If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.
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Elite access is not available to the public.
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One of my fellow alumni mentors hadn’t bothered to get an alumni ribbon so he had to book it past the check point when security noticed.
Why do only certain parts of our robots have access to their own longe? I think the Rio is feeling left out.
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Be Dean Kamen
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Justin,
I dont speak for the rest of the group, but my argument for keeping it was the fact that we are volunteers as well. I spend many hours every week judging WFFA essays all the way up to the point of where the group decides the final WFA awardee.
If volunteers have access to have lunch, snacks, and drinks, why cant we? None of us abuse it.
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The entire Invited Guest program was basically eliminated. I think giving WFA winners volunteer badges, or staff badges would be great. The invited guest lounge doesn’t exist how it used to (a whole floor or hall of the convention center). If you’re looking for meals and a place to hang out (which I think WFA winners rightfully deserve), a volunteer badge would get you that just as well as the new, scaled back VIP badges.
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We are aware of it. I heard some figures on the cost of things per person, and it is a lot.
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I am aware of some significant sponsors who are not happy with the reduced attention they have received lately.
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Joe,
sorry to hear that. That’s beyond my pay grade.
Glenn
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That’s unfortunate to hear, but I wonder what kind of attention they’re looking for. FIRST can’t exactly give them the same treatment they get at major sporting events, as cool as that would be.
During 2018 for the alumni event during the opening night event at ford field they had such a holdup. There were probably 30 of us who didn’t have alumni ribbons and they said we couldn’t go up, but no one ever told us where to get the ribbons and it was a whole argument to get up to the alumni event. Many of us were ready to make our own alumni event at the bar a block over.
On another note, I’ve never known where to get the ribbons at any event, especially at champs. I’ll see people with such niche ribbons too.
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The official Alumni ribbons came from the main check-in/ information desk. Luckily I asked around and got one before the event so I could help smuggle another alumni/mentor/volunteer past the checkpoint. I assume all the official ribbons come from the check in area.
Official ribbons come at check-in. If you are an alum and didn’t get one at check-in, you can go back up and ask. The fun ribbons are typically provided by field VC’s, key volunteers, etc. but you can buy them on your own as well. Amazon has some, most are done through companies like Marco Promos
I personally use Marco Promos for the Unofficial FRC Discord ribbons. Then people on the mod team pass them out throughout competition.
Teams and individuals love to make ribbons and hand them out. The volunteer lounge also usually has 5-10 different ribbons, pronoun ribbons at the info desk, and alumni ribbons can also be at info desk or an alumni specific table.
Many sponsors were satisfied with the prior status quo. Maybe there is a happy medium though 
I’llLimelight, an integrated vision coprocessor add on that Region specific Ribbons were dropped off at team pits by RDs
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forget field access, let’s talk about lunch inside the venue
You now can bid on one right now:
I was the first bidder. I might be a little out of my price range now 