Venue Selection, Facility Planning, & Field Layout

Updated May 25, 2025

Overview

There are many ways to host a successful Aerial Drone Competition, and the REC Foundation’s Aerial Drone Competition Support Team is your best resource for aligning event plans with your available venue and resources. While this guide offers best-practice models, no two events are identical. The key is to provide a consistent experience that aligns with the Game Manual and Judging process, while tailoring logistics to fit your space and resources—ensuring a sustainable, positive experience for Event Partners, volunteers, and students.

Helpful Hint:

When choosing your event date, avoid conflicts with holidays, testing days, or major local events that may affect venue or team attendance.

Venue Types

Aerial Drone Competitions can be hosted in a variety of settings with limited space and resources. The Support Team can help you identify the best layout and format based on what’s available to you.

Tournaments are most commonly held in school gyms, because they have large open spaces for the competition fields, pit areas, audience seating, and other event equipment. Larger common areas, like a community center or school cafeteria, can be equally viable venue options. Larger events may choose to use a cafeteria for the pit area, because tables are usually already set up, and use another space such as a gym for their competition fields and audience. Your venue selection will factor into how many teams can attend the event, and thus the resources (equipment and volunteers) you will need to recruit.

Event Layout 

This example event layout can be scaled to meet your event needs and resources. Other event activities that may require additional space include a concessions area, charging stations, and private area for Judges to convene.

• Consider traffic flow
• Head table (TM computer, Audio equipment, Printer*)
• Competition fields with queuing tables
• Screens, projectors for field timers and Audience Display
• Spectator seating
• Team Pit area
• Flight Test Area and/or practice fields
• Screens and projectors for Pit Display
• Check in table
• Inspection stations
• Judges’ deliberation room
• Volunteer hospitality room
• Stanchions/rope to control access/ traffic to and from fields

Helpful Tips

Plan the flow of team traffic—from pits to queuing, to the field, and back—to minimize congestion. Use one-way routes and queuing stations where possible, and identify any layout bottlenecks in advance.

Aim to access your venue the day before the event to set up and test all electronics (e.g., displays, sound, mobile scoring). On event day, you should only need to power on systems.

Create a to-scale venue map. This helps with planning and provides teams and judges with a clear layout, especially for events using multiple rooms.

Event Equipment

The equipment and resources needed to host an event vary depending upon the event size and number of teams. Consult with your Aerial Drone Competition Support Manager for assistance with developing a detailed list of equipment needed for your event.

Fields

Having enough competition fields are your event will ensure teams have the opportunity to complete all missions in a timely manner.  The following is a list of suggested number of fields at your event based on the number of teams attending.

Helpful Hints

• Borrow fields from nearby organizations and teams attending the event.
• Field Elements, such as Arches, Keyholes, Cubes, and Programming mats will be reused every year.
• New Game Elements are introduced each year. 

Team Pit Area

The team pits are a designated area for coaches and teams. Each team's pit area will have a table, optional chairs, and either access to an outlet or a charging area. This pit area will be where teams update code, make drone repairs, wait for matches, collaborate with other teams and are interviewed by the judges. Pit tables should be clearly marked with the team’s designated team number using signs printed from the  Tournament Portal (found under Reports).

Helpful Hints

• If outlets are limited, set up a designated charging station that teams can share.
• Set up a pit display to show teams which qualification matches are currently in progress or preparing to queue.

Safety

Electrical Cords

Electrical cords connecting event equipment should be secured to the floor during the event setup process to reduce tripping hazards throughout the venue. Cords can be secured using cord covers or non-residue tape like Gaffers Tape or Wrestling Mat Tape.

Walkways

Walkways should be designed for safe movement between event areas. Consider the flow of the event participants throughout the day, including teams that will be walking to and from the fields. The venue should be ADA compliant (inside the U.S.) or follow local inclusion laws to allow access for all (outside the U.S.). Some venues may require approval from the Fire Marshal to ensure the walkways are appropriate for the venue size and capacity.