This article walks through an example Event Meeting at a VEX AIR Drone Competition event. The Event Meeting is the kickoff gathering where the Event Partner and Head Referee brief teams, coaches, and spectators before matches begin. It is written for Event Partners and Head Referees running a VEX AIR Drone Competition tournament.
The Event Meeting has two parts. First, the Event Partner covers the schedule, venue logistics, and conduct expectations. Then the Head Referee leads the Pilots' Meeting, which covers where Drones can fly, the rules, safety expectations, how Controllers are paired before each match, and who retrieves a Drone from the Field and when. A clear Event Meeting helps every team start the day ready to fly safely and confidently.
Plan for teams that are new to VEX AIR. Many teams, coaches, and volunteers may be at their first VEX AIR event, so plan to explain match procedures step by step rather than only reminding teams of them.
Definitions of the terms used here are maintained in the central glossary.
Before the Meeting
- Close the Skills Fields so no Drones are flying anywhere in the venue during the meeting. Full attendance matters because this is the only time all teams and coaches are in one place before the competition starts.
- Build a written run-of-show ahead of time rather than relying on memory in the moment.
- (Optional) Have a Drone, a Controller, and eye protection ready at a Field so the Head Referee can show Prop Lock and the buttons a Pilot presses to E-Stop a Drone during the Pilots' Meeting.
Event Partner Segment
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Welcome and staff intro – Welcome everyone and introduce key event staff by role, for example, the Head Referee, Scorekeeper Referees, and pairing table volunteers.
- If someone other than the Event Partner runs this segment, it is still the Event Partner's event, and that person should support it rather than take it over.
- Schedule and event flow – Walk through how match schedules will be shared, where the pairing table is, and how queuing works. Explain that Qualification Matches are played in Rounds, how many Qualification Matches each team will play, and that the Scoring System for each Round will be shown on the displays at each Field.
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Skills/Practice Fields – Point out where the Skills Fields are, when they are open, how practice matches work on the Skills Fields, and whether teams sign up or play first come, first served.
- While the Skills Fields are in use, teams can practice flying between matches with the VEX AIR Flight Simulator in VEXcode AIR. Teams connect their VEX AIR Drone Controller to the simulator and can choose the Competition Layout to practice with game objects. The Drone must be powered off while the Controller is connected to the simulator.
- Judging – Briefly explain how and when Team Interviews will happen and how Mission Notebooks are collected.
- Code of Conduct and Student-Centered Policy – Give a quick reminder of the Code of Conduct and the Student-Centered Policy. This is a reminder at every event, not a first-time explanation.
- Venue basics – Cover restroom and concession locations, lunch break timing, and any weather or venue-specific safety notes for the day.
Afterward, hand the meeting off to the Head Referee for the Pilots' Meeting.
Head Referee Segment (Pilots' Meeting)
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Where Drones can fly – Show where Drones may fly, such as the competition Fields and Skills Fields, and remind everyone that Drones are never flown in the pits.
- Point out the Safety Zone marked around each Field, and remind everyone to stay outside it unless they are flying or refereeing the match. Show teams where to watch from when they are not part of a Flight Team during a match.
- If the venue's ceiling means Drones must fly lower than the usual 8 feet (2.4 m), share the Max Z-Height for this event. Teams set this height on their Controllers. See the VEX AIR Drone Competition Safety Policy for more information about safety at a VEX AIR event.
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What to bring to the Field – Cover what each team needs for every match:
- Up to two Flight Team Members in the Pilot Station.
- Eye protection for every Flight Team Member.
- Their team's VEX AIR Drone and its Controller, with the Controller lanyard.
- A charged Battery, plus any additional Batteries or Modules to use during the match.
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Before the Match – Walk through what teams do at the pairing table before each match:
- Teams bring their Drone and Controller to the pairing table, where event staff pair the Controller with the Field Control System. Teams pair before every Qualification Match and Finals Match, but only once for all of their Skills Matches at the event.
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At the Field – Walk through what happens once a team reaches the Field:
- Each team stands at its own Pilot Station (red or blue, as listed in the event software) and places its Drone on its Field Platform, powered on and in Prop Lock.
- Teams release their Drones from Prop Lock only when the Head Referee says to, after everyone has stepped clear.
- Flying Drones must stay at least 2 feet (60 cm), about the width of one Field Tile, away from one another, and must never fly directly above or below another flying Drone. The Head Referee warns a team whose Drone gets too close.
- When time runs out, any Drone still flying holds in a hover. If a held Drone drifts, event staff force it to land, and the team is not penalized. Pilots land held Drones only after the Head Referee unlocks them. Hands stay off the Drone, and the Controller stays on, until the Head Referee gives the all-clear.
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Retrieving Drones – Explain who retrieves a Drone from the Field and when. Students never step onto the Field Tiles.
- During a match: A team retrieves its own Drone only after every Drone in the match is in Prop Lock, shown by blinking blue lights on the Drone and Controller, and only if the Drone can be reached without stepping onto the Field.
- Out of reach: If a Drone cannot be reached safely from outside the Field, the Head Referee or other designated event staff retrieve it for the team.
- After the match: Once the referees have scored the Field, a referee or event staff member retrieves each Drone and returns it to its team.
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How to Emergency Stop – Make sure every Pilot knows how to trigger an emergency stop (E-Stop). Pressing the Propeller Lock and Mission buttons on the Controller at the same time shuts down the motors right away, and the Drone falls to the ground. This safety feature can prevent injury or damage if a Drone behaves unexpectedly. The animation below shows this process.
- Scoring procedures – Explain how the Scorekeeper Referee enters scores on the Scorekeeper Referee tablet after each match. For Drone Skills Matches, explain how a team tells the Scorekeeper Referee before the match that it plans to end early and have a Skills Stop Time recorded.
- Appeals – Remind teams that Head Referees have final authority on gameplay and Drone rulings. Only Flight Team Members, not adults, may ask about scores or rulings, and they may politely ask for a review right after the match, before scores are final.
- Brief Q&A – Open the floor for questions about procedures or rules before matches begin.
The Head Referee then hands the meeting back to the Event Partner to close things out.
Closing the Meeting
- Thank the volunteers.
- End with the very next thing teams need to do, for example, "All teams, please head to your pits, to the pairing table for your Round 1 match, or to the Skills Fields."
Adapting This Example
- Add details as needed for your event.
- If your teams and event staff already know the procedures well, you can shorten this meeting or trim the explanations of procedures at the Fields.