i just realized that you also get influence at every regular show you perform in. this means that it is exeptionally important for newbies to get into as many shows as possible so that they can catch up to the rest of us quicker. i would like to stress that all event hosts should at least accept newbies to take up a quarter of your applicant max. i will be doing the same (but half & half) next season. i have also started the newbie competitions profile which accepts only newbies.

also a question: does the FMA hosted events count as a regular show where you can earn influence?

i never knew that you gained influence at competitions... hmmm.... you learn something new every day... lol