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Geolympix 2013?


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Following the success of the Oxford 2012 Geolympix last month, we've been inundated with demands to know if and where a similar event programme will be run. As you may know, our original proposal to Groundspeak in September 2010 was for an annual, internationally-roving, unique-icon event and that idea lives on. As announced on the cache page last night, "The official word from Groundspeak (Nicole, Community Support, after speaking to Bryan - who attended the Geolympix - and Sandy) on various questions we had after the event: 4. International roving - I think this would work great, as it would be managed by the mega organizers, we would support it. We are checking on this aspect further." - We'll keep the caching community informed as to what - if anything - comes of this.

 

If nothing does and no international caching team/s come forward, wanting to use the Geolympix name as well as the ideas behind it (already being recycled elsewhere, which we think is only a good thing!), would there be interest in another 'challenge-based' Mega in the UK? It's proposed to be on July 28th 2013 to avoid Piratemania's regular weekend (no Olympics to clash with next year!) and give some space to Mega2013 (August 3rd) too, and Snowdonia has been identified as potentially suitable area, with a good spread of caches, landscapes, things for non-cachers to do etc etc. There are even virtuals and webcams in the NW Wales area for another '11-icon' challenge.

 

Any thoughts?

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Little update - some interest from Berlin (site of a Geolympix Countdown event in September 2011) and Plan B (or perhaps C now) would be the Snowdonia Geolympix in NW Wales, but avoiding the weekend of the 27/28 as that's Piratemania VI (I thought it was on the 20th. Apologies to PUP - with no Olympics to avoid, we're not forced into a clash). So we're now looking at the weekend after the WM Mega (Aug 3rd); August 10/11th. It's tricky as there's only a 3-4 week overlap between Scottish and English/Welsh school summer holidays. That said, an Easter Mega isn't out of the question...

 

However, three summer weekends, three very different UK Megas. It'd make a hell of a holiday for someone! :D

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I think Easter would be good to set it apart - but really what makes a Geolympix that wouldn't be equally served by a differently named roaming Mega? Perhaps it might be best served by merging it with the "Official UK Mega" in that the Mega goes twice yearly, at different times of the year (one spring, one summer) with the aim that it will be hosted in different parts of the country - so for instance, you wouldn't get two in a row in Scotland - but you'd also aim for the Megas to be at least one region further apart, so for instance if it was held in Scotland then it wouldn't be held in Northern England as well.

 

Piratemania is of course something completely different, and is something far more unique (which I must get to next year, because it does just sound awesome!). I just think that by doubling the roaming Megas it'd reduce the gripes that people (me being one of them!) when a Mega gets held at the other end of the country. Admittedly placing one of them in the Midlands does leave it in a bit of a pickle - but frankly I think that just leaves it open for the Mega to be located in the north or the south.

 

Also perhaps I think that if this was to go ahead, more should be made of the bidding process - after the next two Megas are being hosted where they are because they had no opposition, and competition should breed better events.

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I agree with that, Brian, and it would make both the Geolympix and Official Annual UK Mega far less special than what they are. Originally the Geolympix was an International Celebration of Geocaching, an International roaming event - that was what set it apart from not just the UK Mega, but from all Megas.

 

My suggestion would be that Perhaps every 4 years is better, to make it more special, unique and "We have to go to this, it only happens every four years" - it would attract more visitors. Why was it held in the UK this year? Not only because the organisers are Based here, but because of the Olympics and there would be more international visitors....

So maybe "GEOLYMPIX MEGA : RIO 2016" ?

 

Of course the problem would be finding cachers there to organise it, I don't think there has ever been a Mega in Brazil, but still... Everyone could go and find the Ape cache, get 12 in 12? The event would be huge :)

 

Back to reality, you said Berlin were showing interest - really try and push on with that, before thinking of places to host one in the UK, so the real Geolympix concept lives on! :D And if they end up saying No, and no other country offers then my advise would be not to rush it, go with my suggestion of every four years and try and find another host nation in that time - and then if there's still no country willing to host one, then I'd say to just not bother, if it were me, and put the Geolympix to bed until someone finally does - otherwise, it just won't be the Geolympix - an International roaming event, why do we need another annual UK roaming Mega? :rolleyes:

 

Those are my thoughts :D though I do have to admit liking the Snowdonia idea a lot :)

Edited by Griff Grof
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Although I didnt manage to attend I thought that Geolympix was a brilliant idea to celebrate cacing and the Olympics, that said I think that holding the event annually would take away from the idea. Why not run it in the same year as the Olympics but in a location that is interested in organising it, this would not have to be in the same country as the Olympics itself. It might even be reasonable to hold it at varous locatons within the UK.

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I think it would be better trying to have the Geolympix as an International Roving Mega every 2 years, rather than every year or every 4 years. This is more likely to keep people interested in it, especially those organising it. It's not like The Olympic Games, which takes 7 years from becoming a winning bid to actually hosting it. there is no need to build the stadia, and much of the groundwork has already been done in organising and running the first Geolympics. Also, don't forget, since 1992 there have been Olympic Games alternate years.

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I think it would be better trying to have the Geolympix as an International Roving Mega every 2 years, rather than every year or every 4 years. This is more likely to keep people interested in it, especially those organising it. It's not like The Olympic Games, which takes 7 years from becoming a winning bid to actually hosting it. there is no need to build the stadia, and much of the groundwork has already been done in organising and running the first Geolympics. Also, don't forget, since 1992 there have been Olympic Games alternate years.

 

Yes, every other year would probably be better :)

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