2024 NYDI Western Regional Tournament

Our tournament is a celebration of creativity where teams show off the solutions to the Challenges that they have been working on for the past several months, and where we acknowledge their teamwork, creativity and problem-solving skills.

• Destination Imagination is a spectator sport! Family, friends and supporters are welcome to attend!
• Teams will present the Team Challenge solutions that they have been working on for the past months, in front of Appraisers, and an audience of their peers, parents, supporters, and other teams.
• Teams will also solve an Instant Challenge — a secret problem that will be presented to them on the day of the Tournament.
• Our Appraisers will give the teams feedback on their solutions, and score the solutions of teams in competitive Challenges.
• Teams and their supporters are invited to come early and stay late to see as many other teams perform as they can.
• There will be other fun activities for teams, including pin trading, and other activities.
• At the end of the day we will hold our Closing Celebration and Awards Ceremony, where will will acknowledge the teams' hard work, distribute medals to teams whose solutions excelled, and announce which teams will advance to our 2024 NYDI Affiliate Tournament.

Spectators, such as friends and family members, are welcome to attend this tournament. Spectators are welcome to view any Team Challenge presentation. Please look for the doors marked “Audience Entrance” at each Challenge Presentation Site.

Please note: At many Presentation Sites, doors will be closed whenever a team is presenting, so spectators may be asked to wait to enter the Presentation Site.

Spectators will not be allowed to view any Instant Challenge presentations.

Tournament Officials

It takes a small army of Tournament Officials to make this event possible. Challenge Masters, Appraisers, Prop Zone Monitors, Registration staff and even our door staff are all volunteers. Please thank them, and remember that if you need help, look for us!

Jon Brennan

Regional Director

Challenge Masters
&
Captains

Appraisers
&
Other Officials

Food and Drink

Since this is a shorter day, no food other than snacks and drinks will be available during the tournament sold in the cafeteria. All proceeds benefit NYDI.

Teams and spectators are welcome to bring their own food and drinks. We ask that you enjoy your food and drinks in the Middle School Cafeteria. Anyone seeking an allergen-free space should contact Tournament Registration for instructions.

Photos and Videos

Photos/videos of a team’s Presentation may only be taken if the team has given permission. This information will be announced before the team begins its Presentation.

Inclement Weather

If inclement weather will have any impact on the tournament schedule, teams will be notified via email.

What to Wear

All tournament participants and spectators are welcome to wear comfortable, weather appropriate clothing. Our volunteers often wear vibrant, colorful clothing and hats to celebrate the event. It is also highly likely that you will see team members in costume for their Presentations.

Nut Free Zone

To protect the safety of participants who may have severe nut allergies, our tournament is a nut free zone.

Scent Free Policy

Out of respect to those with sensitivity to scent, please avoid wearing perfumes or colognes.

Individuals with Special Needs

Destination Imagination is committed to ensuring that everyone is able to enjoy our program. If you or your child have special needs, please see the Accessibility section below, or contact the tournament director for more information.

All teams are advised to read:

• Tournament Guide for Teams, which has important instructions about pre-Tournament and at-the-Tournament procedures.
• Your Challenge (again), so you don't get caught out by rules that you may have forgotten or overlooked.
• Rules of the Road (again), which has lots of details about Tournament procedures.
• The Published Clarifications for your Challenge.
• Our Check-in and Prop Handling Rules and Procedures.

The deadline for on-time Tournament Registration is February 19.
Teams registering after that date must pay a $50 late fee.

Please visit Register Your Team to start the registration process. You can log in using the same credentials that you use to access the Resource Area.

No registrations will be accepted after February 26, 2024.

All Challenges have forms that must be submitted to the Appraisers in advance of the Tournament for pre-prep.

Form submission is open!

To streamline check-in at each Challenge, the documents that the Appraisers will need when evaluating your team's solution must be submitted online, in advance of the tournament.

The required forms include:

• Tournament Data Form [competitive teams only] (tdf)
• Starry Showcase Form [Rising Stars teams only] (tdf)
• Expense Report (exp)
• TC Prep
• IC Prep

Please note: A different subset of the forms listed above may be required depending on your Challenge.

Submission instructions:

• The submission page is in the Resource Area at Teams → my tournaments
• Use the button in each column to access the submission forms.
  Please scroll right to make sure you see all of the columns in the table!
• Your submission is not complete until you click the Submit button at the bottom of each form.
• Deadline:
  • Please submit before Wednesday, February 28 to avoid the last minute rush!
  • All documents must be submitted by 11:59pm on Thursday, February 29.
• Our Prep Area Appraisers will review your submission within 48 hours, and may respond with questions, so please remember to check your email!

See Tournament Guide for Teams, your Challenge, Rules of the Road, and Resource Area Hints & Tips for more details.

All teams are invited to come to the tournament early, and stay through the day, until the Closing Celebration / Awards Ceremony, which will take place at the end of the day. See Tournament Venues and Schedule (below) for details.

We hope that in addition to presenting your own solutions, you will watch other teams perform their Team Challenges, both in your own Challenge, and in others. We will also have various fun activities including DI pin trading, and of course, our merchandise sales tables will be open.

All teams must report to Tournament Registration, located in teh cafeteria, before loading any props or equipment into the building. It is sufficient for one Team Manager to come to Tournament Registration; it is not required for the entire team to report there.

If your team has props or other equipment, and they have already registered, they may unload their props from vehicles at the Prop Unloading Location for their Challenge. Vehicles may not be left unattended at the Prop Unloading Locations; please move them to a parking spot immediately after unloading.

Important:

• Do NOT bring your props or other equipment to Tournament Registration!
• Do NOT enter any building on campus before checking in at Tournament Registration!
• Vehicles left unattended at the Prop Unloading Location will be towed at the owners expense.
• The building will open at 9:00 am.
• Don't forget to read the Check-in and Prop Handling Procedures!
• Please allow enough time to load your props, etc. into the building well before your assigned check-in time.

The number of teams that will advance to the 2024 NYDI Affiliate Tournament depends on the number of teams competing in each Challenge and Level. If one team is competing, then that team will advance. If two or more teams are competing, then we advance two (2) teams, and add an additional advancing team for each eight (8) teams competing.

In the case of a tie, the tied teams will advance according to their rank, and will not affect the advancement of teams at a lower rank.

Additionally, any team whose total score is within 10 points of an advancing team and has won (1st place) in any competition portion (Central Challenge, Team Choice Elements or Instant Challenge) will be given the opportunity to be evaluated by a second set of Appraisers, and therefore advanced.

In order for a team to advance, the Challenge Master must certify that the team has made a good-faith effort to solve the Challenge, and the team must not receive any significant deductions for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

Please note: Our Appraisers understand the difficulty of preparing for the Tournament, and that some teams may not have yet succeeded in fully developing and implementing every Challenge element. A good-faith effort means that the team has solved at least a significant part of the Challenge, and that it is clear that they are working on any remaining elements.

A detailed explanation of the advancement policy can be found in POLICIES OF DESTINATION IMAGINATION OF NEW YORK.

Our event will adhere to all applicable local health and safety restrictions.

At this time, masking and vaccinations are optional but highly recommended.

To be respectful of those with compromised immune systems, please do not attend this event if you are experiencing an airborne or contagious illness.

Really, we mean it: If you don’t feel well, STAY HOME!

• Teams can perform even if one or more team members are missing at the tournament. There is no requirement for 100% attendance.
• No penalties or score reductions will be imposed because of a missing team member.
• It is always a good idea for teams to be prepared for breakdowns, including the possibility of a team member not being able to attend the Tournament due to illness. This is a scenario that has happened to many teams before, and we are happy to report that often those teams have won their Challenge / Level, received special awards, and advanced to higher levels of competition.

There are four accessible parking spaces available at this event, located opposite the main entrance of the building. From the accessible parking, the best entrance is the main front entrance, which is approximately 100 feet from the parking area.

• All of the performance spaces are located on the main floor of the building.
• There is an elevator to allow access to the Commons Area where pin trading and merchandise sales will take place.

Presentation Sites are located throughout the venue. If you use a mobility device, please consider bringing it with you to help manage the distances between sites.

• There are multiple accessible restrooms throughout the building. 

A Quiet Room / Regulation Room will be available at the Tournament. This space is reserved for attendees who may need a quiet space for tasks like taking medication, prayer, addressing sensory needs, or just a moment away from the busy tournament.

While using the Quiet Room / Regulation Room, please use a quiet voice and silence all devices. Attendees under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult when in this area.

• The fire alarms in the building have flashing lights and loud repetitive sirens.
• Emergency exit information is posted in the building.
• Fire extinguishers are located near every stairway, and in other key locations.
• A first aid kid is available in every Challenge presentation site.
• If a medical emergency should occur, we will immediately call 911. Please notify the nearest tournament volunteer for assistance.