Mega Vs Regular: What’s All The Fuss About?

Ever since the announcement of the Maritime Mega II event, there’s been a lot of talk about “the mega”. Whether it be chatter on Facebook or other spots, conversations about megas have been popping up. I thought given that many folks from NB have never been to a mega, I thought now would be a good time to give the lowdown on it.

What constitutes a “mega” event?

Groundspeak defines a mega event as being any regular event that has 500 or more attendees. That being said, there’s a few things you should know about that “500” number.

For starters, that’s 500 attendees, not 500 geocachers or 500 Attended logs. That’s 500 people’s names on the physical log for an event. For first timers, a regular event is converted into a mega after Groundspeak has verified that 500 people signed the log. For annual or reoccurring events, the event is listed as a mega immediately. This is why the Maritime Mega II was listed as a mega right away. Since the folks from down in NS and the ACGA did the work to get it listed as a mega the first time, NB benefits from that. Thanks guys!

Another less known fact about mega status is that two events within close proximity of each other cannot both be megas. For example, for the Fredericton mega, if any of the satellite events (hikes, breakfasts, etc) have more than 500 signatures on a log, those cannot be upgraded to mega status.

What’s different about mega events vs regular events?

Typically with events of this size, the biggest difference is the fact there are so many people coming to it that a lot more goes on than just people hanging out.

Most mega events, regardless of their theme (MM2, GeoWoodstock, Earthcache Mega, etc), usually have workshops, tutorials, a series of vendors selling gear, a trackables tent, games for kids, and much much more. The idea is that since a lot of people are attending, let’s make it special.

I myself have been to four mega’s including two GeoWoodstock events. For all of the megas I have been to, they have pretty much been as described above. I’m sure others who read this have been to other mega events and can comment on the specifics.

That’s not to say that all mega events must be this way. It’s very possible for an annual event in a local area to become popular enough that eventually enough people attend to mark it as a mega sized event. The Fundy National Park event last year drew more than 250 attendees and many people spoke about how it could be possible that it hit mega status just by pure attendance alone. I’m sure there are other similar type events that have occurred in other places that did reach the mega status without all the workshops and vendors.

What are some notable mega events?

GC3QME4 – Maritime Mega II – Caching The Capital
GC3K3YB – GeoWoodstock
GC32XXD – COG Spring Fling
GC40GHT – Rendez-vous Quebec
GC3JG9V – Earthcache Mega

Why do most mega events cost money to attend?

This is a very common mis-perception about mega events. The reality is most mega events are free to attend like many other events are. However because typically mega’s require a lot more planning than a regular event, and have a lot more things going on at them, the people running a mega choose to charge a “registration fee” to help cover the costs of some of these perks. Things like getting a geocoin, t-shirt, custom lanyard, and many of these other things we see at megas cost a lot of money. In order to have these things, the fee is charged to pay the bills.

Another thing is that despite whether or not you want a coin or a shirt, paying the registration fee is also a way of saying Thank You to those who are behind the scenes planning the mega. As I am sure the planners of the MM2, and the original MM can speak to, it’s not just listing an event and telling people to go. A lot goes into planning it right and making sure it goes off well. Paying $10 for a registration is not that big of a deal to say thank you for the hard work.

Is there anything else special about a mega?

Well, aside from all of the other things I’ve mentioned, attending a mega is the only way for you to get the Mega icon on your geocaching profile. If you don’t have one already, you should work on getting one.