Championships location from 07 and onwards

[dangerousdave]

There are some well deserving cities that have or will have, the facilities that Atlanta has for the Championship events. I think it will be very difficult to match what we have here in the facilities, hotels, restaurants, local transportation, a major worldwide news network and an airport that can handle the world.

Another city will very likely host the event for quite a few years I think, beginning in 2010. Then perhaps someday it will return to Atlanta. It seems fair that other cities be given the chance to host the event, perhaps it will help some teams travel costs and we can enjoy other parts of the country.

Dave

[cziggy343]

Does anybody know when the bid to have the championships in Atlanta actually runs out? are we for sure that it is 2010?

[Otaku]

San Fransisco would be nice.

I can almost guarantee that the proper facilities are there, It's a nice city (so long as you stay out of the bad parts), there's plenty of public transportation (I once went from my house to the metreon on only buses, and I live 60mi north of SF), it'd be easier on western teams, etc.

Or hell, anywhere on the west coast would be better (just not alaska, because that'd be a pain the butt for everybody, except the alaskans (even though I would LOVE to go to alaska)).

Or it could switch every year. East coast one year, West coast the next.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Otaku

San Fransisco would be nice.

I can almost guarantee that the proper facilities are there, It's a nice city (so long as you stay out of the bad parts), there's plenty of public transportation (I once went from my house to the metreon on only buses, and I live 60mi north of SF), it'd be easier on western teams, etc.

Or hell, anywhere on the west coast would be better (just not alaska, because that'd be a pain the butt for everybody, except the alaskans (even though I would LOVE to go to alaska)).

Or it could switch every year. East coast one year, West coast the next.

San Francisco would be a relatively bad city. The only thing it has going for it is a large airport nearby.

The only 'suitable' venue would be Moscone Center, which would be entirely unsuitable for a FIRST competition anyways. As has been mentioned before, you ideally need an enclosed stadium with a conference center, or other large pit-sized area attached/next door. Nowhere in the bay area fits that bill.

One (the only?) site I can think of on the west coast that would meet the above criteria is the new Arizona Cardinals stadium. It's enclosed, and the field rolls out to allow other events to be held inside (it's actually a really cool engineering feat. Everyone should check it out, football fans or not). I don't know if it has any kind of attached conference center/facilities though.

[N7UJJ]

San Francisco has the Cow Palace. There have been presidential conventions, rodeos, circuses, auto races, etc held in the main building. It's been a long time since I have been there so maybe it is not as big as I think it is. Here is a view:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie...&t=h&z=17&om=1

[Cory]

Originally Posted by N7UJJ

San Francisco has the Cow Palace. There have been presidential conventions, rodeos, circuses, auto races, etc held in the main building. It's been a long time since I have been there so maybe it is not as big as I think it is. Here is a view:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie...&t=h&z=17&om=1

A quick comparison shows the maximum floorspace of the Cow Palace to be ~30,000 sq. ft.

The space required for a football field alone, on the GA dome floor is ~60,000 sq ft. Plus extra room on all sides.

If the championship event was changed to only include FRC, it could be held any number of places--including Disney again, I'd assume. But as long as it stays the size it is (FRC, FTC, FLL), there's no real way it can be held anywhere but a domed football stadium with an attached conference center.

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Cory

The space required for a football field alone, on the GA dome floor is ~60,000 sq ft. Plus extra room on all sides.

If the championship event was changed to only include FRC, it could be held any number of places--including Disney again, I'd assume. But as long as it stays the size it is (FRC, FTC, FLL), there's no real way it can be held anywhere but a domed football stadium with an attached conference center.

Good points.

While talking to the bid coordinator of Indy's FIRST Championship bid package the last couple of years, here is some info he has given me:

RCA Dome* floor size: 94,000 square feet (about)
Georgia Dome floor size: about the same as the RCA Dome floor
Lucas Oil Stadium** floor size: 150,000 square feet, after one end of the stadium has its removable seats taken away

* - home of the current Super Bowl Champions, Indianapolis Colts
** - future home of the Colts, starting in 2008

So, if FIRST chose to put their Championships in Indy, using Lucas Oil Stadium, the dome floor would be over 50% larger than the current setup is in Atlanta. I'm wondering if this is big enough for both the FRC pits and the fields.

Andy B.

[galewind]

is that stadium domed, andy?

[ebarker]

RE the pit areas.

The pit area in the GWCC in Atlanta has 4 segments of > 100,000 feet.

FIRST uses I think 3 segments so that is > 300,000 feet.

That isn't including the conference rooms upstairs or the conference rooms on the floor level at the east end of the GWCC.

[Overyourhead]

Originally Posted by tckma

The same goes for Providence -- I like the city but I don't think there's a big enough venue. I think the Rhode Island Convention Center is big enough for pits, but there isn't really a good place to put the actual competition.

Providence actually would be a great place to hold a regional. Almost all of providence is made up of hotels, inn's and restaurants because of Johnson and Wales University. The Convention Center is actually very big. several floors of just open Space. Though I don't think it could hold a regional of 100 teams. It could very well hold a regional of 50ish teams.

Also RI has the Dunkin donuts Center. Though I have never been in it I know it is rather Large. They are constantly holding Monster truck shows there so it must be very large. Also it is a dome with stadium seating. So it would be like a mini-Atlanta.

[IBdrummer]

Originally Posted by nobrakes8

It would be kinda cool to see FIRST move around a little.

I understand that they want to stay in the same place for a while because they really learn the area, the facilities and could best run a compeition from year to year just being familiar with the facility.

I'd love to see FIRST go to Orlando for a year or two, LA for a year or two, NYC, Chicago, etc..

First reason is FIRST would really spread and word would get around about the program by local media.

Next reason is because I think each of those big cities almost everybody would like to see, I mean who doesn't want to go to LA just once or hang out in Time Square?

Unfortunatly those cities probably out price themselves. I mean for those teams that have buses drive them everywhere, the gas prices just outside NYC on Sunday were $2.37 a gallon, and I could only imagine how much money it would cost to get a hotel room or for FIRST to pay for a building, and I'm sure LA and the west coast out price themselves too.

Yeah, I can see how gas prices like that around New York would cause high traveling costs. Good thing it's still in Atlanta

[Scott Carpman]

Originally Posted by IBdrummer

Yeah, I can see how gas prices like that around New York would cause high traveling costs. Good thing it's still in Atlanta

Gas is hovering at $3.50/gal right now, but that's nothing compared to diesel (I saw it at close to $5/gal yesterday). However, if you were smart, you'd give back to NJ/NYC FIRST by using the train everywhere and supporting one of our major sponsors. A mere $2 gets you anywhere in the city on the bus and subway.