Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

Team 157 is also looking at Pine Tree for our second regional. We'd love to see 1153 there, as we had a fun time with them in Boston last year. :)

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

Ok..

I'm sure all of these places are great, but I don't think you will find a regional more culturally inspired and exciting than the Bayou. Take a stroll along the Mississippi, grab some beignets, find out your team's fortune from the palm readers in the French Quarter, and then come check out the eclectic mix of Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and others as they parade their bots through a great facility. Gotta come to the N.O.

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

Or you could go crazy and try a regional in ANOTHER COUNTRY!

GTR West is a wonderful regional. Considered Canada's premier event, it attracts the best teams from, well everywhere. In the past we have had everyone from the Thunderchickens to Delphi ELITE, to some homegrown favourites, namely our local powerhouses.

Currently we have team 190 registered, all the way from Worcester. Very spacious regional, great volunteers, AND WE HAVE KOKO ED.

Also due to its large capacity, there is no worry about signing up for it as your second or third regional, as it rarely (if ever?) fills up.

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

Washington, DC....OK, This is actually a question as we are thinking of going here for the first time. Anyone going to recomend DC? Anyone?

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

Bratwurst.

*drops mic*

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

The Duel Down Under! It is after championships right here in Sydney. We've got a great airport, hotels around the area, and the best news is it is in Australia!!!

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

DC always attracts a collection of out of town teams, its easy for people to justify extending the trip to see the nations Capital. We aren't going this year as its Easter weekend and during our schools spring break.

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

Thanks for the many wonderful responses!

There are many that were also on our list, so its good that we’re both thinking the same way. Now it gets down to the details, such that RoboMom gave. What kind of venue is it? Nearby hotels and restaurants? Airport and transport to/from? Fun things nearby?

Though for shame, RoboMom! Our high school is less than 5 miles from the Patriots!

While Bayou, GTR, DC, and Wisconsin (I assume that's for bratwurst? Yum!) all would be fun, we’ve already signed up for Boston (week 4), and school rules don’t want the students out too often, so week 3 and 5 are out.

Koko Ed is a big plus for FLR. We’ve been there once before and had a fun time (in spite of the field not working all day Thursday). We liked the arena. It was actually a straight run with vans, and a nearby hotel and restaurants. We’d go again, but we’re looking for new places like FLR that we haven’t gone to yet.

Can we get more info on all your suggestions? Duluth, Palmetto, Lone Star, Orlando, NYC – Las Vegas, Midwest, SVR, and Chesapeake. C’mon, sell them!

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

The Orlando regional is held at the UCF arena which can hold over 9,000 people. Inside the arena are several of the normal arena food places, along with a jimmy johns, but being in the heart of the campus within walking distance are a Papa Johns, Starbucks, Burger King, and more all on Campus. Though I am not entirely familiar with all of the restaurants in the area we have never had issues with finding a place to chow down for dinner (Bubbalou's is always popular after Saturday with between 3-8 teams showing up)

There are more than 10 hotels within two miles of the arena and all are used to us all showing up, and the Orlando International airport is a 20 min drive from the arena. My team has never had to utilize public transport but depending on the size of your team it might be more convenient to rent vehicles, which isn't very expensive for the convenience it gives.

It is Orlando do I really need to tell you what there is to do in the area? Though if you are worried about money :http://myoldtownusa.com/
Is free to enter has a lot of shops to browse and has several rides that are pay per rides

Anymore questions? (Initial registration has only 11 slots of our 54 left so time is ticking)

Edit: I just now noticed your team location 125 and 348 are going from Massachusetts this year if you want someone to split costs with I am sure they would be more than willing

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

I like DC. That is where I am from. Team 1885, ILITE Robotics, has gone every year since the regional started (since it is our closest regional) and the venue is great. It is huge. And for those teams who have never been to DC, the city is great for tourists. Lots to do and see. The regional also tends to attract alot of politicians and important people, being at the capitol of politics and near alot of HQ's for US Engineering Companies.

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

Some more details on Duluth (and yes, I'm shamelessly copying Robomom's format, since you praised it so highly... maybe this will help you compare them side by side?):

Pros:

• 1-stop flights, with a layover in Chicago (personally, I love the Chicago airport! I fly east a few times every year and always stop there for an hour or two.)
• Decent transportation from the airport to the competition area - and a TON of teams (80 team limit in Duluth this year!) who can help you out if you need it.
• Tons of super friendly teams (the saying "Minnesota Nice!" is here for a reason!)
• Venue is a massive convention center right on the lake
  • There are TONS of hotels a couple of blocks away, all decently priced (as you would expect with a convention center this big!)
  • Last year, Lake Superior regional took up a convention hall and an arena, with a hockey tournament going on at the same time. Unless you wanted to go over to watch a game, you never even saw the hockey players. It's just that big.
  • There are plenty of great restaurants in the area - so many, that with 64 teams there last year, we didn't see any other teams in the restaurants we went to, except for the big all-you-can-eat team social!
• This event has already attracted teams from as far away as Hawaii! If they can brave the cold, can't you?
• TWO all-girls teams will be in Duluth this year.
• By week 2, the likelihood of snow is pretty high (have you ever walked down a street with 6+ feet of snow on either side?). In fact, I had a friend up in that area a couple of weeks ago, and he said they had some snow flurries every morning while he was there!
• A committee and experienced volunteers who work very hard to make it a fun, fair and friendly regional (as you've already heard about on here). Trust me, you want as much experience as possible in your volunteers - last year, we had 4 LRI's in Duluth!
• It's a double regional this year. The pits are in separate convention halls, while the fields are co-located. Easily watch matches from either regional, or visit pits from either side!
• More room than you could possibly want in the pits. Seriously. The convention hall last year held 64 teams, a practice field, and a semi trailer with a machine shop in it, with room for some tables and chairs, wide alleys, and concessions right in the pits. I've never seen pits laid out with so much space! And this year, the number of teams in each convention hall drops to 40!

Cons:

• 24 hour drive from Boston (although much of that drive is beautiful, I've done it before!)
• Ok, I'll add Snow and temperature on here for completeness sake. But only if it bothers you!

The Northern Lights Regional

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

Thanks, MARS_James and Jon Stratis, that's the info they want to see. I got a special request for more about Baltimore and Chicago. Okay, I'm curious about Las Vegas. Remember, other teams I'm sure are looking at this too!

I'd like to try Sydney, but that is probably outside our budget and time. My company does work there and my boss flies down for the day. (Yes, he's there less than 24 hours.) It would be nice for me to see what we've built.

By the way, Jon, have you seen my photo a month before Boston? :)

And I'm not forgetting Pine Tree, for those keeping track. We've already have that on the list, having heard much about it from our fun time at Mainely SPIRIT!

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

More? Anything in particular? You are tough! ps. Duluth sounds awesome. I love reading the "ownership" and pride that is evident in these posts.

The past few years the Chesapeake has held a team social. Low cost - simple food and "entertainment". NOTE: NO idea about funding for this in 2013 so not sure if this is a go.

NASA drives their awesome machine shop right into the pits.

The Chesapeake has a proud tradition of featuring students from any team singing the National Anthem. As a result, each year we have a group of assorted shirts on center field. It is wonderful. The group does practice a little and needs to audition each year, but they have always passed the test. Photo on the link I included in other post.

The Chesapeake also has a proud tradition of featuring an active Student Ambassador program. Have a student who is not on the field or pit crew, or otherwise assigned, but wants to represent FIRST and their team? They come to a short training and sign up for time slots to be the representatives/tour guides for the VIPs and the public.

The Chesapeake has many FRC alumni now running the show – as it should be!


We will need to save the sports talk for later, but how is that baseball team doing? ps. I grew up in Mass. ;)

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

Virginia Regional

Pros

• Best venue, bar none, in all of FRC. Absolutely rockin' atmosphere in the place when the matches get exciting
• Comfortably sized pits with large aisles
• Great team social at the Science Museum
• Richmond has a Krispy Kreme
• Tons of food options within walking distance of venue
• Pre-ordered lunches available for teams
• Jeff Seaton

Cons

• Level of competition has dropped off in recent years with the creation of the DC and North Carolina regionals and fewer out of town teams
• Steep loading dock ramp can be a pain to load in and out of
• Few hotels within easy walking distance (10+ minute walk away)
• No outside food inside venue

Okay, I'll bite.

Washington DC Regional

The Good

• Historic city with plenty of attractions, including free Smithsonian Institute museums
• Easily accessible venue with it's own metro stop and with designated school/charter bus drop-off areas
• Hotels within walking distance
• Massive convention center halls leaves copious amounts of space for pits, gargantuan aisles, walking around, college/scholarship booths, and food
• Plenty of food choices both inside convention center and within walking distance. Including Five Guys, in the city where the chain started.
• Two international and one national airport in the metro region provides plenty of options for teams who fly
• Plenty of out of town flavor among attending teams each year. A team from Israel is already registered.
• Within walking distance of the Verizon Center, home to the Washington Capitals and Wizards
• Within walking distance of Chinatown
• Jeff Seaton.
• What a great opportunity to schedule an appointment with your congressman to pitch FIRST ;)

The Bad

• Portable bleachers can get uncomfortable for those who spend their days in the stands
• Food prices inside venue tend to be expensive
• Unpredictable weather

The Wetzels

• They're everywhere. You can't escape them.

@Jon Stratis
Numerous regionals can claim having multiple all girls teams. Until Philadelphia dissolved into MAR, 433 (The Firebirds) and 709 (Femme Tech Fatale) frequented that regional. Canadian events have played host to both 771 and 1547.

Re: Sell Me Your Regional!
 

and my curiosity is sated. Thanks for the info! I removed the question from my original post so people don't get the wrong impression reading it :)