Remember about a month back when I suggested that you talk to your team parents about the possibility of going to the State Tournament? Good - because you are going to have the same talk again but this one is on steroids. For those going to the State Tournament, you are faced with the very real possibility of being invited to Globals. Don't think it won't happen to you. My team stabbed me in the back, aced their IC and got invited despite having a weak technical element for their team challenge (their performance and Side Trips were quite good though). I was faced with sorting the whole thing out with the parents and team the next morning at some pancake house in Clovis! Avoid this possibility by talking about it ahead of time. Visit www.globalfinals.org to get a sense of the whole thing. Here are some talking points from someone who's been there a couple of times:

1. Time - Globals takes place from Tuesday to Sunday in the week *ending* Memorial Day. Most CA teams fly out on Tuesday and return Sunday so the kids and chaperones will miss almost a whole week of school/work. You want to be there Wednesday afternoon for the Team Manager meetings with the Global CMs and Wed flights won't get you there in time. Opening ceremonies are Wed. night and you don't want to miss them either.
2. Cost - When we went three years ago, it cost about $1200 per person. That included the housing and meal plan for Tues-Sun plus airfare, rental cars and props shipping. On the plus side, we offset almost half that by aggressive fundraising like holding a multi-family garage sale, selling candy and having generous friends and family. Airfares are lower this year so... This year's housing and meal package costs are on page 46 of the Rules of the Road.
3. How Many Need to Go? - Not every team member needs to go of course although it's best if they all do. The number of chaperones is unique to each team.  Some teams go with battalions of supporters while others have only a few chaperones. Every situation is unique.
4. Safety - If parents can't go for whatever reason, they may not want their child to go either. After all, it's kind of scary to send your precious bundle off to a big college campus on the other side of the country. However, everyone who belongs there wears a credential around their neck the entire time out in public (except swimming and during performances). Campus police and security people (and there's a lot) stop anyone who doesn't belong. Of course I had High Schoolers, but I had no worries about them moving about on their own so long as they weren't alone. With younger kids I'd just make sure they was an adult along and no worries. It's an adventure, but a safe one. It really is a family atmosphere where everyone was friendly and there is truth to the phrase "Southern Hospitality".
5. How to Get There - There seems to be three good ways to get to Knoxville.  The first is to fly into Knoxville, but unless you make reservations Sunday morning after the tournament it's probably too late. CA tournament is late compared to too many others and those seats are filled. Next is to fly to Nashville and take the shuttle bus or rent cars and drive the 3 hours or so to Knoxville. We did this our first year and it worked out fine, but my personal favorite was to fly direct to Atlanta from SJ and rent cars to drive the 4.5 hours to Knoxville. Total travel time from door to door was much shorter since we had to fly out of SFO and switch planes in Denver before getting to Nashville. There is also bus service from Atlanta to Knoxville but it is kind of pricey. We really liked having rentals to pick up extras in town and we went out to dinner at PF Chang's one night.
6. It's Fun - It is really a unique experience. There are extra fun activities every night. There's pin trading, which is a great way to meet people from around the country and the world. You get to stay in college dorms or hotel rooms (All CA teams stay close together). People even trade clothing. I got my crab hat by trading my CA hat for a Michigan hat and that for a Maryland crab hat. I traded my CA T-shirt for a Rhode Island T-shirt. On top of all that, you get to see the most amazing solutions!

So have the TALK and at least give everyone a sense of what all's involved with going to Globals. You don't want to raise hopes too high of course. If some team parents seem reluctant, remember that attitudes can change dramatically if the team gets invited. The State folks provide lots of help and your Regional Operating Committee will be happy to answer questions and even stop by for a visit if your team is having trouble figuring out what to do.