New Regional in Europe in 2006

[unapiedra]

I am a German foreign exchange student and this year I participated in FIRST.

Now I plan to organize a European Regional in 2006 and I would like to know what teams are interested in attending a regional in Europe. I don't have a location yet, but I would still like to know if there are any teams who would like to go to Europe for a regional next year. Please send me an e-mail or post if you want to come to Europe in 2006. Please write only if you can afford to come.

This will give me some information on how many to expect and it will also help me find sponsors.

Further I am pleased with any information (e-mail) which might help me with a regional. Especially an exact listing of how much money it will cost.
The more the better.

Thanks a lot

[Corey Balint]

I am sure 25 would be interested...price might be a problem. Well not might, would be a problem. We are always interested in new experiences though. Would definitely be a lot of fun.

[Alex Cormier]

that sounds great! i would recommend email FIRST and some people within the FIRST empire to see what they can do to help you and such. It would look great if there was a Europe Regional! that'd be so cool i just might have to come and visit.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by unapiedra

I am a German foreign exchange student and this year I participated in FIRST.

Now I plan to organize a European Regional in 2006 and I would like to know what teams are interested in attending a regional in Europe. I don't have a location yet, but I would still like to know if there are any teams who would like to go to Europe for a regional next year. Please send me an e-mail or post if you want to come to Europe in 2006. Please write only if you can afford to come.

This will give me some information on how many to expect and it will also help me find sponsors.

Further I am pleased with any information (e-mail) which might help me with a regional. Especially an exact listing of how much money it will cost.
The more the better.

Thanks a lot

While that is a noble goal, and I hate to dampen your enthusiasm, it's not as easy as just "starting" a regional. I would go so far as to say that if you're starting now, you won't be doing it until at least 2007. And correct me if I'm wrong, but there is also usually someone from FIRST involved in the planning aspects of such a regional.

You definitely don't want to undertake this by yourself, and without FIRST's support.

[Kevin Sevcik]

FIRST is definitely involved in planning regionals, but they also depend greatly on local volunteers to fundraise and often organize and run the regional. I will say that starting from scratch now with no contacts or fundraising network is going to make a 2006 regional extremely difficult to pull off. A US/North American regional costs upwards of US$125,000 at a minimum. This is disregarding the exchange rate and extra costs associated with shipping a field overseas and flying regional staff out to support the event. This is also assuming there's enough staff to go around to support a European regional....

I don't mean to discourage you, a European regional would be a great way to get more teams in Europe, as their travel costs would be a lot less. I just mean to point out that you have a long ways to go here and probably without the kind of help that NASA usually gives to start new regionals here in the States.

Your best bet is to first and foremost gather up a nice group of like minded individuals and formulate a plan on how to raise money near the order of magnitude above. If you have a decent plan, then approach FIRST with it, Bob Hammond in particular.

Good luck in your endeavours.

[Tristan Lall]

We are seeing in North America the problems associated with the growth of the quantity of regional events. Certain events remain unfilled, others cut costs dramatically in order to even exist--this is not desirable. With that in mind, certain things are necessary, including a strong base of committed teams--this usually takes the form of local teams with nowhere else to go easily--and a number of corporate sponsors.

Currently, there are very few European teams; a first priority might be to ensure that there will be enough local teams to meet the demand for a regional, both now, and in the future (teams don't always return--that's too often overlooked). Of course, it is easier to form teams if they know that there will be a regional event locally--which is a rather circular problem. The current lower limit for a sustainable regional is (arguably) about 30; there are a couple of exceptions this year (Israel due to special arrangements, and Waterloo due to an unfortunately-timed religious holiday), but this is approximately the minimum.

[unapiedra]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

We are seeing in North America the problems associated with the growth of the quantity of regional events. Certain events remain unfilled, others cut costs dramatically in order to even exist--this is not desirable. With that in mind, certain things are necessary, including a strong base of committed teams--this usually takes the form of local teams with nowhere else to go easily--and a number of corporate sponsors.

Currently, there are very few European teams; a first priority might be to ensure that there will be enough local teams to meet the demand for a regional, both now, and in the future (teams don't always return--that's too often overlooked). Of course, it is easier to form teams if they know that there will be a regional event locally--which is a rather circular problem. The current lower limit for a sustainable regional is (arguably) about 30; there are a couple of exceptions this year (Israel due to special arrangements, and Waterloo due to an unfortunately-timed religious holiday), but this is approximately the minimum.

I think of starting around 30 teams in the first year, with the hope that 10 might survise and than have American teams fill up the rest (see special Israel arrangements).
A reason for this is that all European teams will be rookies (except the two british teams), so it might be good to have mentoring American teams.

[mrs. p]

our team likes to travel and visit new places so add team 233 to the list of "want to attend".

[Denman]

Originally Posted by mrs. p

our team likes to travel and visit new places so add team 233 to the list of "want to attend".

233 in europe yay!

[unapiedra]

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

FIRST is definitely involved in planning regionals, but they also depend greatly on local volunteers to fundraise and often organize and run the regional. I will say that starting from scratch now with no contacts or fundraising network is going to make a 2006 regional extremely difficult to pull off. A US/North American regional costs upwards of US$125,000 at a minimum. This is disregarding the exchange rate and extra costs associated with shipping a field overseas and flying regional staff out to support the event. This is also assuming there's enough staff to go around to support a European regional....

I don't mean to discourage you, a European regional would be a great way to get more teams in Europe, as their travel costs would be a lot less. I just mean to point out that you have a long ways to go here and probably without the kind of help that NASA usually gives to start new regionals here in the States.

Your best bet is to first and foremost gather up a nice group of like minded individuals and formulate a plan on how to raise money near the order of magnitude above. If you have a decent plan, then approach FIRST with it, Bob Hammond in particular.

Good luck in your endeavours.

Yes, I know it will be very hard.
But I realised this before, so I already have plans on fundraising and I covered hopefully all necessary things to consider.

A question I have: Do you have an e-mail address from Bob Hammond? I am still looking for the right person to contact at FIRST. (please don't post his e-mail if you have, but write me an e-mail with it)

[RoboMom]

Originally Posted by unapiedra

Yes, I know it will be very hard.
But I realised this before, so I already have plans on fundraising and I covered hopefully all necessary things to consider.

A question I have: Do you have an e-mail address from Bob Hammond? I am still looking for the right person to contact at FIRST. (please don't post his e-mail if you have, but write me an e-mail with it)

Christoph, your energy and idealism are to be commended. Just a caution on timing. From now until after the Championship, everyone on the very small staff at FIRST is out in the field or working frantically dealing with millions of details. (As I write this I am watching the VCU feed and they are having some major problems with the field.) I have a new appreciation this year of how challenging it is to run a regional, let alone plan one. You could not possibly imagine all the details. This would be a major undertaking that would need FIRST sanctioning and there is a process to be followed.

So keep organizing your ideas, funding sources (think in the $50,000 range) and after the Championship, we can help you get your ideas heard.

[unapiedra]

Originally Posted by RoboMom

Christoph, your energy and idealism are to be commended. Just a caution on timing. From now until after the Championship, everyone on the very small staff at FIRST is out in the field or working frantically dealing with millions of details. (As I write this I am watching the VCU feed and they are having some major problems with the field.) I have a new appreciation this year of how challenging it is to run a regional, let alone plan one. You could not possibly imagine all the details. This would be a major undertaking that would need FIRST sanctioning and there is a process to be followed.

So keep organizing your ideas, funding sources (think in the $50,000 range) and after the Championship, we can help you get your ideas heard.

I know that the timing is bad, however there is still a lot to do. And starting now doesn't do any harm except that FIRST doesn't have time at the moment.
And I am encouraging everyone, to send me information and help.

Anyway I am already waiting for FIRST to have time for my ideas.

[unapiedra]

I still don't have any info how much a regional would cost!

So if someone has any idea on what costs how much... Please let me know!

Please, Please, Please
my email is: firsteurope@gmail.com

[Cory]

Originally Posted by unapiedra

I still didn't any info how much a regional would cost!

So if someone has any idea on what costs how much... Please let me know!

Please, Please, Please
my email is: firsteurope@gmail.com

I've seen $125,000 as a bse price

[Kevin Sevcik]

US$125,000 is definitely a base cost. I have access to a regional director (my mom) so this is a definitive number. The exchange rate and VAR (maybe?) could up the cost as well. This is also a basic AV system and no real team party. I can probably give you a more itemized kind of budget if you're willing to wait a few days for me to get home.