Hello DI Family,

Like many of you, I went grocery shopping this weekend. I am blessed to live in an area with supermarkets that have almost every kind of food store you can imagine. Low-cost discount? Check. High-end organic? Check. All-purpose for almost everything else you may need? Check.

The one unfortunate similarity in all the stores this weekend? The shelves housing toilet paper were empty.

As predicted, the pandemic has risen again with a vengeance. No matter where you live, wearing a mask, social distancing and keeping a healthy 6 feet between you and anyone else who lives outside of your immediate household is not only a good idea—it may save your life.

The good news is that there is an effective vaccine against Coronavirus in production as we speak, and we should all keep our fingers crossed, that by Spring 2021, a majority of Americans will have been vaccinated.

At DIHQ, we are optimistic that will happen and America—and the world—will be making its way back to normal. In anticipation of that good news, I am pleased (and excited) to announce that Global Finals 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri is in the works!! And that is something to celebrate.

As you might expect, we are planning a fantastic experience for Global Finals 2021! Global Finals will be held in-person in Kansas City, Missouri, from July 21-24, 2021. Delaying the event until the summer will help us plan more appropriately for COVID-19 safety precautions.

Of course, the safety of our participants remains our number one priority. Since the environment around COVID-19 remains fluid, we will release detailed, up-to-date safety measures on or before Monday, March 1, 2021. Of course, contingency planning is also underway should a change in plans become necessary.

Let me be honest—we are working with a ton of “what ifs” in planning Globals. This requires us to be nimble and pivot if we need to, and I ask for your patience and understanding as we do our best to move forward in planning this event. There are so many unknowns and factors out of our control that we just have to “roll with it” and problem-solve as planning progresses.

One of those “roll with it” moments is that this Challenge season and our Global Finals tournament will be a different experience from what you may be accustomed to. From solving and submitting virtually, to various formats for Regional and Affiliate Tournaments, we recognize that this season’s Challenge Experience is new. For Global Finals, your team will solve a brand-new and never-before-seen extension Challenge that builds off the themes of your Team Challenges. Global Finals Challenges will be solved in Kansas City.

Bonus! You will not be responsible for shipping any materials on-site to Kansas City. Everything you need will be there waiting for you!

Additionally, teams will have their 2020-21 Team Challenge solutions scored by Global Finals Appraisers and aired over the course of the week in Kansas City.

Three components will contribute to your team’s overall score and final ranking for Global Finals: your 2020-21 Team Challenge solution (including Central Challenge and Team Choice Elements), your 2021 Global Finals Extension Challenge solution, and your 2021 Global Finals Instant Challenge solution.

For more information and details, check out our FAQ page.

As always, thank you for your support and your participation. Navigating this pandemic has been the ultimate challenge for the DIHQ team. And for the record, I want to commend the DIHQ staff for working tirelessly (including on their days off and while on furlough without pay) to keep our program up and running. They are an extraordinary group of people, and I am honored to work with them.

Stay Healthy. Stay Creative.

Michele