Quote:
Originally Posted by BMSOTM
Let's look at a hypothetical in which regional teams can compete in district events as practice:
An additional regional: - Cost $4000 to register for.
- Gives 8-12 extra qualification matches.
- Provides additional chances to qualify for CMP.
- Higher quality event production
An additional district event: - Cost $1000 to register for.
- Gives 12 extra qualification matches.
- Doesn't provide additional chances to qualify for CMP.
- Lower quality event production
What are you getting by going to a regional over a district event? - 0 to 4 fewer plays
- Additional chances to qualify for CMP.
- A better produced event
What are you paying for this? $3000 (assuming no difference in transportation/logistics costs)
While for some teams, the nicer event, increased CMP chances, and travel opportunities are worth $3000, many others would likely prefer to save $3000. FIRST would lose a nice chunk of change by allowing regional teams to go to district events. |
I'm not so sure about "a better produced event" as being a benefit of going to a Regional. Comparing our PNW events to the Regionals we had in the past there might be a bigger screen, but it is usually farther away and they fly in lighting so that the house lights are off/way down and only the field is well lit. The AV and other production qualities are substantially the same between the previous Regionals and the current District events. In fact some of our District events have been held in the same College Gyms and even the total number of teams in attendance is not that far off in the one case.
Now I've never been to an event in another district so I can't speak to their production values, though IN pretty much copied our selection of A/V equipment and a number of our key A/V team took our equipment to IRI 2014 and showed what we do and how we do it.
Look back through the archives and you'll find a lot of people who wish that the production values of Regionals was as high as it is in the PNW district, particularly the streaming and live video feed.