What is up with the badge quality for this year? instead of the usual plastic ones we got these papery ones which are already starting to fall apart. I use my champs badges as a sort of momento of the event for years to come, so this lack of quality is really frustrating. Anyone else have this issue or is it just me?
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Not only that, but all of the drive team buttons from teams that qualified week 7 have a piece of scotch tape with the team number on them 
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I too miss the old plastic badges…
My guess is there are 2 reasons for this change (with one of them as the main one):
- Paper badges are cheaper.
- Plastic is bad for the environment.
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I’d put money on supply chain, cost savings, or both.
Also, someone who is there in-person check me, but I think they might have a new registration/badging vendor because iirc it was previously the same vendor that did travel arrangements (who is no longer the vendor for that).
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Two years of no events and now there are about 800 less teams participating overall.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
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Paying $5k to get masking tape and sharpie was pretty disappointing.
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I was pretty infuriated when folks from 4130 shared this with me. I get it, I really do, but were paying $5000 to attend. Rubbed me the wrong way
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- Security flaw with the old badge system.
Not defending the flimsy paper badges, I don’t like them either.
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'member when scanning a minor’s badge gave you their full name? I 'member, and I 'member when they just printed it right on there too and people had to sharpie them out.
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Oh I was thinking of something completly different. But that too.
The QR code on the badges this year seem to show minors’ last names when scanned. At least it does for everyone in my hotel room.
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You mean like swaping the black “invited guest” badge holders to get access to the lounge and other secret places?
There’s noooooooooooo waaaaaaaaaaay we swapped those around to different people.
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To be fair, my dad walked straight through VIP louge this year on accident. So I don’t think the badge swapping was the only factor with gaining access to “secret areas”.
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It would at least be nice if they kept the badges the standard size so you could get your own badge holder down the line if you wanted to keep it. The info on here could easily be condensed into that space while still allowing room for the branding and program marker.
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Wait what cool places can I go to as an invited guest?
@Ryan_Dognaux from Thriftybot has a bunch of plastic sleeves. I was able to grab some from him today. What a champ.
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I would go with cost savings.
The event(s) over the last two years and their effects on the funding of this arcane adventure into STEAM has throttled the flow to the trough.
It is evident on many levels from the single color printing on our volunteer T-shirts at Regionals/Districts and now the champs to the Volunteer catering services (the food is still very good IMHO but I will eat almost anything) where there is no dinner service on Thursday or Friday.
I don’t mind it as sometimes austerity lends itself to reflection.
That being said, the quality of the Robots at this distilled event is above average and I look forward to seeing how it plays out today (Friday) & tomorrow.
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No concert in the park either. I for one am happy that money is being saved in places where it doesn’t affect robots and teams.
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I’m sure they’ll use the extra registration money to buy them next year
My badge is made of some sort of plasticy paper that has held up quite well. It hasn’t torn (not that I could tear it if I wanted to), only has a few creases, and I can only see scratches on the black part on top.
I think they are fine, but I don’t have anything to compare it with.
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