Live Events - Audience Engagement

All, as someone who stands out in front of the shows I'd like to provide a little constructive feedback.

The events that we all attend are funded by our audience, it is through their enjoyment that we are able to take part in the fabulous hobby that we have via the tireless effort and risk that our Event Organisers take.

Not that people should need to be asked, but when asked if you would go with your robots up to the edge of the arena to meet the audience, it is always a shame to see roboteers walking straight back to the pits. It is even worse when someone carries their robot to the front of the arena, dumps it and walks off without engaging with the audience at all. It comes across as you're not really interested in them, or the fact they have paid to come to see you. The person walking away doesn't have to deal with a child going why did he just leave his robot, why won't he sign an autograph, will he come back'.

Before anyone responds to this with a predictable response of 'but I have to recharge/fix/whatever/get another robot ready' - yes, of course there are always times that we can't take the time to meet with the audience, but conversely there are plenty of times when we can. I'm a roboteer too, I know what's involved !

So this is an ask for you to make a real positive effort to try to go and engage with the audience, this weekend we had the audience chanting the names of teams they wanted, we had Big Nipper surrounded by audience to the point we had to step in and hold them back. It's through giving the audience the ability to engage with us in a live experience that will bring them back time and time again.

A pits full of roboteers milling around and chatting whilst a row of audience members stare forlornly at them hoping one of them might be bothered to come see them doesn't make for a happy sight. Perhaps designate one member of your team to make sure they go to the front after a fight ? Some of you are great at this, and I you all know who you are, and the audience love it.

So at the UK champs - could we please try to take the time to meet, talk to and interact with the people who make what we do possible. We were all fans once, remember the excitement of that, something which we are now lucky enough to be able to give back.

yep i agree ed. very easy to forget and rush to the pits but i did take toxic quite a few times and signed loads and loads, its easy to forget that without them we dont get to play robots !

Jamie and I have been doing a lot of talking to audiences, particularly younger members, at our own events, and if we're attending it won't be with a working HW. I can't speak for him, but i'd certainly be more than happy to spend some time talking with them and that way people still have the chance to work on their robot/charge batteries or do whatever they need to do between fights. I can bring Scar down or something too and put it on static display if you think that'll get people more engaged with the show or for a topic of discussion between shows. That way it can stay visible throughout the show rather than the robots being moved around a lot.

Yeah same for me. I've been guilty in the past of just dumping my robot and going to get another one ready. But I'm more than happy to chat to folk, although the kids might not want our autographs if we haven't been fighting in the arena with a heavyweight :lol:

As I mentioned in our Scot-Bots thread, we'll have the kits there with us if we can make it, so they can go on display most of the time. The batteries are 14.4Ah so they could run the LEDs for ages just as a point of interest to pull audience members in.

A slight mis-understanding Anttazz , I wasn't suggesting that we needed people to talk to the audience specifically, ie have robots on static display. Whilst that's great - it's more 'museum' than 'interactive show'. Jamie has hit the nail on the head, it's about seeing the robots and teams that just fought.

When people have just watched a robot fight in the arena, they want the opportunity to see it up close, they want to be able to ask the team that just took part questions, to interact with.

Let's see how we get on at the UK champs with people being willing to interact with the audience more. I'm hoping that the high number of views of this thread, and low number of replies means people are reading and agreeing :)

I shall double my efforts at the uk champs. I did sign plenty at swansea and yes i am keen to get my robot back to the bench for a gas up and recharge. Your right tho the crowds do want to see our robots. I do sometimes go the extra mile with vips too and let kids stand on my robot for a picture.... They are very happy and excited after too.

Quit simple ... yes , we have got a special hobby ... but if we like to continue it we need audience at live-events ... it works both ways ...

I know what you meant Ed. I agree with what you suggested, just also said I could do that as an additional possibility. The Scot-Bot robots we're bringing are Polycarb on top so should be quite interesting for audience members to see how they work if they're close enough.

As Jamie also mentioned, they also have massive batteries so charging won't be an issue for us so happy to do whatever helps with audience enjoyment, even if they aren't as interested in seeing the FW creators as much :lol:

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Originally Posted by Anttazz

So happy to do whatever helps with audience enjoyment, even if they aren't as interested in seeing the FW creators as much :lol:

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If I may respond with some feedback, I feel that the audience aren't engaging with the featherweights due to any real personal investment.

I know, you can't really name every individual featherweight (although that would be a great stalling tactic!). Would it possible to name a random few?

The featherweights you did name in Swansea, though, was the winner. Half a dozen in the pit, two out the arena & one hanging from the ropes (First time that had ever happened BTW) Why were these apparently not worth mentioning?

Just a criticism. Without an engaging build up, the featherweight battles are a bit lackluster from a live audience perspective.

I'm not sure why/where the evidence is to back up the statement that the audience don't want to engage with the Featherweights. I'm sure you know my background, investment and interest in Feathers, so to suggest they're not getting due airtime is unlikely.

The Featherweight fights get a far more detailed build up than the Heavyweight fights, there is far more description around the weight class, that they are a great entry-level point, where to go for the build rules, types of components used in building them - and as a result people are encouraged to engage with the featherweight teams even more so than the heavyweight teams as it is the gateway to the sport.

Of course the winner is announced, however during the large mele fights it simply isn't practical to try to cover the activities of every single robot, however to be clear the featherweights absolutely do get an 'engaging build up', and I'm sorry of you felt that your robot going out of the fight had come across as 'apparently not worth mentioning'

You literally have the power to engage them in your hands as you walk away after a fight carrying your robot, and ensure you are the one they 'engage with' in the next fight.

I'm not sure countering with 'it's not us it's them' is productive, it sounds like being part of the problem, not part of the solution.

I love chatting with the audience. At Yeovil in April, small event or not, we had people coming back to cheer for us time and again. Their enthusiasm is a fuel. It's brilliant.

Having just one feather we're likely to be standing around much of the time at Maidstone (until it starts breaking) so we'll be sure to engage with the crowd.

A friendly reminder ahead of this weekend's FRA Championship to please engage with the audience.

Yes those rushing to get their machine ready for the next fight will need to head to the pits, but can we PLEASE try to avoid a pits area full of robots and roboteers just standing around chatting, and a line of audience in front of the arena looking in forlornly feeling totally ignored in their desire for some autographs !

As a fairly newcomer to the world of roboteering, I would like to add a comment and I have to agree with Ed's observations about the lack of audience/roboteer participation.

However, not everyone is comfortable chatting to people and naturally if you do have mechanical problems that you want to sort out, then these can be good enough reasons for rushing back to the pit. However, most teams consist of at least two or three people, so I cannot see why there is a difficulty to offer some interaction with the audience from team members.

If you are on a huge learning curve concerning the knowledge of roboteering like myself, this can also be a hindrance, but as a teacher I am used to talking to people, especially children and can €˜bluff€™ my way through most scenarios! When roboteers do interact with the audience the kids love it and I have to say I get a buzz from it too! Signing a poster for some children is all they want.

As one of the few women in roboteering, I initially felt that the children would not be interested in talking to me, especially with my €˜oh so splendid robot Puck.€™ But once I tell them I €˜drive€™ a robot, (most children & adults are extremely surprised at this) and I explain a few details about its build and my experiences with other robots in the competitions, they like to hear what I have to say.

So come on roboteers, if we didn€™t have the commitment of our Event Organisers to arrange these exciting events and our audiences, there would be no show and we would have to look for other weekend entertainment and after experiencing roboteering, gardening and crotcheting would seem oh so dull!!!!!

Hi Wendy, did mike tell you to write that ? It's just that if he had of wrote it we would have assumed he was telling us to pull our fingers out :lol: :lol: sorry , someone would have said it :!:

Why not have a part of the show devoted to showing off a robot like the tested to destruction?

The audience vote when they come in and then that team gets 5 minutes to show off their robot.

So you say have Beast in the arena flipping stuff and one of the team members talking through how the machine works, why it is the shape that it is, the parts, any problems they over came etc...

I would personally like to know why Beast is an Exoskeletal design and no other heavyweight is [for my knowledge].

simple, that because John had no weight left for armour :lol:

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Originally Posted by blazerbotics

simple, that because John had no weight left for armour :lol:

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:rofl: :rofl:

Hi Terry, he doesn't even know I written it!!! He's at work.

Typical isn't it, I write my first serious post and you think Michael has something to do with it! Oh man!!!

You obviously don't know me very well! I am quite capable of stringing a few words together independently! Michael would be very amused at your suggestion.

Good to see everyone again at the weekend in spite of not competing in the Championships.