Scot-Bots Antweight Championship April 20th/21st 2014

[anttazz]

Hi Guys,

Looking to see if anyone would be interested in attending an event between 15/16th April and the 21st April, most likely the weekend of the 20/21st. Scot-Bots have been asked to put on an event at The Glasgow Science Centre and along with our arena, Featherweights, Pilgrim and Dalek we're looking into the possibility of putting on an Antweight event with possible participation of members of the public who are taking part in a build-a-bot workshop. There is a strong possibility that this will be a funded event, which may allow us to included prizes for winners. Participants can also bring along their FW's and take part in demos or show them off to members of the public (note: our arena is not sealed so weapons such as FP flippers will not be allowed to use their weaponry).

We do not have an Antweight arena, but I gather that arenas are readily available to be brought along to events. I'd be happy to leave the majority of on the day organising up to the veterans of the sport and I will look after the Featherweight side of the day. I have spoken to Dave Weston about it and assuming that funding is made available he will hopefully be helping us out with both the AW Competition and Build-a-bot workshops and he mentioned to bring it up on here.

We are hoping that this will become an annual event, we were very close to getting to this point last year but unfortunately ran out of time for preparation of everything. Any feedback would be much appreciated as we're looking to keep the venue as up to date as possible with what we can and cannot do on the day.

Cheers,
Tony

[Psychostorm]

Tony,

If it's feathers you are after, it'll probably be worth making it the 19/20th to put more time between the fw Championship & the event. Although that does put it a week before Guildford.

Class 5 arena I take it?

Ceri

[anttazz]

I'm not looking for feathers, I just mean if people who are attending have feathers then they'd be welcome to bring them. Why would moving the date one day closer to the Gadget Show give people more time to get them ready after it? .

The idea is that we (Scot-Bots) will be there with the Dalek and Pilgrim between those dates and maybe set everything else up and the event takes place on the weekend of the 20/21st. The dates were not set by me, they are set by the venue and are the most likely days that we would be given funding to be able to put on a really good event. Last year our attendance peaked at around 3800 so it would be a really good event to take part in.

If anyone is interested, this is the venue: http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/

Cant remember the arena classifications to be honest, but it essentially only had to contain RC cars and, for want of a better word, scripted battles for robots that have only ever been controlled by Jamie and I.

[Psychostorm]

I'm not looking for feathers, I just mean if people who are attending have feathers then they'd be welcome to bring them. Why would moving the date one day closer to the Gadget Show give people more time to get them ready after it? .

I read the 15th was an option in the post. So the suggestion was four days further away from the gadget show.

According to my calendar, Saturday is the 19th April 2014. Why I suggested it from the 20th.

[anttazz]

Hmm, right enough. I'll need to confirm that with them. It'd be Easter weekend anyway.

[EpicentrE]

I'd very much be interested; more events are always good, and the opportunity to get more people interested is also good.

My main concern is just the distance - whether I'd want to travel that far. Also, whether we'd be likely at all to get many people interested if they knew they had to travel half way across the country for an event, as most of our Antweight events are further south, with the northernmost ones not stretching past the middle of England.

Maybe I'm just over thinking it, though; I'll probably come if I'm not otherwise occupied and someone's able to give me a lift.

[razerdave]

For this, I am happy to be a taxi for any roboteers attending, I can fit 4 others in the car and a reasonable amount in the boot .

[anttazz]

Your concerns are the same as my own Scott, I was trying to see if anyone would be willing to attend this knowing that it is out of the usual locale that you all attend events at. I've highlighted this to the venue and they have assured me that they are working hard to attain additional funding which will hopefully mean that we can offer incentive for people to attend. Things that will definitely be available will be access to the Science Centre and hopefully things like the Planetarium or if they ever get it working the revolving tower (though I dont think that'll ever actually work). There will be more available however if we are able to put on robot building workshops too. I've only attended one AW only event so far (and sport a 1-2 record unfortunately) but the volume of people there made me think that we may be able to get something else going and try to spread the interest across the country.

I've also spoken to them about the date mix-up and they've said that they want things to be run across Easter weekend, rather than just a two day weekend, so 18-21st of April but the event can run across whichever day suits people best.

Anything else that might help let me know and i'll see what I can do.