2009 Championships

[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...

[The Lucas]

Originally Posted by RollinTDollin

there are lots more factors than team density to consider:

-major international airport.
-venue large enough to house both 5 full playing fields plus FTC fields.
-either same or separate facility to house pits for 300+ FRC teams, 100 FTC teams, FLL teams, plus pit admin, practice fields, etc.
-enough hotels in close proximity (walking distance) to house 500+ teams (students, teachers, parents, mentors) plus VIPs and staff.
-enough restaurants and food places in the area to feed above mentioned people for a week.
-entertainment in the area to keep teams entertained at night (ie. Georgia Aquarium, Braves games, etc).

I've enjoyed all my stays in Atlanta, so I won't mind if they keep going back. A change would be nice, but considering all that Atlanta has going for them (from the list above), I don't see the need to change.

I know this thread has certainly been done before (I suggest everyone who is truly interested to search and read), but it is always something interesting to talk about.

It should also have warm weather since that is most team's preference for the beginning of spring.

Remember that one of the reasons Atlanta has all these things is due to them hosting the Summer Olympics, so we are basically using their setup. Not many places have a covered stadium and convention center so close together (yes I know Indy's RCA Dome & CC would work but see my warm weather point). Anyone who went to Houston knows how well 2 stadiums work

Disney was incredible, but everything (stadium and pit) had to be built for us every year in that parking lot. The Championship is too big for that now. The Wide World of Sports in Disney World could certainly accommodate us, but I don't see that happening for a variety of reasons including scheduling too late in their season.

[A_Reed]

Originally Posted by The Lucas

Anyone who went to Houston knows how well 2 stadiums work

yeah I hope that was a joke, as I remember it was uphill both ways to and from the pits, lol.

[Karthik]

I'm a large proponent of having the Championship in Las Vegas. There are numerous air and hotel packages which are ridiculously cheap, since there's the assumption that any money saved on the package will be spent gambling and/or entertainment. Even though it's a longer flight from the east coast, it's fairly easy to find comparable flight costs compared to Atlanta, Orlando or Indianapolis.

If you look at the list posted by Tom here, you'll see that Las Vegas meets all of the criteria. Plus in Vegas, you're close to guaranteed not to be having the frigid nights we've had in Atlanta the past few years.

Viva Las Vegas!

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by Karthik

I'm a large proponent of having the Championship in Las Vegas. There are numerous air and hotel packages which are ridiculously cheap, since there's the assumption that any money saved on the package will be spent gambling and/or entertainment. Even though it's a longer flight from the east coast, it's fairly easy to find comparable flight costs compared to Atlanta, Orlando or Indianapolis.

If you look at the list posted by Tom here, you'll see that Las Vegas meets all of the criteria. Plus in Vegas, you're close to guaranteed not to be having the frigid nights we've had in Atlanta the past few years.

Viva Las Vegas!

Well, you got my vote! I second that. Its actually closer and cheaper for us!
Plus, you are absolutely correct about the lower costs, ability to find other things to do like win megabucks....hehe... and most of all, have a venue(s) that can accomodate this.
I'm sure the High Rollers are thinking, "Oh NO! More work for us!"

[Tomasz Bania]

To cover the bases based on Detroit:

-venue large enough to house both 5 full playing fields plus FTC fields.
-either same or separate facility to house pits for 300+ FRC teams, 100 FTC teams, FLL teams, plus pit admin, practice fields, etc.

I know Detroit has been looked at several times and actually has 2 suitable venue combinations.

The first combination is using Cobo Hall as the pits, and using Cobo Arena and Joe Louis Arena for the fields or additional pit space. There are several other buildings attached to this, but can't remember any notable ones off the top of my head.

The other combination I heard was to use Ford Field for the Field and use Commerica Park (w/tents) for the pits.

-enough hotels in close proximity (walking distance) to house 500+ teams (students, teachers, parents, mentors) plus VIPs and staff.

Hotels would not be a problem as there are countless hotels in Downtown (including the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere) and many more in the area (including all the new hotel rooms created by last years Casino remodeling blitz.

The Finale could be held at Campus Marcius park in Downtown Detroit.

These buildings are all very close to people mover transportation and the combination can be switched around to convenience FIRST's needs.

-major international airport

Detroit Metro Airport is a Top Ten airport in North America and number 19 in the World, with just enough traffic to make it a large airport, but is big enough to handle large traffic Volumes (Example: Superbowl XL). Highway transport to and from the airport is a breeze, and other major ground transportation is available.

-enough restaurants and food places in the area to feed above mentioned people for a week.

299 Restaurants in the Greater Detroit Area according to http://detroit.diningguide.com/dl1dm.htm

-entertainment in the area to keep teams entertained at night (ie. Georgia Aquarium, Braves games, etc).

A few off the top of my head:
-Henry Ford Museum
-Greenfield Village
-Rouge Ford Factory Tour
-Many Theaters
-and hundreds of other attractions (including Dave and Busters) in the Metro Detroit Area.

Tomasz Bania

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by Tomasz Bania

To cover the bases based on Detroit:

Yabbut, you know, it's Detroit in early spring. How about San Diego? I know there is no really good venue, but it is, after all, San Diego...

[KF987]

As much as i would like to see the championship be held here in vegas there is only one problem...

The convention centers are with out a doubt big enough... but there is no where for anybody to watch the actual game
We were at the IFPE expo a couple weeks ago, and the halls at the Hilton easily topped the size of where is pits are currently held and we thought "hey would'nt it be cool if the championships were here" we then came to the conclusion that the ceilings were only 100ft high at max and nobody could watch the matches.
the convention center's here are built out, not up, and there is no large arena near a convention center. There would be no room for spectators to watch the game.

And most school districts don't like when there kids go to 'vegas' (ex 25 in 06')

I like the championships in ATL, although it does get a bit cold...

-Keaton

[BiTurboS4]

Originally Posted by Tomasz Bania

To cover the bases based on Detroit:

-venue large enough to house both 5 full playing fields plus FTC fields.
-either same or separate facility to house pits for 300+ FRC teams, 100 FTC teams, FLL teams, plus pit admin, practice fields, etc.

I know Detroit has been looked at several times and actually has 2 suitable venue combinations.

The first combination is using Cobo Hall as the pits, and using Cobo Arena and Joe Louis Arena for the fields or additional pit space. There are several other buildings attached to this, but can't remember any notable ones off the top of my head.

The other combination I heard was to use Ford Field for the Field and use Commerica Park (w/tents) for the pits.

-enough hotels in close proximity (walking distance) to house 500+ teams (students, teachers, parents, mentors) plus VIPs and staff.

Hotels would not be a problem as there are countless hotels in Downtown (including the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere) and many more in the area (including all the new hotel rooms created by last years Casino remodeling blitz.

The Finale could be held at Campus Marcius park in Downtown Detroit.

These buildings are all very close to people mover transportation and the combination can be switched around to convenience FIRST's needs.

-major international airport

Detroit Metro Airport is a Top Ten airport in North America and number 19 in the World, with just enough traffic to make it a large airport, but is big enough to handle large traffic Volumes (Example: Superbowl XL). Highway transport to and from the airport is a breeze, and other major ground transportation is available.

-enough restaurants and food places in the area to feed above mentioned people for a week.

299 Restaurants in the Greater Detroit Area according to http://detroit.diningguide.com/dl1dm.htm

-entertainment in the area to keep teams entertained at night (ie. Georgia Aquarium, Braves games, etc).

A few off the top of my head:
-Henry Ford Museum
-Greenfield Village
-Rouge Ford Factory Tour
-Many Theaters
-and hundreds of other attractions (including Dave and Busters) in the Metro Detroit Area.

Tomasz Bania

Sorry, the last time I was the Detroit regional, my confidence in my safety was not there. Nor did I ever feel comfortable walking around the GM building at night. So i'd say SKIP on Detroit as a new Championship site.

[Tomasz Bania]

Originally Posted by BiTurboS4

Sorry, the last time I was the Detroit regional, my confidence in my safety was not there. Nor did I ever feel comfortable walking around the GM building at night. So i'd say SKIP on Detroit as a new Championship site.

I do agree that the place where the Detroit Regional is held is not nessearily the best-looking, but it is not downtown. Expain to me how you would see Ford Field and Comerica Park as an unsafe spot. Just like in Atlanta (and most every city), there are good spots and bad spots. Everyone is just getting the view of "Ohh... Detroit, well isn't that a horrible City?", but downtown Detroit is nice and I can guarantee that flying to Detroit is going to be one of the cheaper places to fly because of it's high capacity and efficiency (if you want to look at it runway wise, it has 6 runways, with 7th underway, which would tie it for most runways in the US (AFAIK), but terminal wise it has over 122 gates in one terminal alone). As Gary said, I am not figuring out the full logistics of this, but "theoretically" couldn't Ford Field house 5 Fields and Couldn't Cobo Arena and Joe Louis combined hold 5 fields, just for the sake of argueing? Weather is my only true reservation about Detroit, but as we see with Atlanta, anything is possible.

[The Lucas]

Originally Posted by A_Reed

yeah I hope that was a joke, as I remember it was uphill both ways to and from the pits, lol.

Runaway robot carts were a major hazard on those ramps . It took so long to get back and forth, you had no pit time and some times had to work on the robot while moving.

Originally Posted by Karthik

Viva Las Vegas!

I've never been to Vegas, only Reno. It is certainly a candidate that I think most would be happy with. I think the only oppositions would be gambling related as usual.

[RMiller]

Some of the volunteers at MN came up with what I thought was a great idea. Have major cities bid on hosting similar to the Olympics. That would include the venue and places for celebrations.
I personally think that Minneapolis has a lot going for it. Either hosting at the U (similar to this past weekend, but also using the hockey rinks) or over near downtown with the Dome (they are all of two mi or so apart). What would really seal the deal is if we could order up a snow storm for the weekend so we could introduce all of you from the south to a nice Minnesota spring storm (we had about 6-10 inches fall yesterday!)