Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

For the basic information on the conference, check out our FAQs and if you have additional questions, contact us and we would be happy to answer your questions.
What is the FIRST Mentor Conference?

The FIRST Mentor Conference is a 2-day event aimed at creating and growing a one-stop conference for FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) community mentors to share their experiences, best practices, and further build community. This year, 2025, will be the third time this event occurs, though we hope for it to become an annual staple within the FIRST Community. This is a volunteer created and run event, not operated by FIRST HQ.

What is the conference cost?

FIRST Mentor Conference attendance ticket is $100, which includes food for the 2 days of the event (breakfast and lunch each day), and a commemorative event shirt.

Earlybird registration tickets are now sold out.

A limited number of scholarships are available for attendance.

No refunds are available, but you are able to transfer a ticket to another attendee.
https://help.tickettailor.com/en/articles/1549513-how-can-i-edit-an-order

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Can tickets be refunded?

Refunds are not available, but tickets may be transferred to another person.

Go to the event page (https://www.tickettailor.com/events/firstmentorconference/1666289)
and click "Manage Tickets"
Enter the email address you used to purchase the ticket
How can I transfer my ticket to another person?

Refunds are not available, but tickets may be transferred to another person.

Go to the event page (https://www.tickettailor.com/events/firstmentorconference/1666289)
and click "Manage Tickets"
Enter the email address you used to purchase the ticket
Is there a deadline to register?

There is no deadline to register, however there is a max number of tickets we can sell due to space constraints. Last year the conference sold out with an extensive waiting list, so purchase your ticket asap!

Where will the 2025 Conference take place?

Necessitated change to location announced 07-25-25

Blue River Technology
3303 Scott Blvd
Santa Clara, CA 95054

See the Event Details page for more information on nearby accomodations.

What is the setup of the conference?

The conference will feature 3 tracks of content for different stages of FRC teams: Pre-season/rookie stage teams, early year teams, and established teams. Content will be taught/shared by established mentors and leaders within the FIRST Robotics Community. Various activities for overcoming early team hurdles will also be built-in, such as a grant writing workshop, a kit bot assembly session, and other interactive sessions.

What is the schedule for the conference?

This is the rough outline for the conference; specific details about the schedule will be updated as more information is available.  Some specifics will only be found in the Slack Workspace.

Friday, Optional activities:

  • 1:00-3:00pm - Company Tours
  • 5:00-9:00pm - Lab Crawl
  • Meet up after at Guildhouse Bar, 420 First St, San Jose, CA 95113
  • location addresses and times will posted on Slack - as well as registration links when finalized

Saturday:  

  • 7:30-8:50am - Registration/breakfast
  • 9:00-9:45am - Keynote
  • 10:00am-4:45pm (1 hr for lunch) - Workshops/sessions

Sunday: 

  • 8:00-8:40am - breakfast
  • 8:45-9:15am - Keynote
  • 9:30am-3:00pm (1 hr for lunch) - Workshops/sessions
  • 3:00-5:00pm - Networking
  • 6:00-9:00pm - Optional evening social event - tentative
Who can attend this conference?

The FIRST Mentor Conference is for post-high school FRC mentors and potential mentors. Students should not attend this event without express permission from the planning committee.

Will the event be livestreamed or recorded?

FIRST Mentor Conference is for mentors, old and new, to share their experiences, best practices, and further build community. As such, this event will be in-person only with no livestreaming.

Have more questions? Contact us for additional information.

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