Tentative date for the 2011 IRI is July 22 & 23 (Friday and Saturday).
We will confirm in early 2011 once the summer school schedules are set.
I’ve locked up MARC for June 24th and 25th 2011. This will give teams a month between the two events. I like this timeframe better than early July.
The IRI website has been updated with a bunch of new information regarding this summer’s event.
The 2011 IRI will take place July 21-23, once again at Lawrence North High School. Please keep in mind that over 100 FRC teams would like to compete at IRI, so we have to make it an application process. Here are this year’s specifics:
- Applications for competing at IRI will be entered on the IRI website, starting May 9th, ending May 15th.
- All applications entered during those dates will be evaluated on what that team brings to IRI. Strength of on-field performance during the 2011 season is weighted heaviest. Other factors are also considered.
- Invitations to 66 teams will be sent out on May 18th.
- Most likely, there will be a wait list, so invited teams will have a limited amount of time to pay their entry fee (date tbd). Teams not paying by that date will lose their spot and a team from the wait list will be invited.
- We are working on alternative methods of payment (Paypal?)
- The entry fee is $650. Yes, this is an increase from last year ($500 was the fee in 2010).
- 66 teams (approximately) will be accepted to compete at IRI. Yes, this is a decrease from last year (79 competed in 2010).
- There will be a VIP / mentor dinner on Thursday night, ON THE PLAYING FIELD. Cost will be approximately $25. More information will come on this. We promise that mini-bots will be involved with getting food to the tables.
- Competing teams will each have nine (9) qualification matches
- There will be no mentor match or tournament this year
- There may be an opportunity for mentors and/or students to drive robots, competing in a separate fundraising event. This opportunity may or may not involve a method of destroying tubes used in the 2011 FRC game.
- There will be a talent show
- There will be a return of the Dean Simmons and the Kamen Brothers band, performing after the talent show
- Many student scholarships will be available
- The tech fair will once again be taking place on Friday and Saturday
- Teams will be treated to a meal on Friday night
- Teams will be given 5 coupons for IRI t-shirts
- A silent auction will again take place
- Proceeds from the silent auction and the tube-destroying activity (specifics to be determined) will be donated to two local charities
- Backpacks will be collected, again, for local school children
- Fun will be had by all, of course!
See you then!
Andy B.
Can we get a tentative event schedule?
i.e. Will teams miss anything by flying in late Thursday?
Oh darn, we don’t have a chance this year. 
2791 will probably be sending a Volunteer Team again this year. At least, a few of us will show up!
I’m a bit saddened at the loss of the Mentor Matches, but I understand if / that they had to go.
Great update, Andy. The mini-bots continue to become more clever with each passing week, it seems. Looking forward to hearing about their talents in food service.
Will there be judged awards this year?
Jane
Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh jeeez 
We better start planning some more Kesha songs for the talent show…
Will there be judged awards this year?
Thursday night will be for bringing in and setting up only.
We will have a “teams out” time enforced to allow a quiet evening for the sponsor / mentor dinner.
Matches will probaby begin about 11 AM on Friday. Detials being worked.
No Judged Awards.
**NEW ADDITION - PAYPAL INVOICING **- We are working to have Paypal invoicing. This will allow you to pay with a credit card, debit card, papal account, or send a check. We are still working the details but this should be working by the time invitations are sent.
Adding to what Chris said above, here is the Event Schedule.
As Chris mentioned, there is a VIP / Mentor dinner on Thursday evening, with an optional team load-in Thursday late afternoon. Most teams load-in on Friday morning. So, if teams get in late Thursday night, they are not really missing anything.
Andy Baker
Andy,
Do we still have an auto entry if we sign up and is entry fee covered, even with the increase in registration?
Glenn
The winning teams from 2010 (teams 330, 469, 359, and 399) all will be accepted and will have their entry fees waived for 2011 if they choose to apply.
So, yes. No entry fee for the Hawaiian Kids.
Andy
Thanks for the quick response.
We will try and book our airfares before championships then before it hits over 1k like last year. 
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How will I be able to defend my title??? I feel like my Packers this year winning the superbowl and not being able to defend it because of the lockout…
Andy, I think this is a personal attack against Wisconsin winning at the two most important competitions in life… Football and the mentor match! :rolleyes:
Who will be watching the kids while all the mentors are at dinner? Will they have an activity somewhere else on the property? Like perhaps washing all the mentors cars?
The HighRollers are talking about making a trip back to Indiana. IRI is one of the best events in FIRST. Great people, great event, great times.
-Keaton
As per Andy Baker, "Applications for competing at IRI will be entered on the IRI website, starting May 9th, ending May 15th."
The M.A.R.C’s registration dealine is May 14th. This puts their registration deadline at the same time as M.A.R.C.'s. There are a lot of teams that try and go to both events. If you are interested in attending both events please pay attention to this and don’t forget to register for them both.
Will there be a Vex Qualifier this year?
This is a problem that can only be solved with copius amounts of duct tape.
Or an electric fence.
Or a giant game of Ninja.
Or combine the two for a new game I call Ninja-Sparks (still working on the rules, but I garuantee it will be spectator friendly:eek: ).
Will there be any Pre-Rookie festivities as there have been in the past?
I would hope the attending teams are not “from across the USA”
Are scholarships only open to graduating seniors on competing teams?
I don’t believe the Vex event qualified anyone for anything last year… But I am interested in knowing if Swept Away will return to IRI.