Originally Posted by steverk (Post 1271992)

I live in Houston and have attended the 2003 Championship in Houston as well as the 2012 Championship in St. Louis.

In 2003, they made the mistake of using the Astrodome for the pit areas and it was a disaster! Very hard to get the robots to and from the pits. On that score, St. Louis was undeniably better.

However, the situation has changed since 2003. The Astrodome has been all but abandoned and the Reliant Center has been built.

With 5 large halls and over 700,000 square feet in the center, there is no question that the Reliant Center is large enough to house the pit areas. Add in the space within the dome and the facility could hande championships even if FIRST decided to expand to 8 divisions. However, it is at least 200 yards across a the parking lot to get to the stadium, which means it would still be a problem to get the robots to and from the pit areas.

For those still pulling for Houston, there is hope. The county is considering plans to demolish the Astrodome. Once that is done, it is anybody's guess what additional development will occur.

IMO, an expansion of the Reliant Center to the point where it is attached, or nearly attached to the stadium is possible, but some years away. IF it happened, it would be an ideal location for a much larger FIRST championship. In the meantime, it doesn't make as good a venue as St. Louis.

Originally Posted by safiq10 (Post 1272376)

Personally I say we just hold the CMP on the beach at hawaii

Originally Posted by lorem3k (Post 1272382)

Sadly, I doubt 2015's water game would be playable with salt water. Anything but distilled is an electrical hazard.

Originally Posted by safiq10 (Post 1272376)

Personally I say we just hold the CMP on the beach at hawaii

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson (Post 1272386)

Also, sand is a mechanical hazard. Gearboxes, bearings, pneumatic cylinders...pretty much any moving part is not going to be happy with little sharp bits of rock.

Originally Posted by waialua359 (Post 1272420)

I would love the idea of having it in Hawaii for obvious reasons.
However, the venues available are not large enough or cost effective for all of the teams in FIRST to participate.
VEX on the other hand.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
St. Louis, as much as I hate the cost, was very satisfactory this year and would love to see it continue there beyond 2014.
Atlanta was a better venue, but the city was boring with nothing to do and felt much more unsafe around the downtown area.

The only other city I see as cost effective, having the space to do it, and with lots to do for both students AND adults.....Las Vegas!

Originally Posted by Koko Ed (Post 1272423)

Atlanta seemed to have alot more to do than St. Louis does (though St. Louis does a much better job keeping the homeless population away from the event). You can't take the kids to a casino.
The Georgia Dome is the scariest place I have ever been after 10 pm but I did not realize til I read this article that the world championship is right next too the 22nd most dangerous neighborhood in America. That would explain why so many teams found their trailer almost broken into.
Does Lost Wages have a dome stadium of we're just talking another convention center?

Originally Posted by AlexD744 (Post 1272424)

Do you mean Edward Jones Dome is next to the 22nd most dangerous neighborhood? That's what it seems from the article you linked.

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson (Post 1272386)

Also, sand is a mechanical hazard. Gearboxes, bearings, pneumatic cylinders...pretty much any moving part is not going to be happy with little sharp bits of rock.

Originally Posted by Koko Ed (Post 1272423)

Atlanta seemed to have alot more to do than St. Louis does (though St. Louis does a much better job keeping the homeless population away from the event). You can't take the kids to a casino.
The Georgia Dome is the scariest place I have ever been after 10 pm but I did not realize til I read this article that the world championship is right next too the 22nd most dangerous neighborhood in America. That would explain why so many teams found their trailer almost broken into.
Does Lost Wages have a dome stadium of we're just talking another convention center?

Originally Posted by bduddy (Post 1272462)

??? The listed neighborhood is 5 miles away from the dome.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=D...&mra=ls&z =15

Originally Posted by bduddy (Post 1272462)

??? The listed neighborhood is 5 miles away from the dome.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=D...&mra=ls&z =15