My name is Denis and my team is # 2247 Fb high tech of regional Brazil!
We win this regional and needed help for more informations about the next step in Atlanta.
There are some questions:
1 ° How is the competition in Atlanta?
2 ° There are travel packages? For our money is short!
3 ° When will the competition in Atlanta?
4 ° There are additional payments to participate in the trip?
Atlanta is an amazing experience. Every team should be able to experience it at least once.
I’m not aware of any travel packages. Try looking at http://www.travelocity.com/ http://www.expedia.com/ for deals. Or it may be possible to negotiate a deal or sponsorship from one of the airline companies
As of now the competition is most likely held on april 17 - 19. This may change because of the toronado, but this is extremely unlikely.
I believe the registeration cost is $5000 US, someone confirm this. Also, there will be hotel and food costs as well as some miscellanous costs.
Hi Denis, congratulations on being invited to Atlanta! Check the www.usfirst.org Website. There is a company that FIRST is using to coordinate housing at the event – they will help you find a hotel. I believe that you will have to make your own airline reservations. We received two email messages about coming to Atlanta, which had a lot of good information. We received them right after our tournament, so you should hear tomorrow. Here is the email we received:
We are contacting you because FIRST has shared that you have been invited to the 2008 Championships in Atlanta, April 16-20, 2008. Congratulations on your achievements so far and we hope you have the opportunity to visit Atlanta.
Our company, Steele Meetings, Inc has again been selected as the housing company for the 2008 Championship. You may have already been in contact with us or have visited our website. If so, thank you for visiting and please let us know how we may make your stay in Atlanta even more enjoyable.
Today we are trying to convince our college to make this investment because it is expensive and has many problems with visas and permits for Brazil’s going to the USA!
Congratulations on your win, and best wishes on making it to Atlanta. I have some appreciation for your issues with visas and permits… even though we are a Canadian team, two of our team members who are new to Canada were denied permission to enter the USA this year… a bit disappointing for them when we are competing in Portland and Seattle, and we have spent hundreds of dollars extra on customs brokerage fees for buying parts and shipping our robot across the border.
From what I understand, however, this is a very minor inconvenience compared to the challenges facing overseas teams. I would hope that FIRST can do something special for international teams in recognition of these challenges to ensure that each country that hosts an FRC regional is represented by at least one FRC team in Atlanta. (Perhaps this is already done, and I am just unaware of it…)
In any case, Denis, thank you and all the other overseas teams for making FIRST something more than simply a North American contest. You guys overcome challenges that most of the rest of us are completely unaware of!
Denis, you should check with team #1772. This team is from Gravatai as well. Team #1772 is coming to the Houston regional this week. The team had to get a letter from me in the United States to get their visas. I had to address the letter to the American Consulate in Brazil in order for them to get their visas. Team #1772 is going to Atlanta so perhaps they can help you. There is a $5,000 entry fee to compete at the championship and you will have shipping charges as well. I suggest you get in touch with Ivan Boesing your Brazil Regional Director.
When we go, we typically have 24-30 kids going. Each of these kids pays about $750 to $1000 to go, which covers all of their costs. we use the team funds to pay for registration.
Its expensive, but you really should go! its an amazing experience!
Chairman’s can go, unless something has changed. Woodie Flowers Award winning teams are not eligible unless they got in another way. You won the regional, though, so you don’t need to worry about those.
Your team would need passports, visas, and whatever other documents needed to get you into the U.S.
By the way, I think the best team to talk to would be 383, the Brazilian Machine. They were at Connecticut Regional last weekend. They also have somewhere around 10 years of experience getting into the U.S. with a robot, including trips to the Championship. If they can’t give you advice, I don’t know who can. (They might also help you talk to your college.)