty darn good. I like it, not as much as Disney, but I like it. Next year I'm sure FIRST will make it even better.
Disney isn't exactly a cost saving alternative. Food prices are exorbitant. The hotel packages were far less reasonable than those in Atlanta. EVERYTHING is more expensive at Disney. The only thing I liked more about Disney was the atmosphere. It was simply amazing. Having the themeparks was nice, but they didn't make, or break the deal for me.
Theres a lot of factors to consider when hosting a FIRST event.
The most important would be facilities. This includes both venues that would work and reasonably priced hotels near the venues.
But my next most important factor would be transportation. With many new international teams you need to have a good and cheap international airport. Also it is nice if the domestic flights are cheap too. If possible you want a more central location in terms of North American teams so that bus travel is reasonable. It would also be nice to have good intercity transportation.
Food is the next consideration. There needs to be food that is diverse and cheap.
The two other key considerations would be safety and sights. Is it safe enough to walk from the hotels to the venue or to nearby restaurants? And is there things you can do in the city in your off time (if you have any)?
After all these considerations, I think Atlanta is a pretty good place to be. Unless another city answers these questions better I think we'll stay in Atlanta.
St Louis
San Antonio
Indianapolis
They seem to have domes connected to convention centers that are large enough to consider.
Wetzel
Amanda Aldridge
27-04-2005, 04:42
Ok, so I won't turn this into a "it should be here to be closer to my team" thread, but can i turn it into an "it should be here to be closer to me" thread? Just kidding. I would love Indy or good ole Chi-town though....hmmm....One is an hour from where I live, the other two hours - and 15 minutes from my parents house....I wonder how many teamless FIRST-ers we could fit in their basement.
Sorry, just had to add that. It's the devil in me :rolleyes:
Miami anyone??
Plenty of hotels, one giant convention center that I know of, beaches, good food, lots of hotels, most likely warmer than atl this time of year.
but realistically Atl is a pretty good venue (even though I was a big fan of epcot)
Bcahn836
27-04-2005, 06:37
I think a great place to hold championships would be in Baltimore's inner harbor. There are plenty of attractions, a huge convention centers, plenty of restaurants and several hotels.
Another great place would be Biloxi Mississippi. Again plenty of attractions, a medium sized convention center and coliseum, good ole home style southern cooking, and lots and lots of hotels, and did I mention the beaches. Anything to take me back home. LOL
Another great place would be Biloxi Mississippi. Again plenty of attractions, a medium sized convention center and coliseum, good ole home style southern cooking, and lots and lots of hotels, and did I mention the beaches. Anything to take me back home. LOL
Please don't EVER do that again! I was drinking my morning coffee and almost spewed it all over my desk! I've been here for 11 years, and as much as I would love for the Mississippi Gulf Coast to host a Regional, there just isn't any way to fit a Championship Event here.
New Orleans, on the other hand, has possibilities. Could you imagine 10,000+ geeks and their parents and mentors converging on Bourbon Street? Wait a minute....... maybe that isn't such a good idea after all.
Erin Rapacki
27-04-2005, 09:45
Similar to Superbowl rules... I think the Championships should always be someplace warm (ex: average high temp above 70 in April).
Frankly, I like Atlanta and I hope the Championships stay there. With every year the event logistics become more accomidating because the venue staff learn really well how FIRST events operate, there's plenty of space to add events and be flexible (VEX, Conferences, FIRST Store, etc...), there's plenty of space for a party, I personally like the city a lot, its Segway friendly, the Omni rocks, lots of restaurants within walking distance, big airport that's easily connected by MARTA, and things seem to be figured out for the most part.
Basically, I think it'll be a mistake for both Atlanta and FIRST to not renew the contract. Atlanta would loose an event the city seems proud to have (lots of hotel staff wore FIRST pins) and FIRST will have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to working with a different venue.
The Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis is a very similar to the Georgia Dome. Lots of space with an adjoining convention center. St. Louis is centrally located which means less travel for many teams (i.e. California and Michigan). It should be seriously considered. The fact that it is 20 miles from our school is just a coincidence.
coreyjon
27-04-2005, 10:05
Hmm, A nationals in Orlando at Disney would be cool again, and bring back some old memories. Florida is a fun state. Cincinnati would also be a cool place, it's kinda centrally located, huge airport that is a hub for many airlines. I don't know the area too well, but I've flown in there, and the airport is large. What about lake placid, I know at least team 229 would probably like that, but as for things to do...cow tipping..probably not a great choice. I would say, Albany...we have the Pepsi arena, and the egg, which has a giant convention hall with lots of space, theres a museum, and of course cross gates mall which is large, not as large as the galleria in Houston though. I'm not sure this would be as fun as a place like Orlando though, because Orlando was set up big time for tourism, so there is a lot to do down there, but that also means it will cost more. Oh the tough decisions. The only rumor I heard was Orlando from some of the people down in Atlanta, but really, I doubt anything has been decided upon yet.
artdutra04
27-04-2005, 15:38
Currently, Atlanta is an ideal city, if not the best, to host the Championships since it is a major air travel hub, has the Georgia Dome/GWCC right next to each other, has plenty of hotels and a pretty decent subway system. But since everyone is putting out possibilities for the Championships, why don't I suggest Las Vegas?
Aside from the casinos, there are a few good reasons why Vegas might work, but the key word there is few. There's the Las Vegas Convention Center located there, right in the middle of the Strip. Las Vegas has plenty of hotels, with a bunch of them connected to the Convention Center via their monorail system (http://www.lvmonorail.com/). You can never run out of entertainment in Vegas, and its location is better suited for the west coast teams. Then again, the whole idea of FIRST going to the "Sin City" to hold their Championships isn't very positive...
Anyway, I'd say the best city for the Championships is in fact Atlanta, for all of Erin's reasons (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=376619&postcount=42).
IMDWalrus
27-04-2005, 16:44
Ignoring the Michigan link, I really do think Detroit could work well. We've had experience with big events - with the MLB All-Star Game and the next Super Bowl being the two most prominent - and should be able to handle the big crowds. Comerica Park and Ford Field are close to each other, and would be within walking distance if it weren't for the major road between the stadiums.
That could be blocked off, though.
We've also got four of the biggest FIRST sponsors here - GM, Ford, DaimlerChysler, and Delphi. They're all in the Detroit area, and it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to get them involved in running Nationals.
That said, I really would like it to be somewhere else. I've been in Detroit for years, and I'd love to keep on traveling to new places. Atlanta and Houston were great, but variety is even better...
coreyjon
27-04-2005, 16:56
The more I think about it, Atlanta is really an ideal place for the championships. The only thing I did not like was the vagrancy, and there persistence in asking for money. That was the only thing I did not like. The hotels are great, Atlanta is generally warm (this was a weird year for weather - last year was beautiful) There is a lot of room like Erin said for all of the events. One of my personally favorites though, is the large number of starbucks. One in the hotel lobby, one on the way to the CNN center, one inside the CNN center, and one in the GWCC. Those where just the ones along the route I took. I know there was another one by the Westin, but I stayed at the Marriott marquis. Only thing I would change for next year, is to stay at the Omni. I liked the Westin last year, and the Marriott was great, but the omni is located SO close to both the competition, and the wrap party that it makes it ideal, plus you don't have to walk outside to get food. Did I mention the large number of starbucks..
The problem with finding a place for chamionships (besides space for the pits) is that you need not just a big floor space but a big area of elevated viewing around it. In places like convention centers, this may me hard to come by. They are great for floor space but don't have any provisions for spectating.
The stadium where the AZ Diamondbacks play in Phoenix is really nice. It has a roof that closes over it. The fields would all fit on the baseball field and the pits could be in the large corridors underneath the stands all the way around the arena. The only problem would be lack of a concrete floor.
There is one huge problem with The Diamondbacks baseball field. They start playing on it right when we would be having nationals. But I have heard it is the nicest baseball field there is.
Atlanta's airpost is the busiest with the most flights going through it than any other in the world.
And I mean, It isn't Atlanta's fault there wre no posters and stuff everywhere. You must understand that the GADome and the GWCC are filled constantly with large scale events like this all the time. Many not this large, but it would still be impossible to give that kind of recognition to every single event. Every weekend it is something new.
I don't know much about the proximity of hotels and entertainmnt and restaraunts to the stadium.
But on another note of recognition, last year, the largest news television channel in the US (CNN) gave some recognition to FIRST and my team. I am not sure about this year. But there was still some recognition there. Not to mention a front page article on the AJC's living section about FIRST. I know that isn't very national, but atleast it was a little recognition.
Kyle Love
27-04-2005, 17:22
Miami anyone??
Plenty of hotels, one giant convention center that I know of, beaches, good food, lots of hotels, most likely warmer than atl this time of year.
but realistically Atl is a pretty good venue (even though I was a big fan of epcot)
I think Miami is too far south, sure it would be warm and a great place to go to, but it is far away from most FIRST teams. I think a centrally located Championship would be the best. Not saying it HAS to be Indy but it is close to the middle of most FIRST teams. I would love to see it in St. Louis also, maybe even Chicago or Detroit would be prime locations.
Jill1022
27-04-2005, 17:32
While I would like to say San Francisco because its my most favorite city in the entire world, I know its just too crowded and small.
So I think the following would be great:
- Indianapolis, Indiana (even though its close, and part of the fun of the event is going to a far away place)
- Atlanta
- SLC (SLC punk!)
- Austin, Texas (South by Southwest festival is there!)
- Orlando, Florida
I would say that it should be in a location that is warm enough, and is big enough, but not too big, you run into big problems with really big cities.
While I would like to say San Francisco because its my most favorite city in the entire world, I know its just too crowded and small.
San Francisco actually has a VERY large convention center. I don't think it'd work for a number of reasons though.
It would be cool for nats to be 30 min from my house :rolleyes:
Jeff Waegelin
27-04-2005, 19:44
Ignoring the Michigan link, I really do think Detroit could work well.
I disagree. Ford Field would work for the competition arena (as would any domed football stadium), but where would you put the pits? Unless FIRST is willing to bring in tents like Disney did, there's no place indoors to put that many people, robots, etc.
Also, the hotel space in downtown Detroit is very limited, and the mass-transportation system is nonexistent.
If you move it out of the city, say, to the Silverdome in Pontiac, you still have the problem of where to put the pits, there still isn't a large concentration of hotels in one area, and still no mass transportation. Plus, the Silverdome is scheduled to be shut down after this year's Super Bowl, and may be demolished by the time 2007 Nationals rolls around.
So, while Detroit could work, I would be very surprised if Nationals are around here in 2 years.
Rumor has it that 4 cities are currently bidding for the championships
Atlanta
Indianapolis
Detroit Area
Disney
Then again, its just a rumor..or is it? :p
From what the little bridy told me:
Disney is out of the question (as in they didn't place a bid/ their bid was rejected ;) )
Atlanta & Indianapolis = Current front runners with Detroit trailing behind.
I'd like to see it in Atlanta for 07-09
preussrobotics
27-04-2005, 20:34
I'd like to see it go to a place like maybe NYC or San Diego, CA (awesome city, though I don't know if it has the proper facilities) or maybe LA.
I'd love to see it in San Diego, as well. Facilities might be an issue, though, there are rumors of new stadiums being built (for the Chargers and a possible Olympic run)
Lil' Lavery
27-04-2005, 21:07
St. Louis
The only problem is that FIRST has connections to the wrong sports team in that city. The owners of the Blues are a sponsor of the St. Louis regional, and the Rams stadium is the one we'd want to hold the event in.
I'm going to be unhappy and complain anytime the event is not associated with Disney. I've grown attached to the optimism each organization offers and want to see nothing more than for such organizations to join forces and succeed. I don't like the implicit difference between contracting space in Atlanta and being invited to Epcot, if that makes any sense. I know, of course, that the Disney events weren't established over a handshake and some friendly words, but the discussion surrounding it did a much better job of creating that illusion. Atlanta is, to turn a phrase, strictly business.
Anyhow...
Earlier, someone suggested that Seattle might make a good host for the event. Unfortunately, I doubt the city has the infrastructure to support something as large as FIRST. There is the large Washington State Trade & Convention Center , but it is located in the heart of downtown. That's great for business travelers, really, because it's easily accessible -- but horrible for teachers and parents who have to worry about wandering students.
Joe Matt
27-04-2005, 21:11
FIRST should build their own town to use. :)
Have Kamen Drive, Lavery Lane, Woodie Way, etc.
No really, Atlanta is ok, and Disney would be the best situation for kids, but I understand that Disney *does* cost more. Mabey it's just me, but I'd rather know that my room won't flood from the toilet and then be treated poorly, there won't be any homeless wondering around as frosh run about, etc, and pay a bit more for the hotel package. No matter if FIRST goes back to Houston, I'll be there to support them. :)
Chicago would be an absolutely wonderful place to hold the Championship.
alphaone
27-04-2005, 21:19
Mabey it's just me, but I'd rather know that my room won't flood from the toilet and then be treated poorly, there won't be any homeless wondering around as frosh run about, etc
Yeah atlanta was kinda scary in that respect :ahh:
MattB703
27-04-2005, 21:30
Yeah atlanta was kinda scary in that respect :ahh:
You don't want an event in downtown Detroit then! :ahh:
alphaone
27-04-2005, 21:33
You don't want an event in downtown Detroit then! :ahh:
Yeah I know! I've been there lol. And my dad's best friend lives there (he doesn't like it)
slickguy2007
27-04-2005, 21:39
I am sure FIRST has been thinking about where the National event will be held after our time in Atlanta is up. Who says it will be in the US? It might be moved to somewhere outside the US. We won't know unless someone..*cough* Dave Lavry...*cough*.. wants to volunteer some information. :D
GO 1403!!!
Ali Ahmed
27-04-2005, 21:51
I am sure FIRST has been thinking about where the National event will be held after our time in Atlanta is up. Who says it will be in the US? It might be moved to somewhere outside the US. We won't know unless someone..*cough* Dave Lavry...*cough*.. wants to volunteer some information. :D
GO 1403!!!
I seriously doubt it will outside the U.S. There are more teams form the U.S attending Champs then from other countries so issues like passports, currency, and such will be more prevalent than ever.
slickguy2007
27-04-2005, 21:56
I seriously doubt it will outside the U.S. There are more teams form the U.S attending Champs then from other countries so issues like passports, currency, and such will be more prevalent than ever.
You are probably right, but I can still dream can't I? Imagine this, traveling to Europe and taking in all the sights, not to mention... a FIRST competition to look forward to!!! :D
GO 1403!!!
Yeah atlanta was kinda scary in that respect :ahh:
You've never been to San Francisco if you think those bums were bad :p
Jill1022
27-04-2005, 22:35
San Francisco actually has a VERY large convention center. I don't think it'd work for a number of reasons though.
How about we have it on the Piers? Pier 30/32? That'd be sweet.
mtaman02
27-04-2005, 23:25
Disney was a cool place - yeah the food was outrageously high priced but here is the positives points.
What other location do you know that is operating 24 hrs to serve you food wise (Disney had one button on their phone direct to the pizzeria which was open 24 hrs and was reasonably priced grant it thats not something you wanna eat for all 5 or more days down there but if its open and it tasted decent enough)
What other locations do you know that has a pool and arcade within the resort as well as a dining section.
(WDW Resorts had those items within their back yard so you didn't have to stray to far from the hotel room - and if you were really in for a excitement fix you coulda went to any of their nearby parks)
Now heres Atlanta in Comparison with Disney - Yeah Atlanta seemed to be an improvement but heres what I disliked about atlanta, No Deli's within a couple of blocks radius to the dome or a hotel =(, The price for Hotel food was WAY to high [e.g. $21 plus 16% gratuity fee and delivery fees for a dish of spagetti and that was for just one person in the westin, or nearly $3 for a can of soda in the hotel or $5.60 for a bootle of water in the hotel] There was NOT much to do in atlanta except go to turner field (really exciting - insert sarcasm here) or the movies which I didn't seem to find =(, The only thing decent in atlanta was the wrap party Other then that I would choose disney over atlanta and thats attending both once a pice (2002 and 2005)
I'm hoping for Disney- that worked out superbly in 2002.
ARcanUSNUMquam
28-04-2005, 00:18
I am sure FIRST has been thinking about where the National event will be held after our time in Atlanta is up. Who says it will be in the US? It might be moved to somewhere outside the US. We won't know unless someone..*cough* Dave Lavry...*cough*.. wants to volunteer some information. :D
GO 1403!!!
Oh my god... Think of the flight over. 10 hr trips in planes brings back horrible memories of trips to Hong Kong. Screaming babies, bad food, hard to sleep on seats in Economy Class. West Coast teams are totally shafted.
Plus, I'm sure that if teams went to Europe, the stands would be deserted. They'll all be out carousing around the city or even the continent. (1-way Flights to various countries actually hover around $40.)
mtaman02
28-04-2005, 01:06
What if the championship was held in Canada - Since I believe more teams come outta there then any other country involved with FIRST. That would be kewl it would be like a 10 - 15 hr drive from NYC but hey its different =)
For the past 14 years that FIRST has been in exsistance they try very very hard in getting a venue in which is cheap / has some activities that teams can do during off hours / and ensures that the area is safe to walk around by yourself or with fellow members
Championship Venue History:
2000 to 2002 - Orlando
2003 - Houston
2004 to 2006 - Atlanta
prior to those years I have no clue and doubt they're even big enough to rehold the championships there ( go back to the old venues ).
One bad thing about going outta the US; there is WAY to much going on and many of the Board of Ed Officials in different states are really bending the rules in just letting the teams go outta state, I doubt BOE will allow teams outta the country =(. Theres too much at stake and too many lawsuits that could spring up if something goes wrong.
alphaone
28-04-2005, 01:16
You've never been to San Francisco if you think those bums were bad :p
I wouldn't want it to be in SF either :p
SF does have a kinda... nicer overall feeling for me than atlanta though... maybe its just cause the surroundings are more familiar i don't know.
Ignore my ramblings :o
TheShadow
28-04-2005, 12:42
I really do hope it won't be in Detroit. If it is, every team will need not only team shirts, but also team winter coats, and team snow boots. Quite possibly a team of sled dogs too. Okay, maybe that's being a bit extreme, but Detroit really isn't the best place to hold it. It will be cold, and there really aren't that many things to do in Detroit, unlike Atlanta which has The Underground, The Varsity, the Coke Plant, Hard Rock, etc. Did I mention it would be cold?, because it will. That, and Detroit can be a frightening place if you stray a block off course. (My mom grew up in the scary part of Detroit, about a block or two away from Wayne State(where the Detroit Regional is held), and it is not a nice area. On the way to a Tigers game one time, our van got a flat tire there. Talk about frightening!) Although I wouldn't be that opposed to having the Championship in my backyard (only a 45 min-1hr. drive) That, and the cheapness of it, seeing as the team would only have to pay an entry fee. That's just for my team though, and some others in MI.
Tazlikesrobots
28-04-2005, 13:58
Where else! Dallas, Texas. Centrally located and great weather in April. :D
CourtneyB
28-04-2005, 14:11
i think that nationals should go back to being in Disney...that was awsome times a million lol
BaldwinNYRookie
28-04-2005, 15:03
How about nationals here on long island!! The Nassau Colliseum would be perfect!!
I think FIRST will be somewhat limited in 2007. They will need a large place to host all the pits, have enought hotel rooms, and it will need to be next to a large body of water...
You know, because of the "water game"...
I'm going to go hide from the readers at large now, as various things will be thrown in my general direction.
dhitchco
28-04-2005, 15:58
Has anybody plotted the geographic location of all the teams as well as the relative size of their teams over the past couple of years? Might be a good exercise to optimize the location of the nationals for the out-years.
Also, think about it from FIRST's perspective. Wouldn't you like to sign a long-term contract with one venue, with one drayage company, etc for five years? Makes a lot less headache than changing it every year.
I spoke with a guy from Disney down on the floor and he told me that FIRST is actually "too big" for a Disney Resort. Isn't that a GREAT thing....signs of success.
But I agree that a midwestern city (Memphis or St. Louis) might be a good location for a "convention" the size of FIRST Nationals. ps: FedEx hub is Memphis......get it?
San Francisco actually has a VERY large convention center. I don't think it'd work for a number of reasons though.
It would be cool for nats to be 30 min from my house :rolleyes:
It isn't as cracked up as you would thing. Sure it can cut down on some people's travel expenses. But for us, it involved some of our parents coming down to the Dome and embarrassing us just a little.
You guys saw nothing when you saw those homeless people. We were in one of the best parts of town.
I just think it is really fun to be in the same spot where Michael Vick has ran around. This could be the same for Indiana and Peyton, but personally since I am from here, Vick is much more exciting to watch.
Back on topic, 1 of the biggest improvements that FIRST and the Dome could make would be opening all the gates for enterance. It sucked having to walk all th way around the Dome multiple times a day to get to the parking lot.
IMDWalrus
28-04-2005, 17:25
I think FIRST will be somewhat limited in 2007. They will need a large place to host all the pits, have enought hotel rooms, and it will need to be next to a large body of water...
You know, because of the "water game"...
I'm going to go hide from the readers at large now, as various things will be thrown in my general direction.
Be quiet, you.
We're getting the water game NEXT year. Get your facts straight! ;)
I seriously doubt that the competition will leave the continental US [although Toronto might be fun] as it is hard enough getting the international bots here without incident... imagine how much fun it would be to transport hundreds of bots that far... and through all that red-tape.
My Location Guesses
1.)EPCOT - it was just awsome to be there... seemed fitting somehow that this big push of math and science was happening at the site where people go to see math and science. [heard from someone that they were/are interested in getting us back down there.]
2.)Indianapolis - was there for NCYC a few years ago... they have PLENTY of space in the convention center for the pits and confrences... and it is attached to the RCA dome [spectators would not have to go outside] Also has some large hotels right nearby... not sure about the resteraunt situation though... as we ate many meals in at the hotel as a diocese. Did walk to the hard rock one night though. Centralized location.
3.)Atlanta - It is a wonderful location... but i did not feel that comfortable walking around. Even just over to the Underground. I also do not know much else to do down there that we have not already done.
Location Wish List
1.)EPCOT [I think you know where i want to be.]
2.)Washington DC [They have to have the space somewhere... would be a nice trip for international teams... plenty of free/safe things to do {ie-smithsonian museums} also would bring the program closer to the government... maybe get some funding help to start more teams.]
3.) DEAN'S ISLAND!!!! [It would be kinda snug... we could all bring tents and camp-out. {lots of barges for the pit areas} but hey... wouldn't that be something to talk about.]
I seriously doubt that the competition will leave the continental US [although Toronto might be fun] as it is hard enough getting the international bots here without incident... imagine how much fun it would be to transport hundreds of bots that far... and through all that red-tape.
My Location Guesses
1.)EPCOT - it was just awsome to be there... seemed fitting somehow that this big push of math and science was happening at the site where people go to see math and science. [heard from someone that they were/are interested in getting us back down there.]
2.)Indianapolis - was there for NCYC a few years ago... they have PLENTY of space in the convention center for the pits and confrences... and it is attached to the RCA dome [spectators would not have to go outside] Also has some large hotels right nearby... not sure about the resteraunt situation though... as we ate many meals in at the hotel as a diocese. Did walk to the hard rock one night though. Centralized location.
3.)Atlanta - It is a wonderful location... but i did not feel that comfortable walking around. Even just over to the Underground. I also do not know much else to do down there that we have not already done.
Location Wish List
1.)EPCOT [I think you know where i want to be.]
2.)Washington DC [They have to have the space somewhere... would be a nice trip for international teams... plenty of free/safe things to do {ie-smithsonian museums} also would bring the program closer to the government... maybe get some funding help to start more teams.]
3.) DEAN'S ISLAND!!!! [It would be kinda snug... we could all bring tents and camp-out. {lots of barges for the pit areas} but hey... wouldn't that be something to talk about.]I can just see it now: The competition ends and Dean sends evryone home at the end of his speech by command:
"I WANT ALL OF YOU PEOPLE TO GET OFF MY LAWN!" :p
BaldwinNYRookie
28-04-2005, 21:27
Washington DC would be great! If you've never been there... it's nice! Even the subways... they're like cathedrals! Great choice! Museums, monuments, history... a highly educational place for highly educated students. But I would be a little annoyed if the President decided to show up and make a speech. I won't say that I like or dislike him, but I think by now everyone will agree, he's not very good at... well... talking.
Even the subways... they're like cathedrals! [
I was in DC about a week after nationals last year. If you think the subways are like cathedrals, I think they remodeled them (or I may be confusing them with the NYC subways). Then again, I only rode one line, so what do I know?
Also, do you really want to deal with crowds that are there just to see DC?
anyway, i hope that nationals is not in the state of michigan. even though i wont be in high school next year, the road trips make it fun. but not too long
Conor Ryan
28-04-2005, 22:11
Well its easy to find a good space for pits. And its easy to find a good space for the competition field. But its hard to find a space for a pit area AND a Field. Not to mention some confrence space.
I see it staying in Atlanta for a long time. Remember they were only using 1/3 (maybe a little more or less) of the A building in the congress center for pits alone, and with the walls they have there they could open it up more, thus creating a bigger pit area. Or they could make it harder to qualify for the championship so only the teams with winning records at regionals could qualify.
Allison K
29-04-2005, 00:40
I'm not really for holding championships in Detroit (of course I'm not really against it either, which makes the issue neutral I suppose) but if FIRST wants publicity I think Detroit would be the place. They try so hard to improve their image that I think if they ever got the chance to host champs they would shout it to the world.
Disney would be my first choice (no matter how unlikely it is I'll hold out hope).
Logistically, I think Atlanta makes the most sense as they've worked out all (well, most) of the bugs and are on the way to holding a perfect event.
mtaman02
29-04-2005, 01:56
Be quiet, you.
We're getting the water game NEXT year. Get your facts straight! ;)
Yeah Dave mentioned to me about us needing or having to build hovercrafts
I explicitly asked for a water game next year and he said they'll be hovercrafts so who knows =)
I am sure FIRST has been thinking about where the National event will be held after our time in Atlanta is up. Who says it will be in the US? It might be moved to somewhere outside the US. We won't know unless someone..*cough* Dave Lavery...*cough*.. wants to volunteer some information. :D
067.15-07.8440 150.12-13.9620
067.15-07.8440 150.12-13.9620
Why do I think those are locations for something on Mars?
Why do I think those are locations for something on Mars?
My guess is that those coded lines are rover locations for Spirit and Opportunity (not necessarily in that order) or else locations of major geographic locations on Mars.
BaldwinNYRookie
29-04-2005, 18:45
Nationals on Mars would be so awesome. Dave could finally find his car.
Mars would be cool, but you guys complain about the passport issue/robot transportation to Canada? GOOD Luck with Mars ;)
But seriously, if there was any way possible of having this happen in Canada at some point in time..All I'd be able to say is WoW!
IMDWalrus
29-04-2005, 22:08
067.15-07.8440 150.12-13.9620
I didn't think it was possible for Dave to be any more cryptic.
I was wrong.
ARcanUSNUMquam
30-04-2005, 02:10
Mars would be cool, but you guys complain about the passport issue/robot transportation to Canada? GOOD Luck with Mars ;)But think of the school you'd miss!
Meyerman
30-04-2005, 02:42
being the east coast has held it soo many times i dont see why that would change i know in nyc madison square garden probably couldnt handel this size event but if that new olympic/jets stadium gets passedfor the 2008 olympics that would definately be a prime place to hold nationals.
Jill1022
30-04-2005, 11:16
067.15-07.8440 150.12-13.9620
Perhaps its the ISP numbers of people who live in the area!!
Any place that has a dome is in the running (you need a large arena to accomidate a ever growing list of teams) but the need for decent weather is also a good indicator.
I think the top areas in the running are Atlanta (it aint broke why fix it) Houston (they did a pretty good job and I'm sure they could learn alot from their previous experience), New Orleans (they cretainly have the facilities to host such a large event).
San Antonio has a dome as well, right?
Billfred
30-04-2005, 11:37
Just as a thought, wouldn't any football stadium with nearby pit-worthy space do the job? Tents over the fields worked for Disney.
(This is why I think Columbia could do the job at Williams-Brice Stadium--well, other than the lack of hotels.)
Just as a thought, wouldn't any football stadium with nearby pit-worthy space do the job? Tents over the fields worked for Disney.
(This is why I think Columbia could do the job at Williams-Brice Stadium--well, other than the lack of hotels.)
Yeah but if a storm like the one we had down in Atlanta come through a tent won't stand up to the weather as well as a domed stadium will.
I think the top areas in the running are Atlanta (it aint broke why fix it) Houston (they did a pretty good job and I'm sure they could learn alot from their previous experience), New Orleans (they cretainly have the facilities to host such a large event).
I hate to disagree about Houston, but do you really want to lug your robot up all those ramps, through a crowd, and across the Reliant floor? It was hard enough for me to get myself in--and I was a volunteer and found a way in that few used in the morning! 15 minute walk without a robot? Ugh. They need a robot only route that climbs fewer ramps if they return to Houston.
Atlanta? See you there.
New Orleans? Never been there, so I don't know.
I say, if ATL is large enough and makes people happy enough lets just keep it there.
067.15-07.8440 150.12-13.9620
You can't mean the Coral Sea... can you?
Wetzel
Chris Fultz
30-04-2005, 17:46
067.15-07.8440 150.12-13.9620
Actually, those are the coordinates through a new S-GPS (Super Global Positioning System) that the Rolls-Royce 'skunk works' has been working on with NASA. The encoders are turbine powered, that's why RR is involved.
I am really surprised that Dave posted this information, I thought it was still a classified project.
And, by the way, those must be the coordinates for Indianapolis.
I remember that 067.15-07.8440 150.12-11.9540 are the coordinates for the Rolls-Royce plant, which is on the west side of downtown.
TheShadow
30-04-2005, 23:05
Actually, those are the coordinates through a new S-GPS (Super Global Positioning System) that the Rolls-Royce 'skunk works' has been working on with NASA. The encoders are turbine powered, that's why RR is involved.
I am really surprised that Dave posted this information, I thought it was still a classified project.
And, by the way, those must be the coordinates for Indianapolis.
I remember that 067.15-07.8440 150.12-11.9540 are the coordinates for the Rolls-Royce plant, which is on the west side of downtown.
Why do I get the feeling that, any minute now, government helicopters are going to descend on everyone who read that post, and sweep them off to never be heard from again...or maybe not...this could be a hoax. Oh well, come'n get me! :D
IMDWalrus
01-05-2005, 17:09
Actually, those are the coordinates through a new S-GPS (Super Global Positioning System) that the Rolls-Royce 'skunk works' has been working on with NASA. The encoders are turbine powered, that's why RR is involved.
I am really surprised that Dave posted this information, I thought it was still a classified project.
And, by the way, those must be the coordinates for Indianapolis.
I remember that 067.15-07.8440 150.12-11.9540 are the coordinates for the Rolls-Royce plant, which is on the west side of downtown.
If you don't mind me asking...
How do you know about it if it's a classified project? And would anyone have known what the numbers meant if you hadn't made your post?
If Dave's getting in trouble for this one, it seems like you might be too... :ahh:
SAn Antonio has the astrodome I think it is called. For the money, the only other city i could see myself going to would be Toronto. A lot of people absolutely love that regional so I wonder if championships there would be amazing.
067.15-07.8440 150.12-13.9620
Fairbanks, Alaska?
Chris Fultz
01-05-2005, 19:13
If you don't mind me asking...
How do you know about it if it's a classified project? And would anyone have known what the numbers meant if you hadn't made your post?
If Dave's getting in trouble for this one, it seems like you might be too... :ahh:
Do you work for the government? Is this an interrogation? Do I need to call a lawyer (not that I have one, mind you).
PS - I am program director for small gas turbine engines, and the turbines for these encoders are really, really, really small. Have you seen how tiny an encoder is?
PSS - Should it become necessary, I will deny ever knowing Dave, and immediately change my screen name.
The folks in Toronto (Karthik are you listening?) really know how to put on a good regional in Mississauga at the Hershey Centre (they do spell things a little differently). But they would have to move to the Skydome (50,000+ seating) downtown for the championship. The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is right next door and could be used for pits. Tons of stuff to see and do. Literally hundreds of restaurants within walking distance of the Dome. Nice subway system to get around. How about the wrap party at the Ontario Centennial Science Centre?
The only negative I could even think of would be the cost of getting robots and equipment shipped across the border.
To me it does not matter where they have it, but it should be advertised more. I was in a hotel that was mere block from the dome and nobody knew that there was a robotics competition there.
I'll drink to that. We too were very close to the dome, although our hotel had quite a number of FRC and FLL teams staying there.
I like Atlanta for The Championship -- the Georgia Dome/GWCC combination seems to work well and the team social in Olympic Park works out well too. The pits were in an improved area this year; I think they should keep them where they were -- last year was such a pain to walk that far from pits to Dome.
I also liked when The Championships were at EPCOT. I can't speak for Houston since I wasn't there, but the general consensus I get from fellow FIRSTies is that it wasn't a great place for The Championship.
I would like to see a Championship Event on the West Coast or in Canada, actually. It's not fair to the West Coast teams that they have to travel so far every year. I think it should be cycled throughout the country or the world so that a different city plays host every year. Also, don't put it in the same part of the country every year. For example, don't have a Championship in Los Angeles followed by a Championship in San Diego.
As far as where the host city ought to be after FIRST's contract with the City of Atlanta expires in 2007, I haven't really travelled a great deal. I like Boston as a city but I don't think they have a venue big enough (unless they rented out the Fleet Center, but where would they put the pits?). Rumor has it that my company is trying to sponsor a Boston Regional at the Fleet Center next year, anyway.
The same goes for Providence -- I like the city but I don't think there's a big enough venue. I think the Rhode Island Convention Center is big enough for pits, but there isn't really a good place to put the actual competition.
If what Tuba4 said about Toronto is true, then Toronto gets my vote... there 's lots to see and do there, plus there's that park with the big windmills by the water (Ontario Place?) where the team social could be held.
many of the Board of Ed Officials in different states are really bending the rules in just letting the teams go outta state, I doubt BOE will allow teams outta the country =(. Theres too much at stake and too many lawsuits that could spring up if something goes wrong.
What are you talking about? I've never been with any team who has had problems like that. And what of the Canadian teams who have to travel here to the US, which to them is a foreign country?
The only negative I could even think of would be the cost of getting robots and equipment shipped across the border.
And people...What are customs like for flying across the border? I know that driving across the border is a fairly simple process..atleast at The Ambassader Bridge in Detroit, MI
Mabey it's just me, but I'd rather know that my room won't flood from the toilet and then be treated poorly, there won't be any homeless wondering around as frosh run about, etc, and pay a bit more for the hotel package.
Yeah, that's one bad thing about Atlanta -- the area immediately around the Georgia Dome is okay, but once you get a few blocks out, things starts getting sketchy. You'd have that problem anywhere *but* Disney, though. True, that's something I'd be willing to pay a bit more for, but I've been happy with Atlanta the past two years.
How about nationals here on long island!! The Nassau Colliseum would be perfect!!
I grew up on Long Island, and while I think Nassau Coliseum would be a great place to have the competition (it's a hockey rink, and plenty of convention center space for the pits), there's not all that much to do in that area, unless you like malls and shopping. It's not practical for teams to walk to hotels around there, and so on. Perhaps hosting the Long Island Regional there would work.
I would like the Championships to remain in one location at least three years. This allows teams to plan ahead and make a proper budget to travel to them. With the current system of tiers to go, most teams will have the ability to go within three years. It also allows some institutional memory about a location so only every couple of years will things be very new, for teams and for FIRST.
Wetzel
Tammyanez
02-05-2005, 00:35
The stadium where the AZ Diamondbacks play in Phoenix is really nice. It has a roof that closes over it. The fields would all fit on the baseball field and the pits could be in the large corridors underneath the stands all the way around the arena. The only problem would be lack of a concrete floor.
I agree that the D-Backs stadium is nice, but the city is in the process of building a new facility for the Cardinals, it would definitely have enough room for 5 fields, it is supposed to have a sliding roof also. I don't know what would happen with the pits, but that stadium is still few years away. Phoenix would be cool, though.
sanddrag
02-05-2005, 01:56
Yeah Dave mentioned to me about us needing or having to build hovercrafts
I explicitly asked for a water game next year and he said they'll be hovercrafts so who knows =)So Tytus knew all along!
Anyway, yes, I'm still voting for Phoenix in the Diamondbacks stadium. The pits can be in the large corridors under the seats, np. Or in tents outside. I wonder what they would do for the floor though, being dirt and grass. You'd have to seriously protect it somehow. To cover in wood panels would cost a fortune.
Having been to Atlanta my first time this year I'd say it as an OK venue for nationals. Prior to Atlanta I had only ever been to Disney. Each venue had its pros and cons like everything. One of the cons about Atlanta I think is that the hotels were actually a good distance from the Georgian Dome, certainly within walking distance but around the actual Georgia Dome there isn't much except a park and parking lots. I was initially thinking that Indianapolis sounded good because it is an area with a descent amount of teams. However you could also make the argument isn't it better to have it in Atlanta, a city where there aren't that many teams. In addition a lot of those Atlanta teams might fade away if nationals left, as tends to happen. So I'd say it is a toss up. I do think the West Coast kinda gets a bum situation having to fly all the way across the country. Another pro for Atlanta I thought was the pits they were very nicely laid out and there was plenty of room to walk without bumping into someone/a robot...unlike Epcot. In addition Atlanta provides plenty of room to grow there is no seating problem at the Georgia Dome and there is more than enough room for the pits in the Convention center if they open up more sections for the foreseeable future. Although not a lot to do in Atlanta. So toss up. ;-)
Justin
Yeah, Atlanta has tons of space for growth. The area down by where the carshow was held. Still was GWCC and it was maybe 1.5 times bigger. maybe even more.
I do agree about the hotel situation. But all of the FIRST guys who never get off of their computers would have a chance to get some exercise walking back to the hotel after a day of competition.
And on the comment about Atlanta FIRST teams participating/fading away if champs left wouldnt be so much of an issue as you think.
The people would still go to regionals but I don't think there are any Georgia teams that could actually afford taking their teams more than 2 or 3 states away for Championships.
BaldwinNYRookie
03-05-2005, 18:52
I grew up on Long Island, and while I think Nassau Coliseum would be a great place to have the competition (it's a hockey rink, and plenty of convention center space for the pits), there's not all that much to do in that area, unless you like malls and shopping. It's not practical for teams to walk to hotels around there, and so on. Perhaps hosting the Long Island Regional there would work.
Well There is the Cradle of Aviation museum and IMAX theater within' walking distance of the Nassau Coliseum.
SAn Antonio has the astrodome I think it is called. For the money, the only other city i could see myself going to would be Toronto. A lot of people absolutely love that regional so I wonder if championships there would be amazing.
The Astrodome was the pit area in HOUSTON. Is there a stadium that could hold a Championship in San Antonio?
Crap. Yeah I feel like an idiot. It is actually th alamo dome. That would definetly be big nough for Championships. For some odd reason I think they use only half of it for the basketball itself. It seems very od that thy do that but that is what I heard.
Travis Hoffman
04-05-2005, 19:07
the only other city i could see myself going to would be Toronto. A lot of people absolutely love that regional so I wonder if championships there would be amazing.
They would be, provided the Canadians got to work their effortless organizational magic on the proceedings. They're like Oompa Loompas, they are. :D
Well There is the Cradle of Aviation museum and IMAX theater within' walking distance of the Nassau Coliseum.
IMAX?
That must have been put in after 2000.
Even though I like to leave Indiana when it come to competition, I think Indy is a fore-runner with Atlanta facilities. It's the "Crossroads of America"... :)
Not that I'm pushing it, but it's been mentioned numerous times, so here's a few reasons it would be a good host, for those who are less familiar with the city:
-We know the Dome is more than sufficient. (i haven't been following the news, but aren't they trying to build a new stadium in the future...)
-Check out the convention center layout and maps. They've got halls that can definitely accommodate the pits with ease... though maybe pits would be in 2 halls, that's no big deal.... it leads directly into the stadium floor.
http://www.iccrd.com/conv/diagrams.asp . Can also get to the Dome site from this page.
-They've got several internet options if needed, including wireless. Seems there's wi-fi hotspots all over town too.
-Apparently there are skywalks that connect the convention center to 7 hotels.... now that's cool.
-Says just in the downtown area, there are 5,212 hotel rooms. Hotels are in abundance in and around Indy.
-International airport 15min away. Typically prices are pretty good to/from just about anywhere, and there's plenty of airlines in/out of there.
-Downtown Indy is really safe. While there may be occasional beggers, i've not really seen it very much. It's clean, it's safe, pretty much everything is in walking distance.
-I think there's a decent bus "circulator" that makes the rounds around downtown, cheap too.
-One of the best Children's Museums in the nation (says world's largest!).
-You have the big Circle Center Mall, movie theaters, IMAX, etc.
-Indy Motor Speedway, and Indy Raceway Park
-Tons of restaurants, and within walking distance in downtown.
-Central Canal Walk - really nice area.
-Indiana State Museum
-NCAA Hall of Champions
-White River State Park (which is huge, and could even be a site for the social)
-Indy Zoo
-Conner Prairie
-Conseco Fieldhouse - NBA, WBNA (Pacers, Fever), AFL (Firebirds) used for hockey, soceer, concerts, etc.
-Victory Field (baseball)
-Verizon Music Center - concerts
-Indy Museum of Art
-War Memorial Parks all over (second largest number of memorials in the US)
-Indiana State Fairgrounds, usually year-round events.
...and more... there's plenty for people to do, and these are just the main "touristy" attractions.
-There's 6 parking garages just surrounding the Dome/CC... I see "event" parking in garages and surface lots range from $5-$15, right near the arena. That's cheaper than some parking at regionals and Atlanta.
-The traffic is almost never bad around Indy. You've got the big Indy Loop, and it's never really too bad.
-Interstates from all directions lead right into Indy.
-Indiana has strong FIRST support through it's 21 teams. Heck, it's where IRI is!!!
-And weather, in April, really isn't that bad. Sure you can have freak weather, but it's been pretty great weather... actually I think this April was pretty warm.
-Monument Circle would be a cool place for a webhug... hmm.
Traffic and roads would be a reason I'd nix Chicago and Detroit, esp if you're not staying within walking distance to the arena. Traffic can be a complete nightmare in and out of the cities, esp on weekdays. Finding your way around Indy is easy, and downtown things are well marked. Parking garages, last I knew, were still really cheap... at least on non-event days. On a weekend for shopping was only a couple bucks for the whole day. (that could have changed). It's one of those "smaller, big cities".
With all that said... I still like Atlanta, as it's worked out pretty well from what I can tell. I might venture to say Indy has more immediate area things to do, within a 1-2mi radius. And it's relatively centrally located. I agree it's tough on those western teams to travel far all the time, but until a solid, sufficient venue can be acquired, they might be outta luck for close proximity.
-Conseco Fieldhouse - NBA, WBNA (Pacers, Fever), AFL (Firebirds) used for hockey, soceer, concerts, etc.
I'm liking that idea :)
Chris Fultz
05-05-2005, 20:34
-Conseco Fieldhouse - NBA, WBNA (Pacers, Fever), AFL (Firebirds) used for hockey, soceer, concerts, etc.
Dean Simmons and the Kamens! We could fill the place! The concert could be a FIRST Fundraiser *
*10% to the band manager, of course
The is a countless numbr of things to do in Atlanta.
There is the CNN center.
Coming soon is one of the largest aquariums in the world
Underground atlanta
Many malls. A little bit out is the Mall of Georgia which is the largest mall in the southeast
6 Flags
American Adventrues
Atlanta Motor Speedway
World of Coke
Centennial park
Hawks (we are coming back)
The amazing Braves
Lenoxx Square
Buckhead
These are just a few I can think of off the top of my head. If you can't find something to do in atlanta you are not looking.Atlanta is a very large city when it comes to tourism.
And there is no need to worry about safety in Atlanta if you travel in groups. That is a relatively safe part of the city. Plus, most people travel together when walking from hotel to competition and back.
I guess it would be pretty cool to go to the NCAA hall of fame though.
I don't understand what everyone is talking about in regards to safety. I walked around a fair bit and saw nothing to be concerned with.
With people asking you for change, what is so scary about them? I've NEVER had someone curse me or threaten me after they asked me for change, so I wonder where you find all these scary mean people.
Wetzel
The is a countless numbr of things to do in Atlanta.
And there is no need to worry about safety in Atlanta if you travel in groups. That is a relatively safe part of the city. Plus, most people travel together when walking from hotel to competition and back.
I guess it would be pretty cool to go to the NCAA hall of fame though.
There certainly is plenty to do in Atlanta (not that people every have that much time in the first place). But depending on where you're staying, some of it isn't within a 1-2mi walking radius... :)
I don't think safety is a huge concern there either. There are some areas that seem sketchy, but it's all pretty good. It'll be interesting to see if it remains there... it's been a good venue.. I like it, anyways.. except for the 13hr bus ride.. :)
Dean Simmons and the Kamens! We could fill the place! The concert could be a FIRST Fundraiser *
*10% to the band manager, of course
They can be the next stars from the corn state.. :) Throw a little change my way, friend....
dangerousdave
06-05-2005, 15:33
While our team is happy to have the Championship’s in our area we certainly understand others wanting them near their home. Amy’s suggestion of Indianapolis is the first one that I have seen that has an enclosed dome next to a convention center like here in Atlanta.
The Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) is the 4th largest convention facility in the USA. There are more than 10,500 hotel rooms within walking distance (source atlantadowntown.com). That appears to be about twice the rooms of Indianapolis downtown area per Amy’s statistics. The floors of the RCA Dome and the Georgia Dome have close to the same amount of space. GA has 102,000 sq. ft. and RCA has 95,000. The GWCC building C, level 1 that the pits were in this year has 418,500 sq. ft. It appears that almost all were happy with the new location this year. I am not sure about available space in IN or availability of covered walkways from the pits to the RCA Dome. The weather in April typically will be warmer in Atlanta but as Amy said, freak weather could hit either area. If was of course kind of chilly here on Saturday night this year.
Does the IN facilities have a large food court close by similar to CNN Center in Atlanta, to obtain lower priced and a wide variety of food? What type of mass transit is available in IN to get people around and to and from the airport? As most know, Atlanta has the Marta rail service including to the airport. I know that some enjoyed going to a major league baseball game here this year. About 80 percent of the U.S. population is within a two-hour flight of Atlanta. Does the IN facilities have large grassy areas to gather in, throw a frisbee or football, or have a web hug as Atlanta does? :)
About one month ago it was announced (http://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/article.jsp?id=5058) that "Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot, plans to invest up to $150 million in the state-owned Georgia Dome. While a big reason is to help the city land the Super Bowl all who use the dome will benefit. Mr. Blank said "But the reality is that if we don't get the bid, this is the right thing to do for Atlanta and our community."
Also, late this year Atlanta's new aquarium will open. This should help address some concerns about things to do in downtown Atlanta. Thanks to a generous gift from Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, the Georgia Aquarium will be one of the largest and most exciting aquariums in the world, featuring more than 55,000 animals from 500 different species in over 5 million gallons of water. The Georgia Aquarium is located in downtown Atlanta, next to the new World of Coca-Cola, and across the street from CNN Center, the Georgia World Congress Center, Centennial Olympic Park and “Imagine It!”, Atlanta’s Children’s Museum.
One item that I have not seen mentioned is an assumption I am making but very confident in. That assumption is that the State Of Georgia very likely gives “First” a VERY substantial discount on the rental of the GA Dome and GWCC. If that is correct, would other venues offer the same to First?
While none of the suggestions made here will likely have any influence on the people deciding years 2007 and beyond, it is fun to talk about it. The bottom line is that we love having it here in Atlanta. However Indianapolis may be a good choice or perhaps Toronto? I have been to Toronto and it is a beautiful city. However the Toronto weather this year during the finals was 34-55 degrees F. For all we know someone in “First” may have already decided!
I am in no way trying to say that Atlanta is better than IN or any others. I just wanted to state the facts about ATL and find out more about other potential locations.
Dave
While our team is happy to have the Championship’s in our area we certainly understand others wanting them near their home. Amy’s suggestion of Indianapolis is the first one that I have seen that has an enclosed dome next to a convention center like here in Atlanta.
Dave
Someone suggested Long Beach Convention Center and Sports Arena. That complex is a covered sports arena next to a convention center. I don't know about covered walkways, though.
JoeXIII'007
06-05-2005, 20:56
I have read a good majority of all the responses to this thread, and though there was a good piece of resistance to Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick (Mayor of Detroit) needs a reason to work harder and spend city money wisely. ;) Besides that, there are other considerable reasons I should list, even though some may have been mentioned before.
Home of the 'big 3' automakers: GM, Chrysler, Ford, etc.
By the time the championship event comes, and if the lockout is over by then, teams and their members will have the opportunity to watch Detroit Red Wings playoff hockey.
You can watch the tigers, but only if you REALLY like baseball. Otherwise, its up to you about that.
Probably the most important reason of all: 45 minute drive from my home to the event. My Grandmother lives even closer. I'd love to get my family to see Nationals and FIRST in its full glory. (and what I've been up to getting involved with FIRST, and not just my local robotics team.)
Even more important: Michigan is 2nd to California (I think) in number of teams. (Yet again, that's second. Twist the statistics whichever way you wish.)
I mean, we've been going to Florida, Texas, and Georgia for the past 3-4 years; Michigan teams have followed. That ends my 3 cents.
-Joe
You know, I partially posted all that Indy information to see how many would follow suit to explain why THEIR city would be a good choice. Many have mentioned cities, but haven't really covered all the basis for holding a FIRST championship.
Dave - great post. As for hotel rooms, here's what else I could dig up at the moment. Looks like there are 31 hotels within the 5mi radius of downtown, 20 of them, with 5200 rooms, are within 1.5mi of the Dome, 7 of which are directly connected to the CC... There would also be a number of teams from Indiana (that typically attend) that wouldn't have to stay overnight in Indy.
Actually, the way I read your source of 10,500 rooms is that it's within walking distance "of facilities and major attractions", not necessarily just the Georgia Dome, so I wonder what the distance of all those rooms are.
-64,000 parking spaces in downtown Indy... within walking distance... Some stats: http://www.indydt.com/parking.html
The White River State Park I mentioned, perfect place for Social and webhug... It's a lot larger than Centennial Park as far as grounds, so they could easily pick an area and do it. It includes many of the attractions I listed, accessible from it's grounds. Plus, I think it's basically right across from the Dome and they hold tons of events and rent it out. www.inwhiteriver.org
Also, monument circle (down the street) would be a neat place for a webhug. It's a big monument right in the center of downtown, with a relatively large stepped, fountain, meeting area surrounding it, with brick road roundabout going around it.
The CC and Dome are directly connected, per their map in the link I gave. So, though I've not actually walked those paths, I'm sure they're similar to that of Georgia. Looks to me like it's covered walkway between the buildings. The available space is huge, with like 6 halls all in the same building. That link showed the sq footage, and actually said how many 10x10 "booths" it can hold per hall.
The food court is something I'd have to check too. The only one I'm relatively aware of is the one in Circle Center Mall and seems there's something calls City Market, but it's not quite as big as the CNN center, esp seating. However, there are tons of restaurants/fast foods all in that area, which is something I think there's more of than in Georgia (at least in the immediate area). But, I'm not sure what the convention center has as far as food courts. I did read about catering and such, but I dont' know how that works.
Don't have a clue about discounting of facilities in Indy. That's something that, since it hasn't been held here, I don't think we would know. FIRST would have to tell us if they knew, and I doubt they feel the need to tell us that.
As far as I could tell, it would seem like timing in April would be open in Indy, as I hadn't seen any other big conventions going on during that timeframe the last couple years.
I'll see if I can come up with some other info.. :)
Interesting note - more than half the nations population lives within a day's drive of Indy.. And more interstate segments intersect with Indy than any other metro area in the US. 24 airlines into the airport. Regarding transportation out of the airport, it's only 10mi to downtown. Hmmm.. it does say Amtrak is available from downtown to airport.. I don't think I've been in many "downtowns" that are easy to drive through as Indy.
A few events the CC and Dome have hosted: NFL action of course, Closing ceremonies for Pan-American Games, World indoor track/field championships, world gymnastics champs, NCAA Final Four Mens (3 times already), Women's Final Four this year, and Mens again in '06 and '10, the Black Expo Convenction (every year?). In general, there's the Indy 500 and Nascar every year!
If it were in Indy, it could be more financially effective for teams to travel on the ground. Southern states, Canada, MI, WI, Eastern states, midwestern states, and a few western states (not quite CA)... many of those fly now. Some would be a long bus ride, but it could save them airfare costs, potentially.
So, people, why should it come to your city?? We need substantial, basis-covered, information... Just because there's a Dome, or convention center, doesn't make it a good place. See what you can dig up on your own city... :)
And, just because a state has the most number of teams doesn't make it the best place to hold it... Not all those teams compete at championships... course, they could attend to watch.... so, what else you got? Let's seem some nice, fun debates on this... :p
I don't think anyone argues Atlanta can host the FIRST event well. What different cities?
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Busiest airport in the world. Easy access for not only US teams but also international teams which are growing in number.
Most people have absolutely no problem with travel due to MARTA and many teams have said that their busses they brought to Atlanta just sit in a parking lot.
1 big question though. Honestly, how important are other attractions during a FIRST Event. I don't know about you guys, but after a day or two, most of our team is dead. Wednesday night people are just getting in. By friday night, most people are really trying to get their sleep, and Saturday is the carnival.
That leaves only Thrusday open. Maybe that is only my team. Maybe it is because we live here. I honestly believe that no city that has been discussed thoroughly here will have a large problem with attractions. Maybe other teams really look for attractions And even then, Atlanta has been ranked one of the top ranked cities for tourism in the nation.
The people here in Atlanta have dealt with champs before and know exactly how to run it and are improving on it constantly. This is evident from the movement of the pits and the reduced fares for hotel rooms.
If you go to another city it would be like someone said before in this thread reinventing the wheel.
This city has a history of being good with large scale events
Just a few:
- 1996 Olympics
- ACC Basketball Tournament
- NCAA Men's Final Four
- Sold out Falcon's game for every single home game
- Chick-fil-A Bowl
- SEC Championships
- Superbowl of Motor Sports
- Supercross
- NFL Superbowl
- NBA All-Star Game
- Bishop T.D. Jakes religious gathering
The city can definetly handle the growth of FIRST.
I don't think there were more than 50 teams that took the time to drive down to the dome in a bus or a car.
It must have looked pretty weird for a bystander to watch thousands of people all moving towards the dome in costumes and wearing bright colored shirts covered in buttons and not knowing what exactly was happening.
David Brinza
07-05-2005, 17:24
While our team is happy to have the Championship’s in our area we certainly understand others wanting them near their home. Amy’s suggestion of Indianapolis is the first one that I have seen that has an enclosed dome next to a convention center like here in Atlanta.
Dave
This thread has become very long, so it's possible to miss some of the earlier suggestions. My earlier post describes the St. Louis option:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=376457&postcount=25
Edward Jones Stadium is a fully enclosed dome (home of the St. Louis Rams) and America's Center is a large convention facility adjacent to the stadium. It is walking distance from Laclede's Landing and the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium and other downtown attractions.
There is light rail service from the airport to downtown St. Louis, so you have the same convenience that MARTA provides in Atlanta.
stealth13777
07-05-2005, 20:56
I think it should be held in a very large ship in international waters to make it a truly international event. :D
Back to the real topic, I think it should be held in a city where there has been an Olympic event held there because it is already suited for a large number of people. For example, Salt Lake City or L.A.
Anyone remember Atlanta in '96? The olympics have been in atlanta; them coming to atlanta helped solve some (but obviously not all) of the traffic problems here. Olympic facilities aren't used because the Turner field (used for olypics) is open air and thus weather would be an issue. Besides, the georgia dome is one of a limited number of domes in the world, and they are preparing to do over 100 million in renovations to it. The only issue I see in atlanta is with location of the pits, but they improved on that this year, maybe even more in the future. Who knows what will happen, but I hope they stay in atlanta. Not just because I live here but because I havn't seen a better suited location yet.
stealth13777
07-05-2005, 20:58
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Busiest airport in the world. Easy access for not only US teams but also international teams which are growing in number.
Most people have absolutely no problem with travel due to MARTA and many teams have said that their busses they brought to Atlanta just sit in a parking lot.
1 big question though. Honestly, how important are other attractions during a FIRST Event. I don't know about you guys, but after a day or two, most of our team is dead. Wednesday night people are just getting in. By friday night, most people are really trying to get their sleep, and Saturday is the carnival.
That leaves only Thrusday open. Maybe that is only my team. Maybe it is because we live here. I honestly believe that no city that has been discussed thoroughly here will have a large problem with attractions. Maybe other teams really look for attractions And even then, Atlanta has been ranked one of the top ranked cities for tourism in the nation.
The people here in Atlanta have dealt with champs before and know exactly how to run it and are improving on it constantly. This is evident from the movement of the pits and the reduced fares for hotel rooms.
If you go to another city it would be like someone said before in this thread reinventing the wheel.
This city has a history of being good with large scale events
Just a few:
- 1996 Olympics
- ACC Basketball Tournament
- NCAA Men's Final Four
- Sold out Falcon's game for every single home game
- Chick-fil-A Bowl
- SEC Championships
- Superbowl of Motor Sports
- Supercross
- NFL Superbowl
- NBA All-Star Game
- Bishop T.D. Jakes religious gathering
The city can definetly handle the growth of FIRST.
I don't think there were more than 50 teams that took the time to drive down to the dome in a bus or a car.
It must have looked pretty weird for a bystander to watch thousands of people all moving towards the dome in costumes and wearing bright colored shirts covered in buttons and not knowing what exactly was happening.
Not to mention how easy it is to get to six flags or white water :yikes:
Not just because I live here but because I havn't seen a better suited location yet.
How many championships have you seen? :)
I think there are other locations out there that can suit it, that haven't held Olympics. So far I haven't seen enough information on other cities to know though.
Looking at the teams that attended this season, there were 41% that were in 12hr driving distance of Atlanta (majority being at the max or few minutes beyond 12hrs), but 65% to Indy (and majority of these were <9hrs to Indy). However, if you look at the Michigan teams, and assume they would have a slow moving bus driving them to Atlanta, that wouldn't make it in 12hrs, it drops to 28% of teams were in 12hr driving of Atlanta. Whether teams would choose to drive or fly, don't know. Depends on their budget, size of team, etc... But it does show the proximity of where many teams are coming from and a potential cost savings for many.
We can't expect it to be held in Atlanta forever, though I do like it... or maybe we can... but I highly doubt it.
How many championships have you seen? :)
I think there are other locations out there that can suit it, that haven't held Olympics. So far I haven't seen enough information on other cities to know though.
We can't expect it to be held in Atlanta forever, though I do like it... or maybe we can... but I highly doubt it.
I think he may have been saying that he hasn't seen a better suited city for championships that has been posted in this thread.
Edward Jones Stadium is a fully enclosed dome (home of the St. Louis Rams) and America's Center is a large convention facility adjacent to the stadium. It is walking distance from Laclede's Landing and the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium and other downtown attractions.
There is light rail service from the airport to downtown St. Louis, so you have the same convenience that MARTA provides in Atlanta.
It would be fun to play in the same dome as the Greatest Show on Turf. There is plenty to do and it is much closer to California teams than Atlanta is.
Does anyone know when the decision will be made about the next host after Atlanta finishes up its contract?
If you have not had the pleasure of sitting in the EPCOT stadium on a clear, beautiful Saturday morning with 20,000 of your closest friends, then you can't understand why Disney is the only choice.
The only down side was that, sometimes, less dedicated folks were itching to go to the parks when they weren't supposed to.
Other cities are great and I have had a nice time in Atlanta and Houston, but Disney is pure MAGIC. There is an intangible feeling of togetherness that overwhelmed people there.
It also attracted more media attention and important visitors.
As a mentor, I also liked the safety and security of the parks.
Elgin Clock
27-05-2005, 23:05
Well, if we want to be called the Superbowl of Smarts again as we were in 2003, when we were in Texas, and the 2004 Bowl was held there, then... We can always have the choice of these Cities:
Tampa, Atlanta, Houston:
*The Super Bowl is headed back to Tampa in 2009. The city was selected to host the NFL title game for the fourth time Wednesday, beating out three other finalists — Atlanta, Houston and Miami — vying for the league's showcase event.
Or, even these cities which will host it in the next upcoming years:
Detroit, Miami, Glendale, AZ.
*Next season's Super Bowl will be Feb. 5, 2006, in Detroit, with the 2007 game in Miami, and the 2008 edition in a new stadium being built in Glendale, Ariz.
I've never been to Miami.. :cool: Or Tampa, Or Detroit Or Arizona for that matter.
But, which city has an International Airport very close by?
All of them?
Oh yeah, and for all you NYC Championship supporters:
*NFL owners voted in March to award the 2010 Super Bowl to New York, provided the Jets get approval for a 75,000-seat stadium on the West Side of Manhattan.
* Source: (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050525/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_2009_super_bowl/nc:1357;_ylt=Au4RQPA6BdmAzCH7Qmk6K8vIyLQF;_ylu=X3o DMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl)
As for my own opinion, I believe that FIRST is an extension of Dean, and the things he does in his buisiness world is directly linked with his little microcosm of the world known as FIRST. Thus, since he wants support from D.C. for many of his projects, and also the fact that he is looking into patent reform who's office is in D.C., then I see Washington D.C, as a definate candidate for The Championship Event sometime in the future.
But... keep in mind I have not ever been to D.C., other than for a few days/hours no where near the heart in the thick of the city, but if it was in D.C., where could it be held?
nobrakes8
28-05-2005, 01:03
As for my own opinion, I believe that FIRST is an extension of Dean, and the things he does in his buisiness world is directly linked with his little microcosm of the world known as FIRST. Thus, since he wants support from D.C. for many of his projects, and also the fact that he is looking into patent reform who's office is in D.C., then I see Washington D.C, as a definate candidate for The Championship Event sometime in the future.
But... keep in mind I have not ever been to D.C., other than for a few days/hours no where near the heart in the thick of the city, but if it was in D.C., where could it be held?
That's an awsome point about DC that makes a lot of sense. I'm not completely familar with the DC area but the MCI center might work (might be too small).. I'm sure Washington has a big Expo center somewhere in the city that could host the compeition. I just don't know how seating arrangments and Ultimatly six fields could be setup in an expo center. (Ehh Woodie teaches at MIT and Dave Lavrey works at NASA I'm sure they could figure something out)
I'm just not sold on FIRST leaving Atlanta or going to another non-NFL domed arena (remeber MLB is back in session in April). Four fields, plus einstine and VEX is a lot stuff to push into one area, which is why a strictly NBA/NCAA basketball arena would be almost impossible to run the compeition, plus the NBA is also still in season during April and there could be a conflict of intrest between the NBA team and FIRST compeition.
Unless FIRST finds a way to host the compeition in Washington DC or a major industrial area where there would be a major impact on FIRST as whole; I don't think it would make much sense for them to leave Atlanta and that setup they have down to a science in Atlanta.
richardp
28-05-2005, 11:33
Washington just finished building a new convention center :yikes: , so they should have enough space there.
Washington just finished building a new convention center :yikes: , so they should have enough space there.
There is enough space for the pits, but nowhere to put playing fields with enough seating.
Wetzel
Even though Atlanta lost the Super Bowl bid, Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons is still going to go through with his $150 million renovation of the Georgia Dome. I got that from an AJC Article. I think the renovation will be taking place in 2007 or something like that.
Travis Hoffman
28-05-2005, 14:10
Even though Atlanta lost the Super Bowl bid, Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons is still going to go through with his $150 million renovation of the Georgia Dome. I got that from an AJC Article. I think the renovation will be taking place in 2007 or something like that.
So during what months will this renovation take place? I'm guessing NOT during football season, which means the spring/summer months. How long would it take? I assume the Georgia Dome would be off limits while the construction was going on. Is that a potential impediment to Atlanta receiving the contract?
So during what months will this renovation take place? I'm guessing NOT during football season, which means the spring/summer months. How long would it take? I assume the Georgia Dome would be off limits while the construction was going on. Is that a potential impediment to Atlanta receiving the contract?
I don't think that the renovations would occur durin Spring. The reason for this is because during Spring, there are quite a few events. Especially the AJC International Auto Show the week before Nationals. Summer is the biggest option for renovation time because there afe fewer events going on during summer (or atleast I think so).
Planned improvements include increases in suites and club seating, improved concourse areas around the facility, and upgrades to scoreboards and video screens.
And looking at the improvements that it looks like they are making, I don't believe much of it will effect the kids except the concourse areas around the Dome.
In all, I don't believe that there will be a problem and that this may actually help the bid. The fact that there is gonna be a renovation to the exterior of the Dome. Maybe we will start using the video screens to display some of the final matches.
Freddy Schurr
28-05-2005, 15:53
2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: ONE WORD, PHILADEPHIA
It the city of Brotherly Love, so eveyone can get along with each other
I think one of my mentors who is trying to get champs to stay in Atlanta said the big places being looked at right now are Atlanta, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Epcot again.
Bill Gold
03-06-2005, 19:06
I really miss the days of The Championship at Disney World. It was so much fun feeling that you could go anywhere at anytime of the day/night safely since it was its own little city. It was also tons of fun being able to walk anywhere and see at least 50% of the other people wearing robotics shirts. It felt more close and comfortable than Houston or Atlanta have felt, but that's just my $0.02.
Nitroxextreme
09-06-2005, 16:08
i have only been to atlanta
but i have heard that epcot was awesome
and there was stuff to do after the competition
something that FIRST needs to look into
I personally like Atlanta and would like to see the Championships remain there for at least of few more years. Though Championships in California would be cool too.
Macdaddy549
13-06-2005, 11:35
:) :cool: :D My vote would be anywhere warm. Tampa, Orlando, LA, or San Francisco
I'm conflicted. I would say detroit so the winners wouldn't have to take the trophy far :D :D :p JK, But this year it was snowing during Nationals and it wouldnt be cool to be in Michigan when it is snowing, espsecially when you need to walk.
Kyle Love
13-06-2005, 23:21
One draw back for Epcot, so I heard. I heard the pits were on black top in a parking lot...in the heat. So that could lead to medical problems. Sure, it would be fun to go back there, but think about safety. Wouldn't Epcot be more costly then Atlanta, Indy or Detroit? The best area to have nationals should be in the middle part of America or in the area where a high concentration of teams would be. The Midwest would be a good general area to have Nationals. But that's just my $0.02.
Jill1022
21-06-2005, 22:37
:) :cool: :D My vote would be anywhere warm. Tampa, Orlando, LA, or San Francisco
San Francisco...not warm but hella rad!
As much as I love SF (i plan on living there after college, maybe during), I dont think its a good place for a robotics championship...too crowded and small. But that's just my opinion, i could be wrong.
nobrakes8
21-06-2005, 23:40
I posted before, but I'm not sure if I mentioned or saw anybody mention Kansas City, MO.. They are the host of SkillsUSA's National Leadership and Skills Conference (about the same amount of people as FIRST and takes up a ton of room).. Bartle Hall is right across the street from the Marriot Downtown, Holiday inn, Double Tree, and I believe 1 more hotel like right on that street.
It might be good in Kansas City for a few reasons; first everybody pretty much has to travel because Kansas City is in a fairly remote FIRST area, so that means all the west coast and east coast teams and everybody in between would take a dent with paying for travel. This would give FIRST the opportunity to really shine in an area that lots of school districts don't have FIRST teams, give them a chance to recruit to get school administrators to visit, as well as all the advertising that would end up happening in the local news papers. Kansas City is another "cheap" big city everything was reasonably priced when I was there with SkillsUSA. The problem would be seating arrangements in the convention center setting.
My gut feeling tells me FIRST will be in Indianapolis, because the Northeast and Midwest are packed with so many teams, plus not to mention Indianapolis has to be fairly cheap compared to a lot of big cities on the east and west coast (NYC, LA, Boston, Washington DC are somewhat expensive places to visit for 3-4-5 days). My dad worked for Siemens VDO for 16 years and spent lots of time in Detroit and he said that was a really bad city. From what I understand about the city, if you think Atlanta underground was scary to walk around after 9-10pm, then Detroit is not the city you'd want to have host FIRST. Disney I just don't think has the resources to host this competition, sadly I don’t think Universal Studios does either, although I don't know if there’s anywhere else in the city capable of hosting the championship.
No matter what happens, this next contract will probably be fairly short because I think FIRST would like to hit every major area that has FIRST teams. I'm sure FIRST would love to eventually host the championship on the West Coast since Cali has the most teams and I'm pretty confident they would like to eventually return home to the New England area where everything started.
It might be good in Kansas City for a few reasons, first everybody pretty much has to travel because Kansas City is in a fairly remote FIRST area, so that means all the west coast and east coast teams and everybody in between would take a dent with paying for travel. This would give FIRST the oppertunity to really shine in an area that lots of school districts don't have FIRST teams, give them a chance to recruit to get school administrators to visit, as well as all the advertiseing that would end up happening in the local news papers. Kansas City is another "cheap" big city everything was reasonably priced when I was there with SkillsUSA. The problem would be seating arrangments in the convention center setting.
Well, this is sort of a detriment also. Wherever the Champs are held, they have to raise money to fund it....FIRST doesn't just provide all the money needed... there needs to be a relatively large amount of local support, corporate and teamwise. So, while it would be great to expose that part of the country to the event, it may not have the ability to support the event with less support there currently. Unfortunately, I don't think it's a bonus to have majority of teams having to take a dent for travel expense... While it may seem "fair" in some respects, it may not be a great reason. But, it would be smack in the middle of the country!
Quatitos
22-06-2005, 01:10
I don't know how long the announcement has been there, but the FRC website states that its going to be in Atlanta again for 2006.
Kyle Love
22-06-2005, 09:41
I don't know how long the announcement has been there, but the FRC website states that its going to be in Atlanta again for 2006.
Yup, it's in Atlanta for atleast one more year. It's the 3rd year on a 3 year contract.
Yup, it's in Atlanta for atleast one more year. It's the 3rd year on a 3 year contract.
Yep!! Hence the title of this thread! :D
One draw back for Epcot, so I heard. I heard the pits were on black top in a parking lot...in the heat. So that could lead to medical problems. Sure, it would be fun to go back there, but think about safety.
The entire venue was built on Epcot's 'Discover' parking lot, I think. It may actually be the 'Journey' lot, however, as I can't remember the order they're laid out in. In any case, no asphalt was visible throught the whole venue. It was all covered by false grass or plastic flooring. The pits were housed in an air-conditioned tent. It was, in most cases, quite cold in the pits.
Of all things, I am least concerned about safety with respect to the event at Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney World is undoubtedly more expensive than any other venue FIRST could probably find, save perhaps for New York City, Las Vegas or Los Angeles. As I've stated time and again, though, it is worth the cost. FIRST is not an organization that should be settling for or in search of the cheapest options, but demanding the best facilities the world has to offer.
Amanda Morrison
22-06-2005, 14:18
Walt Disney World is undoubtedly more expensive than any other venue FIRST could probably find, save perhaps for New York City, Las Vegas or Los Angeles. As I've stated time and again, though, it is worth the cost. FIRST is not an organization that should be settling for or in search of the cheapest options, but demanding the best facilities the world has to offer.
Maddie, while I agree for the most part with what you've said, I feel every paragraph should have the clause 'to an extent' after it.
Fees just to participate in one regional have been raised, and many teams have felt the heat. Look at this year's controversial congratulatory NASA Grant thread - instead of 'yay, the teams who needed money got it' it turned into a vicious, rumor-driven thread of 'why did someone else get money, when xxx team really needs it?'. There are teams who come into existence and simply can't last for more than a year or two. While it's true that FIRST is continually growing at a rather rapid rate, many of us have agreed that maintenance of current teams is just as key as new growth.
Of course there are teams who do have the money, and would love to see the event return to Disney. If it went back, and there was a significant price increase, how many teams would really feel the pressure? Why shouldn't FIRST be looking for the cheapest facilities? Aren't we, as customers, entitled to getting our money's worth? I really like Disney. I haven't been back since 2002. But I really like being able to afford going to the championships every year, and not having an arm and a leg ripped off just to pay for my hotel room. Robotics aside, Disney is not a cheap place as it is. How many of this year's Championship teams could afford Atlanta, but not Disney?
I don't think it's FIRST responsibility to find a venue with all the bells and whistles that it could possibly have. It is, however, FIRST's responsibility to create a fun championship event, and do everything possible to make it worth the money we pay to them for these events. I did not attend Houston, but I have been to Atlanta the past two years, and I can say that FIRST made it well worth the money to attend (or else, why would I go?). Does it have to be Disney to be a great event? No. It would be fun, but it's not imperative we move it back there.
To have a great robotics event, Disney would need FIRST. But FIRST doens't need Disney.
Amanda -- I largely agree. I was speaking, in that last paragraph, in a most general sense and didn't intend any implication of what FIRST should currently be doing to host the event.
Rather, I'm frustrated by the world's reluctance to bend over backwards for FIRST. We shouldn't be scraping up spare change to get to a venue, we should be apologizing to New York City and tell them we'll be competing in Paris in 2012.
Amanda Morrison
22-06-2005, 15:10
Rather, I'm frustrated by the world's reluctance to bend over backwards for FIRST.
With that, I don't think I (or anyone else that is fully hooked by this program) could agree more.
Wayne C.
22-06-2005, 17:09
Another 2 cents-
1. any place FIRST hosts the Championship should be warm and not at the mercy of late season blizzards and other such events
2. any place FIRST hosts the Championship needs a large number of hotels and resources for tourists or conventioneers
3. any place FIRST hosts should be moderately contained so the chaperones of the thousands of kids can keep track of them
4. any place FIRST hosts should have alternative activities for the after hours to keep the kids busy
In my mind this eliminates any place north of the Mason Dixon Line.
Having been to all of the venues that FIRST has held Championships the best by far has been Epcot. The others are good but not so good to be competitive in my mind. I like Atlanta but the after hours were quite lacking.
In 2002 Epcot hosted about 350 teams. To my knowledge the FRC event hasn't greatly surpassed that . Cost for the teams has never seemed to be a limiting factor from the FIRST perspective. And FIRST itself seems to be limiting the overall event to the 4 field maximum by their own policy anyway.
My vote is for Epcot. There has been nothing to surpass it since. (and most of the kids writing in this forum haven't experienced it)
WC :cool:
Why shouldn't FIRST be looking for the cheapest facilities? Aren't we, as customers, entitled to getting our money's worth? I really like Disney. I haven't been back since 2002. But I really like being able to afford going to the championships every year, and not having an arm and a leg ripped off just to pay for my hotel room. Robotics aside, Disney is not a cheap place as it is. How many of this year's Championship teams could afford Atlanta, but not Disney?
I don't think it's FIRST responsibility to find a venue with all the bells and whistles that it could possibly have. It is, however, FIRST's responsibility to create a fun championship event, and do everything possible to make it worth the money we pay to them for these events. I did not attend Houston, but I have been to Atlanta the past two years, and I can say that FIRST made it well worth the money to attend (or else, why would I go?). Does it have to be Disney to be a great event? No. It would be fun, but it's not imperative we move it back there.
I'm going to throw in my $3.17 (that's 2 cents adjusted for inflation with the result in 1982 dollars):
I did not attend the '03 Houston Championships, but I was in Atlanta in '04 and '05, as well as in EPCOT in '02. Both EPCOT and the Georgia Dome have their ups and downs as far as venues for Championships. And I had a great time at both venues.
While I agree that FIRST should be seeking a low-cost city in order to keep the competition affordable for teams, you're going to get more in terms of FIRST's growth and popularity if you hold it in a popular, high-cost city. Lots of people go to Disney on vacation, but let's face facts here -- who goes to Atlanta, unless it's for business or to see family in the area? Okay, the Olympics were there in 1996, but far more people have heard of the Olympics than have heard of FIRST.
Imagine this: you've never heard of FIRST, and you're on vacation with your family at Disney. The day your family decides to go to EPCOT, you see thousands of kids your age in colorful shirts plastered with buttons running around the park. You find out what's going on, check out some of the competition. You're so impressed with and excited by what you see that you say, "I want to do this!" When you get home, you tell all your friends, and try to start a FIRST team at your school. Or you're a teacher on vacation and you see the same thing.
Now, can you see someone going to Atlanta, and just happening to take a tour of the Georgia Dome that day? It's likely, but not nearly as likely as it would be at a more popular vacation spot.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for affordable venues. But are we more likely to get the message of FIRST out if we have our Championship Event in a place like New York City or Chicago or Los Angeles, or a place like Indianapolis, Kansas City, or Baltimore?
(Before you complain to me -- I've been to Indianapolis, and Baltimore, and I like them both. I'm just saying they're not popular leisure travel destinations.)
There's a tradeoff that must be addressed. Personally, I feel that teams should be able to afford to compete in the Championship Event if they so desire... the message of FIRST can be spread by us FIRSTies telling all our friends and family about how addictive and fun this is. But most people do not know any FIRSTies. So how do we address this? I'm not entirely sure. What are your thoughts?
As a FIRST addict, I certainly agree that we should be apologizing to New York City and telling them we're going to have our Championship Event in Paris in 2012. As a realist, I know that this isn't going to be possible until FIRST becomes more popular and achieves the sports-like status that Dean Kamen originally envisioned. That's going to take work.
-Tom
Imagine this: you've never heard of FIRST, and you're on vacation with your family at Disney. The day your family decides to go to EPCOT, you see thousands of kids your age in colorful shirts plastered with buttons running around the park. You find out what's going on, check out some of the competition. You're so impressed with and excited by what you see that you say, "I want to do this!" When you get home, you tell all your friends, and try to start a FIRST team at your school. Or you're a teacher on vacation and you see the same thing.
Now, can you see someone going to Atlanta, and just happening to take a tour of the Georgia Dome that day? It's likely, but not nearly as likely as it would be at a more popular vacation spot.
Great point. But can Epcot handle the Venu size. I haven't ben in a while and dont really remember.
To add to the previous post about the venue needs, i'd like to add "Major Airport". It's much cheaper to fly to Detroit, than Toledo for example becuase Detroit it 25 times larger than Toledo.
Andy Baker
22-06-2005, 17:54
Some random thoughts on this:
1. $$$$$
The cost of attending Championships at Disney World was high. However, from what I heard, the price was going to be increased dramatically in the 2003 season, hence the move to Houston.
2. Facility
Attending Championships at Disney World was fun and safe. Hotels were excellent and the entertainment was stellar. However, the competition facilities were both temporary and expensive. It was frustrating to not be able to see matches on the main stage and have little seating room on the auxilliary field. With regard to simply looking at the competition side of things, I prefer competing in a dome or stadium.
3. Fun
I miss Disney World. My kids and wife miss going there also. However, realizing that it would cost WAAAAAY more than our last 3 years of attending championships, I still prefer having the FIRST Championships not at WDW for FIRST teams.
4. Location
Having the Championships at a central location is important. This saves more money for more teams if they don't have to fly. Also, I disagree with Wayne's requirement that the Championship must be above the Mason/Dixon line. Weather in late April isn't much different in Detroit, Indy or Atlanta (this is a generalization, and just an opinion... someone may prove me wrong here). Florida would be hotter, but these 3 cities would be approximately the same temp, from what I can tell. If the date was Feb. or March, I would agree with Wayne. April is different.
5. Spectators
We were always amazed at the lack of spectators FIRST would bring in from the Disney parks when it was located there. WDW did a poor job of advertizing the event, and people did not take the time to leave the park and come into the tent city of FIRST. A few people did make this trip, but not as many as might be expected. Having the Championships at WDW did not add spectators (except people who were on FIRST teams to only go to WDW).
The Championships needs to be in a city where FIRST takes over for the weekend. There is a fine line between the city being too big where the FIRST Championships would not make an impact and a city being too small to not be able to host the Championships. Imo, FIRST did not take over Atlanta. Unless you talked to a FIRST team member, were in the convention center or Georgia Dome, you would not know that there was a robotics event in the dome. Yes, there was some media coverage (both on the local news and the local newspaper), but there could've been more attention to FIRST robots in Atlanta.
Indianapolis is the right size for the Championships, and we would "take over" downtown for the weekend. Signs would be up. Hotel and restaurant people would know about robots and FIRST.
It could be a dream:
Waitresses would be asking how you did during qualification matches. Policemen would be wanting to know if you used PID control for your arm motion. Cabbies would be looking over your top 20 picks after your Friday night strategy session. Hotel busboys will be telling you that although team 131 was 2-3 during today's qualification matches, they had bad luck and should be a top pick. The Gondola driver on Canal Walk will help you scrutinize your Chairman's presentation. The Indianapolis Indians will have "FIRST Robotics Day" at Victory Field, and the new WFA winner would throw out the first pitch. Payton Manning and Jermaine O'Neil would be working as field resetters on Einstein. Tony George would be checking robot tires for traction, asking what teams used.
It will be a great thing.
Andy B.
Amanda Morrison
22-06-2005, 19:00
1. any place FIRST hosts the Championship should be warm and not at the mercy of late season blizzards and other such events...In my mind this eliminates any place north of the Mason Dixon Line.
Perhaps I'm the only person who froze my tush off in Atlanta during the team party. Weather is weather. It changes. In late April in Georgia, it was around 50 degrees. In mid-March in Indiana, it was 75. The Midwest, as well as the Southeast, Northwest, and every other direction you can think of, unfortunately do not come equipped with built-in temperature control. It's nice when it's warm, but certainly not mandatory.
Imagine this: you've never heard of FIRST, and you're on vacation with your family at Disney. The day your family decides to go to EPCOT, you see thousands of kids your age in colorful shirts plastered with buttons running around the park. You find out what's going on, check out some of the competition. You're so impressed with and excited by what you see that you say, "I want to do this!" When you get home, you tell all your friends, and try to start a FIRST team at your school. Or you're a teacher on vacation and you see the same thing. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for affordable venues. But are we more likely to get the message of FIRST out if we have our Championship Event in a place like New York City or Chicago or Los Angeles, or a place like Indianapolis, Kansas City, or Baltimore?
While I agree that the flashier, more populated location is going to lend to more publicity, I can tell you honestly that I wouldn't want to take a teamful of twenty kids and release them in NYC or LA. There's a huge difference between Disney, which may as well be its own city, chock full of security and employees, and New York City, which would envelop the FIRST competition as if it were a science fair. There are simply too many 'what-if's'. For the students, don't get me wrong - I am not doubting your mature, responsible ways. :) I'm simply insinuating that things happen, and as a volunteer (or if I were an engineer, or a teacher), I would not want the responsibility of taking someone else's children to a different state, into a large city, and trying to keep them under wraps, much less safe and secure.
Do I think this is a great idea in the long run, though? Yes... but I don't think FIRST is ready for it.
Great point. But can Epcot handle the Venu size. I haven't ben in a while and dont really remember.
Well, EPCOT was a temporary facility built in the parking lot. They could probably make it as big as needed (so long as they could close down an entire lot). The only thing I really didn't care for about it was that they rotated fields (i.e. you weren't always on your division's home field), and one of the fields was outside in the heat.
I'm not so sure, actually.
5. Spectators
We were always amazed at the lack of spectators FIRST would bring in from the Disney parks when it was located there. WDW did a poor job of advertizing the event, and people did not take the time to leave the park and come into the tent city of FIRST. A few people did make this trip, but not as many as might be expected. Having the Championships at WDW did not add spectators (except people who were on FIRST teams to only go to WDW).
I didn't really think about it, but yes, having the event outside the actual park hurt our chances at getting outside spectators. I don't think they could have held it IN the park, though.
The Championships needs to be in a city where FIRST takes over for the weekend. There is a fine line between the city being too big where the FIRST Championships would not make an impact and a city being too small to not be able to host the Championships. Imo, FIRST did not take over Atlanta. Unless you talked to a FIRST team member, were in the convention center or Georgia Dome, you would not know that there was a robotics event in the dome. Yes, there was some media coverage (both on the local news and the local newspaper), but there could've been more attention to FIRST robots in Atlanta.
Hm, I think that would be neat, if we "took over a city" for the weekend. That's a good point. I don't think people outside the Georgia Dome or local hotel staffs even knew what was going on.
It could be a dream:
Waitresses would be asking how you did during qualification matches. Policemen would be wanting to know if you used PID control for your arm motion. Cabbies would be looking over your top 20 picks after your Friday night strategy session. Hotel busboys will be telling you that although team
I'd love that! But do you think a policeman (who doesn't have a FIRSTie son or daughter) would even know what PID control is? ;) We can dream.
Perhaps I'm the only person who froze my tush off in Atlanta during the team party.
I, too, was cold. Having the competition in warmer climates helps, but it doesn't guarantee a warm sunny weekend, as we all saw in Atlanta this year -- it was cold, and rainy sometimes.
While I agree that the flashier, more populated location is going to lend to more publicity, I can tell you honestly that I wouldn't want to take a teamful of twenty kids and release them in NYC or LA. There's a huge difference between Disney, which may as well be its own city, chock full of security and employees, and New York City, which would envelop the FIRST competition as if it were a science fair. There are simply too many 'what-if's'.
Well, yes, there are security concerns, but I think they exist anywhere BUT Disney. Even in Atlanta, there were issues. For example, for some reason some students on my team coming off the MARTA train from the airport (and let me tell you, MARTA was, um, an "experience"), decided to follow some random local Atlantan to our hotel. Now, how did they know he wasn't leading us into some dark alley to beat us up and steal our money? (He did hold his hand out at the end...) I'm not saying that all high school kids are like this, in fact, the majority, I've found, posess basic street smarts -- teachers and parents and mentors have responsibilities to make sure the students don't get into trouble -- and that exists ANYWHERE. It's going to be just as crummy if someone beats you up and steals your wallet in Atlanta or in NYC. And I certainly wouldn't want, as a mentor, to have to answer to an upset parent whose son or daughter was kidnapped while under my watch. That's called responsibility -- as a team chaperone, it is a requirement, and one I have never taken lightly.
I agree that NYC would probably "envelop" the competiton, but only because there are more people there. That's the whole point. Perhaps a smaller percentage of the population would hear about it, but a greater number of people would hear about it.
I also agree that larger cities have higher crime rates... but my point, I guess is that crime unfortunately, exists anywhere you go.
4. Location
Having the Championships at a central location is important. This saves more money for more teams if they don't have to fly. Also, I disagree with Wayne's requirement that the Championship must be above the Mason/Dixon line. Weather in late April isn't much different in Detroit, Indy or Atlanta (this is a generalization, and just an opinion... someone may prove me wrong here). Florida would be hotter, but these 3 cities would be approximately the same temp, from what I can tell. If the date was Feb. or March, I would agree with Wayne. April is different.
Weather Data for April (From Weather.Com)
Atlanta
- Average High: 73 F
- Average Low: 50 F
- Average Precipitation: 3.62 in
Detroit
- Average High: 59 F
- Average Low: 39 F
- Average Precipitation: N/A
Indianapolis
- Average High: 63 F
- Average Low: 41 F
- Average Precipitation: 3.61 in
Orlando
- Average High: 83 F
- Average Low: 60 F
- Average Precipitation: 2.42 in
I see no security issues when you are travelling with a minimum of like 10 other people. It isn't even an issue when you are alone. Maybe at night but otherwise it isnt at all. Atleast I havn't had any experiences. I just don't see safety as too much of an issue. Also, the weather in Georgia like anyone can tell you is just plain wierd. 1 day you can freeze to death, and then the next day, you can b burnt to a crisp. It is just weird. Nothing you can do about it.
Quick fact.
Atlanta lost the 2007 Superbowl bid partly because of the weather.
Nitroxextreme
22-06-2005, 22:46
FIRST should have bids as to which arena will give them the best deal. FIRST will bring any arena into the international eye just with one championship event.
Amanda Morrison
22-06-2005, 23:02
FIRST should have bids as to which arena will give them the best deal. FIRST will bring any arena into the international eye just with one championship event.
They do.
FIRST approaches cities that have adequate facilities and meet their standards, and ask them to place a bid on the event.
nobrakes8
22-06-2005, 23:14
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for affordable venues. But are we more likely to get the message of FIRST out if we have our Championship Event in a place like New York City or Chicago or Los Angeles, or a place like Indianapolis, Kansas City, or Baltimore?
(Before you complain to me -- I've been to Indianapolis, and Baltimore, and I like them both. I'm just saying they're not popular leisure travel destinations.)
-Tom
LA, NYC, Chicago (even Indianapolis and baltimore) are already heavily actvie FIRST areas. In these areas its almost as if FIRST is becomeing too popular with too many teams and not enough sources of funding. New teams are forming and dying right away or forceing well established teams either in massive cut backs to their programs or forceing them to die out. Does anybody know how many rookie teams actually registered this year and never even made it to compeition?
Its just a double edged sword for FIRST because realisticly for 2007 if they go to Indianapolis, it's so close to so many teams it would certainly help a lot of budgets on travel (I know my former team from CT would be e-mailing every CT team asking to share a coach bus or something).. However with the hype of FIRST in the area it may prompt a lot of school districts to look at the comepition and see how big FIRST really is, and essentally may hurt other Indiana teams with more compeition for sponsors, resources, mentors, etc..
nobrakes8
22-06-2005, 23:20
They do.
FIRST approaches cities that have adequate facilities and meet their standards, and ask them to place a bid on the event.
That, and it must be hard finding facilities, after all April still has the NBA in session, NHL (if they ever return), and even MLB teams are already in the regular season (domed baseball fields would be a great host).
Those factors alone realistcly limit the options for facilities since major cities have NBA, NHL, and MLB teams playing in the same venues FIRST would be interested in. It may not neccessarly be FIRST saying "we don't want to go to LA" when the arena is saying "The Lakers might be in town, go somewhere else"
That, and it must be hard finding facilities, after all April still has the NBA in session, NHL (if they ever return), and even MLB teams are already in the regular season (domed baseball fields would be a great host).
Those factors alone realistcly limit the options for facilities since major cities have NBA, NHL, and MLB teams playing in the same venues FIRST would be interested in. It may not neccessarly be FIRST saying "we don't want to go to LA" when the arena is saying "The Lakers might be in town, go somewhere else"
Yes, but football fields across the US are open for usage. NBA courts and NHL rinks don't have enough room either.
But then again, there is an issue with larger events that would bring more money that would want to use the same football field at the same time as Nationals.
As much as I'd like to have the Championship here in Southern California, I'm not sure it would happen anytime soon. The chief reason is a lack of suitable venues. You'd think with the Rose Bowl and Coliseum we'd have it made. But those stadia, and every other venue in Southern California that would be large enough is open to the sky.
We generally have such perfect weather that our large venues don't bother with the expense of roofing. I can't think of a single venue in Southern California that is larger than a basketball court and has a roof. Add to that the fact that April is the tail end of our rainy season, such as it is. So having some way to keep the water out of the robots is essential.
In general, I think the colder areas of the country are atually in better shape for this sort of thing. Maybe Seattle?
sanddrag
23-06-2005, 01:51
I can't think of a single venue in Southern California that is larger than a basketball court and has a roof. There are probably several in the form of warehouses and convention centers and the such, but these places usually lack a viewing "stands" area or the height to put one, not to mention the "pizazz" and layout of a real arena type place.
Even if you could guarantee no rain, the hot sun would probably be miserable. Wherever it is, I say it must have a roof.
In general, I think the colder areas of the country are atually in better shape for this sort of thing. Maybe Seattle?
Seattle would be cool. I'd be all for that. They have Safeco field which has a retractable roof, which would work.
I see FIRST sticking to a more centralized location though. While it would (finally) give us west coasters a break, it leaves the majority of teams with a more expensive trip.
Also, as I remember it, the hotels in downtown aren't really within walking distance of Safeco.
Maybe some day we'll see Nationals out here :)
Ben Lauer
23-06-2005, 08:42
LA, NYC, Chicago (even Indianapolis and baltimore) are already heavily actvie FIRST areas. In these areas its almost as if FIRST is becomeing too popular with too many teams and not enough sources of funding. New teams are forming and dying right away or forceing well established teams either in massive cut backs to their programs or forceing them to die out. However with the hype of FIRST in the area it may prompt a lot of school districts to look at the comepition and see how big FIRST really is, and essentally may hurt other Indiana teams with more compeition for sponsors, resources, mentors, etc..
I don't think this will happen. I believe that it might spark new teams to start, but when the local business in the downtown areas see the amount of people that this attracts, and the coverage it is able to obtain, I think there is a better chance of companies supporting the struggling teams. I don't think the concentration of teams should be a high priority when choosing a venue. I believe that there should be some in the area to help raise awareness and find attention, but the number of teams is not a strict requirement.
Wayne C.
23-06-2005, 21:30
Perhaps I'm the only person who froze my tush off in Atlanta during the team party. Weather is weather. It changes. In late April in Georgia, it was around 50 degrees. In mid-March in Indiana, it was 75. The Midwest, as well as the Southeast, Northwest, and every other direction you can think of, unfortunately do not come equipped with built-in temperature control. It's nice when it's warm, but certainly not mandatory.
Do I think this is a great idea in the long run, though? Yes... but I don't think FIRST is ready for it.
When you get a snowstorm closing the airports and ruining transportation at the Nationals on a big scale just once the 50 degrees in Atlanta will look pretty good. This thing needs to be held in the South where it is warmer. Sorry Midwesters but it isn't a treat to travel there when Orlando is available.
Of course this debate may be a done deal anyway from what rumors are saying....
evelyn1503
23-06-2005, 21:44
i would love to see it at the sky dome in Toronto not only is it a good sized arena but i think it would cool to have a finals in Canada
Kyle Love
23-06-2005, 21:49
It would be cool to see them in Canada but I doubt that will happen for awhile.
When you get a snowstorm closing the airports and ruining transportation at the Nationals on a big scale just once the 50 degrees in Atlanta will look pretty good. This thing needs to be held in the South where it is warmer. Sorry Midwesters but it isn't a treat to travel there when Orlando is available.
Of course this debate may be a done deal anyway from what rumors are saying....
Do we know that Orlando is available? Perhaps it's just plain not feasible for many various reasons.
Considering 90% of the event is indoors, it's not the biggest disaster if it's a little chilly. The team wrapup party has been outdoors since it's been in the south, but who says it MUST be indoors?
It would do those southerners good to see a bit of snow once in a while.. :) Could be a first for some people! Though, snow isn't super likely in Indy in April.... Other midwest and northern states, definitely could be snow....
Can't wait to find out where our next destination will be.
LA, NYC, Chicago (even Indianapolis and baltimore) are already heavily actvie FIRST areas. In these areas its almost as if FIRST is becomeing too popular with too many teams and not enough sources of funding.
...
However with the hype of FIRST in the area it may prompt a lot of school districts to look at the comepition and see how big FIRST really is, and essentally may hurt other Indiana teams with more compeition for sponsors, resources, mentors, etc..
Well, you do raise a good point there. To that end, a place like Kansas City or even Omaha (there are no registered Nebraska teams, last I checked) would be ideal. However...
I don't think this will happen. I believe that it might spark new teams to start, but when the local business in the downtown areas see the amount of people that this attracts, and the coverage it is able to obtain, I think there is a better chance of companies supporting the struggling teams. I don't think the concentration of teams should be a high priority when choosing a venue. I believe that there should be some in the area to help raise awareness and find attention, but the number of teams is not a strict requirement.
I'm more inclined to agree with Ben. Obtaining sponsorship is quite difficult. Most of my team's sponsors this year were extremely local businesses (either in one of the two towns served by our high school). If there were large corporate sponsors it was because mentors on the team worked for these companies. I don't think we had a single corporate sponsor outside of the Worcester suburban area. (That includes large companies like Rohm and Haas, Raytheon, and National Grid -- the reason we were able to get sponsorship from these heavy hitters was because they have facilities in the Boston/Worcester area, already sponsor other FIRST teams, and had our mentors working in their facilities.)
To perhaps support your original point, local businesses don't traditionally have as much money to spend on charitable giving than large corporations. It was difficult to get monetary sponsorship. A few of our local sponsors contributed their products -- a Northborough print shop donated the labor involved in printing our team shirts, a Southborough bakery donated muffins and coffee for our Saturday morning meetings -- things like that.
On the other hand, the unfortunate truth is that businesses need to be approached. Bo the CFO is not going to wake up one morning and say, "I think the Conglom-O Corporation should sponsor a FIRST robotics team!" Sponsorship is obtained through cold calling, student involvement, and mentors approaching the people holding the purse strings at their places of employment.
That in mind, I doubt that having a Championship Event in any given city will benefit all but the most local of teams. You might get some suburban team benefit (towns around the city such as Carmel, Lawrence, and others -- it's been a few years since I was in Indy, but I almost took a job there so I was looking for apartments in its suburbs), but I doubt highly that having the Championship Event in Indianapolis will result in every Indiana business scrambling for a local team to sponsor. Furthermore, I don't think teams obtaining sponshorship will have any more difficult of a time doing so than they already do. Finding money is going to be a hard and undesirable (but necessary) job no matter what.
i would love to see it at the sky dome in Toronto not only is it a good sized arena but i think it would cool to have a finals in Canada
I like Toronto as a city, and I'd also like to see more non-US teams. I think, though, they'd need to move the Mississauga Regional to elsewhere in the GTA if the Championships were to be held there. (Though, the Peachtree Regional is near Atlanta...)
I don't think we'll see a Canadian Championship Event anytime soon, though. Most teams are from the US, and you have new travel concerns introduced such as customs and currency exchanges. (Okay, yes, Canadian teams and teams from other countries currently deal with these every time. Non-North American teams even deal with language barriers.)
Weather should not be the deciding factor. It canchange too much. If its cold, its just something that will have to be dealt with at the venue. Its not like the competition takes place outside.
Example:
It was 80F in Atlanta one day, then 50F the next. I was so cold at the team party that me and and a group of team members ventured to The Omni hot tub. In Detroit, It was pretty warm (mid-70F) before completion. The sunday after, I flew home to 6 inches of snow.
Price should be a deciding factor. Personally, I thought Atlanta was really expensive, atleast food and stuff was. The Omni was priced decently for a hotel of its type. Plane tickets from my area were also reasonably priced.
Personally, I'd like to see Championships in Chicago or on the West Coast (San Fransisco for instanc). Even New York City would be a pretty cool place to go. (I know venues capable of hosting this event probably aren't available in the cities i like though).
I think it would be cool if FIRST presented a list of possible venues and allowed everyone to vote, and then they would have an idea of where the general FIRST population would like to have competition.
Voting I do belive would b a good idea, but chances are, Championships would be held in Detroit or Californi most of the time. It would maybe make for larger crowds which would be a good thing.
I do agree that the Dome food was extremly expensive, but if you just walked over to the CNN Center prices were decent.
Well, this will be my second year in robotics and i got to go to nationals last year. Atlanta seemed to be pretty nice and is basically as optimal as it gets for a venue. Other than Atlanta, i would like to see a championship in Indianapolis, Detroit, Salt Lake City, or in my backyard. I would have considered New Orleanes because they have a great venue also, but with the recent events, robots are not what New Orleanes needs right now.
Maybe I'm missing something... but other than for reasons of location, why exactly would anyone want to go to detroit?
Maybe I'm missing something... but other than for reasons of location, why exactly would anyone want to go to detroit?
Ditto for Indianapolis and Salt Lake City. :)
Ditto for Indianapolis and Salt Lake City. :)
Yeah, but at least those two don't have such a bad reputation.
Greg Perkins
07-10-2005, 22:22
heres a crazy idea....how about FIRST increases the registration by say 500-1000 dollars more a year. approx 1000 teams multiplied by the additional thousand would be 1,000,000 ( yess a million dollars from just a registration fee hike) dollars, add in a few sponsors who would gladly foot the bill as well as state and govenrment. Thus FIRST goes scouting and finds the ideal site...one with plenty of hotels, plenty of nightlife, and plenty of all around entertainment, and FIRST BUILDS A FULL TIME ARENA TO HOLD NATIONALS.... one that will be able to accomodate the 500+ teams who usually attend plus pits, and seating. heck, FIRSt could even during comepetition maintain their own bus schedule to each hotel. and it wouldnt be totally out of the realm of possiblity either..
maybe im just whacked, but this would seem to solve a lot of the present issues...however i am open to other points of view.
heres a crazy idea....how about FIRST increases the registration by say 500-1000 dollars more a year. approx 1000 teams multiplied by the additional thousand would be 1,000,000 ( yess a million dollars from just a registration fee hike) dollars, add in a few sponsors who would gladly foot the bill as well as state and govenrment. Thus FIRST goes scouting and finds the ideal site...one with plenty of hotels, plenty of nightlife, and plenty of all around entertainment, and FIRST BUILDS A FULL TIME ARENA TO HOLD NATIONALS.... one that will be able to accomodate the 500+ teams who usually attend plus pits, and seating. heck, FIRSt could even during comepetition maintain their own bus schedule to each hotel. and it wouldnt be totally out of the realm of possiblity either..
maybe im just whacked, but this would seem to solve a lot of the present issues...however i am open to other points of view.
Except... FIRST just raised registration fees.
And $1,000,000 won't give you enough money to lease the land, and erect a tent. It costs multiple hundreds of millions of dollars to construct stadiums.
BRosser314
23-01-2006, 16:30
Maybe I'm missing something... but other than for reasons of location, why exactly would anyone want to go to detroit?
As a Michigander I resent this, and although I live an hour north in Flint. Detroit is still a nice city and the area has really cleaned up the past years with the Detroit Pistons winning a Championship in basketball and having what will hopefully be a third year in a row going to the Finals. Plus considering that the Pistons and Detroit Red Wings are both at the top of the division and conference, and league. Theses venues have brought a lot of money into Detroit the past years and has been cleaned up. Also you have to consider that Superr Bowl XL (40) is held at Ford Field which is home to the Detroit Lions. It is a brand new stadium built i believe 4 years ago. And just a few months ago across the street from Ford Field is Comerica Park which is home to the Detroit Lions and the 2005 All-Star game.
I know i might sound like that I am showing a biased opinion base on sports but the venues and money that detroit has brought in, in the past years would make it a great place for a FIRST Championship.
Know Im not saying this because it is only an hour away but because the facilities of Ford Field and Tiger Stadium and being just across the street, makes a great place to have enough parking and area for Pits.
Rumor has it that Detroit wants to be on the bid for the next summer olympics. Know I know this is a longshot but with everything this city has done, it has gotten cleaner and looks as good or even better then some large cities that already hold FIRST events.
And i wouldnt rule out if it was in Detroit what would happen for the party that is held for the teams. Detroit is a city of music and would be cool if FIRST could get a performer. There are many place to go and eat near and far. Hotels are not a problem, because of the recent events that they are holding. With all the sports venues in Detroit I believe it would make it an excelent place to hold a Championship.
ChrisCook
24-01-2006, 00:28
I think it should be held in a very large ship in international waters to make it a truly international event. :D
Back to the real topic, I think it should be held in a city where there has been an Olympic event held there because it is already suited for a large number of people. For example, Salt Lake City or L.A.
DUDE....I WANNA DO THAT!!!!!!....Check out "Freedom of the Seas" a new ship from Royal Caribbean....It might work...convert the ice rink in to the playing field!!!... :D
Nuttyman54
24-01-2006, 00:29
DUDE....I WANNA DO THAT!!!!!!....Check out "Freedom of the Seas" a new ship from Royal Caribbean....It might work...convert the ice rink in to the playing field!!!... :D
QE2 all the way baby!!!...we could use the fancy dining room!
xtremehumanheat
25-01-2006, 13:16
well i didnt read all the posts so if u see ur idea dont be mad, but i say we should have the regionals either in new jersey, florida, nevada :rolleyes: , or we could over sees to some international place. :ahh: what if FIRST decides to have a thing out to sea using boats to provide competition and sleep areas for the teams. this would be good for the water challenge.
To minimize the cost of travel somewhere in th middle of the nation seems like the best idea. That way a reasonable bus trip can get your team there and you don't have to fly. If you put it on a coast then half the country is forced into higher transportation costs.
Nuttyman54
25-01-2006, 17:19
To minimize the cost of travel somewhere in th middle of the nation seems like the best idea. That way a reasonable bus trip can get your team there and you don't have to fly. If you put it on a coast then half the country is forced into higher transportation costs.
If it was in the central US (and I mean CENTRAL), most teams would have equal travel costs, but bus trips would be kind of hard...that's over 24 hours of continuous driving. I'd be willing to bet that MOST teams would opt to fly in that case, which would dive the overall cost for teams up.
Championships in Hawaii would be fun, though really REALLY expensive travel too
Kim Masi
25-01-2006, 20:29
I dont think anyone mentioned this...but what about holding a championship in DC? DC is our nations capital, and historically it is beautiful and educational...as far as venues, i dont know, but i know there are lot of hotels in the area...i dunno, just a thought.
slickguy2007
25-01-2006, 20:44
I think that they want the location to be more centralized to make traveling "more fair" for everyone no matter where they are located. I think the championship event should stay in Atlanta. Atlanta is definitely big enough, the area is great and they have plenty of hotels within walking distance. It is a great place overall and I don't think their is any need to change the venue. I understand that the contract with the Georgia Dome will be up after this year, but can't they work out another?
GO 1403!!!
Jonathan Norris
25-01-2006, 20:52
Why not Toronto, we already hold the largest regional (in terms of teams, I believe), It is one the largest Cities in North America (larger than Atlanta). It could easily be held in the Skydome(Rogers Center) or the Toronto Convention Center. FIRST is definitely not as established here, my team 610 was the 2nd FIRST team in Canada and we only started in 2000, but we continually grow at an astounding rate holding 2 regionals now with over 100 teams attended both regionals in total last year. Bringing the championship to Canada would help grow it even more. I know it is fairly far-fetched but even for only 1 year it would be very beneficial to FIRST's growth.
I understand that the contract with the Georgia Dome will be up after this year, but can't they work out another?
They did. '07 will be in Atlanta, '08 and beyond is up in the air.
Nuttyman54
25-01-2006, 22:49
Why not Toronto
I LIKE it! good excuse to visit canada. The only problem I forsee would be customs, but I'm sure they could work something out...i can't imagine what it would be like for them having a few tens of thousands of teenagers rushing across the border? (no, this is not meant to be sarcastic)
GaryVoshol
26-01-2006, 12:36
They did. '07 will be in Atlanta, '08 and beyond is up in the air.
http://www.usfirst.org/about/news/2007CMPsite.htm
There is the option to continue in Atlanta for 2008 and 2009.
I would hope for somewhere more west. Every year except Houston in 2003 the western teams always have more distance to travel (and perhaps more $ to pay).
that is not always true. you just have to look for good deals. plus if your team Can raise enough funds then maybe the members would only have to pay a small percentage of the cost. :D
any way i believe that the championships will continue to be held in Atlanta,Ga. reason why, why not, it is a fast moving city, the airport is always moving most of the times. everything is right around the corner from the dome and like santosh said Marta can get you just about anywhere. plus we just got the Ga. Aquarium in and it is just across from the Dome. also last year i heard that the next championship will be held in ATl. so for all you can get in Atalanta why not hold the championship there. it is a great city and everything you could possibly think of is probably in walking distance. :cool:
Spiffizzle
26-02-2006, 12:08
I just hope I get to go to Atlanta before they change the location...
Although I read earlier about a rumor that it may move to Disney World... or Land...
How fun would that be?!? :D
Then again, Toronto would be fun too! I never have been to Canada!
Either way, before we think about Nationals... Good luck to all in Regionals!
~Zara~
Team 1676
Pascack Pioneers
Cactus_Robotics
16-03-2006, 17:16
I Still Think a Disney/Anaheim Convention Center championship is practical and a great site. A ton of Hotels, More than enough spaces for fields and pits + a arena for the main Field, close to shopping/restaurants, fairly good neighborhood, and DISNEYLAND!
Another good site might be Glendale,Arizona not just because its my hometown but we now have a brand new arena and football stadium right next to each other and a large shopping/hotel district being built right now on the same property.
FF_1610_EMT
17-03-2006, 13:37
Why not have one in Israel? (or would the threat of terrorism be to much then?) or hold it in a state that has NO regional. that would bring about even more teams for FIRST and have them create more regionals.
Nawaid Ladak
19-03-2006, 00:04
With the FIRST Championship getting so big, i think the only three places taht would be able to hold that, VEX and FLL would have to be Las Vagus, Orlando or Chicago, Those are the locations of the three largest convention centers in the US.
Las Vagus,
A place for your mentors to get drunk and hang out with strippers and play with a dice insted of a poof ball or tetra
Orlando,
A good place to have a vacation, convention center has ALOT of hotels in area, and has lot of attractions
(brings back memories of EPCOT)
Chicago.
Same thing, but not sure about the weather
Rick TYler
19-03-2006, 02:15
With the FIRST Championship getting so big, i think the only three places taht would be able to hold that
As far as convention-style gatherings go, the FIRST Championship is small potatoes. There are a lot of facilities that could handle it without too much trouble. Actually, Orlando would not have come to my mind (although I see you are from there, so perhaps that might influence you.) I haven't been to Championships yet, so this is a guess, but I doubt we use even half of the GWC in Atlanta.
I'd like FIRST to consider using the new Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It's time to give western teams a break on travel...
Thinking ahead a few years. :rolleyes: How about the NEW Giants/Jets Meadowlands stadium when it is built. They are trying to be ready for 2010 football season :cool: . Last I heard they are going to try to domed it so they can get a BIG GAME :D . If haven't heard only the NFL is allowed to say SUPER BOWL. If have not never been there it is located right off the highway HUGE parking lot plenty of hotels in the area.
Dan9874123
19-03-2006, 11:23
I see it staying in atlanta for the near furture. The airport is a huge hub, one of the busiest in the world, behind only chicago I think, and that makes flights cheap. The facilities and attractions are perfect, it's a safe city for kids to wander around in. I dont think it'll go back to epcot because FIRST actually outgrew that venue.
I see it staying in atlanta for the near furture. The airport is a huge hub, one of the busiest in the world, behind only chicago I think, and that makes flights cheap. The facilities and attractions are perfect, it's a safe city for kids to wander around in. I dont think it'll go back to epcot because FIRST actually outgrew that venue.
I wouldn't call Atlanta the safest to wnader around (it's in the top ten for US murder rates) but Atlanta is perfect in my opinion for the Champiohship. The convetnion center is a great perfect location for the pits and the Georgia dome is a great facilty and the after party at Centenial Park is a good time (if the weather holds up).
Nawaid Ladak
19-03-2006, 11:40
I like the idea of toronto, with the TIC holding the FRC event and the Skydome or the NTE on Lakeshore holding the competiton for VEX and FLL, but the problem is that those two locations are across town. The TIC is near ithe airport. And i dont think there is a reasonalble food locatin near taht nor the NTE. (i went to Toronto in june, so i know.). But the problem with southern california, arizona and other southern teams is that we have alot of imagrants and we could have trouble at the border or at customs.
A convention style championship, with a team having a pit like a mini convention booth (10x12), with approxomatly 600 teams (thats my size prediction for FRC Championship in 08) and all the VEX and FLL teams. We would fit and a Long Term contract would be cheaper for FIRST.
I like the idea of toronto, with the TIC holding the FRC event and the Skydome or the NTE on Lakeshore holding the competiton for VEX and FLL, but the problem is that those two locations are across town. The TIC is near ithe airport. And i dont think there is a reasonalble food locatin near taht nor the NTE. (i went to Toronto in june, so i know.). But the problem with southern california, arizona and other southern teams is that we have alot of imagrants and we could have trouble at the border or at customs.
A convention style championship, with a team having a pit like a mini convention booth (10x12), with approxomatly 600 teams (thats my size prediction for FRC Championship in 08) and all the VEX and FLL teams. We would fit and a Long Term contract would be cheaper for FIRST.
Toronto is a terrible choice due to the border issue.
It'll never happen in Toronto.
Nawaid Ladak
22-03-2006, 22:28
What about Texas Stadium.
Dallas is a big plane hub, just like atlanta, so it is easy to get to. and has alot of cool stuff. and this way, we can stick it in RadioShaft's face and show them what reprecussion FIRST can give for abondoning us and going to a more 7-11, best buy mix style store.
You got all the advantages of Atlanta but in a more centreal location... plus acomodations look better in the downtown area and plus. with arlington and Ft. Worth, it's a tri-city area.
there aren't that many teams from the Dallas area... maybe this could step it up a notch.
Travis Hoffman
23-03-2006, 08:43
What about Texas Stadium.
Dallas is a big plane hub, just like atlanta, so it is easy to get to. and has alot of cool stuff. and this way, we can stick it in RadioShaft's face and show them what reprecussion FIRST can give for abondoning us and going to a more 7-11, best buy mix style store.
You got all the advantages of Atlanta but in a more centreal location... plus acomodations look better in the downtown area and plus. with arlington and Ft. Worth, it's a tri-city area.
there aren't that many teams from the Dallas area... maybe this could step it up a notch.
What if it rains? Can they close that opening in the roof that's over the playing field?
Nawaid Ladak
23-03-2006, 12:53
yea, it is a retractable roof just like at relinace stadium in Huston,
hick, why not the 281
lukevanoort
24-03-2006, 15:08
Why not try put it in the state with the lowest team density? Try and promote a bit of growth? Most states probably have a stadium somewhere that's big enough.
ooJosh384
28-03-2006, 22:51
I think St. Louis, Denver, or Washington D.C. would be good places. St. Louis and Denver are near the center of everybody. The capitol would be nice place to play in too, like the MCI Center. A national in Canada might be neat but far away.
Josh
Freddy Schurr
29-03-2006, 00:04
I would like to see it move to another place soon, it gets kinda of boring going to the same place. what about philly!
well i doubt this would happen for a while but it would be cool to have nationals in another country like New Zeland
Rick TYler
29-03-2006, 01:11
well i doubt this would happen for a while but it would be cool to have nationals in another country like New Zealand
It's already in Georgia...
Boy this thread is getting alot of mileage...
Let's see.
What is required to properly host a FIRST championship? You need:
-A large, dome stadium ( the robots are not designed to handle the elements. Half of the team can't even design them with a functioning autonomous mode never mind weatherproofing them!). Not a basketball arena that would be OK for a regional a football stadium that can host at least five fields.
- A large area adjacent to the dome stadium for the pit area, Not the stadium itself.
- A good amount of hotel to host 340 teams and numerous volunteers and important people.
- A nice place to host an after party (It's a big deal with FIRST. It's a big deal with us). Good weather is probably a determining factor (which is why Detroit is a no go. It's still cold and I know I ain't going outside to eat dinner if it's cold. And yes I know it got cold last year but that was a freak storm. It's actually cold at night up North because it's supposed to be)
So with that in mind instead of throwing things against the wall to see if they'll stick come up with some authentic suggestions that FIRST can actually use or else why not be happy that Atlanta is actually willing to host the event and move on.
rdlevy1215
03-04-2006, 09:39
I think NYC should be the choice, not because i'm from that area, but who doesn't want to go to Madison Square Garden, or what will be the New Yankee Stadium (2009 and later) which will have a retractable roof?
if there was a way for nats to get back to orlando, i'd be so happy.
everything is close, and there are things to do after the competition is over.
anywhere is great, as long as it's FIRST....for me anyway.
i think chicago would work well, especially if we used mcormick place convention center, but in reality any major city would be fine.
WesleyBalmer
08-04-2006, 04:18
I'd like to say the staples center in LA, but the traffic down here is horrible. I live maybe 15 +-1 miles away from the Staples center and it'd be 1 hour drive. And also that'd make airfare more expensive for the east coast. I'd love to see it change every single year so teams could go and experience new places. I have never gone to Nationals (which I'm very excited about attending) but I'd love to travel, hopefully a bit cheaper. My airfare just for Atlanta was somewhere in the 440's.
dangerousdave
08-04-2006, 09:50
WesleyBalmer said:My airfare just for Atlanta was somewhere in the 440's. Airfare has to be a major consideration for most teams. Of course it costs more to go to the east coast from the west and vice versa. This is not even mentioning international travel for some of the FRC teams. Perhaps go through a travel agent or get real creative with your flight searches on the web.
You should be able to find less expensive flights. Leaving LAX Wed and leaving ATL Sun, through Travelocity, I just found round trip Airtran (non-stop), United & Americawest flights from LAX leaving late night arriving 5-6 am in ATL. This was for 6 people and the total costs including fees & taxes was $334-$347 each. If you can get more creative on your travel dates they had flights for $244 round trip. Of course arriving early morning in ATL saves you another night in a hotel.
Dave
Chris Fultz
08-04-2006, 20:05
What about Texas Stadium.
Dallas is a big plane hub,
Dallas is one of the most expensive cities to fly into because American controls so many of the gates. Competition is limited and that drives up te prices. This could be a huge impact on teams that had to fly in.
David Brinza
10-04-2006, 00:01
Boy this thread is getting alot of mileage...
Let's see.
What is required to properly host a FIRST championship? You need:
-A large, dome stadium ( the robots are not designed to handle the elements. Half of the team can't even design them with a functioning autonomous mode never mind weatherproofing them!). Not a basketball arena that would be OK for a regional a football stadium that can host at least five fields.
- A large area adjacent to the dome stadium for the pit area, Not the stadium itself.
- A good amount of hotel to host 340 teams and numerous volunteers and important people.
- A nice place to host an after party (It's a big deal with FIRST. It's a big deal with us). Good weather is probably a determining factor (which is why Detroit is a no go. It's still cold and I know I ain't going outside to eat dinner if it's cold. And yes I know it got cold last year but that was a freak storm. It's actually cold at night up North because it's supposed to be)
So with that in mind instead of throwing things against the wall to see if they'll stick come up with some authentic suggestions that FIRST can actually use or else why not be happy that Atlanta is actually willing to host the event and move on.
I agree with the basic requirements for a host site and posted something similar in this thread a long time (almost a year) ago:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=376406&postcount=18
With those requirements in mind, I suggest that St. Louis is a good candidate:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=376406&postcount=25
With regards to weather, rain is a possibility almost anywhere in the US in late April: The thunderstorm in Atlanta last year was incredible, especially if you were out walking :eek:. The typical temperature range in St. Louis around the end of April has a high of ~70 and a low ~50.
Another advantage for St. Louis, location: it is just east of the geographic center of the continental US. Not too far to travel for any of the US teams and somewhat closer for the multitude of mid-west teams than Atlanta.
I think it should be held in a very large ship in international waters to make it a truly international event. :D
Back to the real topic, I think it should be held in a city where there has been an Olympic event held there because it is already suited for a large number of people. For example, Salt Lake City or L.A.
Hahahahha yeah that would be saweet!!! I can imagine someone driving their robot off the boat into the sea...
Tomasz Bania
10-04-2006, 17:07
(which is why Detroit is a no go. It's still cold and I know I ain't going outside to eat dinner if it's cold. And yes I know it got cold last year but that was a freak storm. It's actually cold at night up North because it's supposed to be)
I have to disagree with you there. Right now it's 70 outside, and next week it might (doubtful) reach 80, so Detroit is actually great with all the global warming (off topic, we)
Tomasz Bania
Jon Jack
10-04-2006, 21:46
Boy this thread is getting alot of mileage...
Let's see.
What is required to properly host a FIRST championship? You need:
-A large, dome stadium ( the robots are not designed to handle the elements. Half of the team can't even design them with a functioning autonomous mode never mind weatherproofing them!). Not a basketball arena that would be OK for a regional a football stadium that can host at least five fields.
- A large area adjacent to the dome stadium for the pit area, Not the stadium itself.
- A good amount of hotel to host 340 teams and numerous volunteers and important people.
- A nice place to host an after party (It's a big deal with FIRST. It's a big deal with us). Good weather is probably a determining factor (which is why Detroit is a no go. It's still cold and I know I ain't going outside to eat dinner if it's cold. And yes I know it got cold last year but that was a freak storm. It's actually cold at night up North because it's supposed to be)
So with that in mind instead of throwing things against the wall to see if they'll stick come up with some authentic suggestions that FIRST can actually use or else why not be happy that Atlanta is actually willing to host the event and move on.
I know I'm a little biased, but San Diego meets all of these needs. Our Convention Center (http://www.sdccc.org/) would be the perfect place. It has three floors (http://www.sdccc.org/meetingplanners/buildingoverview.cfm) , the first floor perfect and big enough for 5 fields and the second being perfect for the pits. Plus there are 5 freight elevators on the second floor. All you would have to do is push your robot in to one of the freight elevators and take it down to the first floor to the playing fields. This should significantly cut down the time it currently takes to get your robot from the pits to the playing field in Atlanta.
Right across the street is the 'Gaslamp Quarter (http://www.gaslamp.org/) ' which has tons of restaurants. Plus the convention center is in downtown San Diego and there are about 9 hotels (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&sll=32.715278,-117.156389&sspn=0.019787,0.048752&q=hotels+near+san+diego+convention+center&ll=32.714078,-117.147818&spn=0.039574,0.069523) within a 5-15 minute walk from the convention center, and many more just a short drive away.
As for the weather... well, San Diego is sunny (60-75 degrees) most of the year.
Jeremiah Johnson
10-04-2006, 23:25
With regards to weather, rain is a possibility almost anywhere in the US in late April: The thunderstorm in Atlanta last year was incredible, especially if you were out walking :eek:. The typical temperature range in St. Louis around the end of April has a high of ~70 and a low ~50.
Another advantage for St. Louis, location: it is just east of the geographic center of the continental US. Not too far to travel for any of the US teams and somewhat closer for the multitude of mid-west teams than Atlanta.
I agree... StL is a perfect candidate for the Championship. It's only 5 hours from the Quad Cities instead of 16 hours. Hehe. Ya'll could come party and eat pizza in the QC afterwards. Lol... I'm sure the best pizza in the world, Harris Pizza, would be glad to host 20,000 high school students... :yikes:
379Robocat
16-04-2006, 08:01
Well I started to read this thread but then realized that there are 17 pages and I don't have enough time to skim all of them. So If I repeat anything I apologize. I Like the Atlanta area. It's a nice place to be with a big courtyard for students to lounge and play Frisbee and hang out. All the hotels are within MARTA or walking distance, which I might add that last year when the MARTA was shut down we did have to walk from the Marriott Marque. There are also a lot of hotels in the area that are big enough to accommodate teams. The airport isn't too far away. There are restaurants that are within walking distance but I must say that if you expect to eat after the competitions that you make reservations because last year everything was packed with no room for anyone without having hours to wait. The Team party is also within walking distance of the hotels. The weather has been beautiful for almost all the Championships since it's been in Atlanta except last year we had a storm.Now after all the good things here is a bad point. If you fly down to Atlanta and rely on walking or the MARTA you get bored of seeing the same things over and over again because everything is a ways away if you want to make your trip an educational one.
-Disney was a good place to hold it but I remember one year when they had the pits under the tents and it Stormed outside the pits got flooded because the rain was SO bad. The team party was good because you got half the theme park to FIRST Teams. Also you have to realize that it took a while to build the site for the Championship. the tents for the pits, the Stage for Einstein, the tents for the other fields.
-I think with Houston it was a good thought but the Pits were TOO far away. Although Atlanta is a good walk aways too. Something about Houston didn't make it seem like a good Championship spot but I can't put my finger on it.
-I agree With making the Championship out west. This gives the teams from the west a break on travel costs and the teams from the east an educational experience. This is a good opportunity for the teams from the east to see a lot more of the country and maybe even some of the teams from the west too.
But if I remember correctly the Championship will be in Atlanta until 2009........ SO Keep thinking.
dangerousdave
16-04-2006, 12:34
There are a lot of positives about Atlanta as 379Robocat has pointed out. We do have a great close airport, good rail service, thousands of close hotel rooms, great game venue and venue for the Saturday social. The GA Dome & World Congress Center are a good fit for First. I think that almost any dome & convention center (pits) are going to have a long walk between them for an event with 335+ teams. This walk was improved last year compared to 2004. Food & drink prices are high inside the dome as with any big city arena, but right next door there are many different fast food and sit down restaurants in the CNN Center.
The Championship event may be in Atlanta for the next few years but other locations should be considered and I am sure they are. I suppose that Atlanta has the best combination of what First is looking for, right now. No venue is going to have everything you want. Having the event further west will make for shorter and less expensive travel for the western teams but until First finds a better venue for the Championship why should the event be compromised? I wonder if the GA Dome & GWCC are giving First a rental discount just to help keep the event here? If a better venue is found, lets go and see other parts of this great country.
However, 379Robocat is also correct that there has not been much to do downtown. There are great places to see around Atlanta but without your own transportation seeing them is not possible unless they are on the Marta rail line. Atlanta is trying to correct this with the addition of the Georgia Aquarium this year and late this year the Coke museum is moving over to the Centennial Park area. Atlanta tried to get the Nascar museum but that was recently awarded to Charlotte.
See everyone in about 11 days.
Dave ;)
Cactus_Robotics
22-04-2006, 05:31
I agree that the D-Backs stadium is nice, but the city is in the process of building a new facility for the Cardinals, it would definitely have enough room for 5 fields, it is supposed to have a sliding roof also. I don't know what would happen with the pits, but that stadium is still few years away. Phoenix would be cool, though.
Yea the new stadium in Glendale/Phoenix will be ready for the 2006-2007 NFL season, also the arena is right next door for pits or the parking lot w/ tents
Don't they usually announce it at the championships after the awards? I miss the last part of the awards.
Heretic121
01-05-2006, 16:13
Orlando/Disney in 08 or 09...
Disney is building a new sports complex + arena... like huge football type arena...
DISCUSS!!!
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