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
