Frequently Asked Questions &
Answers about Robofest Site Hosting
What is the cost to host a Robofest Contest? Robofest will send you many things
you need to host a Robofest competition.
We will send trophies, medals, frames & certificates, signs, name
tags, t-shirts for site volunteers, and even a small gift for all of your
volunteers. We will ship parts of
playing field materials to you as well.
(To help save on the cost of shipping, we ask site hosts to purchase the
balance of playing field materials that are needed for your site. Just send us the receipts and we will
reimburse you for the playing field material expenses). We know that volunteer time for you and your
staff is priceless. Beyond the above
expenses, the cost is basically minimal.
You will be in the black.
Is there any revenue received as a Site Host? You will have income sources. You may have your own site sponsors. We will develop a webpage for your contest
site with your site sponsor logos. You
may have a concession stand to sell food and beverages. You can also have the opportunity to sell
Robofest promotional items such as t-shirts, gifts, etc. if you are
interested. Another source of income is
a $20 fee that each site may charge teams at check-in. This check-in fee is optional for each
site.
What Types of Facility do I need for a Site? We suggest a facility such as a
gym. You may also use a large
multipurpose room such as a cafeteria or banquet room if it has consistent
lighting. (Rooms with large skylights or
uncovered window are not recommended as the direct sun light can affect robot
performance.) The room must be large
enough to accommodate a table for each team, official playing fields, practice
playing fields, exhibition area, judging tables, and audience seating. We will limit the number of teams at your
site based on your facility size. Gyms
work the best because you can utilize the in-house sound system and scoreboard
for timing the games. Some locations may
need to rent tables and chairs, we suggest 6ft or 8ft tables, but you may use
round banquet tables, whatever you have available. (Sorry, we are unable to reimburse for the
rental of tables.) LTU will provide you
with a suggested floor plan diagram to help you plan your event. A copy of the Robofest 2007 floor plan can be
found at http://www.robofest.net/2007/GymFloorLayout07.doc,
for your information.
What are the Days and Times of Robofest Contests? We would suggest all
Who will compete at our Competition Site? If you expect at least 5 teams for each
competition category at your site, you are qualified to become a host. As the site host, you can select the number of teams, age
divisions, and categories that you would like to host. Robofest offers multiple categories/divisions
as you can find in the host application form. We recommend selecting around 1 ~ 3 categories/divisions in order to
complete the whole event in 4 hours. We will work with you to identify the right number of teams for your
location. Robofest Teams select their
own contest site when they register on-line on the Robofest website. Robofest will work to promote your site
location and send mailings to schools in your area. You will receive a password that will give
you access to the team registration information for your site. You will have the ability to acess team information and send teams registered at your
site e-mail messages pertinent to your contest site.
How many Volunteers do I need for my Site? Robofest will work with you to identify
how many volunteers you need for your contest site to run smoothly. The number of volunteers needed is dependent
on the types of divisions and number of teams that you choose to host at your
site. Robofest has an on-line volunteer
registration system that will identify the number of volunteers needed at your
site and provide you with a job description for each volunteer. Volunteers can go to the registration system
and enter their own information. As the
Site Host, you will receive administrator privileges to use the volunteer
registration system to send all of your volunteers
e-mails as well as access volunteer information.
How do I Train Robofest Judges? Robofest will offer Judges training through on-line animations
of the game competition, through a webcast for
judges, video-conference, and/or streaming video. Robofest also has a warm up competition for
Judges who can travel to LTU to judge practice rounds.
Do I need a DJ for my
Site? We
prefer that you use an in-house sound system and do not hire a DJ. We have found
that the music can be distracting to teams while they are solving problems. We ask each site to
have an Emcee that presides over the event and makes the major announcements to
teams and the audience.
Do I Need to Prepare a Printed Program for my Site? We ask site hosts to prepare an on-site
printed program for the day of the contest.
This program identifies your site sponsor, Robofest sponsors, and the
teams participating at your site. This
program can be created as a word document and run on your photocopier. We will supply you with a template file with
the team information and Robofest sponsor logos. A sample program from a warm-up competition
2007 can be found at http://www.robofest.net/2007/07Warm-UpProgram.doc
What is the Robofest Exhibition? The Exhibition is an opportunity for students to demonstrate
any type of robotics project. Robots can dance, play the piano, make
hamburgers, play soccer, etc. We encourage full creativity. Please
check out http://www.robofest.net/exhibition.htm
to see winner projects of the previous competitions.
Is there a Check-List for Site Host Requirements? Yes, we will send you one for 2008 hosts. As an example, the Robofest 2007 Site Host
checklist fore event logistics planning can be found at http://www.robofest.net/2007/CheckList07SiteHosts.doc
07-31-08