Balloons! Without them, the ACM-ICPC World Finals just aren’t complete. More than 1,000 balloons are waiting to be awarded.
The pretty balloons on the contest floor are more than just decoration.
Teams get a balloon for each problem solved. Each color represents a different problem.
Jo Zacharie, who works with the IBM events team, said the crew of two has been blowing up balloons since 1 a.m. the day of the contest.
The balloons give people encouragement and other teams clues as to which teams are ahead or which problems have been solved the most often, said Kathy Traxler, runner and regional contest director.
If you look across the floor and see a bunch of blue balloons, that probably means the blue problem was an easy one for the teams. If a team is stuck, members could use a prevalent balloon color to tell them what problem to work on.
Plus, the balloons make the contest floor look pretty and alive.
“It makes a very nice visual,” Traxler said. “It’s an amazing sight.”
The contest starts in 30 minutes.
Who will receive the coveted first balloon?
See balloons throughout the years here.
Dioni L. Wise for ICPCNews
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