With the overwhelming success of our first-ever Virtual season, WGI is excited to announce that the popular online series will return to run concurrently to previously announced In-Person events in 2022. These Virtual events will offer Color Guard, Percussion, and Winds divisions and will feature group and solo competitions. The innovative E-Showcase classes will also continue to break new ground in the marching arts by displaying talented performers in ways never seen before.
Not all of the benefits of holding virtual competitions in 2021 were COVID-related. Some of the general hurdles groups face to compete in a WGI competition were eliminated through a virtual setting. "We hope to continue to see groups who, for a variety of reasons, can't make the trip to the World Championships getting a WGI experience by competing virtually," explains WGI Director of Operations Bart Woodley.
Post-season surveys from the 2021 Virtual Season revealed several groups interested in combining virtual and in-person events to fill out their 2022 competitive season. "The recorded commentary from a WGI Virtual Event can serve as an excellent additional educational tool," said Color Guard Division Head Dale Powers.
Those surveys also paved the way for WGI to develop a unified approach for all three divisions to assess ratings, rankings, and results announcements for the 2022 WGI Virtual Events.
One of the most exciting additions to the virtual calendar is a "Virtual Preview" on January 29, 2022. This preview will be a chance for any group to get feedback from WGI judges before the start of their competitive season. The preview event will offer feedback recordings only, no ratings or assessments. Fans will want to mark their calendars now because the "Virtual Preview" will be the 2022 season's first WGI event broadcast on FloMarching.
Click here to learn more about the 2022 WGI Virtual Events