People you see at an event

[CarterM]

Don't forgot important figures like Chad Hurley and all the sponsors that like to come around asking teams questions...

Btw, most sponsors usually have name tags with their names and what company they are from...from what I remember.

[Richard Wallace]

Thanks for the nice summary, Eric.

There's (at least) one category to add: people in brightly colored Hawaiian shirts, or baseball/football/hockey jerseys, with funny hats, painted hair, bald heads, kilts, clown noses, etc. These brave souls are your MCs and Game Announcers. They bring the show. Some leap, some wail, some stand on their heads -- they all wave flags, point at drive teams, and generally get everyone fired up.

Oh, and if you come to St. Louis you'll see Robot Inspectors sporting black vests over their Crew shirts -- this makes it easier for teams to find one of them in a hurry.

[Sunshine]

Thanks Eric:

I made a copy and will share with the team.

[GaryVoshol]

One other sub-group of volunteers are Ambassadors. They meet with VIP's and show them around the events. I believe they wear red shirts.

[EricH]

All of you are right. I was thinking of the ones that the teams will be immediately interacting with.

Ambassadors do wear red shirts. All volunteers/VIPs/media personnel wear name tags with position/company/news company.

Oh, and Richard--you should have seen Blair's Saturday entrance to San Diego 2007. He didn't plan that...but he went along with it. That's one of the best I've seen. (Hey, it got the crowd's attention!)

[Richard McClellan]

Thanks a lot Eric, I shared this with our team as well.

[Lil' Lavery]

Also note that Head Refs wear bright yellow shirts this year, with very thin black stripes. If you have concerns or questions about the rules of the game, talk to them. Most other refs won't/aren't allowed to even talk to teams.
Also, call them bumblebees. They love it.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Also note that Head Refs wear bright yellow shirts this year, with very thin black stripes. If you have concerns or questions about the rules of the game, talk to them. Most other refs won't/aren't allowed to even talk to teams.
Also, call them bumblebees. They love it.

I was wondering why some refs had yellow... Sure makes them visible, though.

[mtaman02]

Originally Posted by EricH

I was wondering why some refs had yellow... Sure makes them visible, though.

I think it also means they're a FIRST certified Ref, I don't thing the Zebra Striped Refs. are certified only the Head Ref.


BTW great summary

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Also note that Head Refs wear bright yellow shirts this year, with very thin black stripes.

Originally Posted by mtaman02

I think it also means they're a FIRST certified Ref, I don't thing the Zebra Striped Refs. are certified only the Head Ref.

All Referees are certified. The Head Referees, in the yellow soccer-ref shirts, get even more training to be certified as a head ref.

[Qbranch]

Don't forget:

> Steve Wozniak: Identifiable by his Nixie-Tube watch
> Bill Gates: Identifiable by characteristic hair doo and glasses (which haven't changed in years)
> Dean Kamen: ...Segway.

I love the championship. All these people came by our pit and visited in 2006! (And to think, I didn't even know who Steve was... )

-q

[Libby K]

The VIP/Media are good people to talk to. They normally don't have a uniform but will have a nametag with (obviously) their name and what group they represent. Chat them up! Sometimes they know FIRST, and sometimes they don't.

Also, don't forget.

Me: Some form of FIRST/Team shirt (usually). Name tag. Tiara. Big smile. LOUD voice.

Come say hi!

[jgannon]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Most other refs won't/aren't allowed to even talk to teams.

Referees are allowed (in fact, encouraged) to interact with anybody before and after matches. You may even see some refs walking around the pits on Thursday. Feel free to approach them with anything, even just to banter about the game. If you broach a topic beyond their jurisdiction, they will probably ask you to speak to the head ref instead, but don't let that discourage you. Referees are people too, and they're trying to have just as much fun at the event as you are.

[IndySam]

yes Ref's are a great bunch of people. Get to know them.