How shoud i go about bringing some professors of mine and a few school officials and later business partners to a regional? I have a few people already interested in attending FLR in week 2.
Im sure some have done this before in great sucess, so i ask the cd community, how was it done and was it suscessful? in turn i hope to be showing them a great time and what FIRST is about. Hopefully get the school involved and ready to want to build next season.
thanks in advance.
First of all, let the regional cordonator know, they might be able to provide some VIP access for them.
Second, plan out the time there. Have them coming in for a match or two, get some kids to explain the game and their team, then move them through the pits (remember to bring safety glasses for them!), show them your robot (get students to explain!), and then show them anything else you find interesting (inspection row for example if it’s on thursday).
Overall, give a structured professional presentation and you’ll do great. Most of the time businesses will just be amazed even if you did it in your boxers and spoke in Klingon. :]
well alex i would say that if you want them to see how active students can be the GRR1 team is a great example, and as Rees always says(i am paraphrasing here so bear with me) “it’s your robot not mine.” So i would talk to Rees, but depending on who u bring like if one of them is really competetive have them watch some matches take them up close for some, have him sit in on a pre-game strategy meeting(u can just follow me for a bit). but if u need help at all i will attempt to help.
hmm.
so your saying there for like 2/3 hours? maybe 1 hour before the the liminatons rounds? then such?
One or two matches to get the hang of it, and if you can plan at the last minute, make it so one of your matches is that. Be flexible and stuff.
I would say contact the New Team Development Chair for the FLR. (That would be me & you have already done that).
Give the people a copy of the agenda for the Regional (http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedfiles/community/frc/events/2007_ROC_Agenda.pdf)
Bring them on Friday or Saturday We can set you up with FIRST Ambassadors to show them around and they will have a presentation ready for the mornings on both days (I believe both days)
Bring them to some of the more well known teams & some of the rookie teams to get a feel for what they have in store.
Sit back, relax & let us take care of you.
We have taken Alex’s thread way off track and I apologize Alex.
Indeed we have. One of the issues here is which day would be best to bring a sponsor. Does it matter? Would it be best to bring a potential sponsor on thursday for practice, friday for qualification, or saturday for the elimination? Also, which day you’re on will partially determine what your team does in between matches (and consequently, what you’re showing people). Most of the time, thursdays are spent on repairs and tweakings. Lucky teams can spend their fridays and saturdays perfecting their robots, or just leaving them alone.
A proper presentation would probably include an explanation of the rules, if they aren’t familiar, an explanation of your robot, complete with expert opinions, a tour of the facilities, and some time spent in the stands watching some matches.
Alex,
Just follow Jason’s lead and the FLR Committee will take care of organizing an agenda and an official invite to your guests.
I am a school board member. I can tell you what worked when I was introduced to FIRST. The lead teacher/advisor of Team 63, the Red Barons, asked me to attend the Greater Toronto Regional the year of Zone Zeal. I arrived Saturday morning about 10am and saw a number of matches, including one involving the Red Barons (seeing your team in action can’t hurt!). During the break before the alliance pairings, I got a more detailed explanation of the game, a tour of the pits (safety glasses included) and a team t-shirt, which I still have. Alliance pairings, a quick bite of lunch and off to the finals.
It didn’t take long for me to know I had to get involved. Whats not to like? A regional is one part sporting event, one part rock concert and one part dance party. But clearly a regional is just the payoff for a long build season.
The next fall I started out coaching a Lego League team. Then on to the big leagues in time for Stack Attack. I have been actively involved now for five seasons.
The real buzz is seeing how a student who barely knows which end of a wrench to hold in his or her first year progresses to being a team leader in two or three years. Or how a student with no particular direction for life after high school earns a full scholarship to an engineering school based in large part on their participation in FIRST. So be sure to have students talk about how FIRST has impacted them.
I think it depends on what you want these officials to see while they are at the event…
The principal at my high school was a really spirited guy, really into sports and was very enthusiastic. I didn’t think he woudl like the VIP treatment, where he gets tours and goes and watches matches from a box, so we got him a uniform and made him a part of the team, which I think was the best thing we could’ve done.
He learned the game and was cheering for our team, and would come down to the pits to see what was going on with the robot. It all depends on waht kind of experience you want them to have. A “student” perspective for these kind of people can show them why the kids at their school are so enthusiastic about it.
Update!
I handed off the paperwork to the Principle this morniing inviting the staff to the regional and all. I then visited once class was done and she invited me to the faculy meeting wed. to attract faculty to attend the regional. I still have Bulldog; 1126’s 2003 robot at the college, so i will present one of my many promotional FIRST videos and a lil robot demostration at the meeting to get teachers hopefully involved and want to go to FLR. i am also the first thing in the meeting too! should be fun and i’ll give another update after the meeting.
I am trying to figure out which video that i should show the faculty.
i have uploaded a few that i had on the laptop to myspace.
please take a look at them and tell me which i should use.
sorry that’s the only place that i know of that puts them up in a short period of time.
and i guess it takes a long time to load the videos, i am sorry. it take sa short period of time for me, probably becuase they wer eon my laptop. 
I say video 3.
Hey Cormier, I just watched them all. I like the 1st video more than any of the other ones. It talks about the program well and it shows some pretty sweet footage.
Well cormier let me start off by saying, great idea to start a team, I was thinking the same thing, Since i will be attending Alfred University across the road from you we should work together.
After four years in FIRST, I feel that video 2 represents the program the best. It shows all aspects of the student involvement which is what any team should be based on. The Students, Good Luck Cormier see you in FLR
Alex,
I would propose the one with the 6 minute one if they have the time.
Video 1 is the most informative
I have decided to go with video 2 for the presentation.
the next step to think is, what to say beofre showing the video and then what to do afterwards.
thanks for everyones input.
With all that talk, i have decided to go with this video instead of the other 3 i shown.