Making Nationals better next year

FIRST General Forum
1

Well, I know there have been threads about what’s been wrong with Houston, and what to do with Atlanta next year… well I’m more along the lines of talking about how to give the people a reward. FIRST tried with Mandy Moore back at Epcot the other year, I assume since she went to the project graduation for Central Florida right after that… but 99% of people left for the team party. I think this was still an amazingly good idea, if they could just make it work. My suggestion is to have a group like Blue Man Group, that has everything mixed together and isn’t truly any particular genre, it’s its own unique thing, and for the most part I think everyone likes them if they’ve listened to some of their music, especially with “The Complex” that was released a few months ago, I just got back from the concert… and I have to say, it was hands-down the best concert I’ve ever gone to, 10-fold… they are an amazing group live and I can’t even describe how great it was.

Well basically I’m making this thread to see what people think about this idea and/or other ways to give teams an extra “reward” for their hard work.

2

Blue Man Group is an awsome idea… but unrealistic. The Boston Playhouse holds an audience of around 500, and at $50 a ticket (average), they make about $25,000 a show. Assuming that they would perform at nationals on a Saturday, they’d be missing out on $50,000 that day.

Now, I’m not saying that they still wouldn’t be able to perform wherever their home Playhouse is, they do have extras and understudies (the same 3 Blue Men and 3 Band Members DO NOT do every show)… but they just may think that their performance for an audience of 15-20K is worth that much.

Ok, so you owe them $50,000 as it is. But remember… the Blue Men aren’t too used to doing a show with only 3, it’s 6 people you’d have to care for (3 band members and themselves). Not including getting their equipment to travel, stage-hands, other ppl. Add onto that flights, hotels… you’re talking at least $60,000.

Do you want to be the one going to your sponser, telling them that Registration for Nationals costs an extra couple hundred dollars because we wanna see Blue Man Group?

I think not.

Mandy Moore was a surprise because she’s supported a lot by Dinsey, they figured it would be a good gig for her to sell records, and she just happened to be in the area. Mutual benefits. But things like that will remain uncommon.

I don’t think FIRST owes us any show, music group, or commodity. Being at Nationals is a reward in itself, and it’s already too expensive as it is. Why would we wanna increase the burdon?

Ok, sorry I tore apart your post :p, but FIRST is swamped… and all we do is beg and beg and whine for more. Are we never happy??? It sure seems it. Almost all I see on CD are people complaining about “FIRST should do this, FIRST should do that!” I respect the people who go out and make things happen for themselves (like the creators of such groups as fsn, rcu, freelance FIRST, ect…) and the people who have shown so much dedication and passion for this activity that they have earned a spot of trust with FIRST and are able to help THEM make such things happen.

Its this advice I give onto you… there is a way to climb up the ladder within the FIRST program, and one of those is to help THEM make things happen. For you youngens out there this may seem somewhat of a stretch… but if you have the kind of personality that supports good ideas about changes with FIRST and how it’s run, they would appreciate your help.

Just please… stop whining.

3

To address Erin’s response, I don’t really believe mike was whining, just pointing out the obvious, and trying to continue on an idea that just hasn’t happened. True, FIRST doesn’t owe us anything, Nats is great as is, the idea behind more is not that of selfishness, but that of adding on to the FIRST experience. However, I do agree that there are the whiners out there, and that needs to stop.

ANYWAYS________

Yes, more at the FIRST event would be great. Big dreams have come true through first, and maybe this has a chance of coming true as well. Maybe, what we could do is have a FIRST talent search, and have a band composed of FIRST members, and have them write, and perform songs. Now that would be kool, and once again its just a big dream, and not a complaint that it doesnt exist.

4

It doesn’t make much of a difference to me.

If I’m there, I’m doing robotics 24/7.

5

Well, this post wasn’t really me whining, just actually saying an idea to see what others thought. I felt if we had enough input on different ideas for shows, that we could approach groups ourselves and get ahold of FIRST, to try to see if they’d do it, sort of like a voluntary thing. For example, the reason I mentioned blue man group was because I know in the past they’ve sometimes gone out and done things that they didn’t make much/any money on, and I was throwing that idea up in the air, just to see what people thought, but not to whine about FIRST. They’ve got alot of things going on, and I actually was trying to start this to see if people wanted to try to make something happen, not saying FIRST should try to do it. So, I leave it at that, I just felt it was worth a shot.

6

Sorry… I didn’t mean that you personally were whining. And I should have added that I, too, am a daydreamer. All these ideas would be nice (for instance, I love BMG so much that I go usher their shows and see them for free)

All I’m saying is that many CD posters spend hours looking at the forums and speculating about how FIRST and FIRST events can be better… it’s not totally a bad thing. They can’t get better unless they know where their weaknesses lie.

But imagine if those hours were actually spent DOING these things… then we’ve would have really made a difference.

Wrong thread for this subject I suspect… but to get back on topic

If we want some good entertainment for Nationals, perhaps some talented FIRSTers could get together and put on a show similar to BMG?

Obviously it wouldn’t be too professional, but they’d have to put in an audition tape to make sure that it (for lack of better words) doesn’t suck.

Sorry if i insulted anyone… I just have a personality where I’d rather be doing than watching. (hah, that’s why I hate sports on TV!)

7

*Originally posted by Erin Rapacki *
If we want some good entertainment for Nationals, perhaps some talented FIRSTers could get together and put on a show similar to BMG?

I’m personally actually doing a mock-up for talent show next year doing a drumbone performance. I met this guy “eKevin” on a blue man group site with media and all, and he has a site with how to build one… http://drumboneconstruction.tripod.com/ So, that could be a good idea… as for like the Tubulums… those would be harder to make, but if people got together… what you say could work. I know you can buy the head mask things similar to theirs for like $15 each.

8

Yeah there was some knock off of the blue man group |( one was green the other yellow and other red but same sorta thing) when I went to the Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree in Virginia and they did countless shows a day ( probably easily 8 or so) and did so basically every day for over a week! So it is completly possible to rig something up

9

Has anyone ever actually asked The Blue Man group if they would do it instead of just assuming they wouldn’t? Never hurts to ask, there is always a chance.

10

I am just dreaming but it would be awesome if FIRST could some how get Metallica to come and play at the Nats.

Anyways, at Houston, I really wasn’t into the Six Flags park or the parties that FIRST threw. Most of my team just went back to the hotel and hung out in the Galleria area. I wouldn’t mind going back to Houston, only if they planned it a little better.

I have been to Atlanta and it is a really great town and with Georgia Tech close by, some really awesome people will be close to the Nats.

11

Please realize that the Blue Man Group – or any performer for that matter – only receives a fraction of the ticket proceeds from a show.

If they’re performing in a single venue on a schedule as they often do in Las Vegas, for example, they’re being paid on a contractual basis – X number of shows per year, for example.

The reward for FIRST participants is engaging one another in friendship and support. Further rewards should facilitate bringing people together to interact and learn from one another – not make everyone stare wide-eyed at some stage and learning nothing about the people that surround them.

…and, for what it’s worth, I can think of at least one person who can’t stand the Blue Man Group.

12

I was thinking about starting a thread about this, but this one’s already here.

The ratio of Homestar Runner fans to non-Homestar Runner fans in FIRST (or at least the Chiefdelphi posting contigent) seems pretty high.

Nationals will be in Atlanta. The Brothers Chaps live in Atlanta (or at least somewhere in Georgia, I’m not quite sure).

Think about it, y’all. Mike and Matt Chapman are not huge celebrities to the rest of the world, so it’s not gonna be too hard to get them to make an appearance. And just imagine all of us clapping along as Matt sings “The Cheat is not Dead”.

13

Bring back the fireworks!!! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

14

*Originally posted by Clark Gilbert *
**Bring back the fireworks!!! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

**

Definitely! We haven’t had a big show like that since 2001. The 2002 show was okay (the flares in the FIRST logo were cool), but it was nowhere near as impressive as the show on Einstein in 2001. Of course… there’s the problem that Nats is indoors… but a show in Centennial Park or the like would work.

15

FIRST does have the outside area for the fireworks, and the homestar runner people might actually go for it, because they are common people and might just do it for fun and to come out and support us even, good thinking eveyrone! :slight_smile:

16

not having a 1/4 mile walk straight up to get from the pits to the fields would be nice

17

I understand that there are financial reasons behind the rule, but I really didn’t like the “no food in the arena” rule. The idea was probably to get people to buy from the expensive food stands, but it didn’t seem to work that well. Lots of people snuck food in or ate elsewhere, and it was a big inconvenience for everyone. If they’re not relying on the income from that concession stand, I think they should take away the rule.

18

*Originally posted by golf_cart_john *
**I understand that there are financial reasons behind the rule, but I really didn’t like the “no food in the arena” rule. The idea was probably to get people to buy from the expensive food stands, but it didn’t seem to work that well. Lots of people snuck food in or ate elsewhere, and it was a big inconvenience for everyone. If they’re not relying on the income from that concession stand, I think they should take away the rule. **

I believe it’s part of the standard arena contract in most places. I do know at Epcot, we could bring food in… but… Epcot was not a major sports arena, with concessionaires’ contracts to worry about, so it’s not a good comparison. Chances are, the Georgia Dome won’t allow outside food, either.

19

*Originally posted by golf_cart_john *
**I understand that there are financial reasons behind the rule, but I really didn’t like the “no food in the arena” rule. The idea was probably to get people to buy from the expensive food stands, but it didn’t seem to work that well. Lots of people snuck food in or ate elsewhere, and it was a big inconvenience for everyone. If they’re not relying on the income from that concession stand, I think they should take away the rule. **

No, that’s not really it at all.

Each venue hosts lots of events, right? They host basketball games and conventions and all sorts of other things. Well, the venues sign contracts with food vendors to provide food for all of those events. The contracts often prohibit the venue from using another vendor for food – exclusivity.

FIRST, when they use a venue, has to abide by all the existing contracts a venue has – whether they be for lighting or food or whatever else.

FIRST doesn’t see the money from food sales (as far as I know) and thus has no real interest in seeing you pay $6 for a hamburger. They just have no say in the matter.

20

While BMG would be awsome, lets face it, when you bring in a band, it causes the usual “Why wosn’t it band xxx?” I’d rather see the fireworks show and money spent towards FREE WATER so people (me) don’t have to die of thirst at these competitions instead of buy a $4 bottle of Coke…