2009 Championships

[brentmcjunkin]

I would like to go to vegas but also disney would be nice but they have already booked it

[A_Reed]

FIRST already outgrew Disney and what they could offer in terms of space, I would have loved to see it. They changed it my freshman year in FIRST, when it moved to Huston instead.

[Cartwright]

This is definitely a very biased comment, but I think that Indianapolis would be a pretty logical choice (so would St. Louis). Though I liked Atlanta last year, it really isn't a very central location. By next year (I think), Indy will have a nice new stadium perfect for FIRST. The city has a nice sized International Airport, and several major interstate highways that could draw teams from any direction. Prices in Indy are not crazy high either. And...it's location is in the heart of country. It's not a giant distant from the east coast. It's right next door to Michigan, and just south of Canada. However, the West Coast is quite a ways away, but there aren't a lot of places more central. St. Louis wouldn't be bad either though.

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by A_Reed

FIRST already outgrew Disney and what they could offer in terms of space, I would have loved to see it.

The Orange County (Florida) Convention Center is the second-biggest in the country and is only about eight or nine miles from Disney World:

Size
Center Location (in square feet)
1. McCormick Place Chicago 2.2 million
2. Orange County Orlando 2.05 million
Convention Center
3. Las Vegas Las Vegas 1.94 million
Convention Center
4. Georgia World Atlanta 1.37 million
Congress Center
5. Kentucky Exposition Center Louisville 1.29 million
6. Sands Expo & Center Las Vegas 1.13 million
7. Ernest N. Morial New Orleans 1.1 million
Convention Center
8. Dallas Convention Center Dallas 1.02 million
9. Pennsylvania Farm Show Harrisburg 1 million
Complex & Expo Center
10. George R. Brown Houston 930,000
Convention Center

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

The Orange County (Florida) Convention Center is the second-biggest in the country and is only about eight or nine miles from Disney World:

You listed the Georgia World Atlanta 1.37 million
Congress Center plus you have to add the dome also I think.

[d.courtney]

Canada? I mean it would be great to see the Championships to an international event change which country its in every now and then. Then after its been to Canada, we could have it in Brazil or Isreal.

btw I don't actually see this ever happening(unless the structure of FIRST events or demographics of its teams changes dramatically).

[mathking]

The RCA Dome in Indianapolis would be a great facility. They have the capacity to have everything under one roof with the stadium and convention center. And it's not like Indianapolis is freezing cold in April. The average high temperature for the third weekend in April is 65, compared to 74 for Atlanta. (Data from NOAA.) The real question is finding a venue that works for FIRST and that wants FIRST. There really aren't going to be that many places with a setup conducive to hosting the championships. You pretty much have to look for large domed stadiums that have considerable attached space. I love Atlanta as a venue, and I don't mind going, but moving the championships around some would not be bad.

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by mathking

The RCA Dome in Indianapolis would be a great facility.

The RCA dome will be a pile of rubble by this fall and replaced with even more convention space. The new Lucas Oil Stadium will be bigger and much nicer than the RCA Dome or Georgia Dome.

Add a couple of new hotels being built and a downtown entertainment area that you don't have to be afraid of your students walking in and you have a winner.

The only thing that ATL has that Indy doesn't is a great mass transit system. That could be a problem.

[KTorak]

I think next year will be the last year in Atlanta. I also wouldn't be surprised if it moved back to Orlando.

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by KTorak

I think next year will be the last year in Atlanta. I also wouldn't be surprised if it moved back to Orlando.

Great. Just great. The only major airports in the US that are farther from here than Atlanta are all in Florida.

I tell you, Denver is a great town...