[JesseK]

Tips for Atlanta:

They can't call out when it's time for your team to queue over the speaker system. It's too loud and there are 4 divisions. You're responsible for knowing when your next match is. A tip is to watch the score board for what match is when and leave 20 minutes in advance for the first couple of matches. That will give you an idea of how long the walk takes (10-15 mins) and how far ahead/behind they are in the schedule.

If you're part of the drive team, you will want GOOD SHOES, especially if you're the one pushing/pulling the robot.

Make friends, ask for help directly from teams. Unfortunately, it's difficult to hear even the sparse requests for help or parts. Many veteran teams have a network of friends they can go to if you need something specific, so they should at least be able to point you in the right direction.

Eat in the courtyard between the GWCC and GA Dome. There are often times other fun things happening there too.

In 2006/2007 we stayed in downtown Atlanta at a FIRST hotel, booked in TIMS. The walk took 20 mins, though it may take you a little more or less since some hotels are further/closer.

In 2008/2009 we stayed at a hotel in Marietta and rented 3 12-passenger vans for a cost savings of ~$500 for 40 people (also had a truck/trailer for tools). So far we plan to do this again for 2010, but with a much smaller team (only FTC for us this year).

FIRST hotels are a bit pricey, relative to what else is available in the city, yet the cost of a car (12-passenger van = $400 for Wed night to Sat. night) may offset that price depending on how many students you bring. It's an engineering feat in and of itself to find the best bang for your buck for the whole trip, so be sure to research. As an example, we had to consider that if we drove a bus down our County's regulations stipulate no overnight driving; thus the cost savings of a bus were offset by the cost of an extra night in the hotel. I'd recommend making several different options on various tabs for a spreadsheet, and then figure out which option gives you the best value (e.g. perhaps you're willing to pay a little extra money for a little less headache, etc).

I definitely recommend staying at a hotel that serves a free hot breakfast. When we attended Philadelphia in 2008, we made the mistake of staying at the Sheraton downtown. There's nothing worse than a grumpy team full of hungry kids since 2 scrambled eggs with toast cost $6 (ran out for doughnuts instead, but that still doesn't nourish enough for a day of competition...). Typical continental breakfasts are an ok substitute so long as you get enough.