ATLANTA (August 16) -- For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) has announced it will return to Atlanta for the 2007 Robotics Championships. The commitment to return to the city for another three years comes after the success the 2004 and 2005 competitions in Atlanta. With the 2006 Championship already committed to Atlanta, 2007 will mark the fourth consecutive year the event will take place in the city and the agreement includes options to continue in Atlanta in 2008 and 2009.

"We have established a great partnership with FIRST and are beyond excited to welcome the Championships to the city," said Spurgeon Richardson, ACVB president. "To host an event, especially one of this magnitude, for four consecutive years with the potential to make it six, speaks volumes about Atlanta and everything we have to offer."

The FIRST Championship is the premier student robotics competition and celebration of science and technology. The Championship marks the culmination of the FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST LEGO League, and FIRST Vex Challenge seasons. Students work alongside professional engineers to design, build and then compete with robots in three simultaneous competitions. The event is open to the public and features exciting, high-tech competitions, access to robot pit areas where teams repair and refine the robots for competition, and seminars on the latest in robotics technology.

Driving FIRST's decision to return to the city was Atlanta's unmatched combination of facilities, accommodations, restaurants, transportation and attractions. The Championships will once again be based in the Georgia Dome, with the adjacent Georgia World Congress Center serving as the pit area for the competition. The nearby Centennial Olympic Park will provide open space for outdoor activities involved with the event.

"Without a doubt, our unique campus offers an event like FIRST everything they are looking for in a convention facility, from a stadium to traditional exhibit hall space to the wonderful 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park," said Georgia World Congress Center General Manager Mark Zimmerman.

"Atlanta's rich history of hosting world class sporting events and its state-of-the-art facilities make it a perfect fit for the FIRST Robotics Championship," said Dean Kamen, FIRST founder and inventor of the Segway human transporter. "Its attractions, accommodations and genuine Southern hospitality make it a wonderful host city for the FIRST teams and their families."

The 2005 Robotics Championship welcomed 466 teams from 19 countries to Atlanta in April. Combined, the 2004 and 2005 Championships brought an estimated 40,000 visitors to Atlanta and generated more than $40 million in economic impact on the city. Next year's event is scheduled for April 27-29 in Atlanta.

ABOUT FIRST
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people, their schools and their communities. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. With the support of many of the world's most well-known companies, the non-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students and the FIRST LEGO™ League for children 9-14 years old. To learn more about FIRST and the 2002 FIRST Robotics Competition go to www.usfirst.org.

About the Georgia World Congress Center
Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the Georgia World Congress Center features 1.4 million square feet of prime exhibit space, 12 exhibit halls, 106 meeting rooms and 2 grand ballrooms. Complemented by the Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park, the three facilities comprise one of the finest convention, sports, and entertainment complexes in the world. For more information, visit www.gwcc.com.

About the ACVB
Established in 1913, the ACVB is a private, nonprofit organization created exclusively to market metro Atlanta and Georgia as the premier conventions, meetings and leisure destination in the regional, national and international marketplace and to favorably impact the Atlanta economy through conventions and tourism. For more information on Atlanta or the ACVB, please visit www.atlanta.net.