What would you like to see at a regional?
 

I am posting this on behalf of the RIT FIRST club responsible for planning parts of the Finger Lakes Regional next year at RIT. At our last meeting we decided that it would be a great use to us to find out what that first community at large is looking for to make the regional experience a pleasurable and one that will run smoothly for all teams.

So please post in this thread with the following:

things that you have seen at other regionals which you wish would be improved

ideas for fun and creative socials

special requests that would have made your regional experience better

and anything else you think might benefit our committee knowing


this information will be directly reported to the planning committee and all input will be greatly appreciated

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

How about...a snack bar with reasonable prices?

The regionals I've been to have all been awesome, I never really had much of a problem with anything except that you MUST HAVE A PRACTICE FIELD. Make plans with teams ahead of time and have them set up on the Wednesday before the regional.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

<*WARNING*: This thread mainly deals with the Palemetto Regional cons. It was fun, but there was a lot of mistakes, errors, etc... *:WARNING*>

1. Allow us to dance - I know almost (if not everyone) at the Palemetto Regional was really disgusted at the fact that they said you can't dance. The ground wasn't bad (I tested it before I danced). If you are going to do music and no dancing, play music you can't dance to (come on, when you hear the cha-cha song, or the electric slide, you're gonna wanna dance to it)

2. Don't shove college stuff down our throats - This is just my personal preference, but think about it. At Palemetto, the only reason it was where it was is to try to get us to go there. Everything they had (to give away) had the USC logo on it. I don't mind hearing stuff like "Come here because we have good programs you might enjoy." Or "This campus is a really clean campus, come join us to keep it cleaner" every now and then, but when they keep pushing us to go there, it gets really annoying.

3. G-rated music - The regionals have been really good at playing 5-year-old music (like Avril Lavigne, Good Charlotte, etc...), but I don't think many parents want their kids listening to straight-out *unappropriate* songs. Songs like "Lose Yourself" (censored), and stuff like that isn't bad, but the skirt song at Palemetto was just not right.

4. Score correctly - So many times there's been a score change because of various reasons.

5. Don't give out penalties wrongfully - If a robot (B) pushes robot (A) into the plate, you shouldn't give a penatly to (A). I know this probably shouldn't be here, but should be suggested to FIRST, but it's also the ref's responsibility to call them fairly.

6. Make people kneel - Not everyone, just the people that are at the walls (curtains, etc...). It's very aggrevating trying to look on the side of someone to see match, to realize that more people are around him/her.

7. Pick good venues - Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Palemetto had excellent venues IMO. I'd gladly goto any one of those again, but not anything like Nationals last year. I think we all know why. Another reason for me though is because I always travel from stands to pits for various reasons.

8. Play team themes - This isn't a big thing, but if a team has a special song for their team (like we have Beethoven's 5th symphony), let the DJ's play it.

9. Variety - Play different types of music. 'Nuff said.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

I've no idea if the teams at LSR liked it or not, but they seemed to, so here's a bit that we did in lieu of a social:

Cheering contest to see which side got throw out gifts.
Big mascot dance number on the field.
Mascot/Team Rep shoot off for prizes. (Note, this seemed really big)
Door Prize raffle thing. (This was slow due to kids losing tickets)
Bag of Prizes anyways for each of the teams.

We're planning other things along these lines for next year, as well.

Also, about the 2003 Nats thing, I have to comment:
We all realize that was a problem. It wasn't necessarily a problem with the venue or the city itself, as there are ways to solve that problem. If Nats does come back to Houston, I can categorically say that it will be much better.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Make sure the pits are of decent size.

Make sure the aisles are big enough and clear to move through in the pits. At the Philly regional some of the teams kind of pushed out in the aisle and you couldn't get past them to get to your own pit.

Make sure the crates are moved away quickly after they have been emptied. Some crates were still out at Philly until pretty late on Thursday. This also goes with the making sure the aisles are clear, it's hard to get a robot out when there are crates in the aisle.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

If there is going to be a team social, make sure that it is in a place that can keep kids busy. Idle hands are the devil's playground. in AZ we had it in the Arizona Science Center. They had lots of hands on exibits to keep the kids busy. The science center practically paid us to have it there, they wanted to have the whole competition there but it's not big enough.

On a more personal note, I would just like to add that you need to keep the regional friendly. The regional should still seem professional, but at the same time it should make you feel comfortable. Pick an MC, Announcer and Pit Announcer from the people in your area. Try to have fun with it. If you make it a comfortable atmosphere, when something goes wrong people can laugh it off instead of getting mad. The AZ regional did a great job and it felt like a big sleep over.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

If you want an exciting competition, get an exciting announcer & MC pair. A boring pair can suck the life out of the most exciting competition. It's best if you find people who are familiar with FIRST and the teams that are competing at the regional.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

[quote=Raven_Writer
3. G-rated music - The regionals have been really good at playing 5-year-old music (like Avril Lavigne, Good Charlotte, etc...), but I don't think many parents want their kids listening to straight-out *unappropriate* songs. Songs like "Lose Yourself" (censored), and stuff like that isn't bad, but the skirt song at Palemetto was just not right.

[/QUOTE]
I was kinda stunned when they were playing that Tweet song. Didn't they know what that song was about? Why not just play Cake's "The Distance" while you're at it. :rolleyes:

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

I gave this a lot of thought after the Chesapeake Regional (which is one of the best) and sent a letter to the Regional Director. I'd be glad to share it with you by email or send you a copy snail mail. pm your address.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

One of the biggest things that I can suggest is to strictly enforce the rule about radios. Last year, my team lost a match because radio interference made our robot immoble. At SoCal this year, they made an announcement on Thursday that RC Cars were not allowed, but I saw teams everywhere still driving them around on Friday and Saturday.

Also, see about getting any possible disputes about inspections handled ASAP. This year, my team placed a second battery on board as a balancing deadweight, and this was cleared by an inspector. However, just a minute before a match on Friday, the Head Inspector walked up to us and said that the second battery was illegal and had to be removed. I thus had to quickly scramble to remove the battery. Then our robot nearly tipped beacuse of the weight distribution. Had the call even been made 10 minutes before the match, we could have made a change and found another weight to put in place.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

A good announcer and MC is what really makes an event. You also need a really good queing crew and queing announcer. Last, make sure the video screen is big, bright, and focused. It was hard to see the numbers of the teams oneach alliance at LA. Also, there HAS to be a video screen of some sort on the pit side of the curtain. Even a 13" TV would do better than nothing. LA had NOTHING! You had to go all the way into the stands to see the rankings. And they only displayed rankings at randome intevals that were fairly far apart because it was ont he same screen as the matches. If I had known there wouldn't be one in the pits, we could have brought a projector and screen from school.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Ah, yes.. good training for the queuing volunteers is greatly needed. We had several instances where the queuers on the field didn't seem to know where we needed to be when and ended up having us on the field at the wrong time (esp during eliminations, they really need to know who goes where when). There's also some times when the staff doesn't really tell you which direction you're supposed to go. It gets better by the end of the day, but would be nice to start off good too.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

"Suggestions to improve regionals overall after atending two this year"

1. Create a space in front of the playing field called the "team viewing area" so teams in the matches can head down and watch their team compete. Make sure there is enough space so huge teams won't take up all the space and leave the little guys out. It makes sense to have the teams that are in the match have the prime viewing area. I understand the fire code is a concern, but this should be taken into account before the competition starts.

2. Provide a way for people in the stands to have access to a power outlet. Laptops batteries aren't good enough yet to last all day, so a place to plug in is needed. This helps with scouting and recreation during breaks.

3. If possible have a place where people can access the internet, a wi-fi hotspot would be perfered, but even if it is just a phone line so people can plug their laptops into it would be great.

4. Play DIFFERENT music, it's not hard to play different songs for 3 days, it is only like 30 hours of music, i mean i could just plug my ipod in and play a different song for 7 days straight (no joke) so 30 hours isn't that hard.

5. Play the ALL the 3-d animations during breaks, those take a lot of work and the people judging them shouldn't be the only ones to see it.

6. Understand that near the end of the day, your rank is very important, so don't get mad if a whole robotics team runs to the pits to check their rank, they just want to know how well they are doing.

If these concerns are addressed the competition would be great, thanks for taking my suggestions into consideration.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

thank you all for you input this will really help give focus to what we need to do and please keep with the sugestions.....


i also figured because you all have been so informative i would "leak" some of the things that are in the works. now don't get too excitied because everything right now is not concrete but it is "in the works"

*open wireless network for use by all teams covering the whole playing field, stands, and pit areas


* a bank of computers open for use to teams who need computer/internet acess but don'thave laptops

* multiple simultainious webcasts from different stationary cameras located around the field (possibly also a blimb cam)

*team social could possibly be a combination of the following things: a movie, inflateable stuff(moon bounces, jousting, etc), ice skating, rollerskating, and or some stage show (magician, hypnosist, comedy troupe)

*2 onsite machine shops that will be avaiable within walking distance

*a FULL practice field

these are a few of many things that we are working on for next year as of right now it looks to be a good event....

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Alright, what could've made the Palmetto off the heezy for sheezy?

-Keep the music clean. I believe we've beaten Tweet's horse to death.

-Get a full-sized practice field (if the game is more Stack Attack-y) or at least a half (if we're talking more like FIRST Frenzy, where the other side of the field isn't AS important).

-If there is WiFi in the arena, TELL US!!!!! (I woulda used it!)

-The bank of computers would've been great. I'll bet there was room in the Colonial Center for a room to handle that.

-A little more width to the pit aisles wouldn't hurt...sometimes it was a squeeze if our little red wagon was headed out and a monster of a wagon was headed in.

-Some easier method of seating. 1293 was front rows center for Palmetto, but there were two equally annoying ways to get to the pits from there: go all the way up to the concourse, walk to section 105, then go all the way down, or cut across the aisles, annoying the spectators. If strategic rows (or even part of the floor, although I know that could make a pinch for field security) could be corded off so that teams could walk from the field to the pits more quickly, we'd all be jumping for joy. (And seating for the teams competing in that match wouldn't hurt, either.)

-Get a full-sized screen on the pit side of the curtain. Palmetto was great with that small projector, but it was pretty hard to scope out your ranking without either being blocked by a team or blocking a team coming from the field. Maybe if they moved the screens to the far side of the arena, away from all of the traffic, that'd help.

-As much of a pipe dream as it is with arena contracts, it wouldn't be too bad if there was a reasonably priced snack bar for students. (I know that most teams went to either Sonic or Wendy's during lunch at Palmetto--it seems that if you had affordable food on-site, you could easily keep all of those students' dollars in the building!)

That's all I can think of.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

One suggestion.... An open wireless network is kind of asking for trouble. It's not going to have much of anything to protect any of the laptops from each other. If the network is completely open, and a sizable number of people are using it, they will rather quickly all be infected with some worm or another, despite any warnings you may have about anti-virus software and personal firewalls. Also, I'm sort of doubting the inflatable games social will be approved, given the reasons for the current restrictions on dancing at socials.
Note that I'm not trying to be all negative, just pointing out stuff you'll need to consider for some of those ideas.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

1. Some kind of internet access, it is hard to share/find information using websites without ready access to ports in the pits.
2. A photo shoot, like organized at Sacramento, it's nice to have a photo to remember that is well-organized
3. Team social, even if not FIRST-sponsored, it's fun.
4. Machine shop like 254's, a lifesaver

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

i had a meeting last night and shared some of the input given in this thread....everyone liked the ideas and hopes that people continue providing input..thanks alot i knew i could count of the CD community for this

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Palmetto had wireless access, granted most teams did not know about it, but it was convenient for getting information as quickly as possible. I think I will pass on rementioning the "No Dancing" issue. However, one problem I have noticed at all of the regionals I have ever attended is a lack of projection screens in the pits. Perhaps the best fix for this is to not just do the one that is standard, but put one on each corner of the pits, this would hopefully prevent some of the major traffic jams that were caused at Palmetto this year.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Have Mandy Moore perform!
::coughcough::

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

We had a projection screen last year at SoCal, that projected constantly updated rankings. This year, we had to go to the stands and wait for the rankings that were posted few and far between.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Another thing, make the whole thing fun. Like, setup a DDR thing at a social, have a "most button-y person here" award (I love seeing people that are covered in buttons...we should deserve some recognition also...even if it's just a piece of paper saying something like "You are the grand button-er"). Try to get everyone there involved in whats going on. Have some FIRST speakers for a change. Having the college speakers is cool and all, but have like, a FIRST rep. or another IFI speaker. The IFI guy from Palemetto was pretty cool IMO.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

i do like the idea of superlatives we might really consider that

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

i hate to bump my own threads but it is for a good cause........

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

I would like a board outside of the pit area that list current standings so you don''t have to leave the arena area.
Could progarams detailing information on the teams be available by the front door?

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

For the record, a pit display can be available anywhere you can run a network cable and plunk a laptop.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

I was looking through the pictures, I think of the Florida regional, and they had slides that were shown, I think Friday night before the awards or something. Anyway, I think it would be awesome if we made maikull (X-Cats) our official photographer, since he does a great job, and did something similar.

I know most of the time when they do a slide show, the team screams a lot when they see their robot. A great way to engage the crowd.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Bigger pits. i know some places are short in space but we just need more room.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

This is a big plus. The GLR last year seemed decent in size. Palemetto was kinda crowded. Pittsburgh had a good sized pit. Nationals last year was pretty good (although it did take up the whole arena, so that doesn't really count).

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Ok if your looking for somthing good, at least HAVE a social unlike at NJ. At UTC we had an awesome show. There was first an awesome video that first voulenteers put together in two days with footage from the regional, it was amazing, ask anyone. Also, you can talk to the MC and ask how they did it. he 2nd and 3rd part of the show were great. There was a comedian, and a Hypnotist, HE WAS GREAT!!! EVERYONE loved him. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FOOD AND DRINK TO! well thats all i got now, hope you use this info

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

LSR regionals has been awesome on space too. It's in the reliant arena and has the from room for pits and the arena to compete. It is built more for this type of thing (conventions and such) though.

After going to visiting SLR we are always glad to have enough space. My team has problems with being competely contained within our pits so it is nice to not have to be super strict about it.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

You know, I can tell you straight up that there's a fair amount of space within the Colonial Center (site of the Palmetto regional). I know it's normal to get all of the teams together, but there's other space there. I guess you could even use the excess concourse space if you could protect the floor somehow. (The CC has a freight elevator in the back--very handy for ROTC cadets just finishing up after their color guard. I'd know.)

But overall, I think everyone's said all I could think of.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

At our two regionals we provede a cyber center. With about 6 comps at VCU and 11 comps at Peachtree. All had SmartFTP, MP LAb IDE, and eithere FireFox .8 or IE 6 as a web browser. We provided the comps and all hardware to support the network a 24 port switch, Wireless 802.11b AP (covered half way across the pits), b/w laser printer, and my home router to issue IP's since we had IP trouble at VCU and at Peachtree their DHCP took forever to issue IP's. We had at least 2 ppl there at all times manning it and what not. Alot of people liked it and proved really useful for teams that wanted to get files that they left at home or some kind of forms.

So I'd say add it to your regional. If possible...

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

YAY DDR!
Anyway, yah I think I agree. Some kinda gaming area would help spread people out and keep some money in the building. You might want to consider handing out a team award for "Buttonness". It's certainly unique.

I think the music is something that's been mentioned that could really use a vamp. There just isn't that much good stuff on a lot. The techno is always decent, but never really fabulous. Then there's pop. I don't listen to pop, so I'm biased, but still, too much repetition. Eh.

Also, at Midwest what happened was the screen was very flooded with commercials for college. Nobody cares, once you've seen them over and over. Maybe something more entertaining on screen during judging, like random facts or random movies or as suggested animations.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

I think the college pushing should only be for the opening ceromony, and the social (you know there's gonna be that at the socials). You could also just have pictures of anything dealing w/ FIRST on the screen. Maybe photos of previous matches, or pictures of the possible winning alliance? It's open to endless possibilities.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

have a spot near the field soley for cheeirng ur team and other teams on! :]

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

How about a Dance Dance Revolution Mix with Team music, techno, and some other stuff. You would definately be able to dance, there will probably be appropriate songs--since most techno has no words, or talks about random dumb stuff--you could try throwing in remixes of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, etc. (Pachabel :P), and if adll this went down, there would be lots of different kinds of music.
=My 2 cents as a DDR Freak

[Edit]
I guess someone got to it before me. Teaches me for not reading all the posts. I mean have a DDR set up all the time though, and if a match ends in a tie... settle it on the dance floor like they did in the 70's.
[/Edit]

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

You know, I guess this creates a new niche for team members in FIRST...DDR nuts.

Although from the FIRST standpoint, I can see where FIRST would have a problem with it. Perhaps for dispute resolution?

man, that'd be devilish...(grin)

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

For Socials:

1) They should be fun. Fun includes good music and dancing (cough)(Palmetto)(cough). As you might have noticed if you were at Palmetto, by the end of the social the only team left was 433 because they were waiting for a ride.

2) Has anyone ever thought about having a social without a competition? Just like a 'have fun with your robotics friends' social for no other reason? The Firebirds are considering hosting one but we need feedback.

3) I definately agree about special awards at socials. I especially would like a "Button" award (I was the girl at Palmetto with the buttons down the sides of her jeans) and a "Mascot" award (I was also the girl at Drexel wearing the Firebird head and cape, not much of a mascot, we wouldn't have won that award).

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Dancing is prohibited by FIRST rules, unfortunately. It sucks, and it was a bit of an overreaction by FIRST, but a student got seriously injured at the social at the 2002 Buckeye Regional, and dancing has been banned ever since. Unfortunately, in order to get insurance for the events, FIRST had to take such action. I remember in the 2003 rules, there was something where your team could get assessed a minor penalty for "dancing at the Team Social" :yikes: Not sure what the rules are now, but it was a major liability issue, so I doubt it'll change much anytime soon.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Hey! 433 was not the only team left at the social at the end! Me and Bryan and Phil (all of 1293, although Bryan and Phil aren't members here that I know of) were also there.

(For those out of the loop, we were waiting to tail the Firebirds (tailing a firebird--now THAT'S a way to get crispy-fried) back to their hotel for Taboo. I firmly believe that we guys got pwned...but it was all good.)

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

In addition to a pit display with the standings, it would be nice to have a second smaller screen on the arena side showing standings, so teams don't have to run back to the pits to find out where they are.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

There were people dancing and doing the limbo at the VCU regional during the competition - and nobody said anything. Theres really no stopping people when you play the cha-cha slide - the whole point of it is to dance.

Teams should be allowed to bring in their "team song" to play during the competition. At VCU they just played the same 3 or 4 mixed CDs over and over.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Oh.. If the venue isn't decided yet, make sure there is enough space for teams and spectators alike. Detroit was really awesome, but there definitely wasn't enough space - it was like a can of sardines in there.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

I would like to see more variety in food selection. After the first day nothing at the concessions looked very appetizing.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

A nice Frizbee tounement, if there is a park nearby, would be fun.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

the venue is decided and it will be at RIT's new fieldhouse.....i don;t remember how many people it holds but it has a full size running track/ LAX field....i have been to many regionals and we definatly have plenty of space

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

An Ultimate tournament between teams would be great...although seeing how its rochester in winter it probably wont happen

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

One thing that bothers me most is, try to have electricity in the stands. I mean, I know that is a venue thing but possibly run extention cords or something for us. I was on the scouting team this year, and we used my laptop in the stands and it was crummy having to sit way up top or out in the mezzanines(spelling??). Another thing, allow the teams to tape freely. I understand not having huge crowds down there, but let the guys with cameras film and don't nag them. I know in Chicago, the event staff were always coming and nagging us about standing up in the front. I completely understand not having whole teams there, but come on, one guy filming, give him a break. I was also the video guy this year and it got annoying to always be told to move. It was my job on the team, and I had to do it. I understand that if you're not shooting, move back, but when I was recording with the video camera they would come up and tap me on the shoulder. Possibly give each team 4 media passes or something, and if your team is not up, ask them to move back. Just my opinions... :]

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Possibly a "media" area would be a good idea. FIRST gives out media badges for the Championship so why not at the regionals also?

Matt

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Back in 2001 there was one small thing that happend during the matches that made it more dramatic and entertaining, they used to have lights. They got rid of them, and I'm sad. I loved the flashing and colored FIRST logo spirling around on the field. It's something I miss and hope to see come back, it added more of a professional type appearence.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

The lights were sacrificed as part of the "streamlined" regionals in order to cut costs for 2002. FIRST lost a lot of incoming money from companies unable to financially sponsor such large events, and the lights were cut to make the regionals more palletable for sponsors. See this thread for more info.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

If your looking for a "Full Service" Regional (not streamlined) you might try looking at the Arizona Regional. They still even have a Team Social! :)

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Every time anyone says Arizona I just cannot say enough good things about that regional. Incredible incredible incredible regional. And a lot of that was due to a ^^^ great announcer ^^^ :)

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

we will have a social!

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Good luck with the planning of your regional....big job, but sure worth the effort...just several things that we learned planning the first Palmetto. Make sure you check with FIRST or your regional contact that is hired by FIRST to assist you regarding some of those "good" ideas. Many things that we wanted to include and do at Palmetto were not allowed...most for good reason. Keep in mind that most venues (i.e. Colonial Center for the Palmetto) has certaing rules that must be followed...for example, the sale of food and beverage. For example, the Palmetto planning committee wanted to give water out to each team. We have suppliers that would donate it, but the venue would not allow it...so, our major sponsor purchased the water from the Colonial center for two dollars a bottle. We gave out 100 cases of water...figure that one. The music...most adults do not really here or understand some of the latest music...FIRST contracts for the music...the planning committee has no input into it....We have already made some recommendations directly to first regarding the music...that will not happen again at Palmetto. Dancing...not sure how to get around that, but we have some pretty creative minds looking and thinking. Also, keep in mind when working with the venue that in most cases you actually pay for the space you use...so don't think you can use all available space...FIRST contract with a company to do the floor layout and stage location...contact and work with these people early...keeping in mind that they ultimately make the decision. We did a follow up with most teams and got some good feedback...we are trying to incorporate that feedback into the planning for next year...right off, designate someone to work the pit area...just to talk with the teams...see if they need anything and try to help. So, you are doing the right thing asking what people want...but, understand that all is not possible...just do your best and it will be a great regional. Oh....you can't have enough volunteers. Good luck and don't hesitate to call and we will give any and all of our info to you regarding what we did...

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

I think it would be good to have a set place were teams can go to trade buttons and shirts and stuff like that. I can get pretty annoying when you're rushing to fix something for the next match and you have people asking you for buttons.

Also, try and get as much media attention for the event as possible. Anytime the FIRST word is spread, no matter how small, you never know who is gonna see it and what they can do to for the competition.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

I would like to see fire and pyrotechnics when people score :D No one ever did that and it would look cool. but again you dont want to hurt teams :P

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

The main thing that I have to say is make sure the DJ is good and has FIRST experience. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, nobody gets pumped up to the droning beats of techno. Compare....say....VCU with the IRI. If you were at both (I was), the IRI put it to shame. Then again, the IRI has the best music of any comp.

Let me just say, winning a regional and hearing the same techno song that's been playing for 15 minutes is not cool. This happened to us at VCU this year.

Winning a regional and hearing "We Are The Champions" IS cool. This happened a month later to us in Canada. Oh, and the confetti they dropped on us in Canada was very cool too.

Just fly Ryan (I think that's him...IRI DJ) out to your regional. Or at least ask on here for people to post songs and give a copy to the DJ.

Re: What would you like to see at a regional?
 

Wow, as for the first timer I didn't expect that much this is year, but I will let Dean choose this one ;) but I did want pyrotechnics! :D