Georgia Districts confirmed for 2016!

[EricH]

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

The real key to getting volunteers is treating them right.

1. Food must be plentiful and high-quality. And volunteers must be assured they have the time to enjoy it. For a Friday night/Sat/Sun event, volunteers get 3* dinners, 2 lunches and 2 breakfasts. (*3rd, on Sunday, if you help break down the field). Plus soft drinks all day.

QFT. Let's just say that when you run out of food, the volunteers who couldn't break free earlier ain't happy. (OTOH... if you've got a lot of good leftovers after firsts, you got a lot of really happy volunteers!) Snacks also help.

That, and knowing where to recruit from.

[kristinweiss]

Originally Posted by EricH

QFT. Let's just say that when you run out of food, the volunteers who couldn't break free earlier ain't happy. (OTOH... if you've got a lot of good leftovers after firsts, you got a lot of really happy volunteers!) Snacks also help.

I just want to say that GA FIRST does an awesome job taking care of their volunteers with lots of good food and a snack bar between meals. It also helps that Coke is a sponsor of GA FIRST and volunteers get free unlimited Coke products. I'm pretty sure that most of the alumni college students come back to volunteer from year to year volunteer due to the (free) food.

[ghostmachine360]

Originally Posted by NorthernTaco

I just want to say that GA FIRST does an awesome job taking care of their volunteers with lots of good food and a snack bar between meals. It also helps that Coke is a sponsor of GA FIRST and volunteers get free unlimited Coke products. I'm pretty sure that most of the alumni college students come back to volunteer from year to year volunteer due to the (free) food.

#thankyoubasedCoke

One of the best things about GeorgiaFIRST is that we're always expanding our volunteer base in general; we will be stretched thin possibly this year (between our own district, Knoxville, and Alabama), but we're already on our way to finding our counterparts for a lot of the key volunteers. Luckily, Tony and I as MCs can be split apart (not willingly ), and we've started to train our counterparts with our off-season events as well with the Key Volunteer positions. Just trained our new MC down in Albany, and we've got a couple people in the works for Macon. I'll probably do any of the competitions in the metropolitan ATL area, as well as doing the State CMP. Connie & our two new co-VCs Elizabeth & Casey won't have a problem getting the needed volunteers. Just with this past first year with Elizabeth & Casey, I've never felt more welcomed and loved. Back massages and Dairy Queen? I'm all in.

[MoistRobot]

FYI- Per this past weekend's GA MAC meeting GA districts will be:

3/10-12 - Columbus Convention Center (tentative)
3/17-19 - Albany Convention Center and Dalton Convention Center
4/8-10 - Kennesaw State University
4/14-16 - University of Georgia (district champs)

[ebarker]

Just to clarify it for fast readers:


3/10-12 - Columbus Convention Center (tentative)
3/17-19 - Albany Convention Center
3/17-19 - Dalton Convention Center
4/8-10 - Kennesaw State University
4/14-16 - University of Georgia (district champs)

Four events + One Champ.

[nighterfighter]

Originally Posted by ebarker

Just to clarify it for fast readers:


3/10-12 - Columbus Convention Center (tentative)
3/17-19 - Albany Convention Center
3/17-19 - Dalton Convention Center
4/8-10 - Kennesaw State University
4/14-16 - University of Georgia (district champs)

Four events + One Champ.

Interesting.

Do you happen to know which campus the Kennesaw State University will be hosting the event? The Kennesaw campus, or the formerly-known-as SPSU Campus, in Marietta?

[FrankJ]

Originally Posted by nighterfighter

Interesting.

Do you happen to know which campus the Kennesaw State University will be hosting the event? The Kennesaw campus, or the formerly-known-as SPSU Campus, in Marietta?

The Kennesaw campus. SPSU's Campus doesn't have a venue big enough.

[nighterfighter]

Originally Posted by FrankJ

The Kennesaw campus. SPSU's Campus doesn't have a venue big enough.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Being a current student, residing on the Kennesaw Campus, this makes me quite excited.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by nighterfighter

Being a current student, residing on the Kennesaw Campus, this makes me quite excited.

You DO realize that that statement just made you a prime target for the Volunteer Coordinator for that district event, right? (Assuming you weren't one already.)

[GaryVoshol]

I'm wondering how GA is going to save money going to the district system. Are all these schools donating their space for district events, like high schools do in other Districts? (I understand FiM gets a really good deal at Kettering and GVSU, which is why these two events are not in high schools.)

[FrankJ]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

I'm wondering how GA is going to save money going to the district system. Are all these schools donating their space for district events, like high schools do in other Districts? (I understand FiM gets a really good deal at Kettering and GVSU, which is why these two events are not in high schools.)

GWCC (Peachtree) was really expensive. Not only rent on the space, but the need to use their vendors for everything. Perry (Goober Pea) was less so.

[logank013]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

I'm wondering how GA is going to save money going to the district system. Are all these schools donating their space for district events, like high schools do in other Districts? (I understand FiM gets a really good deal at Kettering and GVSU, which is why these two events are not in high schools.)

I'm not fully sure how how Indiana FIRST or in your case, Georgia FIRST makes prices this low but district events to teams, are a lot cheaper. I know by the time we got past the District Championship, The price was the equivalent to the price of two regionals. The first 2 district events were $2,500 and the third (Not required) was $1.000. Then the district championship was $4,000. In all, that cost us $10,000. Plus whatever Worlds cost. So basically, you can get to worlds by $9,000 if you so choose. Plus, say your team isn't good enough to go to district champs, then all they spend is $5,000.

So it isn't necessarily cheaper event wise but, you save money if you aren't good that year. Plus, with district events being closer, you don't have to spend nearly as much on hotels compared to if you go to regionals. I know my team stayed at hotels at 2 of our 4 district events and that was just because we had the money/ sponsorship to and was convenient. The biggest drive we ever had to make was 1 hour and 30 minutes. I know of some teams in our area never stayed at hotels because they could save money that way.

Another thing about the districts is that you are more capable of making it to worlds versus going to 2 regionals. In Indiana, we were guaranteed 10 spots for worlds but were able to send 14 out of our 49 teams due to wait list and the fact that Team 45 is an original team. I know that a good amount of the teams that made it to worlds from IN may have not been able to win a regional due to bad luck. So if you actually have a good bot in your district, you don't have to win an event to make it to worlds.

All in all, the districts save you money on hotels mainly and, you have a better chance at making it to worlds if your robot is good and you run into some bad luck. being apart of a district gives you many advantages and money is definitely a big factor.

I'm not sure how Georgia will make there spots for worlds but, Indiana FIRST's spots were as following:

3 Spots: Winner (234, 1024, 292)
1 Spot: Chairman's (135*)
1 Spot: Engineering Inspiration (1501)
1 Spot: Rookie All Star (5403)
4+1 Spots: Next teams based on District Points (5188, 71, 5402, 1720, 1741*)

For this year we had these additional spots given to us:

2 Spots: Wait List (135*, 829)
1 Spot: Original Team (45)
1 Spot: TBH, I'm not sure (3940)

*135 was given the Chairman's award. They were previously accepted in via the Wait List. This added 1 more spot to Next teams based on District Points. This allowed 1741 to go to worlds. The same thing would happen if the winner of the event wins 1 of 3 "Big" awards or get in on the wait list. Same would also happen if the winner of RAS or EI got in on wait list too.

Hope I didn't make this too complicated. Thanks for reading.

[Knufire]

Originally Posted by logank013

...

I'm fairly sure GaryVoshol was referring to the cost of the event from the perspective of the GeorgiaFIRST, not the team. Districts definitely lower team expenses but the district organization picks up the financial responsibility of running events.

[ttldomination]

Originally Posted by ebarker

3/10-12 - Columbus Convention Center (tentative)
3/17-19 - Albany Convention Center
3/17-19 - Dalton Convention Center
4/8-10 - Kennesaw State University
4/14-16 - University of Georgia (district champs)

That KSU event is going to be...hot, to say the least.

If your team doesn't get into the KSU event, then you're playing back to back districts. If you do go to the KSU event, you're playing back to back with a district and champs.

I understand that there are a ton of complexities with coordinating venues and stuff, but this lineup is extremely rough.

- Sunny G.