How to plan a successful FIRST LEGO League expo

A FIRST LEGO League Expo gives young builders a place to test their ideas, explain their engineering choices and celebrate teamwork with peers. For organisers, its success depends on decisions made weeks before opening: a clear event purpose, a workable schedule, dependable equipment, trained volunteers and a welcoming experience for families.

Planned well, an Expo can serve as a qualifying competition, a skills-focused showcase or a community event that encourages new teams to join. The strongest format matches the venue, the number of registered teams and the mentors available, while leaving enough time for meaningful reflection rather than rushing teams through stations and award presentations.

Define the purpose and governance

Start by defining what success means. Decide whether teams will compete, showcase projects, take part in guided challenges or combine those activities, and identify the skills you want participants to develop. Record the expected number of teams, spectators and volunteers so the programme reflects actual capacity rather than an ambitious target.

Create a planning group with one accountable event director and leads for the schedule, venue, volunteers, judging, technical support and finance. Give each lead a decision list and deadline, then hold short weekly checks. Written roles prevent a popular mentor from becoming the default answer to every problem and make it easier for new volunteers to step in.

Build the plan around the FIRST Core Values of discovery, innovation, impact, teamwork and excellence. Maryland FIRST’s Maryland FIRST resources offer useful examples of team registration, event communication and volunteer support. Use these examples to organise local documents, but confirm current FIRST policies, age divisions, registration routes and safeguarding requirements for Australia before publishing.

Design the venue and schedule

Choose a venue that teams can reach without turning the event into an exhausting journey. A school hall, community centre or library meeting room may suit a local showcase, while a qualifying competition needs more space for fields, judging rooms and team tables. In Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth, check public transport, parking and loading access; for regional teams, consider travel time, accommodation and safe arrival procedures.

Plan around the Australian school holiday calendar, Easter and public holidays. These periods can provide additional dates for participants, yet they may also reduce venue availability or make it harder to recruit volunteers. Build the schedule backwards from the awards ceremony, allowing realistic periods for registration, setup, robot inspection, practice rounds, judging, breaks and pack-down.

Create a minute-by-minute run-of-show with named backups for every critical role. Include contingency time for late arrivals, equipment faults, medical incidents and severe weather. Confirm emergency exits, first-aid arrangements, power outlets, accessible pathways, washrooms, ventilation and adequate Wi-Fi or a reliable offline system for scoring and announcements.

Recruit volunteers and support teams

Volunteers should understand their responsibilities before event day. Recruit team assistants, field technicians, judges, scorekeepers, registration staff, runners, room hosts, safety monitors and floaters. Use short shifts where possible, particularly for families or volunteers with limited availability. Requirements for Working with Children checks differ between Australian states, so confirm the relevant rules with each volunteer’s state or territory.

Recognition helps volunteers return year after year. Maryland FIRST’s collection of volunteer recognition ideas can be adapted into certificates, team thank-you cards, photo boards, preferred shifts, acknowledgement in programmes and a casual appreciation meal. Keep the recognition age-appropriate, inexpensive and connected to the volunteer’s contribution.

Provide clear support for participating teams rather than assuming every adult mentor knows the event process. Send registration details, arrival instructions, equipment requirements, food information and venue maps in advance. Establish a help desk and a communication channel for urgent questions. Explain where teams can obtain water, basic materials, charging support and accessible facilities during the day.

Protect robot performance and judging quality

Check the current FIRST LEGO League field, mat and equipment requirements well before the event. Test the scoring system, displays, microphones, laptops and network connections using the same software versions that teams will use. Organise a technical rehearsal with referees and scorekeepers, and keep spare cables, adapters, power supplies and approved replacement parts available.

Train judges together so their interpretations remain consistent. Review the robot game rubric and Core Values assessment guidance, then run calibration examples with the judging panel. Separate robot performance judging from Core Values assessment where required, and train scorekeepers to verify results before publication. The team should be able to explain that scoring decisions follow the official process and reflect Gracious Professionalism.

Account for Australian procurement conditions when sourcing supplies. If importing spare components, check Australian Customs requirements, GST treatment, shipping times and the cost of using a local freight or customs broker. Standard workshop consumables may be available through stores such as Bunnings or Officeworks, while robot-specific parts should come through appropriate LEGO Education channels. Prepare an offline scoring plan so unreliable public Wi-Fi does not stop the competition.

Build the budget and promotion plan

Prepare the budget in Australian dollars and include venue hire, equipment, volunteers, catering, insurance, printing, marketing, awards and contingency funds. Australian businesses generally charge GST, so confirm whether quoted prices include it. A contingency of around ten per cent can cover extra consumables, last-minute transport changes or replacement equipment without disrupting essential activities.

Develop sponsorship packages that explain audience size, team visibility, acknowledgement opportunities and community value. Approach local engineering firms, educational suppliers, community businesses and professional associations. Keep one sponsorship and grant tracker, and use planning research notes as one input while verifying every eligibility condition, deadline and funding restriction directly.

Promote the Expo through school newsletters, state robotics networks, local councils, community organisations, Facebook, Instagram and relevant local media. Give families a clear event page containing the date, venue, cost, registration route, parking information, accessibility details and what to bring. Explain that participation and spectatorship may differ between events, and make it easy for interested families to contact the organiser before committing.

Operate the expo and build momentum

On event day, establish a central command desk with the event director, safety lead, volunteer coordinator and technical support. Use radios or agreed communication channels, mark team areas clearly and keep unauthorised people away from fields and judging spaces. Brief volunteers on escalation procedures, Gracious Professionalism, child safeguarding and how to report incidents or equipment faults.

After pack-down, thank sponsors, volunteers, teams and venue staff. Check that equipment has been returned, accounts are recorded and lost property is stored or returned promptly. Within a week, hold a structured debrief and review attendance, registration time, technical incidents, volunteer coverage, participant feedback and the number of new teams interested in continuing.

Turn those findings into a short record for the next committee. Recognise what worked, document the decisions behind each major choice and assign owners to unresolved tasks. Choose the event purpose, appoint the planning leads and place the first working session in the calendar now, giving every later decision a clear owner and deadline.