The lack of flair was probably due to MONEY, remember ther letter about how they were going to eliminate some things to provide the same service? Anywho I would like to see a centralized location based on team concentration. this would be more torwards the east coast. I like the Idea of St. Louis but like somone said earlier it need to be run by a place that specializes in entertainment. Maybe a bigger Six Flags? (houston’s was little.)
Atlanta anyone?
Hey, anywhere that requires a hotel is fine by me just get me out of NEw England.
I may live five minutes from Chicago, but I picked WDW.
One of the biggest problems with some of the cities and places listed there are, “What is there in _________ for the teams to do in offtime?” and “What is there in __________ for the teams to do in offtime that they can afford on top of all the money they’ve already spent?”
That’s my personal reason why WDW was the perfect venue - there’s never nothing to do. (I don’t want to see any grammar police come after me for that one.)
*Originally posted by MisterX *
**Hey, anywhere that requires a hotel is fine by me just get me out of NEw England. **
I hear ya!
As much as I would like to travel to other regionals and see the landscape of cities I have never been too, good old Disney World is for me. The environment, atmosphere, and landscape is awesome at Disney. I am pretty sure there are other places that may provide a similar environment and landscaping, but I believe Disney goes the extra mile to give an incredible atmosphere and mood to the competition which I believe would be very difficult to recreate. Disney has been doing this type of stuff for decades. I guess I would leave it to the pros.
*Originally posted by AsimC *
**Silicon Valley!.. **
That’d be sweet.
I liked Houston. But I’d want it to be at Florida because I haven’t been there. But anywhere in California would gain my mom’s approval immediately and I wouldn’t have to beg, or hear her complain about she’s “making a mistake” by letting me on a plane…
Raleigh, North Carolina!!! 
*Originally posted by Marygrace *
**VOTE FOR VEGAS!!! It is coo’!**
Come on! You know you want to go to Wet’n’wild and Buffalo Bills and Circus Circus, and the Coca- Cola factory, and the M&M factory, and the MGM theme Park, and the Luxor, and the New York New York and the Stratosphere. (Big Shot!!! AAHHH!!!) And any other place i forgot to mention! Oh, and then we can visit Paris and the Belagio…YEAH!!! Oh and the ace racing world thing. GoCarters fantasy world!!!
*Originally posted by Marygrace *
**Come on! You know you want to go to Wet’n’wild and Buffalo Bills and Circus Circus, and the Coca- Cola factory, and the M&M factory, and the MGM theme Park, and the Luxor, and the New York New York and the Stratosphere. (Big Shot!!! AAHHH!!!) And any other place i forgot to mention! Oh, and then we can visit Paris and the Belagio…YEAH!!! Oh and the ace racing world thing. GoCarters fantasy world!!! **
You forgot one…
Are you sure FIRST would approve of having a regional in Las Vegas? All teams are most likely going to stay in a hotel on the strip which all have casinos just because they’re cheaper. Umm out of more than 200 teams, you are bound to have some team have a controversy about gambling. So i think they would be very hesitant, but I would enjoy Las Vegas because of the attractions
Heh, my reason was already posted for wherever. It needs to be in New York City, Boston, Chicago, or Las Vegas… so the Blue Man Group can come out and perform. 
Looks like epcot is winning. I live in Orlando. I’d love to see the competitions again. I don’t think you can get as picturesque and memorable setting as Disney.
I don’t care where it is, I just want to go to nats.
I like the idea of moving the Nationals to a new city every year.
(a) Teams get to see and experience different parts of the country. That is educational and fun in itself.
(b) FIRST is introduced in those areas on the scale of the nationals. That would help with getting more exposure for FIRST in those areas and therefore more support for FIRST teams there.
True, it is hard to move to a new venue and make everything work as well as it did with Walt Disney World where they had years of experience. However, eventually the necessary formula for success would be gotten down. Also various cities might even get into bidding wars like they do with the Olympics, and they would need to guarantee certain amenities as part of the whole process. In other words, we would have some bargaining power. I am sure lots of cities would like to see 20,000 visitors arrive.
One of these years, I think the teams out west would love to see the Nationals come to Disneyland in the Los Angeles area. We would certainly try hard to show everyone a good time, and Walt Disney World could pass on some of its successful processes to Disneyland.
I live in las vegas, and no i do not live in a hotel. Las vegas is a great family community, and definetly school appropriate. We Have a few arena’s where the event could be held at. there are tons of things to do here, and if we got the hotels involved in the competition, that would be even better. Gambling is its own issue. teams will have to decide weather or not to let their adult members go out on their own. the legal drinking and gambling age in Nevada is 21, and the security and police are very strict about keeping it at that. The closest a minor can get to a slot machine is something like 4 to 5 feet before they are asked to move (believe me, because i have been asked to move, when family was in town and they put a few nickels in the machines). Flights are cheap to las vegas, and the airport a just a few miles from the strip. please see my post from awhile ago about a las vegas regional. http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20240
If FIRST doesnt make Las Vegas the site of a competition, my team (T-987) may possibly host an off season event here. the earliest we would host an event would be sometime this fall. Please IM me on AIM at JoeAssMan22 or email me at superdave611@aol.com if you are interested. Thanks a lot.
-dave
2003 AZ Regional Semifinalist
2003 AZ Regional Xerox Creativity Award Winner
2002 Einstein Div. Championship Highest Rookie Seed, 5th place
Originally posted by SuperDave *
** The closest a minor can get to a slot machine is something like 4 to 5 feet before they are asked to move (believe me, because i have been asked to move, when family was in town and they put a few nickels in the machines).*
LOL, i know what you mean, I lived there for nine years, and have gotten scolded a many a times. My opinion about vegas being the “Sin City” is that it is just stereotyping…I think that is how you say it. Every city has it bad points, i am sure Houston and the Epcot have their own problems. There is no reason to single out Vegas for it’s reputation. There is alot of good to cancel out the bad.
I know from some discussions with the FIRST Staff, that their is a large amount of future discussion and planning going into the Championship Event. This was a taste of what is to come.
I know that they hope to travel the country with championship and not keep it more in a single location.
Maybe they will rotate and only once every four years will we be in WDW and Epcot.
It is all about cost remember that
I saw a report on CNN that said Hartford had one, if not the highest, drug problems in the Nation… just something to think about (especially cause there’s a regional here and we’re speaking about crime rates and whatnot)
Florida is my choice!!!
I can’t forget the sunshine, the roller coasters, the test-track, the terror tower, right-side view of Mr. Disney and Mickey and the extruded-faces geosphere (Epcot)!!!
Brian