[archiver]

Posted by Samuel Lindhorst.

Engineer on team #240, Mach Vee, from Jefferson High School and Visteon.

Posted on 10/15/2000 1:41 PM MST


In Reply to: Lots of space avail in IL posted by Joe Johnson on 10/14/2000 8:09 AM MST:



: Wow, Is anyone else stuck by the fact the the Great Lakes Regions (GLR) is almost sold out and 47 slots remain at the Motorola Regions (MLR)?

: Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to schedule them on top of eachother.

: Joe J.

I dunno if it was GLR on the same day, or WMR available now to teams that used to go to the Midwest. I think it's both.

It also appears FIRST decided GLR was too big, and moved it to Lansing. Although it's nice to have exposure to FIRST in Lansing, what was once a cheap regional for many schools in the Detroit metro area has become a reletively expensive overnight regional. I hope FIRST gets a benefit in this, like a few hundred people from the capitol building coming over for a look.

I think most team's choices for regionals are based on financial needs. When you look at what's booked up in an area, I think you'll find the regionals in areas with cheap accomodations are booked first.

I know New England has an even worse situation. I think FIRST is going hear quite a few complaints about this from both areas after this season. I think those areas who have been long and strong for FIRST need a little relief. Both areas deserve more or larger regionals, better situated.

Although we all want to spread FIRST, I think the strategy shouldn't exclude continuing to put events in areas where FIRST is already strong. Even in Detroit metro, FIRST doesn't have 20% market penetration. Putting a large event in the middle of a 20% market, may give you the critical mass to take it to a 50% market. Putting FIRST on the evening news one night in Lansing would be great, but the potential growth for FIRST would be greater if it happened in Detroit.

Sam