Preparing the Venue for a VEX AIR Event

This article helps Event Partners plan the venue for a VEX AIR Drone Competition event: what spaces the event needs, what Drones need from the venue, and what to ask before booking it. It is written for Event Partners planning a local VEX AIR event.

Safety comes first at every VEX AIR event, and much of it starts with how the venue is planned. A safe drone event needs open space around and above each Field, clear walking paths that keep people away from flying Drones, and clearly marked areas so everyone knows where Drones can fly and where people can stand. The more thought that goes into planning a safe space, the more smoothly the event day will run. For full safety expectations, see the VEX AIR Drone Competition Safety Policy.

This article covers the whole venue. For setting up and marking each Field, see Setting Up VEX AIR Drone Competition Fields at an Event.

Definitions of the terms used here are maintained in the central glossary.

What Drones Need from the Space

Because VEX AIR events involve flight, the space above and around each Field matters just as much as the floor it sits on. Walls, ceilings, air vents, and lighting all affect how a Drone flies, and people need to stay clear of the area around each Field while Drones are in the air. Start venue planning with the Fields: look at the space each Field needs, the ceiling height above it, the floor under it, and the airflow and lighting around it.

Space Around the Field

Each Field, including its Safety Zone, takes up a 20 ft x 20 ft (6.1 m x 6.1 m) square. That is the 14 ft x 14 ft (4.3 m x 4.3 m) Field, Border included, plus a 3 ft (~1 m) Safety Zone on every side.

Open space around the Field is important for flight, not only for safety. Walls, boxes, tripods, and other objects at the edge of the Field change how air moves around a Drone and can push it off course. Keep the entire Safety Zone free of walls and objects. Leave more open space beyond it whenever the venue allows.

Ceiling Height

VEX AIR Drones cannot fly higher than 8 ft (2.4 m), and each Drone should stay at least 3 ft (~1 m) below the ceiling or anything hanging from it, such as lights, banners, or basketball hoops. As a rule of thumb, a ceiling of at least 11 ft (3.4 m) above the Field allows Drones to use their full 8 ft (2.4 m) of flight height.

If the ceiling is lower, the Event Partner can lower the maximum flight height (Max Z-Height) to keep Drones 3 ft (~1 m) below it. For example, a venue with an 8 ft (2.4 m) ceiling would use a Max Z-Height of 5 ft (1.5 m). Teams set the Max Z-Height on their Controllers, and it is checked as part of Inspection, so make sure every team knows the value.

Floor

VEX AIR Fields sit directly on the floor, not on a raised stand. Most flat indoor floors work, but the floor must be level, especially under the Field Platforms. A Drone cannot take off from an uneven surface.

Airflow

Air that is blocked (such as by nearby walls) or pushed (such as by strong fans or air vents) affects how Drones fly. Check for fans, open doors or windows, and heating or air conditioning vents that blow toward the Field area. Place Fields away from strong airflow, or turn fans off during the event if necessary.

Lighting

Lighting over the Field should be bright and even, without shadows falling on the Field.

What Your Venue Needs to Hold

The Fields are the center of a VEX AIR event, but they are only part of what the venue needs to hold. Teams need a place to work and charge between matches, and a clear route from their pits to the Fields. Volunteers need space to check teams in, inspect Drones, pair Controllers, and judge. Spectators need a place to watch safely. Everyone at the event, from students to grandparents, needs restrooms, exits, and accessible spaces throughout the day.

Walk any candidate venue with this list in mind:

• Competition area: The competition Fields, each with its own Safety Zone, plus the pairing table, the tech table for the event software, and the displays. The side of the Fields opposite the Pilot Stations should face the audience.
• Skills area: Skills Fields, where teams run Skills Matches throughout the day. Where Skills Fields go depends on the venue, but teams should be able to reach them easily from the pits and the pairing table.
• Pit area: A table and workspace for every team. Teams charge Drone Batteries, Controllers, and laptops throughout the day, so every pit needs access to power. Drones are never flown in the pits. Keep the pits close to the Fields so teams can get to their matches quickly, but keep pit tables out of the Safety Zones and the walkways around the Fields.
• Pairing table: One central pairing table where teams pair their Controllers with the Field Control System. It sits on the pit side, outside every Safety Zone, where teams can reach it from the pits and walk from it to any Field. Larger events may add queuing tables for teams to wait at after pairing.
• Check-in and inspection: A spot near the entrance for team check-in, with inspection close by.
• Judging: A private room for judge deliberations, away from teams, where judges can review Mission Notebooks and discuss awards without being overheard. Team Interviews, however, should always take place in an open, public space, either in the pits or in a designated interview area where Drone and crowd noise will not interfere with conversation.
• Audience area: Space for spectators on the audience side of the Fields, behind an audience line at least 10 ft (3 m) from the edge of the Field, with a clear view of the Fields and the audience display.
• Volunteer area: A place for volunteers to take breaks, eat, and store their things.
• The practical essentials: Restrooms, first aid, emergency exits, accessibility for participants and spectators, concessions if offered, and parking with reasonable load-in access.

Event Technology

Each VEX AIR event uses a core set of technology to run matches. Much of it is wireless, but each piece still needs a planned spot, and most need power.

This table covers the core technology for running matches, not every device an event uses. Events also use other devices, such as a laptop at the pairing table and tablets for Skills referees and inspectors. The Event Day Builder's equipment list (see Estimating Your Event Length, Fields, and Volunteers) shows what to plan for based on the size of the event.

Plan power for the tech table, the pairing table, the displays, and every pit, and plan for charging any tablets used throughout the day. Keep cables out of busy walkways, tape them down to prevent tripping, and never run them through a Safety Zone.

Planning Your Layout

Every VEX AIR Field has a pit side and an audience side, and that shapes the rest of the venue. Teams, referees, and event staff work on the pit side, so it should face the pits, check-in, and the pairing table. Spectators watch from the audience side. Arranging the venue around these two sides keeps team traffic and spectator traffic apart. Walkways should go around the Fields, not through them, so teams and staff can move between the pits, the pairing table, and every Field without entering a Safety Zone.

Two tools help Event Partners turn their plan into a layout:

• Event Day Builder for VEX AIR: Uses the team capacity, number of competition Fields, experience level, and venue hours to recommend a full event day schedule, including how many Fields, volunteers, and pieces of equipment the event needs.
• Venue Layout Builder: Opens from the Event Day Builder with a suggested venue layout that matches the plan. Event Partners enter the size of their room, then move and adjust Fields, pits, tables, and audience areas to fit their space.

Many events use one or two competition Fields, plus a Skills Field that runs all day so teams can complete their Skills Matches alongside their competition matches. Larger events may need more Fields and more space, and the Program Support Team can help you size your layout to fit your event.

Talk It Through with Your Program Support Team

Whatever venue you are considering, confirm that it can support drone flight before committing to it. Talk the venue through with your Program Support Team. They can help you catch issues early that would be hard to fix on event day, such as a low ceiling, strong airflow, or tight floor space. You may also want to visit a VEX AIR event, or watch Drones fly in a similar space, to see for yourself how an event flows and how the space is used.