Registration 2015

[MrBasse]

When we were in the running for another West Michigan event last year, I was quoted absolute minimum of $14-18k from FiM. I don't think that FiM would care much about the cost of a district event as it is the event organizers that have to raise funds for the event. The 3rd event registration money would go straight to FiM. The money for running the event would be raised through local sponsorship and donations.

[dag0620]

Originally Posted by Allison K

This is super fuzzy information, nobody quote me on this, but I recall districts being in the 7K-14K range. This post here from 2009 used to link to a presentation that showed the breakdown of how much was spent on each event. Does anybody have that document, or a more recent equivalent?

Edited to add: Okay I was wrong, average cost for a district (in 2009 anyway) was 24K. That's what I get for trying to remember things from 5 years ago. In my defense, the event I was involved in came in at around 10K Thanks Christopher149 for finding that. I wonder if there is more recent data in a similar vein?

They also vary region to region and by the standards set by the district leadership. i.e. NE District events tend to come in between $30-40k, while what you typically hear from MI, their events come in under $30k if not less.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

I'm having difficulty making the math work out in favor of adding a district event. 40 district teams paying third-event fees, set against the cost of putting on a competition, seems unlikely to be a money-positive proposition to me. But if the organizers can make it happen, the benefits to the teams in the region are good.

It depends on both the cost of that particular event, which does vary and how much the district charges for additional plays. Based on the average PNW district event costs and our additional play fee ($1000) adding another district event, assuming you get enough teams to actually have an event, would result in a net "profit".

Originally Posted by BrendanB

The money a team pays towards its first two district events do not go to the district to fund that event. Those go to FIRST which does not give a district event money to run your event (in our case the Reading and UNH district events). The money to run those events the district has to raise.

This is what I have been told if this is not the case someone can set me straight.

Also in the wake of adding a new event some teams may drop their first or second events to they can attend the new event if it is closer so it would become a "primary" event for a good number of teams.

For each team in a District the district gets to keep $1000. And yes adding an event could certainly cause some teams that are already registered for 2 events dropping one of those and adding the new event.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by MrBasse

When we were in the running for another West Michigan event last year, I was quoted absolute minimum of $14-18k from FiM. I don't think that FiM would care much about the cost of a district event as it is the event organizers that have to raise funds for the event. The 3rd event registration money would go straight to FiM. The money for running the event would be raised through local sponsorship and donations.

It is the district that has ultimate fiscal responsibility for all the events in their district. I'm not sure how FiM does it but in the PNW we don't raise money for a specific event we raise money for all district events and the costs for all district events come out of the same account. Now we do have a title sponsor for our DCMP for which they receive naming rights and all of their funds are applied to the DCMP. Of course FiM has their own procedures for handling their finances.

[Jim Zondag]

Average District Event cost for FIRSTinMichigan was $18,000 for 2014. We ran 15 district events last season.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Jim Zondag

Average District Event cost for FIRSTinMichigan was $18,000 for 2014. We ran 15 district events last season.

I was not the first one to reach for the spotlight button, and probably not the last.

To put this in the volunteer's perspective: FiM ran 1200 qualifying matches and fifteen elimination brackets, for the same budget some regionals have burned through to run 96 qualifying matches and one bracket. This is possible because FiM musters and manages an insanely dedicated corps of volunteers. We really, really like to play robots.

[Mark McLeod]

New chart fun.
Team count (vet/rookie/total) by country/state/province
2823 teams right now.

[Christopher149]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

New chart fun.
Team count (vet/rookie/total) by country/state/province
2823 teams right now.

Wow Michigan, wow. And in case anyone didn't notice, FIM has penciled in an 18th event for week 1, location TBD.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Christopher149

Wow Michigan, wow. And in case anyone didn't notice, FIM has penciled in an 18th event for week 1, location TBD.

Just to observe the obvious:

1) 18 district competitions will support 360 teams, if no team takes a third play in-state before MSC.

2) 18 events means three per week for six weeks.

The first of these obvious observations points back to one of the main reasons FiM was formed -- to ensure enough playing slots for all Michigan teams. The second obvious observation makes us think about how to ensure this when the number of Michigan teams exceeds 360, which seems likely very soon. Extend the season, or run more than three events per week?

[nikeairmancurry]

Originally Posted by Richard Wallace

Just to observe the obvious:

1) 18 district competitions will support 360 teams, if no team takes a third play in-state before MSC.

2) 18 events means three per week for six weeks.

The first of these obvious observations points back to one of the main reasons FiM was formed -- to ensure enough playing slots for all Michigan teams. The second obvious observation makes us think about how to ensure this when the number of Michigan teams exceeds 360, which seems likely very soon. Extend the season, or run more than three events per week?

When talking to other robots people, we talked about an extended season. The problem is, which way do you go? Push the season out or have kickoff earlier. Each has there pros and cons. Mainly the holiday season.

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Richard Wallace

Just to observe the obvious:

1) 18 district competitions will support 360 teams, if no team takes a third play in-state before MSC.

2) 18 events means three per week for six weeks.

The first of these obvious observations points back to one of the main reasons FiM was formed -- to ensure enough playing slots for all Michigan teams. The second obvious observation makes us think about how to ensure this when the number of Michigan teams exceeds 360, which seems likely very soon. Extend the season, or run more than three events per week?

There's a third alternative. Expand the size of max capacity of district events.

How many "key volunteers" (FTA/FTAA, MC/GA, FS, etc) does Michigan have? How many weeks per season do these folks have to volunteer to make the current schedule work? How many fields does FiM own?

[nikeairmancurry]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

There's a third alternative. Expand the size of max capacity of district events.

How many "key volunteers" (FTA/FTAA, MC/GA, FS, etc) does Michigan have? How many weeks per season do these folks have to volunteer to make the current schedule work? How many fields does FiM own?

I can tell you that FiM is continuing to train volunteers, to expand our "key volunteer" pool. We have a really strong group of volunteers already, and it grows with each season.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by nikeairmancurry

When talking to other robots people, we talked about an extended season. The problem is, which way do you go? Push the season out or have kickoff earlier. Each has there pros and cons. Mainly the holiday season.

Kickoff in early October.
Robots built by Thanksgiving.
Districts/Regionals January through early March.
WCMP in late March/Early April.

[MARS_James]

Originally Posted by Ricksta

Kickoff in early October.
Robots built by Thanksgiving.
Districts/Regionals January through early March.
WCMP in late March/Early April.

At what point do you want us to train new members on everthing they need to know? This only gives us the month of September which is not enough time. The ability to secure venues (at least in Florida) in January-March is a nightmare and we would have to pay a very high amount to said venues when we do.

We can not move the 6 build season to before January it won't work, we can't extend the competition season unless you want to either allow for your first official event to start 2 days after stop build or end 4 days before Champs.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Ricksta

Kickoff in early October.
Robots built by Thanksgiving.
Districts/Regionals January through early March.
WCMP in late March/Early April.

It was like the sound of thousands of hours of sleep crying out and suddenly being silenced.