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Australia's First MEGA EVENT ???

Posted: 20 June 08 1:59 pm
by Huurtle
I may have missed any discussion on this?

A few of us were discussing, at our Annual June Long Weekend Event at Cadell, the viability of holding/hosting a Mega Event. I can't remember who, but they suggested it had been brought up in the forums?

Is there any plans afoot by any groups in Australia to hold a Mega Event.
Strike me down if I've been too blind to see any posts for it!

Thanks.

Posted: 20 June 08 2:10 pm
by Map Monkey
The following links may be of help (though they may contain out-of-date information):

- Huge Event Poll
- Event request
- Tassie Mega Event


It should be noted that the following applies to Mega Events:
Cache Listing Requirements/Guidelines wrote:Mega-Event Caches

Mega-Events are a special designation reserved for only the largest event caches - those which attract geocachers to attend on a regional, national or international level. To qualify as a Mega-Event, the organizers must obtain prior approval from Groundspeak - not from their volunteer cache reviewer. Among other requirements, the organizers must demonstrate a substantial likelihood that at least 500 people will attend the event. A Mega-Event Cache may be published up to one year prior to the event date. A regular Event Cache can be changed to a Mega-Event Cache after the fact, if the organizers demonstrate to Groundspeak that more than 500 people attended.
Could be pushing your luck getting 500 cachers to any Event in Australia to qualify. :shock:

mm

Posted: 20 June 08 4:59 pm
by Richary
Does anyone know how many cachers are in Australia? And perhaps in each state (including NZ). Obviously GCA stats aren't helpful, it would have to be taken from the GC site.

Posted: 20 June 08 5:12 pm
by caughtatwork
Pft! Of course, GCA stats are good as we cover all caches in AU and NZ.

There are around 2,000 active cachers in Australia.

Posted: 20 June 08 5:22 pm
by Jardry
Of which almost 600 cachers have >200 finds.

Of the 2,000 active cachers, a break down by state may give an indication as to which state may be able to achiev a Mega Event with some assistance from interstate cachers.

Perhaps GC could review its Mega Event policy to account for the tyranny of distance for Australians and more so for New Zealanders.

Jardry

Posted: 20 June 08 8:09 pm
by caughtatwork
All number are approximate and may not add to the final total as people find caches in different states, etc.

ACT = 100
NSW = 500
NT = 30
QLD = 320
SA = 250
TAS = 60
VIC = 320
WA = 150

With those numbers, I'd expect no state could hold a Mega Event in the short term.

Posted: 20 June 08 8:32 pm
by Jardry
Maybe GC can create an event which sits in between a normal event and a Mega Event, call it a Main Event.

This event would require a minimum of 100 attendees to be given Main Event status.

Most states would be able to hold one or two Main Events per year. In SA it would be the Xmas Event and the June LWE Event.

Not sure what other states would consider their Main Events.

Jardry

Posted: 20 June 08 9:53 pm
by Richary
Thanks caughtatwork. But as mentioned while it shows all caches in Oz it doesn't give a completely accurate picture. After all I have found caches in every state/territory except Tasmania (and SI). So does that mean I appear as a cacher in all those places?

What we would really need is a breakdown from someone with access to the GC data to see how many people list each state as their home, probably filtered on having logged in during the last few months.

Jardry, I agree given those figures that a mega-event would be hard to arrange here. And I don't think the "main event" would qualify either with 100 cachers. Some of those events mentioned *may* get over 100 people, but I doubt if any get 100 "teams".

Posted: 20 June 08 11:30 pm
by caughtatwork
richary wrote:Thanks caughtatwork. But as mentioned while it shows all caches in Oz it doesn't give a completely accurate picture. After all I have found caches in every state/territory except Tasmania (and SI). So does that mean I appear as a cacher in all those places?
Agreed, the data is not perfect, but it's quite accurate in its own way.

I was counting the number of people who had found a cache in the last 6 months or so based on their stated home state (in their profile) or their "home" state based on which state they'd found their most caches.

e.g. If you didn't have a home state and found the majority of your caches in QLD, then I would assume you're a Queenslander. Not perfect, but surprisingly good.

So if you'd found a cache in multiple states, it wouldn't matter, you'd till only contribute 1 to QLD.

Anyway, putting aside the numbers, I believe that there aren't enough registered cachers to get up a Mega Event without some serious work, sponsorship and major prizes for turning up. Australia is a bit too spread apart for any one area to be a major host.

I'd love to be wrong though and if someone wanted to get up a Mega Event, I'd probably fly interstate for a weekend of caching and attend a Mega Event.

Posted: 20 June 08 11:37 pm
by zactyl
I had a look on geocaching.com but couldn't find any stats on Active Australian Cachers, have posted a thread in the forum there, hopefully they have helpful developers who have access to that information and are willing to share. :D
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index. ... pic=196787

Posted: 21 June 08 12:44 am
by Richary
Many thanks again to caughtatwork. Wasn't sure how you came up with the original figures but your method would be be pretty good. The only time I can think it might skew would be ACT cachers finding NSW caches just outside in NSW.

Very well done and I agree, I don't think there is anyway we could get 500 caching "teams" rather than "individuals" in one place at one time. A shame in some way. Of course with supposedly hundreds of thousands of out of towners coming to Sydney to World Youth Day to see the Pope, I wonder how many of those kids would be cachers?

Would be our only chance I expect.

Posted: 21 June 08 8:51 am
by mtrax
I assume at a larger event eg "Main event" you would have to organise extra activities and perhaps "event caches" etc..
Would there be an expectation that the event would be in a dense cache area or at least a siginificant number to allow visitors to fill a weekend
eg 60-100 caches within 30-40km?

But it would be cool to look forward to a "huge" event or national cache event.
I wonder if this could be done thru GCA anyway?

Posted: 23 June 08 1:54 am
by roostaman
I wonder if the "500 people' rule really is 500 'people' or is it really intended to be '500 caching teams'.
500 people could be 200+ actual teams (singles & familes)
500 teams could be 1000+ people

Now, if it was only 150-200 teams, then a central place between 3 states could conceivably host a mega event !!!! Therefore, only say 50-70 teams from each state could travel 500-800km's for such an event.
Many will travel that far now for just a normal event.

Wagga Wagga does just happen to be fairly central to Sydney, Melbourne & Adelaide, although further from Adelaide. I am not suggesting yet that such an event would be in the planning, but not an impossibility if the numbers are confirmed as 500 PEOPLE.

As I haven't researched that definition yet, does anyone have a certified answer?

Posted: 23 June 08 7:01 am
by Mr Router
500 people round and round :shock: you would not need a GPS :!: :wink: there would be a caching super highway straight to GZ :lol:

Posted: 23 June 08 11:58 am
by mtrax
If someone is suggesting a Mega/Main event, perhaps we should list what descions need to be made.
eg
Location ... this might relate to below ..
Activities (games, vendor stands, workshops, dinner etc..)
merchandising for event??
resources needed
- people
- sponsorship?
Caches

BTW I think Canberra is pretty central to South East (except maybe for SA)