Teams may Load-In:
Wednesday, March 27th, 2024 from 6pm to 9pm or Thursday, March 28th, 2024 from 7:45am to 9:00am
Only 5 members from each team will be allowed to enter through the load-In door. No access to the pit area will be allowed until after 6pm.
No outside food, including snacks, will be allowed to come into the arena and the pit area. Only cases of water bottles will be allowed. Items are subject to search by arena security.
To load-in, please bring your vehicle to North Congress Parkway on the north side of Credit Union 1 Arena. The load-in zone is indicated on the map below, with a star indicating the location of the load-in door. Please line up vehicles along Congress Parkway, spilling around to Racine Avenue if Congress Parkway is full. Once you are close to the load-in door on the northeast side of the Arena, you can send a team member to check-in by sharing your team number with the load-in volunteer coordinator.
Please wait in line until you reach the Load-In garage door. Once it is your turn and your vehicle has reached the Load-in garage door you can begin unloading. This will help us keep the public sidewalks clear and ensure everyone can unload efficiently. No double parking will be allowed on the street. Double parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed by Illinois State Police.
After unloading your equipment at the load-in door, proceed to Lot 11 to park your vehicle or to drop off your trailer. NO Unattended vehicles will be allowed. Please ensure your team has an adult that can stay with your equipment and team members while waiting for entrance to the pit area AND an adult to park your vehicle and/or trailer in Lot 11.
When bringing your team's robot and supplies into the Arena, please note the sidewalk and ramp to the load-in door is steep and uneven. To ensure your team's safety, do not attempt to roll carts and robots at an angle down the length of the sidewalk. Barricades will be in place to keep the ramp entrance clear and help give the best load-in access for teams. Do not attempt to go around the barricades while entering the arena.
Upon entry to the arena, you will be shown to an elevator that will allow your team to bring their supplies and robot down to the pit area level. Everything MUST go down the elevator except for items that are smaller than 24” x 24” x 24” (60cm x 60cm x 60cm) and carried by an adult down the stairs to the pit area.
Finally, please follow all written and verbal directions given to you during load-in by the volunteers. This will help us ensure that load-in is as safe and efficient as possible. Thank you!
If you have any questions about the load-in process, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Our partners at the University of Illinois Chicago are requesting details from each team to help facilitate a safe and efficient load-in day. Please complete the Google Form linked here by 9:00am CST on Tuesday, March 19th. Additional details can be found in the Google Form. Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
All attendees of the Midwest Regional will enter through Credit Union 1's main entrance at the corner of South Racine Avenue and West Harrison Street each day of the competition. Upon entry, all attendees will be subject to a security screening. Attendees will be able to bring in bags, toolboxes, and other supplies; the Midwest Regional will not be subject to the normal bag policies found on Credit Union 1 Arena's Visitor Guide webpage. The Arena is using a new security screening that should only require teams to remove their laptops and large electronic devices from their bags. Please be prepared to carry all laptops and large electronic devices as you enter the building to expedite entry. Finally, no outside food or drink is allowed inside of the venue.