FIRST Championship Hotel Program: Update #2

Edited February 18, 2025 to clarify details regarding team rosters, rooming, and badging.

Dear FIRST^® Community, 

In December, I shared an update about the FIRST Championship hotel program. Since then, a lot of progress has been made, and I wanted to take some time to update you and address a few of the more common questions we’ve received. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your feedback regarding these changes — it has been instrumental in shaping how we move forward. 

We officially opened the FIRST Championship hotel block for qualified teams on December 10, 2024. Teams have started to receive invites to register for the event and secure hotel rooms, and as of mid-February, over 100 teams have already successfully booked their accommodations with ConferenceDirect. We also added more hotels to the block, and both the hotel map and the hotel list on the FIRST Championship website have been updated. In addition, we have posted several new answers to the more frequently asked questions regarding the hotel program. 

Why Do We Have a Hotel Program? 

One of the biggest questions we’ve received is “Why do we need a hotel program at all?” 

This is a fair question! Hosting an event like the FIRST Championship is no small feat. It’s not just about booking a venue — which is a monumental task — it’s about bringing together an entire city of support and services. From city services to local businesses and suppliers, including hotel partners, the success of this event depends on many moving parts working together. 

The hotel program is a key piece of that puzzle and helps ensure that the necessary infrastructure exists to support the entire FIRST Championship experience, now and into the future. But more importantly, it was also designed with teams in mind. 

Here’s some of the most significant program benefits for teams: 

• More Capacity and Quality Standards: Having enough rooms for participants is one of the most significant challenges we face hosting an event of this size. By having a hotel program, we are able to include many more hotels who agree to abide by our standards of service to help ensure a consistent, reliable, and safe experience for teams.  

• More Balanced Access to Inventory: In previous years a significant number of preferred hotel rooms were reserved by prospective teams who had not yet qualified to attend. As a result, teams who had qualified were unable to find rooms. Typically, around 30% of rooms were being held then dropped, which caused a lot of frustrations with those trying to find accommodations once qualifying. In addition, the hotel program allows us to actively monitor and manage inventory throughout the competition season so that teams who qualify late have similar access to inventory as those who qualify early. 

• Fair Pricing: We negotiate fair rates that are guaranteed and help protect teams from price hikes caused by other events in the area. Hotels are contractually obligated to honor room rates and prevent disruptions caused by overbooking. 

Ultimately the program allows us to offer teams an overall better experience, while also building the relationships we need for the success of the event as a whole.  

Hotel Program Participation 

To ensure success of the program, all FIRST teams and their team members attending FIRST Championship are required to participate in the program, and teams are not guaranteed their spot at FIRST Championship until they secure both their event registration fee with FIRST and their lodging with ConferenceDirect.   

Teams who secured (paid) event registration but did not complete their hotel reservation, or vice versa, will not be allowed to compete, and teams that have not completed both steps by their program’s payment deadline (March 20 for FIRST^® LEGO League and FIRST^® Tech Challenge, and April 9 for FIRST^® Robotics Competition) will be dropped from the event.  

Thus, it is important for teams to meet their payment and hotel registration deadlines as communicated with Team Lead Mentors and Coaches to maintain their event qualification status. Teams waiting on grant funding or who need assistance with registration are encouraged to contact FIRST to avoid losing their spot. 

In addition, all students (regardless of their role), mentors, coaches, and chaperones are considered team members. In other words, if you participated with the team in any capacity during the year, you’re considered to be a team member. 

All team members attending FIRST Championship must participate in the hotel program and be listed on the team's rooming / badging registration list prior to the start of the competition. This list is submitted (and managed) using the Housing List-Badge Registration Template that will be sent to teams after they create their hotel block.

It is optional for others traveling with the team (e.g. parents and siblings) to participate in the hotel program, and if so, their information should be included with the team's template.

The Housing List-Badge Registration Template is specific to those attending FIRST Championship. Anyone not attending the event can remain on the team's official roster at firstinspires.org. There is no need to modify the team's official roster to reflect the status of team member attendance at FIRST Championship.

Addressing Challenges for Late-Qualifying Teams 

We recognize the difficulty of finding hotel rooms for teams that qualify later in the season and have worked hard to create a better solution this year. 

Here’s what’s new: 

• We’ve reserved a large number of rooms across 200+ hotels in Houston specifically for qualified teams. 

• Hotel inventory is now restricted exclusively to teams that have qualified, preventing speculative reservations from blocking rooms that other teams might need.  

• Hotel inventory will be managed throughout the competition season to balance availability for teams who qualify close to FIRST Championship. 

• We will have dedicated staff at both FIRST and ConferenceDirect immediately available to assist teams as they qualify from District Championships and Week 6 Regional events.  

These changes are aimed at ensuring that every team, no matter when they qualify, has access to the lodging they need. 

Supporting Teams with School Approval Processes 

I also want to acknowledge another challenge some of you have brought up: navigating school approval processes. For many teams, getting pre-approval for travel from their respective school(s) can be a complicated and time-consuming process. We understand how important it is to have detailed information about travel and lodging plans well in advance, even if you haven’t qualified yet. 

If your team needs help securing approval from your school, we’re here to assist. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to ConferenceDirect or FIRST  and we’ll do everything we can to support you. 

Moving Forward Together 

This is always an exciting (and busy!) time of year, as teams start to see their hard work pay off. Whether you’ve already qualified or are working toward that goal, FIRST Championship represents the culmination of months of dedication and teamwork — and our goal is to make your experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible. If your team has any questions or runs into challenges with registration, please check out our FAQ and of course you can always reach out to FIRST and our hotel partner ConferenceDirect for assistance.  

As we look ahead, we’re committed to listening, learning, and improving these new processes as we go. Many of the adjustments we’ve made so far are a direct result of your input, and we’re so grateful for your willingness to share your experiences with us. 

It’s important to keep in mind that we’re all working toward the same goal: creating an unforgettable experience for teams at FIRST Championship. Whether it’s your first time attending or you’ve been a part of this event for years, we want you to feel supported every step of the way. 

Thank you for your patience, your feedback, and your support. I can’t wait to see you in Houston and celebrate all of your incredible achievements this season.  

See you there! 

Chris Rake
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, FIRST