https://wiki.osgeo.org/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Wiki-MichaelTernerOSGeo - User contributions [en]2026-04-12T20:57:01ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.35.9https://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=Q%26A_Stage_2_Buenos_Aires&diff=122526Q&A Stage 2 Buenos Aires2019-12-01T20:41:44Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Michael Terner */</p>
<hr />
<div>= Questions to the BALOC from CC =<br />
<br />
== Michael Terner ==<br />
Excellent, and well thought out proposal. I appreciate your efforts to innovate. Below are a few questions and a couple of comments that refer to the dialog in other question threads.<br />
<br />
Due to the fact that sponsorship is such an important part of the budget, ranging from providing 24% to 36% of expected revenues, I have several questions in this area. While the amount of sponsorship revenue you are seeking may be "typical", due to your lower costs the ''percentage'' of revenue from sponsorship is higher than typical. Indeed, it is at the “base, break-even scenario” where sponsorship would provide ~36% of revenue. To the sponsorship questions:<br />
<br />
*'''When you talk about outreach to companies, you state you will “contact local and regional companies. We will start with those that have already sponsored previous FOSS4G events.” Is there any plan for outreach to companies that aren’t “local and regional” and might include international companies? Do you have a sense of how many “local and regional” companies have sponsored “previous FOSS4G events”? Have any of these companies previously sponsored the global conference?'''<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on the “foyer in the CEC” that will be used for the sponsor booths? Will this foyer be connected/adjacent to the main hall and/or eating areas? Such an arrangement can help to create more natural encounters with the sponsor community vs. having to travel to a specific location to find the sponsor exhibits.'''<br />
<br />
*'''What are the number of sponsor booths/exhibits you’re expecting to accommodate? Based on the budget spreadsheet it looks like you’re expecting 10 “exhibition stands” from sponsors. The proposal indicates there will also be 10 table top exhibitions for the Silver sponsors. Is it accurate that the exhibit area is expected to accommodate 20 sponsors with a mix of table top exhibits and exhibition stands? Have you spoken to any representative sponsors about their exhibiting expectations? I might observe that some Silver Sponsors - who ''could'' be paying $5,000 USD - may have a reasonable expectation of having more than a table-top exhibit.'''<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on how many, if any, “free conferences passes” will be included at each level of sponsorship from Diamond - Supporter?'''<br />
<br />
Non-Sponsorship questions:<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on the phrase “82.11 The estimated change for 2021 by the Argentinian Government”? Fully understanding that exchange rates can be very difficult to predict does your budget change (for better/worse) if this exchange rate is not achieved/is exceeded (noting that the current exchange rate is ARS ~$60 = USD $1)?'''<br />
<br />
*'''Pleased to learn that you will be using a “Professional Conference Organizer” (also referred to as the “Productora del Evento”) and that you have worked with them previously. Can you elaborate on their role and responsibilities (e.g., will they be doing banking? Contracting? Registration? Audio/visual? Etc.)?'''<br />
<br />
Relevant observations:<br />
<br />
'''Steven relayed that the typical "advance" from OSGeo was $40,000 USD. I can report that Boston received a $70,000 advance, and that we modeled our "ask" on previous conferences. I also know that Dar es Salaam did not seek any advance. So from my vantage, the number has moved around a bit.'''<br />
<br />
'''As someone whose attendance will likely be funded by a corporation, I would strongly +1 both Steven's and Paul's suggestions that the semantics of registration costs matter a great deal. For me, it would be more difficult to get an expense reimbursement/approval for a "voluntary higher cost contribution" than it would be to simply pay a higher advertised fee. I think both notions of having an advertised market price with multiple options for "need-based discounts" (Steven) and/or a "corporate rate" (Paul) would make sense and would help with revenue, while providing flexibility for need-based discounts.'''<br />
<br />
== Steven Feldman ==<br />
<br />
Great proposal, thanks very much. Lot's of exciting ideas which I welcome. I'd like to focus on the financial stuff (as usual for me)<br />
<br />
*'''You have asked for a $60k advance from OSGeo, normally we have limited our advance to $40k, can you provide some more detail on why you need a larger advance and the timing of the cash outflows?'''<br />
<br />
''The CEC building’s rent (still being negotiated) is US$70.266. We have been asked to give half of it (US$35.133) in advance to book the place.<br />
The Law Faculty’s rent is US$16.500 if we finally reach close to 1.150 attendees. They also ask half of it in advance ( US$8.250). If we finally don’t need both spaces, we will be able to pay a lower amount, but we want to book the full 1150 attendees space just in case.<br />
So, venue advanced payment totals US$43.383. We are asking for US$60.000 to make sure we have also some cash flow while we get the first tickets sold.<br />
We won’t need the full $60.000 right away, just enough to book the venues and secure the dates.''<br />
<br />
* '''Are you also seeking any further guarantees or underwriting from OSGeo?'''<br />
<br />
''We have a generously estimated budget with items that can be opt-out if needed, so we don’t expect any financial issues. For example, if we have to escalate the event down we can cut big expenses like the CEC building and make the social events simpler. In case we don’t get enough tickets sold (below 550), we will contact the OSGeo Board to decide how to proceed.<br />
We don’t need any written warranty from OSGeo.''<br />
<br />
* '''If you request an advance from OSGeo the norm is that at least 80% of the surplus from your event is returned to OSGeo, your proposal only returns 30% to OSGeo. This is a substantial change which would need to be approved by the Board if recommended by CC, can you explain why such a low %age should be accepted?'''<br />
<br />
''We understood that the 80% surplus for OSGeo was the suggested amount for NA and european events. <br />
We can adjust the numbers and give a higher percentage of the surplus to OSGeo, although we think that “leaving” part of that surplus on the local organization can help the development and further outreach of the OSGeo community on the region.''<br />
<br />
* '''Your projected surpluses are on the low side, whilst I appreciate your low ticket prices, I wonder whether you can afford to charge a little more and possibly reduce the early bird discount to a consistent 20% (particularly for what you define as International) as a way of increasing your surplus and providing a safety net?<br />
'''<br />
''The budget is generously estimated (we are still negotiating some contracts to get a lower price) and we have the “open price ticket” which should give us more margin. The budget is using amounts we consider “safe” to be cut if things go wrong. (Although the minimum attendance described on the budget is 650, we can lower that even more if we remove venue space and non-essential items).<br />
We could increase the international price and still do that 20% discount on the early bird. But if we increase the ticket price for regional (especially local) tickets that could impact on our estimates of attendance.Trying to reach a consistent 20% discount could mean we have to lower the normal price for local and regional which could be even worse for the income.<br />
We are confident that, while the surplus doesn’t look good, it will get better once we start signing contracts, even if we don’t change ticket prices.''<br />
<br />
* '''I love the low prices that you are proposing and the option to top up pricing for those who can afford more, perhaps you could phrase this in a slightly different way by quoting higher prices and allowing those who need to self declare for a discount with the lowest price being your current rates? This could work well for corporates who may not respond well to a request to top up but could voluntarily exclude from an "in need" discount.'''<br />
<br />
''We will be careful on how to phrase this, as we also don’t want locals to think we are thinking less of them. We can add some note for sponsors as you mention.'' <br />
<br />
* '''I did not see any explicit mention of video recording or streaming. What are your plans and are they fully costed in your budget?''' <br />
<br />
''We plan to record all sessions. The cost is already included in the budget (sent privately). There is no plan for streaming because that will mean increasing the cost too much as we will need to add a much higher bandwidth on the venue along with more technicians on site.<br />
''<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
== Jonathan Moules == <br />
<br />
* '''I didn't see anything about sustainability (of the eco-friendly variety) in there apart from the venue itself being sustainable. What are your sustainability aims? Thoughts:'''<br />
<br />
''The BALOC is committed to set up a Sustainability and Social Responsibility Plan for our conference based on the resources available in our country. <br />
On the following questions we will answer part of our currently planned strategy towards this.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your "conference swag" sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People?)'''<br />
<br />
''One of our goals is to reduce the swag as much as possible as it generally ends up being waste. We are going to provide reusable water bottles to avoid the usage of one use plastic bottles during the conference and other possible useful objects to use during the conference. <br />
About explotation, see next question.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your Tea/Coffee/Chocolate sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People & children?)'''<br />
<br />
''Of course as part of this sustainability effort we will check that we don’t buy goods or use services provided by an exploiting company.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will your caterers source food locally by preference?'''<br />
<br />
''Most food in the city already comes from horticulture producers in the near rural towns. Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country. We plan to have as many sources of local, small and family producers and organically produced food as possible.''<br />
<br />
* '''Does your travel grant prioritise sustainable travel over flying?'''<br />
<br />
''Whenever possible, we will try to use sustainable transport. But we understand that the Travel Grant should also apply to nearby countries, which may not be reachable unless by plane. See answer about regional travel.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be providing bottled water or some re-usable cups (FOSS4G UK did this for 2019 - worked well)?'''<br />
<br />
''We will provide each attendee with a reusable water bottle and there will be water fountains all over the venue, including hot water for those who want to drink tea or mate.<br />
We are aiming for local and regional products to minimize the carbon footprint of transport. We will also use as much recycled materials as possible. Non-expendable material used on the conference will be either sold after the conference or reused by the BALOC in future events.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will the food lean away from carbon-intensive foodstuffs?'''<br />
<br />
''We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food.<br />
The food that’s not eaten each day will be sent to a local organization that delivers to people living on the streets or community kitchens.''<br />
<br />
* '''How do you anticipate regional participants to travel there? (I'm guessing Local = public transit and International = flying)'''.<br />
<br />
''Extending the question regarding sustainability of the TGP transport:<br />
For distances less than 400km, bus is the preferred transport near Buenos Aires. On some exceptional cases, we may even extend this distance if there is a direct road. <br />
On the regional context, considering Latin America, it is unlikely to use any other method of transport than by plane, since distances make it difficult to use other means of transport. Bear in mind that the rail network is not as extended in the rest of the world as it is in Europe. ''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you default to opt-out for the t-shirt?'''<br />
<br />
''We want to reduce the amount of useless swag as possible to reduce waste. We are aware that t-shirts are very appreciated by a big part of our attendees, so we will offer them optionally to those who have a special interest, along with other optional swag. This also helps reducing the ticket price and allows us to operate on a lower budget.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you provide any sort of carbon-credit offset as part of the conference fee for those who choose to fly?'''<br />
<br />
''On the proposal we focused on the things the BALOC could directly impact to reduce the carbon footprint and waste. We didn’t plan yet for what attendees can do to reduce their pollution. <br />
But it is in the schedule to contact in the future some association like Vida Silvestre (https://www.vidasilvestre.org.ar/) and add an optional donation to compensate for carbon footprint.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you cater to various dietary requirements?'''<br />
<br />
''The catering will serve food for people with special requirements such as celiac disease, vegan diet, food allergies or intolerances. We will ask in advance to make sure all attendees have food adapted to their needs.<br />
The menu will be healthy and varied, covering nutritional needs.''<br />
<br />
* '''Travel Grant - Have you considered other potentially under-represented groups - those with disabilities for instance (about 18% of the UK population - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-facts-and-figures/disability-facts-and-figures - alas I couldn't quickly find the stats for Argentina). This is far more than the ~0.4% (UK again) who identify as Non-Binary ( http://www.allabouttrans.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/non-binary-gender-factsheet.pdf )'''<br />
<br />
''As in FOSS4G 2018, there will be two rounds of Travel Grants. The first edition will cover under-represented groups in general, with no restrictions.<br />
The second round will focus on groups that are greatly under-represented (women and non-binary people as they represent half the population but are not as present on our events) and local under-represented groups (native americans). <br />
We care about people with limited mobility, that’s why, along with the help of the first Travel Grant, the venue is completely adapted and is located on a completely adapted neighbourhood with adapted access to the metro.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''GeoChicas - I'm not sure what a "geochica" is, but what's the logic to arbitrarily splitting it by gender? This seems the exact opposite of the stated "inclusive".'''<br />
<br />
''The GeoChicas event has taken place in FOSS4G 2018 and 2019 already. Although now it also includes Women in GeoSpatial (focused on geospatial technologies) and other Women in Tech associations besides GeoChicas (focused on OpenStreetMap), we decided to keep the name as an easy reference to attendees of previous FOSS4G. <br />
The concept of safe spaces is well known in communities that work to leverage gaps on under-represented communities. Those safe spaces help in the networking, empowering and reinforcing the presence of the targeted groups in conferences, thus making the event more inclusive. In the last two years we have already seen the effects of this safe space in our community and we want to continue on this line.''<br />
<br />
'''* You state in regards to local sourcing: "Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country." suggesting you plan to provision a fair amount of this. But then in response to carbon-intensive foodstuffs you say: ```"We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food." ``` Unfortunately these seem to be diametrically opposed notions. I think it's worth pointing out that beef and dairy are pretty much the most carbon intensive foodstuffs in their classes (beef = worst meat; dairy = worse than plant milks (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46654042) ). Will you be seeking to reduce use of these? (Suggestion: A few seconds googling for "Food emissions" will find plenty of articles with suggestions for what's good/bad.)'''<br />
<br />
''Our food providers are committed to lower our carbon footprint as much as possible, while considering the local diet and available products in the process. Using a local diet is important to ensure we don’t add carbon footprint on transport.''<br />
<br />
'''* My question regarding the travel grant's second round - I was wondering whether you would consider disability as being suitable for this. As noted in my question, there are *far* more disabled people than non-binary. Plus of course disabled people by the very nature of their disability may have physiological and/or logistical problems travelling, not something the other groups customarily face, so the disabled would proportionately benefit the most from the grant. Would you consider including disability in this second round?'''<br />
<br />
''To build the best TGP possible, we will consult with previous TGP coordinators (such as Steven Feldman and the Oceania LOC), on how to build an inclusive program.''<br />
<br />
'''* Geochicas - you call this a "safe space". I was under the impression these were spaces that are hostility free (i.e. https://equal.org/safe-space-program/ ), and they were open to all (a sound notion). To me at least it seems that by disallowing a certain group of people in you're saying that group of people are not safe, something that's definitely exclusionary. Plus it could be read that other minority groups (disabled, GBTQ, etc) aren't worth a safe space, only women and non-binary are. Would you consider making this more inclusive?'''<br />
<br />
''The full conference itself is already a safe space, according to your definition, with a CoC as a safeguard. The social event we are discussing is a safe space according to the definition usually used by feminist and people of color groups.''<br />
<br />
''Safe spaces are not treated as a response to something negative like fighting an existing hostility; but a way to generate the confidence needed to participate in mixed spaces. It is an extra step to help networking and empower people that otherwise will tend to be isolated and therefore be at a disadvantageous position.''<br />
<br />
<br />
== Paul Ramsey == <br />
<br />
*'''Your plan to scale back facilities in the event of shortfall in registrations is wise. A question on that: what are the deadlines for cancellations? How much of the deposit will they retain? Unfortunately you will not have a clear feel for potential attendance until the early bird registration period closes, which can be only a few months before the final date. At some point, the venue will ask for full payment. Do your schedule points for things like early bird line up with your decision points for things like venues?'''<br />
<br />
If we don’t use the building, the deposit will be lost.<br />
<br />
But we are still in negotiations to lower the seed amount. We don’t want to disclose our estimated numbers in public because that may impact the negotiation. Part of that negotiation may be lowering the amount of booked rooms and add them at a later stage when we have some more income. Considering the Law School has many classrooms and the risk of not being able to book more rooms at a later stage is lower, that may be a possibility, even if we lose part of the CEC.<br />
On the worst case, it may mean reducing the social spaces so activities will have to share spaces or maybe move them to the park, if weather permits. <br />
<br />
The rest of the services will charge based on the attendees number, so we don’t foresee much impact here.<br />
<br />
*''' If you'll excuse my language, the facility prices you quote seem very "international", that is, they would be not surprising in any other major global city. At the same time, the entry fees seem very low, compared to the general foss4g trend. I see that the A/B and food costs are lower than I would "expect", have those been validated in the marketplace? Generally expensive venues have exclusive catering arrangements with firms that are equally expensive, are you allowed to use your quoted catering in the venues you have chosen?'''<br />
<br />
You are right: the venue prices in Buenos Aires are on the high side, we were very surprised (appalled more like) by this. Buenos Aires is a central city on the region, attracting many international events, thus making prices similar to other big cities around the world.<br />
<br />
Every price has been checked with the provider by our professional events organizer, who already knows all of them and is negotiating each contract. There were some alternative venues we discarded for being too small, not being able to offer basic services (like internet), and/or outside the city and not well connected.<br />
<br />
About the catering, the main venue (CEC) has a variety of exclusive companies from which to choose the catering from. The one we asked to budget all the meals is the cheapest but also the one the events organizer knows to be most reliable and with high quality. <br />
<br />
Our events organizer checked also with other companies to see if the prices were sensible and it is similar to what would cost to hire an external company for it. Even when the venues are expensive, food in Argentina is cheaper.<br />
<br />
*'''How much of your $122K in budgeted sponsorship is "sure" already? That is, have the government corporate sponsors of this proposal made some kind of non-binding statement of interest in sponsorship?'''<br />
<br />
We don’t want to disclose much of this because nothing is signed yet and some companies may step back if they think we are going too fast. <br />
<br />
We have the non-signed understandment of some government entities to help us find sponsors, which may attract new players. Although most of those players will probably fall on the local category. We haven’t included those new players to the list.<br />
<br />
Actively looking for sponsorship for 2021 when it wasn’t sure and 2020 is currently looking for sponsors seemed to us a bit aggressive, so we contacted mostly companies we understood are not that interested in Canada but may be interested in Argentina. That prevented us from contacting many tentative sponsors.<br />
<br />
We have estimated based on what we have asked around, plus the average sponsorship levels from previous FOSS4G (with lowered percentages as this depends on the “commercial” effort of each team, which we can’t measure this properly, but also the interest on the region, which also depends on many factors). <br />
<br />
As a very very gross estimate, between a third and a half of that sponsorship is “sure”.<br />
<br />
<br />
*'''Not a question, but one way of squaring the "can afford it" pricing problem is an "individual" rate vs a "corporate" rate. The community pgcon.org conference in Ottawa uses this construction.'''<br />
<br />
It’s a good idea to consider. We will study it before releasing the early bird release. In any case, separation based on regions (or economic capacity) is something we think is important.<br />
<br />
== Eli Adam ==<br />
* '''Before eliminating the separate-day code spint, can you poll this, [https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/tosprint tosprint list] ?'''<br />
<br />
The idea comes from lessons learned and recommendations like:<br />
<br />
https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2016_Lessons_Learned#Code_Sprint<br />
<br />
We liked the idea of an extended codesprint as in Bonn, but we wanted to make it at the same time as the conference to save costs and make it more inviting for newcomers.<br />
<br />
The codesprint will still be there on Saturday, plus some other social events for people not interested on it. For example, we are planning an outdoors mapping party for people that want to contribute but they don’t feel like contributing with code, docs or translations. <br />
<br />
The idea of a week long codesprint is to expand its outreach, giving more time to do longer tasks and invite people who usually don’t come on Saturday to join and contribute. We feel that having the codesprint running at the same time as the main sessions can help connect different stakeholders with the developers’ work and understand better the FOSS ecosystem. We are aware that the codesprint will not be full until Saturday as developers will be busy with sessions.<br />
<br />
* '''Is the large venue being used for more than Opening, Closing, AGM, and Lunch?'''<br />
<br />
The CEC is planned to host 7 rooms for sessions (plenary and paralell), the BALOC office, the booths, the codesprint and plenty of social common spaces for networking and the catering infrastructure. (Summary on page 18 of the proposal.) The CEC provides us with spaces that we can use exclusively, whereas the Law School will have students sharing the space. Also, the Ice Breaker will be hosted on the CEC to save money. <br />
<br />
The Law School is only planned to host 4 rooms for sessions, 2 smaller rooms for meetings or birds of a feather. If we need to extend the number of rooms for meetings or other activities, it will be done on the Law School. But, for example, we wouldn’t be able to offer lunch at all if we remove the CEC space, as the Law School doesn’t have proper kitchen or space to serve.<br />
<br />
We couldn’t find another proper venue combination with the flexibility of the Law School and the infrastructures of the CEC within budget.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2021]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=Q%26A_Stage_2_Buenos_Aires&diff=122525Q&A Stage 2 Buenos Aires2019-12-01T20:39:38Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Michael Terner */</p>
<hr />
<div>= Questions to the BALOC from CC =<br />
<br />
== Michael Terner ==<br />
Excellent, and well thought out proposal. I appreciate your efforts to innovate. Below are a few questions and a couple of comments that refer to the dialog in other question threads.<br />
<br />
Due to the fact that sponsorship is such an important part of the budget, ranging from providing 24% to 36% of expected revenues, I have several questions in this area. While the amount of sponsorship revenue you are seeking may be "typical", due to your lower costs the ''percentage'' of revenue from sponsorship is higher than typical. Indeed, it is at the “base, break-even scenario” where sponsorship would provide ~36% of revenue. To the sponsorship questions:<br />
<br />
*'''When you talk about outreach to companies, you state you will “contact local and regional companies. We will start with those that have already sponsored previous FOSS4G events.” Is there any plan for outreach to companies that aren’t “local and regional” and might include international companies? Do you have a sense of how many “local and regional” companies have sponsored “previous FOSS4G events”? Have any of these companies previously sponsored the global conference?'''<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on the “foyer in the CEC” that will be used for the sponsor booths? Will this foyer be connected/adjacent to the main hall and/or eating areas? Such an arrangement can help to create more natural encounters with the sponsor community vs. having to travel to a specific location to find the sponsor exhibits.'''<br />
<br />
*'''What are the number of sponsor booths/exhibits you’re expecting to accommodate? Based on the budget spreadsheet it looks like you’re expecting 10 “exhibition stands” from sponsors. The proposal indicates there will also be 10 table top exhibitions for the Silver sponsors. Is it accurate that the exhibit area is expected to accommodate 20 sponsors with a mix of table top exhibits and exhibition stands? Have you spoken to any representative sponsors about their exhibiting expectations? I might observe that some Silver Sponsors - who ''could'' be paying $5,000 USD - may have a reasonable expectation of having more than a table-top exhibit.'''<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on how many, if any, “free conferences passes” will be included at each level of sponsorship from Diamond - Supporter?'''<br />
<br />
Non-Sponsorship questions:<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on the phrase “82.11 The estimated change for 2021 by the Argentinian Government”? Fully understanding that exchange rates can be very difficult to predict does your budget change (for better/worse) if this exchange rate is not achieved/is exceeded (noting that the current exchange rate is ARS ~$60 = USD $1)?'''<br />
<br />
*'''Pleased to learn that you will be using a “Professional Conference Organizer” (also referred to as the “Productora del Evento”) and that you have worked with them previously. Can you elaborate on their role and responsibilities (e.g., will they be doing banking? Contracting? Registration? Audio/visual? Etc.)?'''<br />
<br />
Relevant observations:<br />
<br />
'''Steven relayed that the typical "advance" from OSGeo was $40,000 USD. I can report that Boston received a $70,000 advance, and that we modeled our "ask" on previous conferences. I also know that Dar es Salaam did not seek any advance. So from my vantage, the number has moved around a bit.'''<br />
<br />
'''As someone whose attendance will likely be funded by a corporation, I would strongly +1 both Steven's and Paul's suggestions that the semantics of registration costs matter a great deal. It would be more difficult to get an expense reimbursement/approval for a "voluntary higher cost contribution" than it would be to simply pay a higher advertised fee. I think both notions of having an advertised market price with multiple options for "need-based discounts" (Steven) and/or a "corporate rate" (Paul) would make sense and would help with revenue, while providing flexibility for need-based discounts.'''<br />
<br />
== Steven Feldman ==<br />
<br />
Great proposal, thanks very much. Lot's of exciting ideas which I welcome. I'd like to focus on the financial stuff (as usual for me)<br />
<br />
*'''You have asked for a $60k advance from OSGeo, normally we have limited our advance to $40k, can you provide some more detail on why you need a larger advance and the timing of the cash outflows?'''<br />
<br />
''The CEC building’s rent (still being negotiated) is US$70.266. We have been asked to give half of it (US$35.133) in advance to book the place.<br />
The Law Faculty’s rent is US$16.500 if we finally reach close to 1.150 attendees. They also ask half of it in advance ( US$8.250). If we finally don’t need both spaces, we will be able to pay a lower amount, but we want to book the full 1150 attendees space just in case.<br />
So, venue advanced payment totals US$43.383. We are asking for US$60.000 to make sure we have also some cash flow while we get the first tickets sold.<br />
We won’t need the full $60.000 right away, just enough to book the venues and secure the dates.''<br />
<br />
* '''Are you also seeking any further guarantees or underwriting from OSGeo?'''<br />
<br />
''We have a generously estimated budget with items that can be opt-out if needed, so we don’t expect any financial issues. For example, if we have to escalate the event down we can cut big expenses like the CEC building and make the social events simpler. In case we don’t get enough tickets sold (below 550), we will contact the OSGeo Board to decide how to proceed.<br />
We don’t need any written warranty from OSGeo.''<br />
<br />
* '''If you request an advance from OSGeo the norm is that at least 80% of the surplus from your event is returned to OSGeo, your proposal only returns 30% to OSGeo. This is a substantial change which would need to be approved by the Board if recommended by CC, can you explain why such a low %age should be accepted?'''<br />
<br />
''We understood that the 80% surplus for OSGeo was the suggested amount for NA and european events. <br />
We can adjust the numbers and give a higher percentage of the surplus to OSGeo, although we think that “leaving” part of that surplus on the local organization can help the development and further outreach of the OSGeo community on the region.''<br />
<br />
* '''Your projected surpluses are on the low side, whilst I appreciate your low ticket prices, I wonder whether you can afford to charge a little more and possibly reduce the early bird discount to a consistent 20% (particularly for what you define as International) as a way of increasing your surplus and providing a safety net?<br />
'''<br />
''The budget is generously estimated (we are still negotiating some contracts to get a lower price) and we have the “open price ticket” which should give us more margin. The budget is using amounts we consider “safe” to be cut if things go wrong. (Although the minimum attendance described on the budget is 650, we can lower that even more if we remove venue space and non-essential items).<br />
We could increase the international price and still do that 20% discount on the early bird. But if we increase the ticket price for regional (especially local) tickets that could impact on our estimates of attendance.Trying to reach a consistent 20% discount could mean we have to lower the normal price for local and regional which could be even worse for the income.<br />
We are confident that, while the surplus doesn’t look good, it will get better once we start signing contracts, even if we don’t change ticket prices.''<br />
<br />
* '''I love the low prices that you are proposing and the option to top up pricing for those who can afford more, perhaps you could phrase this in a slightly different way by quoting higher prices and allowing those who need to self declare for a discount with the lowest price being your current rates? This could work well for corporates who may not respond well to a request to top up but could voluntarily exclude from an "in need" discount.'''<br />
<br />
''We will be careful on how to phrase this, as we also don’t want locals to think we are thinking less of them. We can add some note for sponsors as you mention.'' <br />
<br />
* '''I did not see any explicit mention of video recording or streaming. What are your plans and are they fully costed in your budget?''' <br />
<br />
''We plan to record all sessions. The cost is already included in the budget (sent privately). There is no plan for streaming because that will mean increasing the cost too much as we will need to add a much higher bandwidth on the venue along with more technicians on site.<br />
''<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
== Jonathan Moules == <br />
<br />
* '''I didn't see anything about sustainability (of the eco-friendly variety) in there apart from the venue itself being sustainable. What are your sustainability aims? Thoughts:'''<br />
<br />
''The BALOC is committed to set up a Sustainability and Social Responsibility Plan for our conference based on the resources available in our country. <br />
On the following questions we will answer part of our currently planned strategy towards this.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your "conference swag" sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People?)'''<br />
<br />
''One of our goals is to reduce the swag as much as possible as it generally ends up being waste. We are going to provide reusable water bottles to avoid the usage of one use plastic bottles during the conference and other possible useful objects to use during the conference. <br />
About explotation, see next question.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your Tea/Coffee/Chocolate sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People & children?)'''<br />
<br />
''Of course as part of this sustainability effort we will check that we don’t buy goods or use services provided by an exploiting company.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will your caterers source food locally by preference?'''<br />
<br />
''Most food in the city already comes from horticulture producers in the near rural towns. Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country. We plan to have as many sources of local, small and family producers and organically produced food as possible.''<br />
<br />
* '''Does your travel grant prioritise sustainable travel over flying?'''<br />
<br />
''Whenever possible, we will try to use sustainable transport. But we understand that the Travel Grant should also apply to nearby countries, which may not be reachable unless by plane. See answer about regional travel.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be providing bottled water or some re-usable cups (FOSS4G UK did this for 2019 - worked well)?'''<br />
<br />
''We will provide each attendee with a reusable water bottle and there will be water fountains all over the venue, including hot water for those who want to drink tea or mate.<br />
We are aiming for local and regional products to minimize the carbon footprint of transport. We will also use as much recycled materials as possible. Non-expendable material used on the conference will be either sold after the conference or reused by the BALOC in future events.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will the food lean away from carbon-intensive foodstuffs?'''<br />
<br />
''We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food.<br />
The food that’s not eaten each day will be sent to a local organization that delivers to people living on the streets or community kitchens.''<br />
<br />
* '''How do you anticipate regional participants to travel there? (I'm guessing Local = public transit and International = flying)'''.<br />
<br />
''Extending the question regarding sustainability of the TGP transport:<br />
For distances less than 400km, bus is the preferred transport near Buenos Aires. On some exceptional cases, we may even extend this distance if there is a direct road. <br />
On the regional context, considering Latin America, it is unlikely to use any other method of transport than by plane, since distances make it difficult to use other means of transport. Bear in mind that the rail network is not as extended in the rest of the world as it is in Europe. ''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you default to opt-out for the t-shirt?'''<br />
<br />
''We want to reduce the amount of useless swag as possible to reduce waste. We are aware that t-shirts are very appreciated by a big part of our attendees, so we will offer them optionally to those who have a special interest, along with other optional swag. This also helps reducing the ticket price and allows us to operate on a lower budget.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you provide any sort of carbon-credit offset as part of the conference fee for those who choose to fly?'''<br />
<br />
''On the proposal we focused on the things the BALOC could directly impact to reduce the carbon footprint and waste. We didn’t plan yet for what attendees can do to reduce their pollution. <br />
But it is in the schedule to contact in the future some association like Vida Silvestre (https://www.vidasilvestre.org.ar/) and add an optional donation to compensate for carbon footprint.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you cater to various dietary requirements?'''<br />
<br />
''The catering will serve food for people with special requirements such as celiac disease, vegan diet, food allergies or intolerances. We will ask in advance to make sure all attendees have food adapted to their needs.<br />
The menu will be healthy and varied, covering nutritional needs.''<br />
<br />
* '''Travel Grant - Have you considered other potentially under-represented groups - those with disabilities for instance (about 18% of the UK population - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-facts-and-figures/disability-facts-and-figures - alas I couldn't quickly find the stats for Argentina). This is far more than the ~0.4% (UK again) who identify as Non-Binary ( http://www.allabouttrans.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/non-binary-gender-factsheet.pdf )'''<br />
<br />
''As in FOSS4G 2018, there will be two rounds of Travel Grants. The first edition will cover under-represented groups in general, with no restrictions.<br />
The second round will focus on groups that are greatly under-represented (women and non-binary people as they represent half the population but are not as present on our events) and local under-represented groups (native americans). <br />
We care about people with limited mobility, that’s why, along with the help of the first Travel Grant, the venue is completely adapted and is located on a completely adapted neighbourhood with adapted access to the metro.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''GeoChicas - I'm not sure what a "geochica" is, but what's the logic to arbitrarily splitting it by gender? This seems the exact opposite of the stated "inclusive".'''<br />
<br />
''The GeoChicas event has taken place in FOSS4G 2018 and 2019 already. Although now it also includes Women in GeoSpatial (focused on geospatial technologies) and other Women in Tech associations besides GeoChicas (focused on OpenStreetMap), we decided to keep the name as an easy reference to attendees of previous FOSS4G. <br />
The concept of safe spaces is well known in communities that work to leverage gaps on under-represented communities. Those safe spaces help in the networking, empowering and reinforcing the presence of the targeted groups in conferences, thus making the event more inclusive. In the last two years we have already seen the effects of this safe space in our community and we want to continue on this line.''<br />
<br />
'''* You state in regards to local sourcing: "Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country." suggesting you plan to provision a fair amount of this. But then in response to carbon-intensive foodstuffs you say: ```"We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food." ``` Unfortunately these seem to be diametrically opposed notions. I think it's worth pointing out that beef and dairy are pretty much the most carbon intensive foodstuffs in their classes (beef = worst meat; dairy = worse than plant milks (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46654042) ). Will you be seeking to reduce use of these? (Suggestion: A few seconds googling for "Food emissions" will find plenty of articles with suggestions for what's good/bad.)'''<br />
<br />
''Our food providers are committed to lower our carbon footprint as much as possible, while considering the local diet and available products in the process. Using a local diet is important to ensure we don’t add carbon footprint on transport.''<br />
<br />
'''* My question regarding the travel grant's second round - I was wondering whether you would consider disability as being suitable for this. As noted in my question, there are *far* more disabled people than non-binary. Plus of course disabled people by the very nature of their disability may have physiological and/or logistical problems travelling, not something the other groups customarily face, so the disabled would proportionately benefit the most from the grant. Would you consider including disability in this second round?'''<br />
<br />
''To build the best TGP possible, we will consult with previous TGP coordinators (such as Steven Feldman and the Oceania LOC), on how to build an inclusive program.''<br />
<br />
'''* Geochicas - you call this a "safe space". I was under the impression these were spaces that are hostility free (i.e. https://equal.org/safe-space-program/ ), and they were open to all (a sound notion). To me at least it seems that by disallowing a certain group of people in you're saying that group of people are not safe, something that's definitely exclusionary. Plus it could be read that other minority groups (disabled, GBTQ, etc) aren't worth a safe space, only women and non-binary are. Would you consider making this more inclusive?'''<br />
<br />
''The full conference itself is already a safe space, according to your definition, with a CoC as a safeguard. The social event we are discussing is a safe space according to the definition usually used by feminist and people of color groups.''<br />
<br />
''Safe spaces are not treated as a response to something negative like fighting an existing hostility; but a way to generate the confidence needed to participate in mixed spaces. It is an extra step to help networking and empower people that otherwise will tend to be isolated and therefore be at a disadvantageous position.''<br />
<br />
<br />
== Paul Ramsey == <br />
<br />
*'''Your plan to scale back facilities in the event of shortfall in registrations is wise. A question on that: what are the deadlines for cancellations? How much of the deposit will they retain? Unfortunately you will not have a clear feel for potential attendance until the early bird registration period closes, which can be only a few months before the final date. At some point, the venue will ask for full payment. Do your schedule points for things like early bird line up with your decision points for things like venues?'''<br />
<br />
If we don’t use the building, the deposit will be lost.<br />
<br />
But we are still in negotiations to lower the seed amount. We don’t want to disclose our estimated numbers in public because that may impact the negotiation. Part of that negotiation may be lowering the amount of booked rooms and add them at a later stage when we have some more income. Considering the Law School has many classrooms and the risk of not being able to book more rooms at a later stage is lower, that may be a possibility, even if we lose part of the CEC.<br />
On the worst case, it may mean reducing the social spaces so activities will have to share spaces or maybe move them to the park, if weather permits. <br />
<br />
The rest of the services will charge based on the attendees number, so we don’t foresee much impact here.<br />
<br />
*''' If you'll excuse my language, the facility prices you quote seem very "international", that is, they would be not surprising in any other major global city. At the same time, the entry fees seem very low, compared to the general foss4g trend. I see that the A/B and food costs are lower than I would "expect", have those been validated in the marketplace? Generally expensive venues have exclusive catering arrangements with firms that are equally expensive, are you allowed to use your quoted catering in the venues you have chosen?'''<br />
<br />
You are right: the venue prices in Buenos Aires are on the high side, we were very surprised (appalled more like) by this. Buenos Aires is a central city on the region, attracting many international events, thus making prices similar to other big cities around the world.<br />
<br />
Every price has been checked with the provider by our professional events organizer, who already knows all of them and is negotiating each contract. There were some alternative venues we discarded for being too small, not being able to offer basic services (like internet), and/or outside the city and not well connected.<br />
<br />
About the catering, the main venue (CEC) has a variety of exclusive companies from which to choose the catering from. The one we asked to budget all the meals is the cheapest but also the one the events organizer knows to be most reliable and with high quality. <br />
<br />
Our events organizer checked also with other companies to see if the prices were sensible and it is similar to what would cost to hire an external company for it. Even when the venues are expensive, food in Argentina is cheaper.<br />
<br />
*'''How much of your $122K in budgeted sponsorship is "sure" already? That is, have the government corporate sponsors of this proposal made some kind of non-binding statement of interest in sponsorship?'''<br />
<br />
We don’t want to disclose much of this because nothing is signed yet and some companies may step back if they think we are going too fast. <br />
<br />
We have the non-signed understandment of some government entities to help us find sponsors, which may attract new players. Although most of those players will probably fall on the local category. We haven’t included those new players to the list.<br />
<br />
Actively looking for sponsorship for 2021 when it wasn’t sure and 2020 is currently looking for sponsors seemed to us a bit aggressive, so we contacted mostly companies we understood are not that interested in Canada but may be interested in Argentina. That prevented us from contacting many tentative sponsors.<br />
<br />
We have estimated based on what we have asked around, plus the average sponsorship levels from previous FOSS4G (with lowered percentages as this depends on the “commercial” effort of each team, which we can’t measure this properly, but also the interest on the region, which also depends on many factors). <br />
<br />
As a very very gross estimate, between a third and a half of that sponsorship is “sure”.<br />
<br />
<br />
*'''Not a question, but one way of squaring the "can afford it" pricing problem is an "individual" rate vs a "corporate" rate. The community pgcon.org conference in Ottawa uses this construction.'''<br />
<br />
It’s a good idea to consider. We will study it before releasing the early bird release. In any case, separation based on regions (or economic capacity) is something we think is important.<br />
<br />
== Eli Adam ==<br />
* '''Before eliminating the separate-day code spint, can you poll this, [https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/tosprint tosprint list] ?'''<br />
<br />
The idea comes from lessons learned and recommendations like:<br />
<br />
https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2016_Lessons_Learned#Code_Sprint<br />
<br />
We liked the idea of an extended codesprint as in Bonn, but we wanted to make it at the same time as the conference to save costs and make it more inviting for newcomers.<br />
<br />
The codesprint will still be there on Saturday, plus some other social events for people not interested on it. For example, we are planning an outdoors mapping party for people that want to contribute but they don’t feel like contributing with code, docs or translations. <br />
<br />
The idea of a week long codesprint is to expand its outreach, giving more time to do longer tasks and invite people who usually don’t come on Saturday to join and contribute. We feel that having the codesprint running at the same time as the main sessions can help connect different stakeholders with the developers’ work and understand better the FOSS ecosystem. We are aware that the codesprint will not be full until Saturday as developers will be busy with sessions.<br />
<br />
* '''Is the large venue being used for more than Opening, Closing, AGM, and Lunch?'''<br />
<br />
The CEC is planned to host 7 rooms for sessions (plenary and paralell), the BALOC office, the booths, the codesprint and plenty of social common spaces for networking and the catering infrastructure. (Summary on page 18 of the proposal.) The CEC provides us with spaces that we can use exclusively, whereas the Law School will have students sharing the space. Also, the Ice Breaker will be hosted on the CEC to save money. <br />
<br />
The Law School is only planned to host 4 rooms for sessions, 2 smaller rooms for meetings or birds of a feather. If we need to extend the number of rooms for meetings or other activities, it will be done on the Law School. But, for example, we wouldn’t be able to offer lunch at all if we remove the CEC space, as the Law School doesn’t have proper kitchen or space to serve.<br />
<br />
We couldn’t find another proper venue combination with the flexibility of the Law School and the infrastructures of the CEC within budget.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2021]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=Q%26A_Stage_2_Buenos_Aires&diff=122524Q&A Stage 2 Buenos Aires2019-12-01T20:38:06Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Michael Terner */</p>
<hr />
<div>= Questions to the BALOC from CC =<br />
<br />
== Michael Terner ==<br />
Excellent, and well thought out proposal. I appreciate your efforts to innovate. Below are a few questions and a couple of comments that refer to the dialog in other question threads.<br />
<br />
Due to the fact that sponsorship is such an important part of the budget, ranging from providing 24% to 36% of expected revenues, I have several questions in this area. While the amount of sponsorship revenue you are seeking may be "typical", due to your lower costs the ''percentage'' of revenue from sponsorship is higher than typical. Indeed, it is at the “base, break-even scenario” where sponsorship would provide ~36% of revenue. To the sponsorship questions:<br />
<br />
*'''When you talk about outreach to companies, you state you will “contact local and regional companies. We will start with those that have already sponsored previous FOSS4G events.” Is there any plan for outreach to companies that aren’t “local and regional” and might include international companies? Do you have a sense of how many “local and regional” companies have sponsored “previous FOSS4G events”? Have any of these companies previously sponsored the global conference?'''<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on the “foyer in the CEC” that will be used for the sponsor booths? Will this foyer be connected/adjacent to the main hall and/or eating areas? Such an arrangement can help to create more natural encounters with the sponsor community vs. having to travel to a specific location to find the sponsor exhibits.'''<br />
<br />
*'''What are the number of sponsor booths/exhibits you’re expecting to accommodate? Based on the budget spreadsheet it looks like you’re expecting 10 “exhibition stands” from sponsors. The proposal indicates there will also be 10 table top exhibitions for the Silver sponsors. Is it accurate that the exhibit area is expected to accommodate 20 sponsors with a mix of table top exhibits and exhibition stands? Have you spoken to any representative sponsors about their exhibiting expectations? I might observe that some Silver Sponsors - who will be paying $5,000 USD - may have a reasonable expectation of having more than a table-top exhibit.'''<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on how many, if any, “free conferences passes” will be included at each level of sponsorship from Diamond - Supporter?'''<br />
<br />
Non-Sponsorship questions:<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on the phrase “82.11 The estimated change for 2021 by the Argentinian Government”? Fully understanding that exchange rates can be very difficult to predict does your budget change (for better/worse) if this exchange rate is not achieved/is exceeded (noting that the current exchange rate is ARS ~$60 = USD $1)?'''<br />
<br />
*'''Pleased to learn that you will be using a “Professional Conference Organizer” (also referred to as the “Productora del Evento”) and that you have worked with them previously. Can you elaborate on their role and responsibilities (e.g., will they be doing banking? Contracting? Registration? Audio/visual? Etc.)?'''<br />
<br />
Relevant observations:<br />
<br />
'''Steven relayed that the typical "advance" from OSGeo was $40,000 USD. I can report that Boston received a $70,000 advance, and that we modeled our "ask" on previous conferences. I also know that Dar es Salaam did not seek any advance. So from my vantage, the number has moved around a bit.'''<br />
<br />
'''As someone whose attendance will likely be funded by a corporation, I would strongly +1 both Steven's and Paul's suggestions that the semantics of registration costs matter a great deal. It would be more difficult to get an expense reimbursement/approval for a "voluntary higher cost contribution" than it would be to simply pay a higher advertised fee. I think both notions of having an advertised market price with multiple options for "need-based discounts" (Steven) and/or a "corporate rate" (Paul) would make sense and would help with revenue, while providing flexibility for need-based discounts.'''<br />
<br />
== Steven Feldman ==<br />
<br />
Great proposal, thanks very much. Lot's of exciting ideas which I welcome. I'd like to focus on the financial stuff (as usual for me)<br />
<br />
*'''You have asked for a $60k advance from OSGeo, normally we have limited our advance to $40k, can you provide some more detail on why you need a larger advance and the timing of the cash outflows?'''<br />
<br />
''The CEC building’s rent (still being negotiated) is US$70.266. We have been asked to give half of it (US$35.133) in advance to book the place.<br />
The Law Faculty’s rent is US$16.500 if we finally reach close to 1.150 attendees. They also ask half of it in advance ( US$8.250). If we finally don’t need both spaces, we will be able to pay a lower amount, but we want to book the full 1150 attendees space just in case.<br />
So, venue advanced payment totals US$43.383. We are asking for US$60.000 to make sure we have also some cash flow while we get the first tickets sold.<br />
We won’t need the full $60.000 right away, just enough to book the venues and secure the dates.''<br />
<br />
* '''Are you also seeking any further guarantees or underwriting from OSGeo?'''<br />
<br />
''We have a generously estimated budget with items that can be opt-out if needed, so we don’t expect any financial issues. For example, if we have to escalate the event down we can cut big expenses like the CEC building and make the social events simpler. In case we don’t get enough tickets sold (below 550), we will contact the OSGeo Board to decide how to proceed.<br />
We don’t need any written warranty from OSGeo.''<br />
<br />
* '''If you request an advance from OSGeo the norm is that at least 80% of the surplus from your event is returned to OSGeo, your proposal only returns 30% to OSGeo. This is a substantial change which would need to be approved by the Board if recommended by CC, can you explain why such a low %age should be accepted?'''<br />
<br />
''We understood that the 80% surplus for OSGeo was the suggested amount for NA and european events. <br />
We can adjust the numbers and give a higher percentage of the surplus to OSGeo, although we think that “leaving” part of that surplus on the local organization can help the development and further outreach of the OSGeo community on the region.''<br />
<br />
* '''Your projected surpluses are on the low side, whilst I appreciate your low ticket prices, I wonder whether you can afford to charge a little more and possibly reduce the early bird discount to a consistent 20% (particularly for what you define as International) as a way of increasing your surplus and providing a safety net?<br />
'''<br />
''The budget is generously estimated (we are still negotiating some contracts to get a lower price) and we have the “open price ticket” which should give us more margin. The budget is using amounts we consider “safe” to be cut if things go wrong. (Although the minimum attendance described on the budget is 650, we can lower that even more if we remove venue space and non-essential items).<br />
We could increase the international price and still do that 20% discount on the early bird. But if we increase the ticket price for regional (especially local) tickets that could impact on our estimates of attendance.Trying to reach a consistent 20% discount could mean we have to lower the normal price for local and regional which could be even worse for the income.<br />
We are confident that, while the surplus doesn’t look good, it will get better once we start signing contracts, even if we don’t change ticket prices.''<br />
<br />
* '''I love the low prices that you are proposing and the option to top up pricing for those who can afford more, perhaps you could phrase this in a slightly different way by quoting higher prices and allowing those who need to self declare for a discount with the lowest price being your current rates? This could work well for corporates who may not respond well to a request to top up but could voluntarily exclude from an "in need" discount.'''<br />
<br />
''We will be careful on how to phrase this, as we also don’t want locals to think we are thinking less of them. We can add some note for sponsors as you mention.'' <br />
<br />
* '''I did not see any explicit mention of video recording or streaming. What are your plans and are they fully costed in your budget?''' <br />
<br />
''We plan to record all sessions. The cost is already included in the budget (sent privately). There is no plan for streaming because that will mean increasing the cost too much as we will need to add a much higher bandwidth on the venue along with more technicians on site.<br />
''<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
== Jonathan Moules == <br />
<br />
* '''I didn't see anything about sustainability (of the eco-friendly variety) in there apart from the venue itself being sustainable. What are your sustainability aims? Thoughts:'''<br />
<br />
''The BALOC is committed to set up a Sustainability and Social Responsibility Plan for our conference based on the resources available in our country. <br />
On the following questions we will answer part of our currently planned strategy towards this.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your "conference swag" sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People?)'''<br />
<br />
''One of our goals is to reduce the swag as much as possible as it generally ends up being waste. We are going to provide reusable water bottles to avoid the usage of one use plastic bottles during the conference and other possible useful objects to use during the conference. <br />
About explotation, see next question.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your Tea/Coffee/Chocolate sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People & children?)'''<br />
<br />
''Of course as part of this sustainability effort we will check that we don’t buy goods or use services provided by an exploiting company.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will your caterers source food locally by preference?'''<br />
<br />
''Most food in the city already comes from horticulture producers in the near rural towns. Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country. We plan to have as many sources of local, small and family producers and organically produced food as possible.''<br />
<br />
* '''Does your travel grant prioritise sustainable travel over flying?'''<br />
<br />
''Whenever possible, we will try to use sustainable transport. But we understand that the Travel Grant should also apply to nearby countries, which may not be reachable unless by plane. See answer about regional travel.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be providing bottled water or some re-usable cups (FOSS4G UK did this for 2019 - worked well)?'''<br />
<br />
''We will provide each attendee with a reusable water bottle and there will be water fountains all over the venue, including hot water for those who want to drink tea or mate.<br />
We are aiming for local and regional products to minimize the carbon footprint of transport. We will also use as much recycled materials as possible. Non-expendable material used on the conference will be either sold after the conference or reused by the BALOC in future events.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will the food lean away from carbon-intensive foodstuffs?'''<br />
<br />
''We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food.<br />
The food that’s not eaten each day will be sent to a local organization that delivers to people living on the streets or community kitchens.''<br />
<br />
* '''How do you anticipate regional participants to travel there? (I'm guessing Local = public transit and International = flying)'''.<br />
<br />
''Extending the question regarding sustainability of the TGP transport:<br />
For distances less than 400km, bus is the preferred transport near Buenos Aires. On some exceptional cases, we may even extend this distance if there is a direct road. <br />
On the regional context, considering Latin America, it is unlikely to use any other method of transport than by plane, since distances make it difficult to use other means of transport. Bear in mind that the rail network is not as extended in the rest of the world as it is in Europe. ''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you default to opt-out for the t-shirt?'''<br />
<br />
''We want to reduce the amount of useless swag as possible to reduce waste. We are aware that t-shirts are very appreciated by a big part of our attendees, so we will offer them optionally to those who have a special interest, along with other optional swag. This also helps reducing the ticket price and allows us to operate on a lower budget.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you provide any sort of carbon-credit offset as part of the conference fee for those who choose to fly?'''<br />
<br />
''On the proposal we focused on the things the BALOC could directly impact to reduce the carbon footprint and waste. We didn’t plan yet for what attendees can do to reduce their pollution. <br />
But it is in the schedule to contact in the future some association like Vida Silvestre (https://www.vidasilvestre.org.ar/) and add an optional donation to compensate for carbon footprint.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you cater to various dietary requirements?'''<br />
<br />
''The catering will serve food for people with special requirements such as celiac disease, vegan diet, food allergies or intolerances. We will ask in advance to make sure all attendees have food adapted to their needs.<br />
The menu will be healthy and varied, covering nutritional needs.''<br />
<br />
* '''Travel Grant - Have you considered other potentially under-represented groups - those with disabilities for instance (about 18% of the UK population - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-facts-and-figures/disability-facts-and-figures - alas I couldn't quickly find the stats for Argentina). This is far more than the ~0.4% (UK again) who identify as Non-Binary ( http://www.allabouttrans.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/non-binary-gender-factsheet.pdf )'''<br />
<br />
''As in FOSS4G 2018, there will be two rounds of Travel Grants. The first edition will cover under-represented groups in general, with no restrictions.<br />
The second round will focus on groups that are greatly under-represented (women and non-binary people as they represent half the population but are not as present on our events) and local under-represented groups (native americans). <br />
We care about people with limited mobility, that’s why, along with the help of the first Travel Grant, the venue is completely adapted and is located on a completely adapted neighbourhood with adapted access to the metro.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''GeoChicas - I'm not sure what a "geochica" is, but what's the logic to arbitrarily splitting it by gender? This seems the exact opposite of the stated "inclusive".'''<br />
<br />
''The GeoChicas event has taken place in FOSS4G 2018 and 2019 already. Although now it also includes Women in GeoSpatial (focused on geospatial technologies) and other Women in Tech associations besides GeoChicas (focused on OpenStreetMap), we decided to keep the name as an easy reference to attendees of previous FOSS4G. <br />
The concept of safe spaces is well known in communities that work to leverage gaps on under-represented communities. Those safe spaces help in the networking, empowering and reinforcing the presence of the targeted groups in conferences, thus making the event more inclusive. In the last two years we have already seen the effects of this safe space in our community and we want to continue on this line.''<br />
<br />
'''* You state in regards to local sourcing: "Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country." suggesting you plan to provision a fair amount of this. But then in response to carbon-intensive foodstuffs you say: ```"We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food." ``` Unfortunately these seem to be diametrically opposed notions. I think it's worth pointing out that beef and dairy are pretty much the most carbon intensive foodstuffs in their classes (beef = worst meat; dairy = worse than plant milks (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46654042) ). Will you be seeking to reduce use of these? (Suggestion: A few seconds googling for "Food emissions" will find plenty of articles with suggestions for what's good/bad.)'''<br />
<br />
''Our food providers are committed to lower our carbon footprint as much as possible, while considering the local diet and available products in the process. Using a local diet is important to ensure we don’t add carbon footprint on transport.''<br />
<br />
'''* My question regarding the travel grant's second round - I was wondering whether you would consider disability as being suitable for this. As noted in my question, there are *far* more disabled people than non-binary. Plus of course disabled people by the very nature of their disability may have physiological and/or logistical problems travelling, not something the other groups customarily face, so the disabled would proportionately benefit the most from the grant. Would you consider including disability in this second round?'''<br />
<br />
''To build the best TGP possible, we will consult with previous TGP coordinators (such as Steven Feldman and the Oceania LOC), on how to build an inclusive program.''<br />
<br />
'''* Geochicas - you call this a "safe space". I was under the impression these were spaces that are hostility free (i.e. https://equal.org/safe-space-program/ ), and they were open to all (a sound notion). To me at least it seems that by disallowing a certain group of people in you're saying that group of people are not safe, something that's definitely exclusionary. Plus it could be read that other minority groups (disabled, GBTQ, etc) aren't worth a safe space, only women and non-binary are. Would you consider making this more inclusive?'''<br />
<br />
''The full conference itself is already a safe space, according to your definition, with a CoC as a safeguard. The social event we are discussing is a safe space according to the definition usually used by feminist and people of color groups.''<br />
<br />
''Safe spaces are not treated as a response to something negative like fighting an existing hostility; but a way to generate the confidence needed to participate in mixed spaces. It is an extra step to help networking and empower people that otherwise will tend to be isolated and therefore be at a disadvantageous position.''<br />
<br />
<br />
== Paul Ramsey == <br />
<br />
*'''Your plan to scale back facilities in the event of shortfall in registrations is wise. A question on that: what are the deadlines for cancellations? How much of the deposit will they retain? Unfortunately you will not have a clear feel for potential attendance until the early bird registration period closes, which can be only a few months before the final date. At some point, the venue will ask for full payment. Do your schedule points for things like early bird line up with your decision points for things like venues?'''<br />
<br />
If we don’t use the building, the deposit will be lost.<br />
<br />
But we are still in negotiations to lower the seed amount. We don’t want to disclose our estimated numbers in public because that may impact the negotiation. Part of that negotiation may be lowering the amount of booked rooms and add them at a later stage when we have some more income. Considering the Law School has many classrooms and the risk of not being able to book more rooms at a later stage is lower, that may be a possibility, even if we lose part of the CEC.<br />
On the worst case, it may mean reducing the social spaces so activities will have to share spaces or maybe move them to the park, if weather permits. <br />
<br />
The rest of the services will charge based on the attendees number, so we don’t foresee much impact here.<br />
<br />
*''' If you'll excuse my language, the facility prices you quote seem very "international", that is, they would be not surprising in any other major global city. At the same time, the entry fees seem very low, compared to the general foss4g trend. I see that the A/B and food costs are lower than I would "expect", have those been validated in the marketplace? Generally expensive venues have exclusive catering arrangements with firms that are equally expensive, are you allowed to use your quoted catering in the venues you have chosen?'''<br />
<br />
You are right: the venue prices in Buenos Aires are on the high side, we were very surprised (appalled more like) by this. Buenos Aires is a central city on the region, attracting many international events, thus making prices similar to other big cities around the world.<br />
<br />
Every price has been checked with the provider by our professional events organizer, who already knows all of them and is negotiating each contract. There were some alternative venues we discarded for being too small, not being able to offer basic services (like internet), and/or outside the city and not well connected.<br />
<br />
About the catering, the main venue (CEC) has a variety of exclusive companies from which to choose the catering from. The one we asked to budget all the meals is the cheapest but also the one the events organizer knows to be most reliable and with high quality. <br />
<br />
Our events organizer checked also with other companies to see if the prices were sensible and it is similar to what would cost to hire an external company for it. Even when the venues are expensive, food in Argentina is cheaper.<br />
<br />
*'''How much of your $122K in budgeted sponsorship is "sure" already? That is, have the government corporate sponsors of this proposal made some kind of non-binding statement of interest in sponsorship?'''<br />
<br />
We don’t want to disclose much of this because nothing is signed yet and some companies may step back if they think we are going too fast. <br />
<br />
We have the non-signed understandment of some government entities to help us find sponsors, which may attract new players. Although most of those players will probably fall on the local category. We haven’t included those new players to the list.<br />
<br />
Actively looking for sponsorship for 2021 when it wasn’t sure and 2020 is currently looking for sponsors seemed to us a bit aggressive, so we contacted mostly companies we understood are not that interested in Canada but may be interested in Argentina. That prevented us from contacting many tentative sponsors.<br />
<br />
We have estimated based on what we have asked around, plus the average sponsorship levels from previous FOSS4G (with lowered percentages as this depends on the “commercial” effort of each team, which we can’t measure this properly, but also the interest on the region, which also depends on many factors). <br />
<br />
As a very very gross estimate, between a third and a half of that sponsorship is “sure”.<br />
<br />
<br />
*'''Not a question, but one way of squaring the "can afford it" pricing problem is an "individual" rate vs a "corporate" rate. The community pgcon.org conference in Ottawa uses this construction.'''<br />
<br />
It’s a good idea to consider. We will study it before releasing the early bird release. In any case, separation based on regions (or economic capacity) is something we think is important.<br />
<br />
== Eli Adam ==<br />
* '''Before eliminating the separate-day code spint, can you poll this, [https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/tosprint tosprint list] ?'''<br />
<br />
The idea comes from lessons learned and recommendations like:<br />
<br />
https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2016_Lessons_Learned#Code_Sprint<br />
<br />
We liked the idea of an extended codesprint as in Bonn, but we wanted to make it at the same time as the conference to save costs and make it more inviting for newcomers.<br />
<br />
The codesprint will still be there on Saturday, plus some other social events for people not interested on it. For example, we are planning an outdoors mapping party for people that want to contribute but they don’t feel like contributing with code, docs or translations. <br />
<br />
The idea of a week long codesprint is to expand its outreach, giving more time to do longer tasks and invite people who usually don’t come on Saturday to join and contribute. We feel that having the codesprint running at the same time as the main sessions can help connect different stakeholders with the developers’ work and understand better the FOSS ecosystem. We are aware that the codesprint will not be full until Saturday as developers will be busy with sessions.<br />
<br />
* '''Is the large venue being used for more than Opening, Closing, AGM, and Lunch?'''<br />
<br />
The CEC is planned to host 7 rooms for sessions (plenary and paralell), the BALOC office, the booths, the codesprint and plenty of social common spaces for networking and the catering infrastructure. (Summary on page 18 of the proposal.) The CEC provides us with spaces that we can use exclusively, whereas the Law School will have students sharing the space. Also, the Ice Breaker will be hosted on the CEC to save money. <br />
<br />
The Law School is only planned to host 4 rooms for sessions, 2 smaller rooms for meetings or birds of a feather. If we need to extend the number of rooms for meetings or other activities, it will be done on the Law School. But, for example, we wouldn’t be able to offer lunch at all if we remove the CEC space, as the Law School doesn’t have proper kitchen or space to serve.<br />
<br />
We couldn’t find another proper venue combination with the flexibility of the Law School and the infrastructures of the CEC within budget.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2021]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=Q%26A_Stage_2_Buenos_Aires&diff=122523Q&A Stage 2 Buenos Aires2019-12-01T20:37:16Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Michael Terner */</p>
<hr />
<div>= Questions to the BALOC from CC =<br />
<br />
== Michael Terner ==<br />
Excellent, and well thought out proposal. I appreciate your efforts to innovate. Below are a few questions and a couple of comments that refer to the dialog in other question threads.<br />
<br />
Due to the fact that sponsorship is such an important part of the budget, ranging from providing 24% to 36% of expected revenues, I have several questions in this area. While the amount of sponsorship revenue you are seeking may be "typical", due to your lower costs the ~percentage~ of revenue from sponsorship is higher than typical. Indeed, it is at the “base, break-even scenario” where sponsorship would provide ~36% of revenue. To the sponsorship questions:<br />
<br />
*'''When you talk about outreach to companies, you state you will “contact local and regional companies. We will start with those that have already sponsored previous FOSS4G events.” Is there any plan for outreach to companies that aren’t “local and regional” and might include international companies? Do you have a sense of how many “local and regional” companies have sponsored “previous FOSS4G events”? Have any of these companies previously sponsored the global conference?'''<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on the “foyer in the CEC” that will be used for the sponsor booths? Will this foyer be connected/adjacent to the main hall and/or eating areas? Such an arrangement can help to create more natural encounters with the sponsor community vs. having to travel to a specific location to find the sponsor exhibits.'''<br />
<br />
*'''What are the number of sponsor booths/exhibits you’re expecting to accommodate? Based on the budget spreadsheet it looks like you’re expecting 10 “exhibition stands” from sponsors. The proposal indicates there will also be 10 table top exhibitions for the Silver sponsors. Is it accurate that the exhibit area is expected to accommodate 20 sponsors with a mix of table top exhibits and exhibition stands? Have you spoken to any representative sponsors about their exhibiting expectations? I might observe that some Silver Sponsors - who will be paying $5,000 USD - may have a reasonable expectation of having more than a table-top exhibit.'''<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on how many, if any, “free conferences passes” will be included at each level of sponsorship from Diamond - Supporter?'''<br />
<br />
Non-Sponsorship questions:<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on the phrase “82.11 The estimated change for 2021 by the Argentinian Government”? Fully understanding that exchange rates can be very difficult to predict does your budget change (for better/worse) if this exchange rate is not achieved/is exceeded (noting that the current exchange rate is ARS ~$60 = USD $1)?'''<br />
<br />
*'''Pleased to learn that you will be using a “Professional Conference Organizer” (also referred to as the “Productora del Evento”) and that you have worked with them previously. Can you elaborate on their role and responsibilities (e.g., will they be doing banking? Contracting? Registration? Audio/visual? Etc.)?'''<br />
<br />
Relevant observations:<br />
<br />
'''Steven relayed that the typical "advance" from OSGeo was $40,000 USD. I can report that Boston received a $70,000 advance, and that we modeled our "ask" on previous conferences. I also know that Dar es Salaam did not seek any advance. So from my vantage, the number has moved around a bit.'''<br />
<br />
'''As someone whose attendance will likely be funded by a corporation, I would strongly +1 both Steven's and Paul's suggestions that the semantics of registration costs matter a great deal. It would be more difficult to get an expense reimbursement/approval for a "voluntary higher cost contribution" than it would be to simply pay a higher advertised fee. I think both notions of having an advertised market price with multiple options for "need-based discounts" (Steven) and/or a "corporate rate" (Paul) would make sense and would help with revenue, while providing flexibility for need-based discounts.'''<br />
<br />
== Steven Feldman ==<br />
<br />
Great proposal, thanks very much. Lot's of exciting ideas which I welcome. I'd like to focus on the financial stuff (as usual for me)<br />
<br />
*'''You have asked for a $60k advance from OSGeo, normally we have limited our advance to $40k, can you provide some more detail on why you need a larger advance and the timing of the cash outflows?'''<br />
<br />
''The CEC building’s rent (still being negotiated) is US$70.266. We have been asked to give half of it (US$35.133) in advance to book the place.<br />
The Law Faculty’s rent is US$16.500 if we finally reach close to 1.150 attendees. They also ask half of it in advance ( US$8.250). If we finally don’t need both spaces, we will be able to pay a lower amount, but we want to book the full 1150 attendees space just in case.<br />
So, venue advanced payment totals US$43.383. We are asking for US$60.000 to make sure we have also some cash flow while we get the first tickets sold.<br />
We won’t need the full $60.000 right away, just enough to book the venues and secure the dates.''<br />
<br />
* '''Are you also seeking any further guarantees or underwriting from OSGeo?'''<br />
<br />
''We have a generously estimated budget with items that can be opt-out if needed, so we don’t expect any financial issues. For example, if we have to escalate the event down we can cut big expenses like the CEC building and make the social events simpler. In case we don’t get enough tickets sold (below 550), we will contact the OSGeo Board to decide how to proceed.<br />
We don’t need any written warranty from OSGeo.''<br />
<br />
* '''If you request an advance from OSGeo the norm is that at least 80% of the surplus from your event is returned to OSGeo, your proposal only returns 30% to OSGeo. This is a substantial change which would need to be approved by the Board if recommended by CC, can you explain why such a low %age should be accepted?'''<br />
<br />
''We understood that the 80% surplus for OSGeo was the suggested amount for NA and european events. <br />
We can adjust the numbers and give a higher percentage of the surplus to OSGeo, although we think that “leaving” part of that surplus on the local organization can help the development and further outreach of the OSGeo community on the region.''<br />
<br />
* '''Your projected surpluses are on the low side, whilst I appreciate your low ticket prices, I wonder whether you can afford to charge a little more and possibly reduce the early bird discount to a consistent 20% (particularly for what you define as International) as a way of increasing your surplus and providing a safety net?<br />
'''<br />
''The budget is generously estimated (we are still negotiating some contracts to get a lower price) and we have the “open price ticket” which should give us more margin. The budget is using amounts we consider “safe” to be cut if things go wrong. (Although the minimum attendance described on the budget is 650, we can lower that even more if we remove venue space and non-essential items).<br />
We could increase the international price and still do that 20% discount on the early bird. But if we increase the ticket price for regional (especially local) tickets that could impact on our estimates of attendance.Trying to reach a consistent 20% discount could mean we have to lower the normal price for local and regional which could be even worse for the income.<br />
We are confident that, while the surplus doesn’t look good, it will get better once we start signing contracts, even if we don’t change ticket prices.''<br />
<br />
* '''I love the low prices that you are proposing and the option to top up pricing for those who can afford more, perhaps you could phrase this in a slightly different way by quoting higher prices and allowing those who need to self declare for a discount with the lowest price being your current rates? This could work well for corporates who may not respond well to a request to top up but could voluntarily exclude from an "in need" discount.'''<br />
<br />
''We will be careful on how to phrase this, as we also don’t want locals to think we are thinking less of them. We can add some note for sponsors as you mention.'' <br />
<br />
* '''I did not see any explicit mention of video recording or streaming. What are your plans and are they fully costed in your budget?''' <br />
<br />
''We plan to record all sessions. The cost is already included in the budget (sent privately). There is no plan for streaming because that will mean increasing the cost too much as we will need to add a much higher bandwidth on the venue along with more technicians on site.<br />
''<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
== Jonathan Moules == <br />
<br />
* '''I didn't see anything about sustainability (of the eco-friendly variety) in there apart from the venue itself being sustainable. What are your sustainability aims? Thoughts:'''<br />
<br />
''The BALOC is committed to set up a Sustainability and Social Responsibility Plan for our conference based on the resources available in our country. <br />
On the following questions we will answer part of our currently planned strategy towards this.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your "conference swag" sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People?)'''<br />
<br />
''One of our goals is to reduce the swag as much as possible as it generally ends up being waste. We are going to provide reusable water bottles to avoid the usage of one use plastic bottles during the conference and other possible useful objects to use during the conference. <br />
About explotation, see next question.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your Tea/Coffee/Chocolate sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People & children?)'''<br />
<br />
''Of course as part of this sustainability effort we will check that we don’t buy goods or use services provided by an exploiting company.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will your caterers source food locally by preference?'''<br />
<br />
''Most food in the city already comes from horticulture producers in the near rural towns. Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country. We plan to have as many sources of local, small and family producers and organically produced food as possible.''<br />
<br />
* '''Does your travel grant prioritise sustainable travel over flying?'''<br />
<br />
''Whenever possible, we will try to use sustainable transport. But we understand that the Travel Grant should also apply to nearby countries, which may not be reachable unless by plane. See answer about regional travel.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be providing bottled water or some re-usable cups (FOSS4G UK did this for 2019 - worked well)?'''<br />
<br />
''We will provide each attendee with a reusable water bottle and there will be water fountains all over the venue, including hot water for those who want to drink tea or mate.<br />
We are aiming for local and regional products to minimize the carbon footprint of transport. We will also use as much recycled materials as possible. Non-expendable material used on the conference will be either sold after the conference or reused by the BALOC in future events.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will the food lean away from carbon-intensive foodstuffs?'''<br />
<br />
''We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food.<br />
The food that’s not eaten each day will be sent to a local organization that delivers to people living on the streets or community kitchens.''<br />
<br />
* '''How do you anticipate regional participants to travel there? (I'm guessing Local = public transit and International = flying)'''.<br />
<br />
''Extending the question regarding sustainability of the TGP transport:<br />
For distances less than 400km, bus is the preferred transport near Buenos Aires. On some exceptional cases, we may even extend this distance if there is a direct road. <br />
On the regional context, considering Latin America, it is unlikely to use any other method of transport than by plane, since distances make it difficult to use other means of transport. Bear in mind that the rail network is not as extended in the rest of the world as it is in Europe. ''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you default to opt-out for the t-shirt?'''<br />
<br />
''We want to reduce the amount of useless swag as possible to reduce waste. We are aware that t-shirts are very appreciated by a big part of our attendees, so we will offer them optionally to those who have a special interest, along with other optional swag. This also helps reducing the ticket price and allows us to operate on a lower budget.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you provide any sort of carbon-credit offset as part of the conference fee for those who choose to fly?'''<br />
<br />
''On the proposal we focused on the things the BALOC could directly impact to reduce the carbon footprint and waste. We didn’t plan yet for what attendees can do to reduce their pollution. <br />
But it is in the schedule to contact in the future some association like Vida Silvestre (https://www.vidasilvestre.org.ar/) and add an optional donation to compensate for carbon footprint.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you cater to various dietary requirements?'''<br />
<br />
''The catering will serve food for people with special requirements such as celiac disease, vegan diet, food allergies or intolerances. We will ask in advance to make sure all attendees have food adapted to their needs.<br />
The menu will be healthy and varied, covering nutritional needs.''<br />
<br />
* '''Travel Grant - Have you considered other potentially under-represented groups - those with disabilities for instance (about 18% of the UK population - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-facts-and-figures/disability-facts-and-figures - alas I couldn't quickly find the stats for Argentina). This is far more than the ~0.4% (UK again) who identify as Non-Binary ( http://www.allabouttrans.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/non-binary-gender-factsheet.pdf )'''<br />
<br />
''As in FOSS4G 2018, there will be two rounds of Travel Grants. The first edition will cover under-represented groups in general, with no restrictions.<br />
The second round will focus on groups that are greatly under-represented (women and non-binary people as they represent half the population but are not as present on our events) and local under-represented groups (native americans). <br />
We care about people with limited mobility, that’s why, along with the help of the first Travel Grant, the venue is completely adapted and is located on a completely adapted neighbourhood with adapted access to the metro.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''GeoChicas - I'm not sure what a "geochica" is, but what's the logic to arbitrarily splitting it by gender? This seems the exact opposite of the stated "inclusive".'''<br />
<br />
''The GeoChicas event has taken place in FOSS4G 2018 and 2019 already. Although now it also includes Women in GeoSpatial (focused on geospatial technologies) and other Women in Tech associations besides GeoChicas (focused on OpenStreetMap), we decided to keep the name as an easy reference to attendees of previous FOSS4G. <br />
The concept of safe spaces is well known in communities that work to leverage gaps on under-represented communities. Those safe spaces help in the networking, empowering and reinforcing the presence of the targeted groups in conferences, thus making the event more inclusive. In the last two years we have already seen the effects of this safe space in our community and we want to continue on this line.''<br />
<br />
'''* You state in regards to local sourcing: "Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country." suggesting you plan to provision a fair amount of this. But then in response to carbon-intensive foodstuffs you say: ```"We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food." ``` Unfortunately these seem to be diametrically opposed notions. I think it's worth pointing out that beef and dairy are pretty much the most carbon intensive foodstuffs in their classes (beef = worst meat; dairy = worse than plant milks (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46654042) ). Will you be seeking to reduce use of these? (Suggestion: A few seconds googling for "Food emissions" will find plenty of articles with suggestions for what's good/bad.)'''<br />
<br />
''Our food providers are committed to lower our carbon footprint as much as possible, while considering the local diet and available products in the process. Using a local diet is important to ensure we don’t add carbon footprint on transport.''<br />
<br />
'''* My question regarding the travel grant's second round - I was wondering whether you would consider disability as being suitable for this. As noted in my question, there are *far* more disabled people than non-binary. Plus of course disabled people by the very nature of their disability may have physiological and/or logistical problems travelling, not something the other groups customarily face, so the disabled would proportionately benefit the most from the grant. Would you consider including disability in this second round?'''<br />
<br />
''To build the best TGP possible, we will consult with previous TGP coordinators (such as Steven Feldman and the Oceania LOC), on how to build an inclusive program.''<br />
<br />
'''* Geochicas - you call this a "safe space". I was under the impression these were spaces that are hostility free (i.e. https://equal.org/safe-space-program/ ), and they were open to all (a sound notion). To me at least it seems that by disallowing a certain group of people in you're saying that group of people are not safe, something that's definitely exclusionary. Plus it could be read that other minority groups (disabled, GBTQ, etc) aren't worth a safe space, only women and non-binary are. Would you consider making this more inclusive?'''<br />
<br />
''The full conference itself is already a safe space, according to your definition, with a CoC as a safeguard. The social event we are discussing is a safe space according to the definition usually used by feminist and people of color groups.''<br />
<br />
''Safe spaces are not treated as a response to something negative like fighting an existing hostility; but a way to generate the confidence needed to participate in mixed spaces. It is an extra step to help networking and empower people that otherwise will tend to be isolated and therefore be at a disadvantageous position.''<br />
<br />
<br />
== Paul Ramsey == <br />
<br />
*'''Your plan to scale back facilities in the event of shortfall in registrations is wise. A question on that: what are the deadlines for cancellations? How much of the deposit will they retain? Unfortunately you will not have a clear feel for potential attendance until the early bird registration period closes, which can be only a few months before the final date. At some point, the venue will ask for full payment. Do your schedule points for things like early bird line up with your decision points for things like venues?'''<br />
<br />
If we don’t use the building, the deposit will be lost.<br />
<br />
But we are still in negotiations to lower the seed amount. We don’t want to disclose our estimated numbers in public because that may impact the negotiation. Part of that negotiation may be lowering the amount of booked rooms and add them at a later stage when we have some more income. Considering the Law School has many classrooms and the risk of not being able to book more rooms at a later stage is lower, that may be a possibility, even if we lose part of the CEC.<br />
On the worst case, it may mean reducing the social spaces so activities will have to share spaces or maybe move them to the park, if weather permits. <br />
<br />
The rest of the services will charge based on the attendees number, so we don’t foresee much impact here.<br />
<br />
*''' If you'll excuse my language, the facility prices you quote seem very "international", that is, they would be not surprising in any other major global city. At the same time, the entry fees seem very low, compared to the general foss4g trend. I see that the A/B and food costs are lower than I would "expect", have those been validated in the marketplace? Generally expensive venues have exclusive catering arrangements with firms that are equally expensive, are you allowed to use your quoted catering in the venues you have chosen?'''<br />
<br />
You are right: the venue prices in Buenos Aires are on the high side, we were very surprised (appalled more like) by this. Buenos Aires is a central city on the region, attracting many international events, thus making prices similar to other big cities around the world.<br />
<br />
Every price has been checked with the provider by our professional events organizer, who already knows all of them and is negotiating each contract. There were some alternative venues we discarded for being too small, not being able to offer basic services (like internet), and/or outside the city and not well connected.<br />
<br />
About the catering, the main venue (CEC) has a variety of exclusive companies from which to choose the catering from. The one we asked to budget all the meals is the cheapest but also the one the events organizer knows to be most reliable and with high quality. <br />
<br />
Our events organizer checked also with other companies to see if the prices were sensible and it is similar to what would cost to hire an external company for it. Even when the venues are expensive, food in Argentina is cheaper.<br />
<br />
*'''How much of your $122K in budgeted sponsorship is "sure" already? That is, have the government corporate sponsors of this proposal made some kind of non-binding statement of interest in sponsorship?'''<br />
<br />
We don’t want to disclose much of this because nothing is signed yet and some companies may step back if they think we are going too fast. <br />
<br />
We have the non-signed understandment of some government entities to help us find sponsors, which may attract new players. Although most of those players will probably fall on the local category. We haven’t included those new players to the list.<br />
<br />
Actively looking for sponsorship for 2021 when it wasn’t sure and 2020 is currently looking for sponsors seemed to us a bit aggressive, so we contacted mostly companies we understood are not that interested in Canada but may be interested in Argentina. That prevented us from contacting many tentative sponsors.<br />
<br />
We have estimated based on what we have asked around, plus the average sponsorship levels from previous FOSS4G (with lowered percentages as this depends on the “commercial” effort of each team, which we can’t measure this properly, but also the interest on the region, which also depends on many factors). <br />
<br />
As a very very gross estimate, between a third and a half of that sponsorship is “sure”.<br />
<br />
<br />
*'''Not a question, but one way of squaring the "can afford it" pricing problem is an "individual" rate vs a "corporate" rate. The community pgcon.org conference in Ottawa uses this construction.'''<br />
<br />
It’s a good idea to consider. We will study it before releasing the early bird release. In any case, separation based on regions (or economic capacity) is something we think is important.<br />
<br />
== Eli Adam ==<br />
* '''Before eliminating the separate-day code spint, can you poll this, [https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/tosprint tosprint list] ?'''<br />
<br />
The idea comes from lessons learned and recommendations like:<br />
<br />
https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2016_Lessons_Learned#Code_Sprint<br />
<br />
We liked the idea of an extended codesprint as in Bonn, but we wanted to make it at the same time as the conference to save costs and make it more inviting for newcomers.<br />
<br />
The codesprint will still be there on Saturday, plus some other social events for people not interested on it. For example, we are planning an outdoors mapping party for people that want to contribute but they don’t feel like contributing with code, docs or translations. <br />
<br />
The idea of a week long codesprint is to expand its outreach, giving more time to do longer tasks and invite people who usually don’t come on Saturday to join and contribute. We feel that having the codesprint running at the same time as the main sessions can help connect different stakeholders with the developers’ work and understand better the FOSS ecosystem. We are aware that the codesprint will not be full until Saturday as developers will be busy with sessions.<br />
<br />
* '''Is the large venue being used for more than Opening, Closing, AGM, and Lunch?'''<br />
<br />
The CEC is planned to host 7 rooms for sessions (plenary and paralell), the BALOC office, the booths, the codesprint and plenty of social common spaces for networking and the catering infrastructure. (Summary on page 18 of the proposal.) The CEC provides us with spaces that we can use exclusively, whereas the Law School will have students sharing the space. Also, the Ice Breaker will be hosted on the CEC to save money. <br />
<br />
The Law School is only planned to host 4 rooms for sessions, 2 smaller rooms for meetings or birds of a feather. If we need to extend the number of rooms for meetings or other activities, it will be done on the Law School. But, for example, we wouldn’t be able to offer lunch at all if we remove the CEC space, as the Law School doesn’t have proper kitchen or space to serve.<br />
<br />
We couldn’t find another proper venue combination with the flexibility of the Law School and the infrastructures of the CEC within budget.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2021]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=Q%26A_Stage_2_Buenos_Aires&diff=122522Q&A Stage 2 Buenos Aires2019-12-01T20:30:11Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Michael Terner */</p>
<hr />
<div>= Questions to the BALOC from CC =<br />
<br />
== Michael Terner ==<br />
Excellent, and well thought out proposal. I appreciate your efforts to innovate. Below are a few questions and a couple of comments that refer to the dialog in other question threads.<br />
<br />
Due to the fact that sponsorship is such an important part of the budget, ranging from providing 24% to 36% of expected revenues, I have several questions in this area. While the amount of sponsorship revenue you are seeking may be "typical", due to your lower costs the ~percentage~ of revenue from sponsorship is higher than typical. Indeed, it is at the “base, break-even scenario” where sponsorship would provide ~36% of revenue. To the questions:<br />
<br />
*'''When you talk about outreach to companies, you state you will “contact local and regional companies. We will start with those that have already sponsored previous FOSS4G events.” Is there any plan for outreach to companies that aren’t “local and regional” and might include international companies? Do you have a sense of how many “local and regional” companies have sponsored “previous FOSS4G events”? Have any of these companies previously sponsored the global conference?'''<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on the “foyer in the CEC” that will be used for the sponsor booths? Will this foyer be connected/adjacent to the main hall and/or eating areas? Such an arrangement can help to create more natural encounters with the sponsor community vs. having to travel to a specific location to find the sponsor exhibits.'''<br />
<br />
*'''What are the number of sponsor booths/exhibits you’re expecting to accommodate? Based on the budget spreadsheet it looks like you’re expecting 10 “exhibition stands” from sponsors. The proposal indicates there will also be 10 table top exhibitions for the Silver sponsors. Is it accurate that the exhibit area is expected to accommodate 20 sponsors with a mix of table top exhibits and exhibition stands? Have you spoken to any representative sponsors about their exhibiting expectations? I might observe that some Silver Sponsors - who will be paying $5,000 USD - may have a reasonable expectation of having more than a table-top exhibit.'''<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on how many, if any, “free conferences passes” will be included at each level of sponsorship from Diamond - Supporter?'''<br />
<br />
Non-Sponsorship questions:<br />
<br />
*'''Can you elaborate on the phrase “82.11 The estimated change for 2021 by the Argentinian Government”? Fully understanding that exchange rates can be very difficult to predict does your budget change (for better/worse) if this exchange rate is not achieved/is exceeded (noting that the current exchange rate is ARS ~$60 = USD $1)?'''<br />
<br />
*'''Pleased to learn that you will be using a “Professional Conference Organizer” (also referred to as the “Productora del Evento”) and that you have worked with them previously. Can you elaborate on their role and responsibilities (e.g., will they be doing banking? Contracting? Registration? Audio/visual? Etc.)?'''<br />
<br />
== Steven Feldman ==<br />
<br />
Great proposal, thanks very much. Lot's of exciting ideas which I welcome. I'd like to focus on the financial stuff (as usual for me)<br />
<br />
*'''You have asked for a $60k advance from OSGeo, normally we have limited our advance to $40k, can you provide some more detail on why you need a larger advance and the timing of the cash outflows?'''<br />
<br />
''The CEC building’s rent (still being negotiated) is US$70.266. We have been asked to give half of it (US$35.133) in advance to book the place.<br />
The Law Faculty’s rent is US$16.500 if we finally reach close to 1.150 attendees. They also ask half of it in advance ( US$8.250). If we finally don’t need both spaces, we will be able to pay a lower amount, but we want to book the full 1150 attendees space just in case.<br />
So, venue advanced payment totals US$43.383. We are asking for US$60.000 to make sure we have also some cash flow while we get the first tickets sold.<br />
We won’t need the full $60.000 right away, just enough to book the venues and secure the dates.''<br />
<br />
* '''Are you also seeking any further guarantees or underwriting from OSGeo?'''<br />
<br />
''We have a generously estimated budget with items that can be opt-out if needed, so we don’t expect any financial issues. For example, if we have to escalate the event down we can cut big expenses like the CEC building and make the social events simpler. In case we don’t get enough tickets sold (below 550), we will contact the OSGeo Board to decide how to proceed.<br />
We don’t need any written warranty from OSGeo.''<br />
<br />
* '''If you request an advance from OSGeo the norm is that at least 80% of the surplus from your event is returned to OSGeo, your proposal only returns 30% to OSGeo. This is a substantial change which would need to be approved by the Board if recommended by CC, can you explain why such a low %age should be accepted?'''<br />
<br />
''We understood that the 80% surplus for OSGeo was the suggested amount for NA and european events. <br />
We can adjust the numbers and give a higher percentage of the surplus to OSGeo, although we think that “leaving” part of that surplus on the local organization can help the development and further outreach of the OSGeo community on the region.''<br />
<br />
* '''Your projected surpluses are on the low side, whilst I appreciate your low ticket prices, I wonder whether you can afford to charge a little more and possibly reduce the early bird discount to a consistent 20% (particularly for what you define as International) as a way of increasing your surplus and providing a safety net?<br />
'''<br />
''The budget is generously estimated (we are still negotiating some contracts to get a lower price) and we have the “open price ticket” which should give us more margin. The budget is using amounts we consider “safe” to be cut if things go wrong. (Although the minimum attendance described on the budget is 650, we can lower that even more if we remove venue space and non-essential items).<br />
We could increase the international price and still do that 20% discount on the early bird. But if we increase the ticket price for regional (especially local) tickets that could impact on our estimates of attendance.Trying to reach a consistent 20% discount could mean we have to lower the normal price for local and regional which could be even worse for the income.<br />
We are confident that, while the surplus doesn’t look good, it will get better once we start signing contracts, even if we don’t change ticket prices.''<br />
<br />
* '''I love the low prices that you are proposing and the option to top up pricing for those who can afford more, perhaps you could phrase this in a slightly different way by quoting higher prices and allowing those who need to self declare for a discount with the lowest price being your current rates? This could work well for corporates who may not respond well to a request to top up but could voluntarily exclude from an "in need" discount.'''<br />
<br />
''We will be careful on how to phrase this, as we also don’t want locals to think we are thinking less of them. We can add some note for sponsors as you mention.'' <br />
<br />
* '''I did not see any explicit mention of video recording or streaming. What are your plans and are they fully costed in your budget?''' <br />
<br />
''We plan to record all sessions. The cost is already included in the budget (sent privately). There is no plan for streaming because that will mean increasing the cost too much as we will need to add a much higher bandwidth on the venue along with more technicians on site.<br />
''<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
== Jonathan Moules == <br />
<br />
* '''I didn't see anything about sustainability (of the eco-friendly variety) in there apart from the venue itself being sustainable. What are your sustainability aims? Thoughts:'''<br />
<br />
''The BALOC is committed to set up a Sustainability and Social Responsibility Plan for our conference based on the resources available in our country. <br />
On the following questions we will answer part of our currently planned strategy towards this.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your "conference swag" sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People?)'''<br />
<br />
''One of our goals is to reduce the swag as much as possible as it generally ends up being waste. We are going to provide reusable water bottles to avoid the usage of one use plastic bottles during the conference and other possible useful objects to use during the conference. <br />
About explotation, see next question.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your Tea/Coffee/Chocolate sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People & children?)'''<br />
<br />
''Of course as part of this sustainability effort we will check that we don’t buy goods or use services provided by an exploiting company.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will your caterers source food locally by preference?'''<br />
<br />
''Most food in the city already comes from horticulture producers in the near rural towns. Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country. We plan to have as many sources of local, small and family producers and organically produced food as possible.''<br />
<br />
* '''Does your travel grant prioritise sustainable travel over flying?'''<br />
<br />
''Whenever possible, we will try to use sustainable transport. But we understand that the Travel Grant should also apply to nearby countries, which may not be reachable unless by plane. See answer about regional travel.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be providing bottled water or some re-usable cups (FOSS4G UK did this for 2019 - worked well)?'''<br />
<br />
''We will provide each attendee with a reusable water bottle and there will be water fountains all over the venue, including hot water for those who want to drink tea or mate.<br />
We are aiming for local and regional products to minimize the carbon footprint of transport. We will also use as much recycled materials as possible. Non-expendable material used on the conference will be either sold after the conference or reused by the BALOC in future events.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will the food lean away from carbon-intensive foodstuffs?'''<br />
<br />
''We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food.<br />
The food that’s not eaten each day will be sent to a local organization that delivers to people living on the streets or community kitchens.''<br />
<br />
* '''How do you anticipate regional participants to travel there? (I'm guessing Local = public transit and International = flying)'''.<br />
<br />
''Extending the question regarding sustainability of the TGP transport:<br />
For distances less than 400km, bus is the preferred transport near Buenos Aires. On some exceptional cases, we may even extend this distance if there is a direct road. <br />
On the regional context, considering Latin America, it is unlikely to use any other method of transport than by plane, since distances make it difficult to use other means of transport. Bear in mind that the rail network is not as extended in the rest of the world as it is in Europe. ''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you default to opt-out for the t-shirt?'''<br />
<br />
''We want to reduce the amount of useless swag as possible to reduce waste. We are aware that t-shirts are very appreciated by a big part of our attendees, so we will offer them optionally to those who have a special interest, along with other optional swag. This also helps reducing the ticket price and allows us to operate on a lower budget.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you provide any sort of carbon-credit offset as part of the conference fee for those who choose to fly?'''<br />
<br />
''On the proposal we focused on the things the BALOC could directly impact to reduce the carbon footprint and waste. We didn’t plan yet for what attendees can do to reduce their pollution. <br />
But it is in the schedule to contact in the future some association like Vida Silvestre (https://www.vidasilvestre.org.ar/) and add an optional donation to compensate for carbon footprint.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you cater to various dietary requirements?'''<br />
<br />
''The catering will serve food for people with special requirements such as celiac disease, vegan diet, food allergies or intolerances. We will ask in advance to make sure all attendees have food adapted to their needs.<br />
The menu will be healthy and varied, covering nutritional needs.''<br />
<br />
* '''Travel Grant - Have you considered other potentially under-represented groups - those with disabilities for instance (about 18% of the UK population - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-facts-and-figures/disability-facts-and-figures - alas I couldn't quickly find the stats for Argentina). This is far more than the ~0.4% (UK again) who identify as Non-Binary ( http://www.allabouttrans.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/non-binary-gender-factsheet.pdf )'''<br />
<br />
''As in FOSS4G 2018, there will be two rounds of Travel Grants. The first edition will cover under-represented groups in general, with no restrictions.<br />
The second round will focus on groups that are greatly under-represented (women and non-binary people as they represent half the population but are not as present on our events) and local under-represented groups (native americans). <br />
We care about people with limited mobility, that’s why, along with the help of the first Travel Grant, the venue is completely adapted and is located on a completely adapted neighbourhood with adapted access to the metro.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''GeoChicas - I'm not sure what a "geochica" is, but what's the logic to arbitrarily splitting it by gender? This seems the exact opposite of the stated "inclusive".'''<br />
<br />
''The GeoChicas event has taken place in FOSS4G 2018 and 2019 already. Although now it also includes Women in GeoSpatial (focused on geospatial technologies) and other Women in Tech associations besides GeoChicas (focused on OpenStreetMap), we decided to keep the name as an easy reference to attendees of previous FOSS4G. <br />
The concept of safe spaces is well known in communities that work to leverage gaps on under-represented communities. Those safe spaces help in the networking, empowering and reinforcing the presence of the targeted groups in conferences, thus making the event more inclusive. In the last two years we have already seen the effects of this safe space in our community and we want to continue on this line.''<br />
<br />
'''* You state in regards to local sourcing: "Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country." suggesting you plan to provision a fair amount of this. But then in response to carbon-intensive foodstuffs you say: ```"We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food." ``` Unfortunately these seem to be diametrically opposed notions. I think it's worth pointing out that beef and dairy are pretty much the most carbon intensive foodstuffs in their classes (beef = worst meat; dairy = worse than plant milks (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46654042) ). Will you be seeking to reduce use of these? (Suggestion: A few seconds googling for "Food emissions" will find plenty of articles with suggestions for what's good/bad.)'''<br />
<br />
''Our food providers are committed to lower our carbon footprint as much as possible, while considering the local diet and available products in the process. Using a local diet is important to ensure we don’t add carbon footprint on transport.''<br />
<br />
'''* My question regarding the travel grant's second round - I was wondering whether you would consider disability as being suitable for this. As noted in my question, there are *far* more disabled people than non-binary. Plus of course disabled people by the very nature of their disability may have physiological and/or logistical problems travelling, not something the other groups customarily face, so the disabled would proportionately benefit the most from the grant. Would you consider including disability in this second round?'''<br />
<br />
''To build the best TGP possible, we will consult with previous TGP coordinators (such as Steven Feldman and the Oceania LOC), on how to build an inclusive program.''<br />
<br />
'''* Geochicas - you call this a "safe space". I was under the impression these were spaces that are hostility free (i.e. https://equal.org/safe-space-program/ ), and they were open to all (a sound notion). To me at least it seems that by disallowing a certain group of people in you're saying that group of people are not safe, something that's definitely exclusionary. Plus it could be read that other minority groups (disabled, GBTQ, etc) aren't worth a safe space, only women and non-binary are. Would you consider making this more inclusive?'''<br />
<br />
''The full conference itself is already a safe space, according to your definition, with a CoC as a safeguard. The social event we are discussing is a safe space according to the definition usually used by feminist and people of color groups.''<br />
<br />
''Safe spaces are not treated as a response to something negative like fighting an existing hostility; but a way to generate the confidence needed to participate in mixed spaces. It is an extra step to help networking and empower people that otherwise will tend to be isolated and therefore be at a disadvantageous position.''<br />
<br />
<br />
== Paul Ramsey == <br />
<br />
*'''Your plan to scale back facilities in the event of shortfall in registrations is wise. A question on that: what are the deadlines for cancellations? How much of the deposit will they retain? Unfortunately you will not have a clear feel for potential attendance until the early bird registration period closes, which can be only a few months before the final date. At some point, the venue will ask for full payment. Do your schedule points for things like early bird line up with your decision points for things like venues?'''<br />
<br />
If we don’t use the building, the deposit will be lost.<br />
<br />
But we are still in negotiations to lower the seed amount. We don’t want to disclose our estimated numbers in public because that may impact the negotiation. Part of that negotiation may be lowering the amount of booked rooms and add them at a later stage when we have some more income. Considering the Law School has many classrooms and the risk of not being able to book more rooms at a later stage is lower, that may be a possibility, even if we lose part of the CEC.<br />
On the worst case, it may mean reducing the social spaces so activities will have to share spaces or maybe move them to the park, if weather permits. <br />
<br />
The rest of the services will charge based on the attendees number, so we don’t foresee much impact here.<br />
<br />
*''' If you'll excuse my language, the facility prices you quote seem very "international", that is, they would be not surprising in any other major global city. At the same time, the entry fees seem very low, compared to the general foss4g trend. I see that the A/B and food costs are lower than I would "expect", have those been validated in the marketplace? Generally expensive venues have exclusive catering arrangements with firms that are equally expensive, are you allowed to use your quoted catering in the venues you have chosen?'''<br />
<br />
You are right: the venue prices in Buenos Aires are on the high side, we were very surprised (appalled more like) by this. Buenos Aires is a central city on the region, attracting many international events, thus making prices similar to other big cities around the world.<br />
<br />
Every price has been checked with the provider by our professional events organizer, who already knows all of them and is negotiating each contract. There were some alternative venues we discarded for being too small, not being able to offer basic services (like internet), and/or outside the city and not well connected.<br />
<br />
About the catering, the main venue (CEC) has a variety of exclusive companies from which to choose the catering from. The one we asked to budget all the meals is the cheapest but also the one the events organizer knows to be most reliable and with high quality. <br />
<br />
Our events organizer checked also with other companies to see if the prices were sensible and it is similar to what would cost to hire an external company for it. Even when the venues are expensive, food in Argentina is cheaper.<br />
<br />
*'''How much of your $122K in budgeted sponsorship is "sure" already? That is, have the government corporate sponsors of this proposal made some kind of non-binding statement of interest in sponsorship?'''<br />
<br />
We don’t want to disclose much of this because nothing is signed yet and some companies may step back if they think we are going too fast. <br />
<br />
We have the non-signed understandment of some government entities to help us find sponsors, which may attract new players. Although most of those players will probably fall on the local category. We haven’t included those new players to the list.<br />
<br />
Actively looking for sponsorship for 2021 when it wasn’t sure and 2020 is currently looking for sponsors seemed to us a bit aggressive, so we contacted mostly companies we understood are not that interested in Canada but may be interested in Argentina. That prevented us from contacting many tentative sponsors.<br />
<br />
We have estimated based on what we have asked around, plus the average sponsorship levels from previous FOSS4G (with lowered percentages as this depends on the “commercial” effort of each team, which we can’t measure this properly, but also the interest on the region, which also depends on many factors). <br />
<br />
As a very very gross estimate, between a third and a half of that sponsorship is “sure”.<br />
<br />
<br />
*'''Not a question, but one way of squaring the "can afford it" pricing problem is an "individual" rate vs a "corporate" rate. The community pgcon.org conference in Ottawa uses this construction.'''<br />
<br />
It’s a good idea to consider. We will study it before releasing the early bird release. In any case, separation based on regions (or economic capacity) is something we think is important.<br />
<br />
== Eli Adam ==<br />
* '''Before eliminating the separate-day code spint, can you poll this, [https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/tosprint tosprint list] ?'''<br />
<br />
The idea comes from lessons learned and recommendations like:<br />
<br />
https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2016_Lessons_Learned#Code_Sprint<br />
<br />
We liked the idea of an extended codesprint as in Bonn, but we wanted to make it at the same time as the conference to save costs and make it more inviting for newcomers.<br />
<br />
The codesprint will still be there on Saturday, plus some other social events for people not interested on it. For example, we are planning an outdoors mapping party for people that want to contribute but they don’t feel like contributing with code, docs or translations. <br />
<br />
The idea of a week long codesprint is to expand its outreach, giving more time to do longer tasks and invite people who usually don’t come on Saturday to join and contribute. We feel that having the codesprint running at the same time as the main sessions can help connect different stakeholders with the developers’ work and understand better the FOSS ecosystem. We are aware that the codesprint will not be full until Saturday as developers will be busy with sessions.<br />
<br />
* '''Is the large venue being used for more than Opening, Closing, AGM, and Lunch?'''<br />
<br />
The CEC is planned to host 7 rooms for sessions (plenary and paralell), the BALOC office, the booths, the codesprint and plenty of social common spaces for networking and the catering infrastructure. (Summary on page 18 of the proposal.) The CEC provides us with spaces that we can use exclusively, whereas the Law School will have students sharing the space. Also, the Ice Breaker will be hosted on the CEC to save money. <br />
<br />
The Law School is only planned to host 4 rooms for sessions, 2 smaller rooms for meetings or birds of a feather. If we need to extend the number of rooms for meetings or other activities, it will be done on the Law School. But, for example, we wouldn’t be able to offer lunch at all if we remove the CEC space, as the Law School doesn’t have proper kitchen or space to serve.<br />
<br />
We couldn’t find another proper venue combination with the flexibility of the Law School and the infrastructures of the CEC within budget.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2021]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=Q%26A_Stage_2_Buenos_Aires&diff=122521Q&A Stage 2 Buenos Aires2019-12-01T20:25:27Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Michael Terner */</p>
<hr />
<div>= Questions to the BALOC from CC =<br />
<br />
== Michael Terner ==<br />
Excellent, and well thought out proposal. I appreciate your efforts to innovate. Below are a few questions and a couple of comments that refer to the dialog in other question threads.<br />
<br />
Due to the fact that sponsorship is such an important part of the budget, ranging from providing 24% to 36% of expected revenues, I have several questions in this area. While the amount of sponsorship revenue you are seeking may be "typical", due to your lower costs the ~percentage~ of revenue from sponsorship is higher than typical. Indeed, it is at the “base, break-even scenario” where sponsorship would provide ~36% of revenue. To the questions:<br />
<br />
*'''When you talk about outreach to companies, you state you will “contact local and regional companies. We will start with those that have already sponsored previous FOSS4G events.” Is there any plan for outreach to companies that aren’t “local and regional” and might include international companies? Do you have a sense of how many “local and regional” companies have sponsored “previous FOSS4G events”? Have any of these companies previously sponsored the global conference?'''<br />
<br />
== Steven Feldman ==<br />
<br />
Great proposal, thanks very much. Lot's of exciting ideas which I welcome. I'd like to focus on the financial stuff (as usual for me)<br />
<br />
*'''You have asked for a $60k advance from OSGeo, normally we have limited our advance to $40k, can you provide some more detail on why you need a larger advance and the timing of the cash outflows?'''<br />
<br />
''The CEC building’s rent (still being negotiated) is US$70.266. We have been asked to give half of it (US$35.133) in advance to book the place.<br />
The Law Faculty’s rent is US$16.500 if we finally reach close to 1.150 attendees. They also ask half of it in advance ( US$8.250). If we finally don’t need both spaces, we will be able to pay a lower amount, but we want to book the full 1150 attendees space just in case.<br />
So, venue advanced payment totals US$43.383. We are asking for US$60.000 to make sure we have also some cash flow while we get the first tickets sold.<br />
We won’t need the full $60.000 right away, just enough to book the venues and secure the dates.''<br />
<br />
* '''Are you also seeking any further guarantees or underwriting from OSGeo?'''<br />
<br />
''We have a generously estimated budget with items that can be opt-out if needed, so we don’t expect any financial issues. For example, if we have to escalate the event down we can cut big expenses like the CEC building and make the social events simpler. In case we don’t get enough tickets sold (below 550), we will contact the OSGeo Board to decide how to proceed.<br />
We don’t need any written warranty from OSGeo.''<br />
<br />
* '''If you request an advance from OSGeo the norm is that at least 80% of the surplus from your event is returned to OSGeo, your proposal only returns 30% to OSGeo. This is a substantial change which would need to be approved by the Board if recommended by CC, can you explain why such a low %age should be accepted?'''<br />
<br />
''We understood that the 80% surplus for OSGeo was the suggested amount for NA and european events. <br />
We can adjust the numbers and give a higher percentage of the surplus to OSGeo, although we think that “leaving” part of that surplus on the local organization can help the development and further outreach of the OSGeo community on the region.''<br />
<br />
* '''Your projected surpluses are on the low side, whilst I appreciate your low ticket prices, I wonder whether you can afford to charge a little more and possibly reduce the early bird discount to a consistent 20% (particularly for what you define as International) as a way of increasing your surplus and providing a safety net?<br />
'''<br />
''The budget is generously estimated (we are still negotiating some contracts to get a lower price) and we have the “open price ticket” which should give us more margin. The budget is using amounts we consider “safe” to be cut if things go wrong. (Although the minimum attendance described on the budget is 650, we can lower that even more if we remove venue space and non-essential items).<br />
We could increase the international price and still do that 20% discount on the early bird. But if we increase the ticket price for regional (especially local) tickets that could impact on our estimates of attendance.Trying to reach a consistent 20% discount could mean we have to lower the normal price for local and regional which could be even worse for the income.<br />
We are confident that, while the surplus doesn’t look good, it will get better once we start signing contracts, even if we don’t change ticket prices.''<br />
<br />
* '''I love the low prices that you are proposing and the option to top up pricing for those who can afford more, perhaps you could phrase this in a slightly different way by quoting higher prices and allowing those who need to self declare for a discount with the lowest price being your current rates? This could work well for corporates who may not respond well to a request to top up but could voluntarily exclude from an "in need" discount.'''<br />
<br />
''We will be careful on how to phrase this, as we also don’t want locals to think we are thinking less of them. We can add some note for sponsors as you mention.'' <br />
<br />
* '''I did not see any explicit mention of video recording or streaming. What are your plans and are they fully costed in your budget?''' <br />
<br />
''We plan to record all sessions. The cost is already included in the budget (sent privately). There is no plan for streaming because that will mean increasing the cost too much as we will need to add a much higher bandwidth on the venue along with more technicians on site.<br />
''<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
== Jonathan Moules == <br />
<br />
* '''I didn't see anything about sustainability (of the eco-friendly variety) in there apart from the venue itself being sustainable. What are your sustainability aims? Thoughts:'''<br />
<br />
''The BALOC is committed to set up a Sustainability and Social Responsibility Plan for our conference based on the resources available in our country. <br />
On the following questions we will answer part of our currently planned strategy towards this.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your "conference swag" sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People?)'''<br />
<br />
''One of our goals is to reduce the swag as much as possible as it generally ends up being waste. We are going to provide reusable water bottles to avoid the usage of one use plastic bottles during the conference and other possible useful objects to use during the conference. <br />
About explotation, see next question.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your Tea/Coffee/Chocolate sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People & children?)'''<br />
<br />
''Of course as part of this sustainability effort we will check that we don’t buy goods or use services provided by an exploiting company.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will your caterers source food locally by preference?'''<br />
<br />
''Most food in the city already comes from horticulture producers in the near rural towns. Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country. We plan to have as many sources of local, small and family producers and organically produced food as possible.''<br />
<br />
* '''Does your travel grant prioritise sustainable travel over flying?'''<br />
<br />
''Whenever possible, we will try to use sustainable transport. But we understand that the Travel Grant should also apply to nearby countries, which may not be reachable unless by plane. See answer about regional travel.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be providing bottled water or some re-usable cups (FOSS4G UK did this for 2019 - worked well)?'''<br />
<br />
''We will provide each attendee with a reusable water bottle and there will be water fountains all over the venue, including hot water for those who want to drink tea or mate.<br />
We are aiming for local and regional products to minimize the carbon footprint of transport. We will also use as much recycled materials as possible. Non-expendable material used on the conference will be either sold after the conference or reused by the BALOC in future events.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will the food lean away from carbon-intensive foodstuffs?'''<br />
<br />
''We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food.<br />
The food that’s not eaten each day will be sent to a local organization that delivers to people living on the streets or community kitchens.''<br />
<br />
* '''How do you anticipate regional participants to travel there? (I'm guessing Local = public transit and International = flying)'''.<br />
<br />
''Extending the question regarding sustainability of the TGP transport:<br />
For distances less than 400km, bus is the preferred transport near Buenos Aires. On some exceptional cases, we may even extend this distance if there is a direct road. <br />
On the regional context, considering Latin America, it is unlikely to use any other method of transport than by plane, since distances make it difficult to use other means of transport. Bear in mind that the rail network is not as extended in the rest of the world as it is in Europe. ''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you default to opt-out for the t-shirt?'''<br />
<br />
''We want to reduce the amount of useless swag as possible to reduce waste. We are aware that t-shirts are very appreciated by a big part of our attendees, so we will offer them optionally to those who have a special interest, along with other optional swag. This also helps reducing the ticket price and allows us to operate on a lower budget.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you provide any sort of carbon-credit offset as part of the conference fee for those who choose to fly?'''<br />
<br />
''On the proposal we focused on the things the BALOC could directly impact to reduce the carbon footprint and waste. We didn’t plan yet for what attendees can do to reduce their pollution. <br />
But it is in the schedule to contact in the future some association like Vida Silvestre (https://www.vidasilvestre.org.ar/) and add an optional donation to compensate for carbon footprint.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you cater to various dietary requirements?'''<br />
<br />
''The catering will serve food for people with special requirements such as celiac disease, vegan diet, food allergies or intolerances. We will ask in advance to make sure all attendees have food adapted to their needs.<br />
The menu will be healthy and varied, covering nutritional needs.''<br />
<br />
* '''Travel Grant - Have you considered other potentially under-represented groups - those with disabilities for instance (about 18% of the UK population - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-facts-and-figures/disability-facts-and-figures - alas I couldn't quickly find the stats for Argentina). This is far more than the ~0.4% (UK again) who identify as Non-Binary ( http://www.allabouttrans.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/non-binary-gender-factsheet.pdf )'''<br />
<br />
''As in FOSS4G 2018, there will be two rounds of Travel Grants. The first edition will cover under-represented groups in general, with no restrictions.<br />
The second round will focus on groups that are greatly under-represented (women and non-binary people as they represent half the population but are not as present on our events) and local under-represented groups (native americans). <br />
We care about people with limited mobility, that’s why, along with the help of the first Travel Grant, the venue is completely adapted and is located on a completely adapted neighbourhood with adapted access to the metro.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''GeoChicas - I'm not sure what a "geochica" is, but what's the logic to arbitrarily splitting it by gender? This seems the exact opposite of the stated "inclusive".'''<br />
<br />
''The GeoChicas event has taken place in FOSS4G 2018 and 2019 already. Although now it also includes Women in GeoSpatial (focused on geospatial technologies) and other Women in Tech associations besides GeoChicas (focused on OpenStreetMap), we decided to keep the name as an easy reference to attendees of previous FOSS4G. <br />
The concept of safe spaces is well known in communities that work to leverage gaps on under-represented communities. Those safe spaces help in the networking, empowering and reinforcing the presence of the targeted groups in conferences, thus making the event more inclusive. In the last two years we have already seen the effects of this safe space in our community and we want to continue on this line.''<br />
<br />
'''* You state in regards to local sourcing: "Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country." suggesting you plan to provision a fair amount of this. But then in response to carbon-intensive foodstuffs you say: ```"We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food." ``` Unfortunately these seem to be diametrically opposed notions. I think it's worth pointing out that beef and dairy are pretty much the most carbon intensive foodstuffs in their classes (beef = worst meat; dairy = worse than plant milks (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46654042) ). Will you be seeking to reduce use of these? (Suggestion: A few seconds googling for "Food emissions" will find plenty of articles with suggestions for what's good/bad.)'''<br />
<br />
''Our food providers are committed to lower our carbon footprint as much as possible, while considering the local diet and available products in the process. Using a local diet is important to ensure we don’t add carbon footprint on transport.''<br />
<br />
'''* My question regarding the travel grant's second round - I was wondering whether you would consider disability as being suitable for this. As noted in my question, there are *far* more disabled people than non-binary. Plus of course disabled people by the very nature of their disability may have physiological and/or logistical problems travelling, not something the other groups customarily face, so the disabled would proportionately benefit the most from the grant. Would you consider including disability in this second round?'''<br />
<br />
''To build the best TGP possible, we will consult with previous TGP coordinators (such as Steven Feldman and the Oceania LOC), on how to build an inclusive program.''<br />
<br />
'''* Geochicas - you call this a "safe space". I was under the impression these were spaces that are hostility free (i.e. https://equal.org/safe-space-program/ ), and they were open to all (a sound notion). To me at least it seems that by disallowing a certain group of people in you're saying that group of people are not safe, something that's definitely exclusionary. Plus it could be read that other minority groups (disabled, GBTQ, etc) aren't worth a safe space, only women and non-binary are. Would you consider making this more inclusive?'''<br />
<br />
''The full conference itself is already a safe space, according to your definition, with a CoC as a safeguard. The social event we are discussing is a safe space according to the definition usually used by feminist and people of color groups.''<br />
<br />
''Safe spaces are not treated as a response to something negative like fighting an existing hostility; but a way to generate the confidence needed to participate in mixed spaces. It is an extra step to help networking and empower people that otherwise will tend to be isolated and therefore be at a disadvantageous position.''<br />
<br />
<br />
== Paul Ramsey == <br />
<br />
*'''Your plan to scale back facilities in the event of shortfall in registrations is wise. A question on that: what are the deadlines for cancellations? How much of the deposit will they retain? Unfortunately you will not have a clear feel for potential attendance until the early bird registration period closes, which can be only a few months before the final date. At some point, the venue will ask for full payment. Do your schedule points for things like early bird line up with your decision points for things like venues?'''<br />
<br />
If we don’t use the building, the deposit will be lost.<br />
<br />
But we are still in negotiations to lower the seed amount. We don’t want to disclose our estimated numbers in public because that may impact the negotiation. Part of that negotiation may be lowering the amount of booked rooms and add them at a later stage when we have some more income. Considering the Law School has many classrooms and the risk of not being able to book more rooms at a later stage is lower, that may be a possibility, even if we lose part of the CEC.<br />
On the worst case, it may mean reducing the social spaces so activities will have to share spaces or maybe move them to the park, if weather permits. <br />
<br />
The rest of the services will charge based on the attendees number, so we don’t foresee much impact here.<br />
<br />
*''' If you'll excuse my language, the facility prices you quote seem very "international", that is, they would be not surprising in any other major global city. At the same time, the entry fees seem very low, compared to the general foss4g trend. I see that the A/B and food costs are lower than I would "expect", have those been validated in the marketplace? Generally expensive venues have exclusive catering arrangements with firms that are equally expensive, are you allowed to use your quoted catering in the venues you have chosen?'''<br />
<br />
You are right: the venue prices in Buenos Aires are on the high side, we were very surprised (appalled more like) by this. Buenos Aires is a central city on the region, attracting many international events, thus making prices similar to other big cities around the world.<br />
<br />
Every price has been checked with the provider by our professional events organizer, who already knows all of them and is negotiating each contract. There were some alternative venues we discarded for being too small, not being able to offer basic services (like internet), and/or outside the city and not well connected.<br />
<br />
About the catering, the main venue (CEC) has a variety of exclusive companies from which to choose the catering from. The one we asked to budget all the meals is the cheapest but also the one the events organizer knows to be most reliable and with high quality. <br />
<br />
Our events organizer checked also with other companies to see if the prices were sensible and it is similar to what would cost to hire an external company for it. Even when the venues are expensive, food in Argentina is cheaper.<br />
<br />
*'''How much of your $122K in budgeted sponsorship is "sure" already? That is, have the government corporate sponsors of this proposal made some kind of non-binding statement of interest in sponsorship?'''<br />
<br />
We don’t want to disclose much of this because nothing is signed yet and some companies may step back if they think we are going too fast. <br />
<br />
We have the non-signed understandment of some government entities to help us find sponsors, which may attract new players. Although most of those players will probably fall on the local category. We haven’t included those new players to the list.<br />
<br />
Actively looking for sponsorship for 2021 when it wasn’t sure and 2020 is currently looking for sponsors seemed to us a bit aggressive, so we contacted mostly companies we understood are not that interested in Canada but may be interested in Argentina. That prevented us from contacting many tentative sponsors.<br />
<br />
We have estimated based on what we have asked around, plus the average sponsorship levels from previous FOSS4G (with lowered percentages as this depends on the “commercial” effort of each team, which we can’t measure this properly, but also the interest on the region, which also depends on many factors). <br />
<br />
As a very very gross estimate, between a third and a half of that sponsorship is “sure”.<br />
<br />
<br />
*'''Not a question, but one way of squaring the "can afford it" pricing problem is an "individual" rate vs a "corporate" rate. The community pgcon.org conference in Ottawa uses this construction.'''<br />
<br />
It’s a good idea to consider. We will study it before releasing the early bird release. In any case, separation based on regions (or economic capacity) is something we think is important.<br />
<br />
== Eli Adam ==<br />
* '''Before eliminating the separate-day code spint, can you poll this, [https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/tosprint tosprint list] ?'''<br />
<br />
The idea comes from lessons learned and recommendations like:<br />
<br />
https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2016_Lessons_Learned#Code_Sprint<br />
<br />
We liked the idea of an extended codesprint as in Bonn, but we wanted to make it at the same time as the conference to save costs and make it more inviting for newcomers.<br />
<br />
The codesprint will still be there on Saturday, plus some other social events for people not interested on it. For example, we are planning an outdoors mapping party for people that want to contribute but they don’t feel like contributing with code, docs or translations. <br />
<br />
The idea of a week long codesprint is to expand its outreach, giving more time to do longer tasks and invite people who usually don’t come on Saturday to join and contribute. We feel that having the codesprint running at the same time as the main sessions can help connect different stakeholders with the developers’ work and understand better the FOSS ecosystem. We are aware that the codesprint will not be full until Saturday as developers will be busy with sessions.<br />
<br />
* '''Is the large venue being used for more than Opening, Closing, AGM, and Lunch?'''<br />
<br />
The CEC is planned to host 7 rooms for sessions (plenary and paralell), the BALOC office, the booths, the codesprint and plenty of social common spaces for networking and the catering infrastructure. (Summary on page 18 of the proposal.) The CEC provides us with spaces that we can use exclusively, whereas the Law School will have students sharing the space. Also, the Ice Breaker will be hosted on the CEC to save money. <br />
<br />
The Law School is only planned to host 4 rooms for sessions, 2 smaller rooms for meetings or birds of a feather. If we need to extend the number of rooms for meetings or other activities, it will be done on the Law School. But, for example, we wouldn’t be able to offer lunch at all if we remove the CEC space, as the Law School doesn’t have proper kitchen or space to serve.<br />
<br />
We couldn’t find another proper venue combination with the flexibility of the Law School and the infrastructures of the CEC within budget.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2021]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=Q%26A_Stage_2_Buenos_Aires&diff=122520Q&A Stage 2 Buenos Aires2019-12-01T20:24:05Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* name of the questioner */</p>
<hr />
<div>= Questions to the BALOC from CC =<br />
<br />
== Michael Terner ==<br />
Excellent, and well thought out proposal. I appreciate your efforts to innovate. Below are a few questions and a couple of comments that refer to the dialog in other question threads.<br />
<br />
Due to the fact that sponsorship is such an important part of the budget, ranging from providing 24% to 36% of expected revenues, I have several questions in this area. While the amount of sponsorship revenue you are seeking may be "typical", due to your lower costs the ~percentage~ of revenue from sponsorship is higher than typical. Indeed, it is at the “base, break-even scenario” where sponsorship would provide ~36% of revenue. As such, I have several questions on sponsorship.<br />
<br />
*'''You have asked for a $60k advance from OSGeo, normally we have limited our advance to $40k, can you provide some more detail on why you need a larger advance and the timing of the cash outflows?'''<br />
<br />
== Steven Feldman ==<br />
<br />
Great proposal, thanks very much. Lot's of exciting ideas which I welcome. I'd like to focus on the financial stuff (as usual for me)<br />
<br />
*'''You have asked for a $60k advance from OSGeo, normally we have limited our advance to $40k, can you provide some more detail on why you need a larger advance and the timing of the cash outflows?'''<br />
<br />
''The CEC building’s rent (still being negotiated) is US$70.266. We have been asked to give half of it (US$35.133) in advance to book the place.<br />
The Law Faculty’s rent is US$16.500 if we finally reach close to 1.150 attendees. They also ask half of it in advance ( US$8.250). If we finally don’t need both spaces, we will be able to pay a lower amount, but we want to book the full 1150 attendees space just in case.<br />
So, venue advanced payment totals US$43.383. We are asking for US$60.000 to make sure we have also some cash flow while we get the first tickets sold.<br />
We won’t need the full $60.000 right away, just enough to book the venues and secure the dates.''<br />
<br />
* '''Are you also seeking any further guarantees or underwriting from OSGeo?'''<br />
<br />
''We have a generously estimated budget with items that can be opt-out if needed, so we don’t expect any financial issues. For example, if we have to escalate the event down we can cut big expenses like the CEC building and make the social events simpler. In case we don’t get enough tickets sold (below 550), we will contact the OSGeo Board to decide how to proceed.<br />
We don’t need any written warranty from OSGeo.''<br />
<br />
* '''If you request an advance from OSGeo the norm is that at least 80% of the surplus from your event is returned to OSGeo, your proposal only returns 30% to OSGeo. This is a substantial change which would need to be approved by the Board if recommended by CC, can you explain why such a low %age should be accepted?'''<br />
<br />
''We understood that the 80% surplus for OSGeo was the suggested amount for NA and european events. <br />
We can adjust the numbers and give a higher percentage of the surplus to OSGeo, although we think that “leaving” part of that surplus on the local organization can help the development and further outreach of the OSGeo community on the region.''<br />
<br />
* '''Your projected surpluses are on the low side, whilst I appreciate your low ticket prices, I wonder whether you can afford to charge a little more and possibly reduce the early bird discount to a consistent 20% (particularly for what you define as International) as a way of increasing your surplus and providing a safety net?<br />
'''<br />
''The budget is generously estimated (we are still negotiating some contracts to get a lower price) and we have the “open price ticket” which should give us more margin. The budget is using amounts we consider “safe” to be cut if things go wrong. (Although the minimum attendance described on the budget is 650, we can lower that even more if we remove venue space and non-essential items).<br />
We could increase the international price and still do that 20% discount on the early bird. But if we increase the ticket price for regional (especially local) tickets that could impact on our estimates of attendance.Trying to reach a consistent 20% discount could mean we have to lower the normal price for local and regional which could be even worse for the income.<br />
We are confident that, while the surplus doesn’t look good, it will get better once we start signing contracts, even if we don’t change ticket prices.''<br />
<br />
* '''I love the low prices that you are proposing and the option to top up pricing for those who can afford more, perhaps you could phrase this in a slightly different way by quoting higher prices and allowing those who need to self declare for a discount with the lowest price being your current rates? This could work well for corporates who may not respond well to a request to top up but could voluntarily exclude from an "in need" discount.'''<br />
<br />
''We will be careful on how to phrase this, as we also don’t want locals to think we are thinking less of them. We can add some note for sponsors as you mention.'' <br />
<br />
* '''I did not see any explicit mention of video recording or streaming. What are your plans and are they fully costed in your budget?''' <br />
<br />
''We plan to record all sessions. The cost is already included in the budget (sent privately). There is no plan for streaming because that will mean increasing the cost too much as we will need to add a much higher bandwidth on the venue along with more technicians on site.<br />
''<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
== Jonathan Moules == <br />
<br />
* '''I didn't see anything about sustainability (of the eco-friendly variety) in there apart from the venue itself being sustainable. What are your sustainability aims? Thoughts:'''<br />
<br />
''The BALOC is committed to set up a Sustainability and Social Responsibility Plan for our conference based on the resources available in our country. <br />
On the following questions we will answer part of our currently planned strategy towards this.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your "conference swag" sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People?)'''<br />
<br />
''One of our goals is to reduce the swag as much as possible as it generally ends up being waste. We are going to provide reusable water bottles to avoid the usage of one use plastic bottles during the conference and other possible useful objects to use during the conference. <br />
About explotation, see next question.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be sourcing your Tea/Coffee/Chocolate sustainably (i.e., not from sources that exploit Indiginous People & children?)'''<br />
<br />
''Of course as part of this sustainability effort we will check that we don’t buy goods or use services provided by an exploiting company.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will your caterers source food locally by preference?'''<br />
<br />
''Most food in the city already comes from horticulture producers in the near rural towns. Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country. We plan to have as many sources of local, small and family producers and organically produced food as possible.''<br />
<br />
* '''Does your travel grant prioritise sustainable travel over flying?'''<br />
<br />
''Whenever possible, we will try to use sustainable transport. But we understand that the Travel Grant should also apply to nearby countries, which may not be reachable unless by plane. See answer about regional travel.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you be providing bottled water or some re-usable cups (FOSS4G UK did this for 2019 - worked well)?'''<br />
<br />
''We will provide each attendee with a reusable water bottle and there will be water fountains all over the venue, including hot water for those who want to drink tea or mate.<br />
We are aiming for local and regional products to minimize the carbon footprint of transport. We will also use as much recycled materials as possible. Non-expendable material used on the conference will be either sold after the conference or reused by the BALOC in future events.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will the food lean away from carbon-intensive foodstuffs?'''<br />
<br />
''We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food.<br />
The food that’s not eaten each day will be sent to a local organization that delivers to people living on the streets or community kitchens.''<br />
<br />
* '''How do you anticipate regional participants to travel there? (I'm guessing Local = public transit and International = flying)'''.<br />
<br />
''Extending the question regarding sustainability of the TGP transport:<br />
For distances less than 400km, bus is the preferred transport near Buenos Aires. On some exceptional cases, we may even extend this distance if there is a direct road. <br />
On the regional context, considering Latin America, it is unlikely to use any other method of transport than by plane, since distances make it difficult to use other means of transport. Bear in mind that the rail network is not as extended in the rest of the world as it is in Europe. ''<br />
<br />
* '''Will you default to opt-out for the t-shirt?'''<br />
<br />
''We want to reduce the amount of useless swag as possible to reduce waste. We are aware that t-shirts are very appreciated by a big part of our attendees, so we will offer them optionally to those who have a special interest, along with other optional swag. This also helps reducing the ticket price and allows us to operate on a lower budget.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you provide any sort of carbon-credit offset as part of the conference fee for those who choose to fly?'''<br />
<br />
''On the proposal we focused on the things the BALOC could directly impact to reduce the carbon footprint and waste. We didn’t plan yet for what attendees can do to reduce their pollution. <br />
But it is in the schedule to contact in the future some association like Vida Silvestre (https://www.vidasilvestre.org.ar/) and add an optional donation to compensate for carbon footprint.'' <br />
<br />
* '''Will you cater to various dietary requirements?'''<br />
<br />
''The catering will serve food for people with special requirements such as celiac disease, vegan diet, food allergies or intolerances. We will ask in advance to make sure all attendees have food adapted to their needs.<br />
The menu will be healthy and varied, covering nutritional needs.''<br />
<br />
* '''Travel Grant - Have you considered other potentially under-represented groups - those with disabilities for instance (about 18% of the UK population - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-facts-and-figures/disability-facts-and-figures - alas I couldn't quickly find the stats for Argentina). This is far more than the ~0.4% (UK again) who identify as Non-Binary ( http://www.allabouttrans.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/non-binary-gender-factsheet.pdf )'''<br />
<br />
''As in FOSS4G 2018, there will be two rounds of Travel Grants. The first edition will cover under-represented groups in general, with no restrictions.<br />
The second round will focus on groups that are greatly under-represented (women and non-binary people as they represent half the population but are not as present on our events) and local under-represented groups (native americans). <br />
We care about people with limited mobility, that’s why, along with the help of the first Travel Grant, the venue is completely adapted and is located on a completely adapted neighbourhood with adapted access to the metro.''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''GeoChicas - I'm not sure what a "geochica" is, but what's the logic to arbitrarily splitting it by gender? This seems the exact opposite of the stated "inclusive".'''<br />
<br />
''The GeoChicas event has taken place in FOSS4G 2018 and 2019 already. Although now it also includes Women in GeoSpatial (focused on geospatial technologies) and other Women in Tech associations besides GeoChicas (focused on OpenStreetMap), we decided to keep the name as an easy reference to attendees of previous FOSS4G. <br />
The concept of safe spaces is well known in communities that work to leverage gaps on under-represented communities. Those safe spaces help in the networking, empowering and reinforcing the presence of the targeted groups in conferences, thus making the event more inclusive. In the last two years we have already seen the effects of this safe space in our community and we want to continue on this line.''<br />
<br />
'''* You state in regards to local sourcing: "Buenos Aires province is one of the largest meat and dairy producers in the country." suggesting you plan to provision a fair amount of this. But then in response to carbon-intensive foodstuffs you say: ```"We will balance the diet (unless special needs are required) with fresh non-processed food." ``` Unfortunately these seem to be diametrically opposed notions. I think it's worth pointing out that beef and dairy are pretty much the most carbon intensive foodstuffs in their classes (beef = worst meat; dairy = worse than plant milks (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46654042) ). Will you be seeking to reduce use of these? (Suggestion: A few seconds googling for "Food emissions" will find plenty of articles with suggestions for what's good/bad.)'''<br />
<br />
''Our food providers are committed to lower our carbon footprint as much as possible, while considering the local diet and available products in the process. Using a local diet is important to ensure we don’t add carbon footprint on transport.''<br />
<br />
'''* My question regarding the travel grant's second round - I was wondering whether you would consider disability as being suitable for this. As noted in my question, there are *far* more disabled people than non-binary. Plus of course disabled people by the very nature of their disability may have physiological and/or logistical problems travelling, not something the other groups customarily face, so the disabled would proportionately benefit the most from the grant. Would you consider including disability in this second round?'''<br />
<br />
''To build the best TGP possible, we will consult with previous TGP coordinators (such as Steven Feldman and the Oceania LOC), on how to build an inclusive program.''<br />
<br />
'''* Geochicas - you call this a "safe space". I was under the impression these were spaces that are hostility free (i.e. https://equal.org/safe-space-program/ ), and they were open to all (a sound notion). To me at least it seems that by disallowing a certain group of people in you're saying that group of people are not safe, something that's definitely exclusionary. Plus it could be read that other minority groups (disabled, GBTQ, etc) aren't worth a safe space, only women and non-binary are. Would you consider making this more inclusive?'''<br />
<br />
''The full conference itself is already a safe space, according to your definition, with a CoC as a safeguard. The social event we are discussing is a safe space according to the definition usually used by feminist and people of color groups.''<br />
<br />
''Safe spaces are not treated as a response to something negative like fighting an existing hostility; but a way to generate the confidence needed to participate in mixed spaces. It is an extra step to help networking and empower people that otherwise will tend to be isolated and therefore be at a disadvantageous position.''<br />
<br />
<br />
== Paul Ramsey == <br />
<br />
*'''Your plan to scale back facilities in the event of shortfall in registrations is wise. A question on that: what are the deadlines for cancellations? How much of the deposit will they retain? Unfortunately you will not have a clear feel for potential attendance until the early bird registration period closes, which can be only a few months before the final date. At some point, the venue will ask for full payment. Do your schedule points for things like early bird line up with your decision points for things like venues?'''<br />
<br />
If we don’t use the building, the deposit will be lost.<br />
<br />
But we are still in negotiations to lower the seed amount. We don’t want to disclose our estimated numbers in public because that may impact the negotiation. Part of that negotiation may be lowering the amount of booked rooms and add them at a later stage when we have some more income. Considering the Law School has many classrooms and the risk of not being able to book more rooms at a later stage is lower, that may be a possibility, even if we lose part of the CEC.<br />
On the worst case, it may mean reducing the social spaces so activities will have to share spaces or maybe move them to the park, if weather permits. <br />
<br />
The rest of the services will charge based on the attendees number, so we don’t foresee much impact here.<br />
<br />
*''' If you'll excuse my language, the facility prices you quote seem very "international", that is, they would be not surprising in any other major global city. At the same time, the entry fees seem very low, compared to the general foss4g trend. I see that the A/B and food costs are lower than I would "expect", have those been validated in the marketplace? Generally expensive venues have exclusive catering arrangements with firms that are equally expensive, are you allowed to use your quoted catering in the venues you have chosen?'''<br />
<br />
You are right: the venue prices in Buenos Aires are on the high side, we were very surprised (appalled more like) by this. Buenos Aires is a central city on the region, attracting many international events, thus making prices similar to other big cities around the world.<br />
<br />
Every price has been checked with the provider by our professional events organizer, who already knows all of them and is negotiating each contract. There were some alternative venues we discarded for being too small, not being able to offer basic services (like internet), and/or outside the city and not well connected.<br />
<br />
About the catering, the main venue (CEC) has a variety of exclusive companies from which to choose the catering from. The one we asked to budget all the meals is the cheapest but also the one the events organizer knows to be most reliable and with high quality. <br />
<br />
Our events organizer checked also with other companies to see if the prices were sensible and it is similar to what would cost to hire an external company for it. Even when the venues are expensive, food in Argentina is cheaper.<br />
<br />
*'''How much of your $122K in budgeted sponsorship is "sure" already? That is, have the government corporate sponsors of this proposal made some kind of non-binding statement of interest in sponsorship?'''<br />
<br />
We don’t want to disclose much of this because nothing is signed yet and some companies may step back if they think we are going too fast. <br />
<br />
We have the non-signed understandment of some government entities to help us find sponsors, which may attract new players. Although most of those players will probably fall on the local category. We haven’t included those new players to the list.<br />
<br />
Actively looking for sponsorship for 2021 when it wasn’t sure and 2020 is currently looking for sponsors seemed to us a bit aggressive, so we contacted mostly companies we understood are not that interested in Canada but may be interested in Argentina. That prevented us from contacting many tentative sponsors.<br />
<br />
We have estimated based on what we have asked around, plus the average sponsorship levels from previous FOSS4G (with lowered percentages as this depends on the “commercial” effort of each team, which we can’t measure this properly, but also the interest on the region, which also depends on many factors). <br />
<br />
As a very very gross estimate, between a third and a half of that sponsorship is “sure”.<br />
<br />
<br />
*'''Not a question, but one way of squaring the "can afford it" pricing problem is an "individual" rate vs a "corporate" rate. The community pgcon.org conference in Ottawa uses this construction.'''<br />
<br />
It’s a good idea to consider. We will study it before releasing the early bird release. In any case, separation based on regions (or economic capacity) is something we think is important.<br />
<br />
== Eli Adam ==<br />
* '''Before eliminating the separate-day code spint, can you poll this, [https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/tosprint tosprint list] ?'''<br />
<br />
The idea comes from lessons learned and recommendations like:<br />
<br />
https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2016_Lessons_Learned#Code_Sprint<br />
<br />
We liked the idea of an extended codesprint as in Bonn, but we wanted to make it at the same time as the conference to save costs and make it more inviting for newcomers.<br />
<br />
The codesprint will still be there on Saturday, plus some other social events for people not interested on it. For example, we are planning an outdoors mapping party for people that want to contribute but they don’t feel like contributing with code, docs or translations. <br />
<br />
The idea of a week long codesprint is to expand its outreach, giving more time to do longer tasks and invite people who usually don’t come on Saturday to join and contribute. We feel that having the codesprint running at the same time as the main sessions can help connect different stakeholders with the developers’ work and understand better the FOSS ecosystem. We are aware that the codesprint will not be full until Saturday as developers will be busy with sessions.<br />
<br />
* '''Is the large venue being used for more than Opening, Closing, AGM, and Lunch?'''<br />
<br />
The CEC is planned to host 7 rooms for sessions (plenary and paralell), the BALOC office, the booths, the codesprint and plenty of social common spaces for networking and the catering infrastructure. (Summary on page 18 of the proposal.) The CEC provides us with spaces that we can use exclusively, whereas the Law School will have students sharing the space. Also, the Ice Breaker will be hosted on the CEC to save money. <br />
<br />
The Law School is only planned to host 4 rooms for sessions, 2 smaller rooms for meetings or birds of a feather. If we need to extend the number of rooms for meetings or other activities, it will be done on the Law School. But, for example, we wouldn’t be able to offer lunch at all if we remove the CEC space, as the Law School doesn’t have proper kitchen or space to serve.<br />
<br />
We couldn’t find another proper venue combination with the flexibility of the Law School and the infrastructures of the CEC within budget.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2021]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2021_Bid_Process&diff=121924FOSS4G 2021 Bid Process2019-10-02T23:45:46Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Letters of Intent */</p>
<hr />
<div>= Basics =<br />
<br />
* FOSS4G 2021 will most likely be held in "Other Regions".<br />
** [http://2019.foss4g.org FOSS4G 2019] was in Bucharest, Romania<br />
** [http://2020.foss4g.org FOSS4G 2020] will be in Calgary, Canada<br />
** FOSS4G 2021 will be ... ?<br />
<br />
* "Letters of Intent" will be accepted from potential Local Organizing Committees (LOC) from "Other Regions" - these are all parts of the world excluding Europe and North America. If there are no submissions from groups outside Europe and North America, letters from these regions will then be solicited.<br />
* Regardless whether one or more letter(s) of intent are received, the Conference Committee members will vote. The vote procedure for 2021 is as follows: Every member of CC votes on every LoI. LoI's that receive more than 50% of "thumbs up"-votes will pass stage 1.<br />
* Selected letters will be invited to prepare a full bid based on the usual RFP process.<br />
* A proposal outlining budget, potential sponsors, LOC members, and venue costs will be required, even if only one letter is received.<br />
* Based on experiences from the past years, we would like to stress the following tasks:<br />
** OSGeo anticipates a Travel Grant program. There is a budget from OSGeo, but we expect the bidder to further collect money for TGP and to offer free or at least reduced passes for grantees.<br />
** The bid should stress the alignment with OSGeo values as given in OSGeo's CoC and contain hints on a conference CoC<br />
<br />
== Voters on RfP 2021 == <br />
<br />
# Maria Brovelli<br />
# Till Adams<br />
# Steven Feldman<br />
# David Bitner<br />
# Paul Ramsey<br />
# Eli Adam<br />
# Vasile Craciunescu<br />
# Michael Terner<br />
# Peter Batty<br />
# Sanghee Shin<br />
# Mark Iliffe<br />
# Darrell Fuhriman<br />
# Gavin Fleming<br />
# Claude Philipona<br />
<br />
== CRO's on RfP 2021 == <br />
CRO's will receive the votes for both stages and send the final results (but no counts!) to the chair of the committee. This year we are happy to have Arnulf and Codrina on board. <br />
<br />
* [[User:Arnulf Christl | Arnulf Christl]]<br />
* [[User:Codrina | Codrina Maria Ilie]]<br />
<br />
= Summary of Important Dates ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anywhere_on_Earth AoE]) =<br />
<br />
{|<br />
|-<br />
! Release RFP:<br />
| 2019 September 6.<br />
|-<br />
! Letters of Intent (Stage 1) due:<br />
| 2019 September 27. <br />
|-<br />
! Stage 1 question period:<br />
| 2019 September 28. to 2018 October 4.<br />
|-<br />
! Stage 1 polling Period:<br />
| 2019 October 05. to 2019 October 10.<br />
|-<br />
! Stage 1 decision announcement:<br />
| 2019 October 11.<br />
|-<br />
! Proposals (Stage 2) due:<br />
| 2019 November 22. <br />
|- <br />
! Stage 2 question period:<br />
| 2019 November 23. to 2019 December 06.<br />
|-<br />
! Voting Period:<br />
| 2019 December 07. to 2019 December 13.<br />
|-<br />
! Selection of host city announced <br />
| 2019 December 18.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
= Letters of Intent = <br />
<br />
* Accepted until September 27, 2019<br />
* Limited to two pages<br />
* Read the RFP document (below) and answer the following questions:<br />
1. Who is your conference chair?<br />
<br />
2. Who is on your local organizing committee (LOC)?<br />
<br />
3. What is the experience of your committee members with similar events?<br />
<br />
4. What is your proposed venue? (include access to Internet, room sizes, maximum attendees)<br />
<br />
5. What are your provisional dates for the conference?<br />
<br />
6. Early thoughts on prices of conference attendance? (indicative estimates)<br />
<br />
7. What is the price range and general location of your proposed accommodations? (hotels)<br />
<br />
8. Are you partnering with other organizations? (e.g. local entities or other events like HOT OSM<br />
Summit)<br />
<br />
9. What makes FOSS4G in your proposed location and with your team compelling?<br />
<br />
<br />
=== RFP Documents ===<br />
<br />
* RFP containing updated process ([https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/rfp/2021/FOSS4G2021-request-for-proposal.pdf RFP])<br />
* Budget template ([https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/rfp/2021/osgeo-conference-budget-template.ods file])<br />
<br />
= Letter of Intent Review =<br />
<br />
* Letters of Intent were received from the following local committees:<br />
** [https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/proposals/2021/FOSS4G_2021_LOI_Istanbul.pdf FOSS4G 2021 Letter of Intent for Istanbul] [[Q&A Stage 1 Istanbul]]<br />
** [https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/proposals/2021/FOSS4G_2021_LOI_Buenos_Aires.pdf FOSS4G 2021 Letter of Intent for Buenos Aires] [[Q&A Stage 1 Buenos Aires]]<br />
** ...<br />
<br />
* Questions will be asked of LOCs on conference_dev 2019 September 28 to 2018 October 4 - be prepared to answer the questions ASAP!<br />
* Conference committee will vote and results announced on 2019 October 11.<br />
** Letters with more than 50% thumbs up will be passed on to the proposal stage.<br />
** If there are no qualified letters from the priority region, then additional regions will be considered or solicited.<br />
<br />
= Stage One =<br />
<br />
== Bid Process Stage One ==<br />
<br />
== List of voters for Stage One ==<br />
<br />
= Result for Stage One =<br />
<br />
Proposals were received from the following local committees:<br />
<br />
= Decision = <br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2021_Bid_Process&diff=121923FOSS4G 2021 Bid Process2019-10-02T23:44:53Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Letters of Intent */</p>
<hr />
<div>= Basics =<br />
<br />
* FOSS4G 2021 will most likely be held in "Other Regions".<br />
** [http://2019.foss4g.org FOSS4G 2019] was in Bucharest, Romania<br />
** [http://2020.foss4g.org FOSS4G 2020] will be in Calgary, Canada<br />
** FOSS4G 2021 will be ... ?<br />
<br />
* "Letters of Intent" will be accepted from potential Local Organizing Committees (LOC) from "Other Regions" - these are all parts of the world excluding Europe and North America. If there are no submissions from groups outside Europe and North America, letters from these regions will then be solicited.<br />
* Regardless whether one or more letter(s) of intent are received, the Conference Committee members will vote. The vote procedure for 2021 is as follows: Every member of CC votes on every LoI. LoI's that receive more than 50% of "thumbs up"-votes will pass stage 1.<br />
* Selected letters will be invited to prepare a full bid based on the usual RFP process.<br />
* A proposal outlining budget, potential sponsors, LOC members, and venue costs will be required, even if only one letter is received.<br />
* Based on experiences from the past years, we would like to stress the following tasks:<br />
** OSGeo anticipates a Travel Grant program. There is a budget from OSGeo, but we expect the bidder to further collect money for TGP and to offer free or at least reduced passes for grantees.<br />
** The bid should stress the alignment with OSGeo values as given in OSGeo's CoC and contain hints on a conference CoC<br />
<br />
== Voters on RfP 2021 == <br />
<br />
# Maria Brovelli<br />
# Till Adams<br />
# Steven Feldman<br />
# David Bitner<br />
# Paul Ramsey<br />
# Eli Adam<br />
# Vasile Craciunescu<br />
# Michael Terner<br />
# Peter Batty<br />
# Sanghee Shin<br />
# Mark Iliffe<br />
# Darrell Fuhriman<br />
# Gavin Fleming<br />
# Claude Philipona<br />
<br />
== CRO's on RfP 2021 == <br />
CRO's will receive the votes for both stages and send the final results (but no counts!) to the chair of the committee. This year we are happy to have Arnulf and Codrina on board. <br />
<br />
* [[User:Arnulf Christl | Arnulf Christl]]<br />
* [[User:Codrina | Codrina Maria Ilie]]<br />
<br />
= Summary of Important Dates ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anywhere_on_Earth AoE]) =<br />
<br />
{|<br />
|-<br />
! Release RFP:<br />
| 2019 September 6.<br />
|-<br />
! Letters of Intent (Stage 1) due:<br />
| 2019 September 27. <br />
|-<br />
! Stage 1 question period:<br />
| 2019 September 28. to 2018 October 4.<br />
|-<br />
! Stage 1 polling Period:<br />
| 2019 October 05. to 2019 October 10.<br />
|-<br />
! Stage 1 decision announcement:<br />
| 2019 October 11.<br />
|-<br />
! Proposals (Stage 2) due:<br />
| 2019 November 22. <br />
|- <br />
! Stage 2 question period:<br />
| 2019 November 23. to 2019 December 06.<br />
|-<br />
! Voting Period:<br />
| 2019 December 07. to 2019 December 13.<br />
|-<br />
! Selection of host city announced <br />
| 2019 December 18.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
= Letters of Intent = <br />
<br />
* Accepted until September 27, 2019<br />
* Limited to two pages<br />
* Read the RFP document (below) and answer the following questions:<br />
1. Who is your conference chair?<br />
<br />
2. Who is on your local organizing committee (LOC)?<br />
<br />
3. What is the experience of your committee members with similar events?<br />
4. What is your proposed venue? (include access to Internet, room sizes, maximum attendees)<br />
5. What are your provisional dates for the conference?<br />
6. Early thoughts on prices of conference attendance? (indicative estimates)<br />
7. What is the price range and general location of your proposed accommodations? (hotels)<br />
8. Are you partnering with other organizations? (e.g. local entities or other events like HOT OSM<br />
Summit)<br />
9. What makes FOSS4G in your proposed location and with your team compelling?<br />
<br />
=== RFP Documents ===<br />
<br />
* RFP containing updated process ([https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/rfp/2021/FOSS4G2021-request-for-proposal.pdf RFP])<br />
* Budget template ([https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/rfp/2021/osgeo-conference-budget-template.ods file])<br />
<br />
= Letter of Intent Review =<br />
<br />
* Letters of Intent were received from the following local committees:<br />
** [https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/proposals/2021/FOSS4G_2021_LOI_Istanbul.pdf FOSS4G 2021 Letter of Intent for Istanbul] [[Q&A Stage 1 Istanbul]]<br />
** [https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/proposals/2021/FOSS4G_2021_LOI_Buenos_Aires.pdf FOSS4G 2021 Letter of Intent for Buenos Aires] [[Q&A Stage 1 Buenos Aires]]<br />
** ...<br />
<br />
* Questions will be asked of LOCs on conference_dev 2019 September 28 to 2018 October 4 - be prepared to answer the questions ASAP!<br />
* Conference committee will vote and results announced on 2019 October 11.<br />
** Letters with more than 50% thumbs up will be passed on to the proposal stage.<br />
** If there are no qualified letters from the priority region, then additional regions will be considered or solicited.<br />
<br />
= Stage One =<br />
<br />
== Bid Process Stage One ==<br />
<br />
== List of voters for Stage One ==<br />
<br />
= Result for Stage One =<br />
<br />
Proposals were received from the following local committees:<br />
<br />
= Decision = <br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2021_Bid_Process&diff=121922FOSS4G 2021 Bid Process2019-10-02T23:44:17Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: </p>
<hr />
<div>= Basics =<br />
<br />
* FOSS4G 2021 will most likely be held in "Other Regions".<br />
** [http://2019.foss4g.org FOSS4G 2019] was in Bucharest, Romania<br />
** [http://2020.foss4g.org FOSS4G 2020] will be in Calgary, Canada<br />
** FOSS4G 2021 will be ... ?<br />
<br />
* "Letters of Intent" will be accepted from potential Local Organizing Committees (LOC) from "Other Regions" - these are all parts of the world excluding Europe and North America. If there are no submissions from groups outside Europe and North America, letters from these regions will then be solicited.<br />
* Regardless whether one or more letter(s) of intent are received, the Conference Committee members will vote. The vote procedure for 2021 is as follows: Every member of CC votes on every LoI. LoI's that receive more than 50% of "thumbs up"-votes will pass stage 1.<br />
* Selected letters will be invited to prepare a full bid based on the usual RFP process.<br />
* A proposal outlining budget, potential sponsors, LOC members, and venue costs will be required, even if only one letter is received.<br />
* Based on experiences from the past years, we would like to stress the following tasks:<br />
** OSGeo anticipates a Travel Grant program. There is a budget from OSGeo, but we expect the bidder to further collect money for TGP and to offer free or at least reduced passes for grantees.<br />
** The bid should stress the alignment with OSGeo values as given in OSGeo's CoC and contain hints on a conference CoC<br />
<br />
== Voters on RfP 2021 == <br />
<br />
# Maria Brovelli<br />
# Till Adams<br />
# Steven Feldman<br />
# David Bitner<br />
# Paul Ramsey<br />
# Eli Adam<br />
# Vasile Craciunescu<br />
# Michael Terner<br />
# Peter Batty<br />
# Sanghee Shin<br />
# Mark Iliffe<br />
# Darrell Fuhriman<br />
# Gavin Fleming<br />
# Claude Philipona<br />
<br />
== CRO's on RfP 2021 == <br />
CRO's will receive the votes for both stages and send the final results (but no counts!) to the chair of the committee. This year we are happy to have Arnulf and Codrina on board. <br />
<br />
* [[User:Arnulf Christl | Arnulf Christl]]<br />
* [[User:Codrina | Codrina Maria Ilie]]<br />
<br />
= Summary of Important Dates ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anywhere_on_Earth AoE]) =<br />
<br />
{|<br />
|-<br />
! Release RFP:<br />
| 2019 September 6.<br />
|-<br />
! Letters of Intent (Stage 1) due:<br />
| 2019 September 27. <br />
|-<br />
! Stage 1 question period:<br />
| 2019 September 28. to 2018 October 4.<br />
|-<br />
! Stage 1 polling Period:<br />
| 2019 October 05. to 2019 October 10.<br />
|-<br />
! Stage 1 decision announcement:<br />
| 2019 October 11.<br />
|-<br />
! Proposals (Stage 2) due:<br />
| 2019 November 22. <br />
|- <br />
! Stage 2 question period:<br />
| 2019 November 23. to 2019 December 06.<br />
|-<br />
! Voting Period:<br />
| 2019 December 07. to 2019 December 13.<br />
|-<br />
! Selection of host city announced <br />
| 2019 December 18.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
= Letters of Intent = <br />
<br />
* Accepted until September 27, 2019<br />
* Limited to two pages<br />
* Read the RFP document (below) and answer the following questions:<br />
1. Who is your conference chair?<br />
2. Who is on your local organizing committee (LOC)?<br />
3. What is the experience of your committee members with similar events?<br />
4. What is your proposed venue? (include access to Internet, room sizes, maximum attendees)<br />
5. What are your provisional dates for the conference?<br />
6. Early thoughts on prices of conference attendance? (indicative estimates)<br />
7. What is the price range and general location of your proposed accommodations? (hotels)<br />
8. Are you partnering with other organizations? (e.g. local entities or other events like HOT OSM<br />
Summit)<br />
9. What makes FOSS4G in your proposed location and with your team compelling?<br />
<br />
=== RFP Documents ===<br />
<br />
* RFP containing updated process ([https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/rfp/2021/FOSS4G2021-request-for-proposal.pdf RFP])<br />
* Budget template ([https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/rfp/2021/osgeo-conference-budget-template.ods file])<br />
<br />
= Letter of Intent Review =<br />
<br />
* Letters of Intent were received from the following local committees:<br />
** [https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/proposals/2021/FOSS4G_2021_LOI_Istanbul.pdf FOSS4G 2021 Letter of Intent for Istanbul] [[Q&A Stage 1 Istanbul]]<br />
** [https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/proposals/2021/FOSS4G_2021_LOI_Buenos_Aires.pdf FOSS4G 2021 Letter of Intent for Buenos Aires] [[Q&A Stage 1 Buenos Aires]]<br />
** ...<br />
<br />
* Questions will be asked of LOCs on conference_dev 2019 September 28 to 2018 October 4 - be prepared to answer the questions ASAP!<br />
* Conference committee will vote and results announced on 2019 October 11.<br />
** Letters with more than 50% thumbs up will be passed on to the proposal stage.<br />
** If there are no qualified letters from the priority region, then additional regions will be considered or solicited.<br />
<br />
= Stage One =<br />
<br />
== Bid Process Stage One ==<br />
<br />
== List of voters for Stage One ==<br />
<br />
= Result for Stage One =<br />
<br />
Proposals were received from the following local committees:<br />
<br />
= Decision = <br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G2020_Q%26A_2_Calgary&diff=118589FOSS4G2020 Q&A 2 Calgary2018-12-05T22:54:19Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: </p>
<hr />
<div>=== Questions Till Adams ===<br />
* "The remaining 50% of profit will be held in-trust by TECTERRA and used as a travel grant program for Alberta-based students to travel to future international FOSS4G events (Page 40):<br />
In the FOSS4G cookbook [1] it is not clearly defined, how much of the revenue has to be passed back to OSGeo, but there is a not yet decided proposal that 85% of a FOSS4G surplus goes to OSGeo. The idea to hold 50% in order to setup a dedicated travel grant programme for Alberta people for future OSGeo events only sounds little strange to me - especially as there is an official travel grant programme of OSGeo. <br />
Can you please explain your ideas behind that a bit more?<br />
<br />
* ''' Answer '''<br />
Our understanding of the FOSS4G RFP was that if the LOC required seed funding from OSGeo then they must return at least 85% of the profits; and if they did not require seed funding they should return at least 50% of any surplus (RFP doc, page 9). As we do not require seed funding fom OSGeo we plan to donate at least 50% of all profits back to OSGeo. <br />
<br />
We decied to use any remaining profits for a travel gant program for future events as a way to encourage locals to attend future FOSS4G events. By providing additional funds for travel we felt that it would reduce the burden on the existing travel grant programme and allow it to focus on middle- or lower-income countries, rather than on a (relatively) high-income region like Canada. <br />
<br />
Furthermore, this money will help to strengthen the OSGeo community in westersn Canada by growing a following and ensuring representation from western Canada for the next international conferences.<br />
<br />
If the resolution is decided and the required amount to return to OSGeo changes we are willing to work within that framework. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* Finances<br />
Your calculation is based between 24-30% on sponsorship - depending on scenario "LOW" or "GOAL". Even when regarding the already signed sponsorships, in any case there is a need to sign at least a sum of 150k more sponsorship-money, in order to reach a balanced budget. Do you have an emergency plan, what happens if something unexpected may happen or what to do when missing your sponsorship goal? <br />
<br />
* ''' Answer '''<br />
<br />
At this point, we have budgeted for $230,000 CAN ($176,000 USD) in total sponsorship and have already received confirmed sponsorship of over $130,000 CAN ($98,000 USD) in just over 4 weeks. The CLOC is confident that the remaining $78,000 USD required to hit our minimum anticipated sponsorship will be easily attainable by reaching out to prior FOSS4G sponsors and additional industry support locally. The current space we have on hold for exhibitions at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre will allow our group to accommodate upwards of 140 booth sponsors providing an abundance of opportunties for varying levels of sponsorship. However, pending unexpected circumstances, if the CLOC were to miss the low anticipated sponsorship commitment, we have added a 7% contingency line item to the budget as a safeguard.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[1] https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_Handbook#Finances, bullet (7)<br />
<br />
===Questions from Steven Feldman===<br />
<br />
# In your vision statement you say that FOOS4G will be “...a catalyst to foster the democratization of opportunity that open-sources represents for creators at every scale…” Could you explain further (particularly for people on this list for whom English is not their first language)<br />
## Apologies for the "manager speak!" We see FOSS4G Calgary 2020 as an opportunity to share the power, opportunity, and availability of open-source tools with people from a wide range of backgrounds. Those who are already geospatial people may know of OS tools, but there are many people that could benefit from implementing and adopting open source options. Furthermore, we want to let people know that they don't need to be stuck in a single-vendor solution, that they have options, and that the options are real tools being used in the real world. <br />
##The marketing and outreach for FOSS4G Calgary2020 will let us introduce OSGeo and OSGeo projects to new audiences and help people engage with those projects and create their own. These projects let more people learn and contribute to important technology without the cost of software licenses and without needing employment or arrangements with commercial software vendors. Anyone can be part of creating high-value innovations solving important problems for community and industry. The conference event can be an important milestone to help rally the community toward and also be a great springboard with community and industry colliding. <br />
# Can you confirm that although visas are not required for some countries an ETA will be required?<br />
## Yes. Citizens from countries other than the United States (U.S.) who do not need a visa to enter Canada will need to obtain an eTA before flying to Canada. To view the list of countries, visit Canada.ca/eTA. Applying for an eTA is a simple online process thattakes just a few minutes. You need your passport, a credit card and an email address. It costs CAD$7 to get an eTA.<br />
# Can you provide clarity on whether you will be videoing and/or streaming all or some of the conference streams? Is this provided for in your budget?<br />
## THE CLOC plans to video record the plenary sessions and pending additional sponsorship look to record additional breakouts. Additionally, the CLOC has been in discussions with SAIT to solicit student volunteers from the Broadcasting department to manage additional recording. Plenary video recording has been reflected in our budget while additional expenses that are sponsorship dependent are outlined in a separate section below.<br />
# Your budget has a high dependency on sponsorship, what are your contingencies if your target is not achieved?<br />
## The CLOC feels that the sponsorship levels outlined in the bid book are a very conservative and attainable reflection of the minimum sponsorship we would receive by hosting FOSS4G in Calgary. At this point, we have budgeted for $176,000 USD in total sponsorship and have already received confirmed sponsorship of over $98,000 USD. That funding is in place without having reached out to previous OSGeo sponsorship. The CLOC felt it was important to build a budget that could show a reasonable profit without over extending the ability to secure sponsorship. <br />
# If you do not receive specific funding for the gala evening what will be the charge to delegates in USD?<br />
## Right now, the CLOC has anticipated that Gala tickets will be an additional charge of $60 CAN ($45USD) per delegate. In an effort to keep registration costs lower the CLOC opted for an optional buy in to attend the Gala event. The event will be held at the National Music Centre in the Cultural District of Downtown Calgary and give individuals the opportunity to engage with musical exhibitions and artifacts all while celebrating FOSS4G. Should costs be lower then anticipated or additional Gala sponsorship is secured, then those costs savings will be passed on to delegates. <br />
# Can you confirm that you will not be seeking any seed funding or guarantees from OSGeo?<br />
## The CLOC has not requested any seed funding from OSGeo, and will not require OSGeo seed funding, for FOSS4G Calgary 2020. TECTERRA, an Alberta based non-profit has volunteered to provide funding for start up costs and preliminary deposits.<br />
# You appear to make very little additional profit from higher levels of attendance. Can you explain?<br />
##The CLOC looked to accurately anticipate which line items higher attendance would effect most greatly. As you will see form our budget, the increased cost is primarily allocated to food and beverage and social events. We also felt it was important to factor in elements like food and beverage gratuities (19%), GST (5%) and other often overlooked expenses. <br />
##We could reflect higher profit margins by increasing registration fees, however we believe that it is more important to build an affordable and inclusive FOSS4G.<br />
# Is there any option to reduce the costs of catering to either reduce ticket prices or increase surplus?<br />
## Yes. There is flexibility both within the Convention Centre catering and social activity catering that would allow the CLOC the ability to reduce costs. It is important to note that all food and beverage costs are already inclusive of a 19% gratuity required for large group bookings at the host venue and social establishments.<br />
# Is the 50% share of surplus contribution to OSGeo negotiable?<br />
## Yes it is. We used the 50% level as it was indicated in the RFP document that LOCs who did not require seed funding from OSGeo should donate at least 50% of the profits back. <br />
# The co-hosting alongside Inventure$ 2020 radically changes your budget and proposal. Can you provide some more detailed info on this opportunity and clarify whether this is your preference ()and if so why you did not base your proposal around it?)<br />
## "Our prefence is to hold a succesful and engaging FOSS4G event in 2020. <br />
##The offer of $200,000 CAD from Alberta Innovates to host FOSS4G 2020 at the same time as INVENTURES is a very good opportunity and would guarantee a profitable, inclusive, and successful event. <br />
##The condition that comes with the sponsorship is that the timing of the event would need to shift from the end of August to the begining of June. It is our understandanding that OSGeo's intent is to keep the FOSS4G conference at the same time each year to build consistency in expectations. As an LOC we were not sure how strong this preference is, and whether timing is more important then guaranteed sponsorship, and as such did not bid with the INVENTURE$ opportunity as the main thrust. In addition to the $200,000 CAD sponsorship from Alberta Innovates, all FOSS4G attendees would have full access to the INVENTURES conference, creating an opporutnity for broader networking, learning, and inspiration. <br />
##'''We believe that the community should discuss the potential benefits and risks of shifting the event to a new time frame before we move forward on the opportunity. '''<br />
###Background: <br />
###Alberta Innovates (AI) is a government funded organization that supports innovation in Alberta across a range of industries and technologies. They offer support programs for hiring, product development, and applied research, and they are one of two primary funders of TECTERRA (the other is Alberta Economic Development and Trade, a government department). <br />
###INVENTURES was started in 2017 by the CEO of AI, Ms. Laura Kilcrease. Ms. Kilcrease was heavily involved in creating the successful SXSW event in Austin Texas, and INVENTURES is inspired by SXSW. It is a technology and innovation conference with a focus on emerging technology, investment, and building community in Alberta to showcase the potential for local high tech firms. "<br />
# Can you confirm that the workshop fee of US $200 ids for 2 full days of workshops. Is there an option for attendees to register for only 1 or 2 workshops individually?<br />
## Yes, the $200 is for the 2 full days; we will have options for 1 day, or half day sessions. <br />
# Can you confirm whether you are offering a discount on delegate fees to workshop presenters?<br />
## We will waive the delegate fees for workshop presenters. Putting together a workshop takes a ton of effort and substantially adds to the depth of the event, we're happy to provide free tickets to workshop presenters. This is accounted for in our budget under the 10% complimentary passes<br />
# In your budget you have a line for printing a programme. Can you explain? (in the last 2 years we have had digital programmes)<br />
## The budget committee recognized that there has been a shift to digital programs in previous years but didnt want to eliminate the line item entirely should there still be a preference for a finite number of printed programs. Eliminating this line item is certainly possible and would lend to an even more expansive contigency fund. <br />
# You make no mention of producing a conference t-shirt or the costs, is that correct or have I missed it?<br />
## Conference tshirt costs have been allocated in the budget under On-Site Expenses. <br />
# You mention a Travel Grant Programme - is this the OSGeo TGP initiative or one that will be run independently by your LOC?<br />
## The CLOC plans to work with OSGeo on funding their Travel Grant Programme for FOSS4G in 2020. At this time, the CLOC has already secured $13,000 CAN ($9,857 USD) in funding to put towards the OsGEo Travel Grant Programme for 2020. <br />
# Can you confirm that any funds allocated to a TGP (your own or the OSGeo one) will be used for travel and subsistence support and that all TGP recipients will receive a free conference pass in addition (i.e the TGP funds will not be used to cover delegate passes)?<br />
## Yes, we can confirm that all all funds allocated through the FOSS4G Calgary 2020 TGP will be used for thepurposes of travel and subsitence. TGP recipients will recieve a complimentary pass to FOSS4G 2020 and will not need to pay for this pass out of TGP funds.<br />
<br />
=== Questions from Jonathan ===<br />
Excellent stuff on the re-usable focus. Some further *sustainability/ethics* related questions<br />
===== Food =====<br />
* Your bid doesn't mention meeting delegate's dietary requirements anywhere. Is this something your caterers will plan-ahead for (as in, have pre-made items that are veggie/vegan/gluten-free etc), or are they going to just cater to any such people who present themselves on the fly? Or not at all?<br />
**During registration will ask delegates if they have any dietary requirements so that our venue and caterer will be able to pre-prepare food as required. <br />
* Will breaks include food that meets dietary requirements?<br />
** Yes, to the best of our ability. <br />
* Will your caterers preferentially source food locally?<br />
** We can certainly request this from our caterers, however it will dramatically increase the price for food and beverage. We will work to strike a balance of locally and ethically sourced products while keeping the ticket prices as accessible as possible for all participants. <br />
* Will caterers use tea/coffee/chocolate/etc that is FairTrade (or equivalent)?<br />
** We can certainly request this from our caterers, however it will dramatically increase the price for food and beverage. We will work to strike a balance of locally and ethically sourced products while keeping the ticket prices as accessible as possible for all participants. <br />
* Are you going to reduce the amount of animal-based (and especially meat-based) products to try and reduce the conference's CO2 footprint?<br />
** Will will offer a range and selection of foods to meet a variety of diets.<br />
<br />
===== T-shirt =====<br />
Following on from your answer to Steven's question, I would first ask if this is necessary for the conference (it seems to be an unquestioned assumption that OSGEO=t-shirt), but if it is, then I'd ask:<br />
* Are they going to be mandatorily ordered for each delegate who orders and early-bird or will there be a "no t-shirt" option? Will it be opt-in or opt-out (opt-in saves money and waste of course)?<br />
** We are happy to provide a "no T-Shirt" option for delegates who do not desire one. <br />
* Will they be ethically sourced? (Ethical cotton and ethical manufacture)<br />
** We can certainly request this from our provider, however it will dramatically increase the price. We will work to strike a balance of locally and ethically sourced products while keeping the ticket prices as accessible as possible for all participants.<br />
<br />
===== Sessions =====<br />
More of an observation than a question - it says: "Sessions will take place within three 1.5-hour blocks each day with ten concurrent tracks in each session." - but the timetable below that doesn't seem to reflect this. I'm seeing 1.5hrs, 2.5hrs, 1hr on Wed and Thur.<br />
===== Ice-Breaker ===== <br />
This is at a brewery and alcohol seems to be the central theme of the evening; what components are there for including the non-drinking delegates?<br />
*We chose this venue specifically to highlight the budding microbrewery scene in Calgary, and also to provide individuals who do not drink the opportunity to enjoy themselves. This venue has 8 luxury bowling lanes, Foosball and ping pong that will be available to delegates throughout the evening. All social events were designed to have something for everyone and to encourage networking while enjoying different facets of Calgary.<br />
<br />
===== Further questions =====<br />
I'm a little confused as to the reply on the issue of ethical tea/coffee/chocolate and t-shirts. Could you please clarify. You state:<br />
<br />
''"We can certainly request this from our provider, however it will dramatically increase the price. We will work to strike a balance of locally and ethically sourced products while keeping the ticket prices as accessible as possible for all participants."''<br />
<br />
The delegates of this conference are almost all going be well inside the top quintile richest people on the planet. Could you please expand on why you wish to keep costs down for these people at the expense of the those in the bottom quintile? Especially given the ongoing modern-day slavery (including child-slavery) that continues to this day in both cotton and chocolate production.<br />
<br />
How is this in keeping with the OSGeo code of conduct line: "we will always work to treat everyone well."?<br />
<br />
*'''Answer:'''<br />
*Hi Jonathan, thank you for the clarifying question. Based on the prior question from Steve related to reducing the cost of food and beverage we were under the understanding that cost was an important factor and wanted to make it clear that ethical choices will increase these costs. Our venue offers a wide range of ethical products and although there is a bit of a markup our CLOC agrees this is important. We have reviewed the numbers and are confident that these increases can be sustained within our budget with no increase in ticket prices. <br />
Additionally we have looked into working with a local Calgary company, Local Laundry, for our T-shirts. Their products are entirely made in Canada and they donate 10% of every sale back to the community. You can find out more here on their website: https://locallaundry.ca/blogs/news/made-in-canada-buy-better-buy-less<br />
Sorry for any confusion on this topic.<br />
<br />
===Questions from Maxi Cannata===<br />
* how will you manage contribution from sponsors, in particular on the number / percentage and how they are acknowledged as sponsored talks?<br />
** We recognize that to hold a successful FOSS4G event with this many people attending we will need significant support from sponsors. Sponsors will receive recognition in accordance with their level of contribution, including on site signage, logo placement, social media mentions etc. Some levels of sponsorship may include the opportunity to give a talk and address the crowd, or to introduce a keynote speaker. These opportunities will be balanced such that sponsors are enticed to participate and feel that their receive fair value for money, while ensuring that the event does not become overly commercial. <br />
<br />
===Questions from Michael Terner===<br />
*'''In the narrative and budget details document I didn't find any mention of a Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) which has been a component, and expense of recent conferences. Will there be a PCO? If so, how, and at what level will they be funded?'''<br />
<br />
<br />
*'''Under Section IV.V Seed Funding, there is some mention of TECTERRA providing "in-kind contributions of staff time for planning and hosting the event". Is this the equivalent of a PCO? If so, is there an estimate of the value of this in-kind contribution (as that will help to understand level of PCO-like support that might be available)? Will TECTERRA be providing PCO-like services such as banking, registration system, abstract collection/scoring system, support staff (e.g., registration and setup), administration of the mobile app, etc., during the event?'''<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G2020_Q%26A_2_Halifax&diff=118553FOSS4G2020 Q&A 2 Halifax2018-12-04T23:19:11Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Questions from Michael Terner */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:FOSS4G-HFX-2020.png|thumb|right|333px|logo design by Anton Patrushev from pgRouting, now lives in HFX]]<br />
<br />
=== Questions from Steven Feldman ===<br />
''Hi Steven,''<br />
<br />
''Thank you for your questions. We are very happy to clarify some points that may have appeared less well explained in our proposal. Do not hesitate to come back to us if you have any other questions.''<br />
<br />
'''1. You have not provided the budget spreadsheet that was part of the RfP. Or did I miss it? Can you provide this to the Conference Committee?'''<br />
<br />
''We have provided the spreadsheet budget directly in our proposal, under the Budget section, “Expenses and Revenues Spreadsheets” on page 31-33.''<br />
<br />
'''2. Can you provide clarity on whether you will be videoing and/or streaming just the plenaries or some of the conference streams as well? Is this provided for in your budget?'''<br />
<br />
''The HFX team has already included in the budget, and confirmed with our Audio/Video company, to stream all plenaries and possibly all sessions, and will archive them online after the event. In addition to the videos, we will make sure to post the PowerPoint/PDF presentations of every session. Of course, we will ask each speaker for permission to broadcast the content online.''<br />
<br />
''It is important, especially considering streaming, that we have negotiated with the NovaCentre venue team to have a dedicated "FOSS4G" WiFi network (maximum bandwidth 800Mbps) for a flat rate for the event (~3700USD, or 5000CAD), which we included in the budget.''<br />
<br />
''We mentioned briefly in the proposal, but we put out a call for competitive bids for Audio/Visual, and we have decided on a very reliable team at FREEMAN AV Canada https://freemanav-ca.com/ who are not the in-house A/V company, but have a solid reputation all across Canada for handling large events. We will in fact still be using the in-house A/V company of FMAV for any "rigging" (new wiring through walls etc)''<br />
<br />
'''3. Your budget has a very high dependency on sponsorship (up to 45% of income), higher than most previous events. Can you explain in more detail where you expect this sponsorship to come from?What are your contingencies if your target is not achieved?'''<br />
<br />
''We expect a lot of enthusiasm from a very large geospatial sector all across Canada, as FOSS4G comes back after 13 years since Victoria 2007. We will also have a very strong sponsors committee with input from Jonathan Murphy, the Managing Director of GoGeomatics Canada, who hosts geospatial events from coast to coast in 15 different local communities, and already has a vast network of sponsors who will be interested in the foremost geospatial event of 2020. Additionally, we are planning to provide more affordable sponsorship options to smaller companies, and also considering increasing the number of available booths in the exhibitor space. Finally, we will leverage the large network of connections from members in our local organizing committee, and invest considerable efforts in reaching out for both recurring and new sponsors, all across Canada, but also in the United States and on the international front. Our budget includes a 5% contingency, but generates a considerable surplus even at the minimum budgeted number of attendees of 800, which can also act as contingency should we not manage to reach our sponsorship expectations.''<br />
<br />
'''4. You have indicated that you will need seed funding of $50k from OSGeo, will you require any additional guarantees from OSGeo? You have proposed to remit 75% of any surplus back to OSGeo, the guideline in the RfP was for 85% to be returned to OSGeo, please explain why you are proposing a different level?'''<br />
<br />
''We will not need any further guarantees from OSGeo to ensure the success of our event. The $50k seed funding will be enough to reserve the venue for the conference as well as the social events. We will avoid incurring expenses beyond the total of seed funding, initial sponsorship and registration revenues.''<br />
<br />
''Regarding the ratio of surrender of surplus, as explained in the proposal, 75% will be returned to OSGeo and 25% to the three OSGeo local chapters (OSGeo Atlantic Canada, OSGeo Quebec, and OSGeo Ottawa) organizing FOSS4G Halifax 2020. So, in the end, the LOC ensures that 100% of the surplus will be redistributed to the OSGeo community. We figured that this way, the 3 chapters could continue to spread the OSGeo activities to the local community. If however this is deemed problematic, we can accept surrendering 85% to the global OSGeo foundation.''<br />
<br />
'''5. You refer to a payment to co-chairs who will undertake the tasks of a PCO, can you provide some more detail on the amount of these payments and the scope of work to be undertaken? Will there be a formal contract between the LOC and the co-chairs? Who will arbitrate in the event of a dispute?'''<br />
<br />
''A global amount of $ 60K has been set aside to pay the co-chairs to organize the FOSS4G-HFX. This amount will be divided equally between the co-chairs. We are aware of the workload that such an event can cause. We speak from experience. However, we are lucky to be surrounded by an incredible LOC who all have exceptional qualities. We are also fortunate to have fairly flexible jobs that will allow us to complete the event.<br />
<br />
''For the moment, no formal contract has been signed between the LOC and the co-chairs. Be assured however that in the event that we win this bid, a contract will be put in place to define the roles of each and avoid any dispute.''<br />
<br />
'''6. Can you confirm that the workshop fee of US $200 (EB) or $300 (Regular) is for 2 full days of workshops. Is there an option for attendees to register for only 1 or 2 workshops individually?'''<br />
<br />
''We are very pleased that you raised this point. We will propose a rate of $100 per block workshops (AM or PM) in early bird which will increase to $125 at the regular rate.''<br />
<br />
'''7. Can you confirm what level of discount on delegate fees you are offering to workshop presenters?'''<br />
<br />
''To clarify: For each workshop, 1 presenter will have free access to the entire event (meaning: if there are 2 presenters for a workshop, there will be one free pass available, or the 2 presenters can use it as a 50% discount each). This point was mentioned in the Budget section under Expenses / Gratuities, but we failed to mention it under the Grants and subsidies on the next page.''<br />
<br />
'''8. In your budget you have a $62k line for Coordination (inc event planners, transport & hotels etc). Can you explain please?'''<br />
<br />
''The amount for the Coordination will cover the organization costs of the event, ie $60K, which will be used to pay the co-chairs to organize the event. In addition, a $10K will be used to cover transportation costs, hotels reservations, meals, meeting room rentals and any other fees that will allow the co-chairs to make this event a success. We also added a $ 2K to pay other fees that could be added to the organization of the event.'' <br />
<br />
'''9. In your budget you have a $10k line for modifications to the registration system. Can you explain what this is and why it is needed?'''<br />
<br />
''This covers integration within our conference website and testing, but also planned improvements, in particular to the presentation submission and community voting system. We are already in discussions with Volker Mische (OSGeo Charter Member) and plan to work with him to leverage and expand on the pretalx conference management system (https://pretalx.com/), which is now being implemented for the 2019 team (the HFX team has learned over the many years in planning FOSS4G events of all sizes, that it is best to be consistent and expand on existing tools).''<br />
<br />
''One idea for improvement is making it easier to narrow down presentations during community voting, by offering a way to see them organized by topic of interest and additional classification/filtering capabilities, which we think would greatly enhance the community participation in the voting process.''<br />
<br />
''Other improvements may be made as well.''<br />
<br />
'''10. In your budget you have a line for “promotional stuff” running at almost $35/delegate - can you provide some more detail please?'''<br />
<br />
''Yes of course! We are excited to provide a special t-shirt for each participant who will register in the early bird (we are stealing the wonderful idea from the FOSS4G 2016 team). In addition, in order to make this event more eco-friendly, we plan to provide reusable water bottles bearing the image of the event (the NovaCentre venue has special bottle refill stations throughout). We will also provide a reusable bag for each participant and are currently evaluating the possibility of giving a reusable "FOSS4G: Free as in beer?" glass for use during the various social activities. <br />
<br />
''We also plan to print a small booklet (1-4 pages) summarizing the program and schedule, for the attendees' convenience. This will also be an opportunity to include sponsor logos. The detailed program will be accessible from a mobile app or on-line on the conference website. Note that HFX team members keenly witnessed the FOSS4G-Dar team's use of a mobile app, for push notifications for immediate changes to the schedule etc, and the HFX will evaluate the pros and cons of this.''<br />
<br />
'''11. You mention a Travel Grant Programme of $20k - is this a contribution to the OSGeo TGP initiative or one that will be run independently by your LOC?'''<br />
<br />
[[Image:FOSS4G-HFX-Beer-label.png|thumb|right|333px|beer label design by Anton Patrushev from pgRouting, now lives in HFX]]<br />
<br />
''We are very pleased to have included in our budget an amount of $20K that will be donated to the OSGeo TGP initiative. In addition to this amount, we imagined 2 other initiatives led by our LOC. The first will be to offer the opportunity to a participant to give a financial contribution of a minimum of $20 when registering.''<br />
<br />
''The second initiative will be conducted with the collaboration of a local brewery (we are already in talks with 2 Halifax craft breweries, and 2 of our HFX team members, Jon Pye and Lenore Bajona, work for an organization based in Halifax that have already done something like this for another cause, see: [http://oceantrackingnetwork.org/tagyoureit/ Tag You're It!] ). We will work with one of the local HFX breweries to create a craft "FOSS4G: Free as in beer?". This will be on sale before and during the event at all of the major pubs and restaurants in downtown Halifax (yes, members of our HFX team have done this for another cause, and it WILL happen for FOSS4G-2020!). For each beer sold, an amount (such as 50cents per beer purchase) will be accumulated and donated directly into the Travel Grant Program.'' Hey, nothing explains our vision better than a "draft" of what the beer labels could look like! (see picture of 2 possible labels)<br />
<br />
'''12. Can you confirm that any funds allocated to a TGP (your own or the OSGeo one) will be used for travel and subsistence support and that all TGP recipients will receive a free conference pass in addition (i.e the TGP funds will not be used to cover delegate passes)?'''<br />
<br />
''We confirm that all TGP funds will be used to pay for travel and financial support for a recipient. The HFX team also confirms that recipients of the subsidy will be given a free pass without any change/effect to the TGP.''<br />
<br />
<br />
=== Questions from Jonathan Moules ===<br />
<br />
'''Excellent stuff on the re-usable focus. Some further *sustainability/ethics* related questions'''<br />
<br />
''Thank you. The HFX team is very pleased that the new NovaCentre venue offers so many sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives, and we will do our best to implement as many as possible, throughout all of our planned venues. As we mentioned in the first round of Q/A, the province of Nova Scotia produces the least waste per capita and has the highest waste diversion rate in Canada, so we Nova Scotians believe strongly on sustaining our environment (many of us on the HFX team rely on the health of our oceans for our day jobs, for example), and we make constant efforts to make this so.''<br />
<br />
===== Food =====<br />
* '''good job on covering dietary requirements; will you also have things to meet said requirements during the breaks beyond simply fruit? ("Pastries" are rarely vegan or gluten free for instance).'''<br />
<br />
''We feel that it’s very important to offer snacks that meet all dietary requirements as gluten intolerance, vegetarian/vegan etc., so therefore during the breaks we will be sure to offer items such as: gluten free muffins, cookies and such that are more interesting than pastries and are gluten free/Vegan all made in house by the NovaCentre culinary team, such as:''<br />
<br />
''almond quinoa berry energy bars''<br />
''chia apple and blueberry fruit leather''<br />
''root vegetable chips with artichoke dip''<br />
''spicy oven roasted almonds''<br />
''raspberry zinger energy bites''<br />
''fresh fruit salad with berries''<br />
''house-made granola clusters''<br />
''warm pretzel stick with sweet mustard''<br />
<br />
''Also, as many of the HFX team has travelled the world for FOSS4G events of all sizes, we also believe that refreshments should be of variety also, including green tea, infused water, etc.''<br />
<br />
* '''Are you going to reduce the amount of animal-based (and especially meat-based) products to try and reduce the conference's CO2 footprint?'''<br />
<br />
''We are lucky to live in a province that relies a lot on non-animal based goods, with its thriving fishing and oceans sectors, we’re therefore happy that our Gala dinner night will have local fresh seafood (lobsters etc.) as the main dish, which also works well to reduce the typical meat-based focus of events.'' <br />
<br />
''We also specifically stated to the catering team to donate all FOSS4G-HFX leftovers to the non-profit [https://www.feednovascotia.ca Feed Nova Scotia], which manages the local food banks, to help reduce food waste and support the local community.''<br />
<br />
''We have also asked the NovaCentre catering team to purposely work with imperfect fruits and vegetables, which might otherwise be thrown out, into the FOSS4G-HFX in-house cooking.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will your caterers source food locally by preference?'''<br />
<br />
''The NovaCentre has informed us of the option to use local menu items that are organic, fairly traded, seasonal and not processed, and we have asked for these types of food items, to help to reduce the carbon footprint of our large event, and support our local holistic growers. It’s also important to note that Nova Scotia is also famous for our apples, and blueberries, so you can expect many snacks and dishes to contain such local treats.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will caterers use tea/coffee/chocolate/etc that is FairTrade (or equivalent)?'''<br />
<br />
''This is an excellent point. We have confirmed with the NovaCentre catering team that we are able to source local fair trade products; and for coffee we have confirmation that both local FairTrade coffee roasters [https://justuscoffee.com/ Just Us] and [http://www.laughingwhalecoffee.com/ Laughing Whale] are options for FOSS4G-HFX (note that I am drinking Laughing Whale while writing this). Done.''<br />
<br />
===== T-shirt =====<br />
<br />
'''I would first ask if this is necessary for the conference (it seems to be an unquestioned assumption that OSGEO=t-shirt), but if it is, then I'd ask:'''<br />
* '''Are they going to be mandatorily ordered for each delegate who orders and early-bird or will there be a "no t-shirt" option? Will it be opt-in or opt-out (opt-in saves money and waste of course)?'''<br />
<br />
''This is a good point Jonathan. As you know, there’s a lot of history with the FOSS4G t-shirts being displayed around the world, but, you are right that we must not assume that HFX attendees must receive a t-shirt. We will therefore make the t-shirt an opt-in, for the important reasons that you mention, mainly of unnecessary waste. Also, as an incentive to reduce that waste, for every time an attendee does not opt-in for the t-shirt, we will make a donation to the Travel Grant Program of 10 dollars.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will they be ethically sourced? (Ethical cotton and ethical manufacture)'''<br />
<br />
''Nova Scotians are proud that a local energetic student entrepreneur, Alex MacLean, started a t-shirt business a few years ago while he was attending our Acadia University; the business “East Coast Lifestyle” (ECL) has now won him national awards. The HFX team is excited to work with Alex’s student team locally, to ensure that ethical materials are used in the FOSS4G-HFX shirts, and at the same time support a grass-roots student business.''<br />
<br />
===Questions from Maxi Cannata===<br />
<br />
* '''how will you manage contribution from sponsors, in particular on the number / percentage and how they are acknowledged as sponsored talks?'''<br />
<br />
''Thank you Maxi for bringing up an important subject. You’ll notice that our bid contains very detailed plans for the FOSS4G-HFX program, with grouped talks forming a session on a shared topic (eg. “Open Geosciences”); in terms of sponsored contributions, as you know this can be not only talks but also workshops (HFX team members have been on past FOSS4G committees and have seen this topic has come up for workshops, talks, even keynotes). Besides giving ‘the stage’ to FOSS4G-HFX Diamond/Platinum/Gold sponsors for quick introductions during the Welcome Reception on the first day, and visibility throughout the event, there will also be one short sponsor talk, 5 minutes, during each Plenary session (one in the morning plenary, one in the afternoon plenary, each day). We will also try to fit in these short sponsor talks throughout the schedule, with the Program Committee.''<br />
<br />
''In terms of the program, the HFX Program Committee will be relying strongly on the Community Voting results of the abstracts, and then will have to make some decisions according to that (inclusivity & diversity, OSGeo project representation, balancing number of talks by presenter, for example). All sponsors will also be required to submit abstracts during the regular submission process, to be reviewed by the Community Voting round; sponsors who have talks accepted by the HFX Program Committee will have their talk marked with a special sponsor symbol in the final program.''<br />
<br />
''We thank you Maxi for sharing this openly, and the HFX team is open to your own ideas for handling this, as we know of your long experience with FOSS4G. In fact, we’d also like to invite you to participate on the HFX Program Committee, if successful, which is chaired by Jérôme Jacovella-St-Louis from the OSGeo-Ottawa chapter. So let’s work together as a community to get this right. Thank you Maxi!''<br />
<br />
===Questions from Michael Terner===<br />
<br />
* '''On page 27, you state: "A majority of our budget will be dedicated to the audiovisual." Can you clarify as the spreadsheets seem to indicate that Audiovisual + Live streaming + Translation will add up to $100,000. Under all three scenarios, $100,000 is far less than the "majority" of the three different total expense budgets (i.e., ~$696k - ~$863k)?'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Given that recent conferences have employed "professional conference organizers" (PCO), can you elaborate on why you chose to not have a PCO? Was a PCO ever considered? If so, was there a reason this option was not pursued? Can you elaborate on what services Destination Halifax will be providing on a complimentary basis? Has either of the two Chairs been involved in the hands-on organizing (i.e., not just being on committees) for a conference of 800, or more people? Will there be any other paid support staff for the organizing team beside the two Chairs?'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''What is the obligation/commitment of work that a “discounted volunteer” needs to complete to obtain the discount to $400? In other words, how much work should a volunteer expect to need to perform?'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Kudos on setting an ambitious sponsorship goal. But, as per Steven's earlier questions, it would be helpful to better understand how you intend to meet the goal. Given that top-tier sponsors (Diamond, Platinum, Gold) are often given "exclusive privileges" such as naming rights to large events, is it realistic that there will be 18 separate $2,000 investments in naming for the evening events (i.e., to match the $36,000 of expected revenue from evening event naming)? What kind of "exclusive benefits" will you be offering to top-tier partners if naming is not included in their base investment?'''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G2020_Q%26A_2_Halifax&diff=118552FOSS4G2020 Q&A 2 Halifax2018-12-04T23:10:43Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:FOSS4G-HFX-2020.png|thumb|right|333px|logo design by Anton Patrushev from pgRouting, now lives in HFX]]<br />
<br />
=== Questions from Steven Feldman ===<br />
''Hi Steven,''<br />
<br />
''Thank you for your questions. We are very happy to clarify some points that may have appeared less well explained in our proposal. Do not hesitate to come back to us if you have any other questions.''<br />
<br />
'''1. You have not provided the budget spreadsheet that was part of the RfP. Or did I miss it? Can you provide this to the Conference Committee?'''<br />
<br />
''We have provided the spreadsheet budget directly in our proposal, under the Budget section, “Expenses and Revenues Spreadsheets” on page 31-33.''<br />
<br />
'''2. Can you provide clarity on whether you will be videoing and/or streaming just the plenaries or some of the conference streams as well? Is this provided for in your budget?'''<br />
<br />
''The HFX team has already included in the budget, and confirmed with our Audio/Video company, to stream all plenaries and possibly all sessions, and will archive them online after the event. In addition to the videos, we will make sure to post the PowerPoint/PDF presentations of every session. Of course, we will ask each speaker for permission to broadcast the content online.''<br />
<br />
''It is important, especially considering streaming, that we have negotiated with the NovaCentre venue team to have a dedicated "FOSS4G" WiFi network (maximum bandwidth 800Mbps) for a flat rate for the event (~3700USD, or 5000CAD), which we included in the budget.''<br />
<br />
''We mentioned briefly in the proposal, but we put out a call for competitive bids for Audio/Visual, and we have decided on a very reliable team at FREEMAN AV Canada https://freemanav-ca.com/ who are not the in-house A/V company, but have a solid reputation all across Canada for handling large events. We will in fact still be using the in-house A/V company of FMAV for any "rigging" (new wiring through walls etc)''<br />
<br />
'''3. Your budget has a very high dependency on sponsorship (up to 45% of income), higher than most previous events. Can you explain in more detail where you expect this sponsorship to come from?What are your contingencies if your target is not achieved?'''<br />
<br />
''We expect a lot of enthusiasm from a very large geospatial sector all across Canada, as FOSS4G comes back after 13 years since Victoria 2007. We will also have a very strong sponsors committee with input from Jonathan Murphy, the Managing Director of GoGeomatics Canada, who hosts geospatial events from coast to coast in 15 different local communities, and already has a vast network of sponsors who will be interested in the foremost geospatial event of 2020. Additionally, we are planning to provide more affordable sponsorship options to smaller companies, and also considering increasing the number of available booths in the exhibitor space. Finally, we will leverage the large network of connections from members in our local organizing committee, and invest considerable efforts in reaching out for both recurring and new sponsors, all across Canada, but also in the United States and on the international front. Our budget includes a 5% contingency, but generates a considerable surplus even at the minimum budgeted number of attendees of 800, which can also act as contingency should we not manage to reach our sponsorship expectations.''<br />
<br />
'''4. You have indicated that you will need seed funding of $50k from OSGeo, will you require any additional guarantees from OSGeo? You have proposed to remit 75% of any surplus back to OSGeo, the guideline in the RfP was for 85% to be returned to OSGeo, please explain why you are proposing a different level?'''<br />
<br />
''We will not need any further guarantees from OSGeo to ensure the success of our event. The $50k seed funding will be enough to reserve the venue for the conference as well as the social events. We will avoid incurring expenses beyond the total of seed funding, initial sponsorship and registration revenues.''<br />
<br />
''Regarding the ratio of surrender of surplus, as explained in the proposal, 75% will be returned to OSGeo and 25% to the three OSGeo local chapters (OSGeo Atlantic Canada, OSGeo Quebec, and OSGeo Ottawa) organizing FOSS4G Halifax 2020. So, in the end, the LOC ensures that 100% of the surplus will be redistributed to the OSGeo community. We figured that this way, the 3 chapters could continue to spread the OSGeo activities to the local community. If however this is deemed problematic, we can accept surrendering 85% to the global OSGeo foundation.''<br />
<br />
'''5. You refer to a payment to co-chairs who will undertake the tasks of a PCO, can you provide some more detail on the amount of these payments and the scope of work to be undertaken? Will there be a formal contract between the LOC and the co-chairs? Who will arbitrate in the event of a dispute?'''<br />
<br />
''A global amount of $ 60K has been set aside to pay the co-chairs to organize the FOSS4G-HFX. This amount will be divided equally between the co-chairs. We are aware of the workload that such an event can cause. We speak from experience. However, we are lucky to be surrounded by an incredible LOC who all have exceptional qualities. We are also fortunate to have fairly flexible jobs that will allow us to complete the event.<br />
<br />
''For the moment, no formal contract has been signed between the LOC and the co-chairs. Be assured however that in the event that we win this bid, a contract will be put in place to define the roles of each and avoid any dispute.''<br />
<br />
'''6. Can you confirm that the workshop fee of US $200 (EB) or $300 (Regular) is for 2 full days of workshops. Is there an option for attendees to register for only 1 or 2 workshops individually?'''<br />
<br />
''We are very pleased that you raised this point. We will propose a rate of $100 per block workshops (AM or PM) in early bird which will increase to $125 at the regular rate.''<br />
<br />
'''7. Can you confirm what level of discount on delegate fees you are offering to workshop presenters?'''<br />
<br />
''To clarify: For each workshop, 1 presenter will have free access to the entire event (meaning: if there are 2 presenters for a workshop, there will be one free pass available, or the 2 presenters can use it as a 50% discount each). This point was mentioned in the Budget section under Expenses / Gratuities, but we failed to mention it under the Grants and subsidies on the next page.''<br />
<br />
'''8. In your budget you have a $62k line for Coordination (inc event planners, transport & hotels etc). Can you explain please?'''<br />
<br />
''The amount for the Coordination will cover the organization costs of the event, ie $60K, which will be used to pay the co-chairs to organize the event. In addition, a $10K will be used to cover transportation costs, hotels reservations, meals, meeting room rentals and any other fees that will allow the co-chairs to make this event a success. We also added a $ 2K to pay other fees that could be added to the organization of the event.'' <br />
<br />
'''9. In your budget you have a $10k line for modifications to the registration system. Can you explain what this is and why it is needed?'''<br />
<br />
''This covers integration within our conference website and testing, but also planned improvements, in particular to the presentation submission and community voting system. We are already in discussions with Volker Mische (OSGeo Charter Member) and plan to work with him to leverage and expand on the pretalx conference management system (https://pretalx.com/), which is now being implemented for the 2019 team (the HFX team has learned over the many years in planning FOSS4G events of all sizes, that it is best to be consistent and expand on existing tools).''<br />
<br />
''One idea for improvement is making it easier to narrow down presentations during community voting, by offering a way to see them organized by topic of interest and additional classification/filtering capabilities, which we think would greatly enhance the community participation in the voting process.''<br />
<br />
''Other improvements may be made as well.''<br />
<br />
'''10. In your budget you have a line for “promotional stuff” running at almost $35/delegate - can you provide some more detail please?'''<br />
<br />
''Yes of course! We are excited to provide a special t-shirt for each participant who will register in the early bird (we are stealing the wonderful idea from the FOSS4G 2016 team). In addition, in order to make this event more eco-friendly, we plan to provide reusable water bottles bearing the image of the event (the NovaCentre venue has special bottle refill stations throughout). We will also provide a reusable bag for each participant and are currently evaluating the possibility of giving a reusable "FOSS4G: Free as in beer?" glass for use during the various social activities. <br />
<br />
''We also plan to print a small booklet (1-4 pages) summarizing the program and schedule, for the attendees' convenience. This will also be an opportunity to include sponsor logos. The detailed program will be accessible from a mobile app or on-line on the conference website. Note that HFX team members keenly witnessed the FOSS4G-Dar team's use of a mobile app, for push notifications for immediate changes to the schedule etc, and the HFX will evaluate the pros and cons of this.''<br />
<br />
'''11. You mention a Travel Grant Programme of $20k - is this a contribution to the OSGeo TGP initiative or one that will be run independently by your LOC?'''<br />
<br />
[[Image:FOSS4G-HFX-Beer-label.png|thumb|right|333px|beer label design by Anton Patrushev from pgRouting, now lives in HFX]]<br />
<br />
''We are very pleased to have included in our budget an amount of $20K that will be donated to the OSGeo TGP initiative. In addition to this amount, we imagined 2 other initiatives led by our LOC. The first will be to offer the opportunity to a participant to give a financial contribution of a minimum of $20 when registering.''<br />
<br />
''The second initiative will be conducted with the collaboration of a local brewery (we are already in talks with 2 Halifax craft breweries, and 2 of our HFX team members, Jon Pye and Lenore Bajona, work for an organization based in Halifax that have already done something like this for another cause, see: [http://oceantrackingnetwork.org/tagyoureit/ Tag You're It!] ). We will work with one of the local HFX breweries to create a craft "FOSS4G: Free as in beer?". This will be on sale before and during the event at all of the major pubs and restaurants in downtown Halifax (yes, members of our HFX team have done this for another cause, and it WILL happen for FOSS4G-2020!). For each beer sold, an amount (such as 50cents per beer purchase) will be accumulated and donated directly into the Travel Grant Program.'' Hey, nothing explains our vision better than a "draft" of what the beer labels could look like! (see picture of 2 possible labels)<br />
<br />
'''12. Can you confirm that any funds allocated to a TGP (your own or the OSGeo one) will be used for travel and subsistence support and that all TGP recipients will receive a free conference pass in addition (i.e the TGP funds will not be used to cover delegate passes)?'''<br />
<br />
''We confirm that all TGP funds will be used to pay for travel and financial support for a recipient. The HFX team also confirms that recipients of the subsidy will be given a free pass without any change/effect to the TGP.''<br />
<br />
<br />
=== Questions from Jonathan Moules ===<br />
<br />
'''Excellent stuff on the re-usable focus. Some further *sustainability/ethics* related questions'''<br />
<br />
''Thank you. The HFX team is very pleased that the new NovaCentre venue offers so many sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives, and we will do our best to implement as many as possible, throughout all of our planned venues. As we mentioned in the first round of Q/A, the province of Nova Scotia produces the least waste per capita and has the highest waste diversion rate in Canada, so we Nova Scotians believe strongly on sustaining our environment (many of us on the HFX team rely on the health of our oceans for our day jobs, for example), and we make constant efforts to make this so.''<br />
<br />
===== Food =====<br />
* '''good job on covering dietary requirements; will you also have things to meet said requirements during the breaks beyond simply fruit? ("Pastries" are rarely vegan or gluten free for instance).'''<br />
<br />
''We feel that it’s very important to offer snacks that meet all dietary requirements as gluten intolerance, vegetarian/vegan etc., so therefore during the breaks we will be sure to offer items such as: gluten free muffins, cookies and such that are more interesting than pastries and are gluten free/Vegan all made in house by the NovaCentre culinary team, such as:''<br />
<br />
''almond quinoa berry energy bars''<br />
''chia apple and blueberry fruit leather''<br />
''root vegetable chips with artichoke dip''<br />
''spicy oven roasted almonds''<br />
''raspberry zinger energy bites''<br />
''fresh fruit salad with berries''<br />
''house-made granola clusters''<br />
''warm pretzel stick with sweet mustard''<br />
<br />
''Also, as many of the HFX team has travelled the world for FOSS4G events of all sizes, we also believe that refreshments should be of variety also, including green tea, infused water, etc.''<br />
<br />
* '''Are you going to reduce the amount of animal-based (and especially meat-based) products to try and reduce the conference's CO2 footprint?'''<br />
<br />
''We are lucky to live in a province that relies a lot on non-animal based goods, with its thriving fishing and oceans sectors, we’re therefore happy that our Gala dinner night will have local fresh seafood (lobsters etc.) as the main dish, which also works well to reduce the typical meat-based focus of events.'' <br />
<br />
''We also specifically stated to the catering team to donate all FOSS4G-HFX leftovers to the non-profit [https://www.feednovascotia.ca Feed Nova Scotia], which manages the local food banks, to help reduce food waste and support the local community.''<br />
<br />
''We have also asked the NovaCentre catering team to purposely work with imperfect fruits and vegetables, which might otherwise be thrown out, into the FOSS4G-HFX in-house cooking.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will your caterers source food locally by preference?'''<br />
<br />
''The NovaCentre has informed us of the option to use local menu items that are organic, fairly traded, seasonal and not processed, and we have asked for these types of food items, to help to reduce the carbon footprint of our large event, and support our local holistic growers. It’s also important to note that Nova Scotia is also famous for our apples, and blueberries, so you can expect many snacks and dishes to contain such local treats.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will caterers use tea/coffee/chocolate/etc that is FairTrade (or equivalent)?'''<br />
<br />
''This is an excellent point. We have confirmed with the NovaCentre catering team that we are able to source local fair trade products; and for coffee we have confirmation that both local FairTrade coffee roasters [https://justuscoffee.com/ Just Us] and [http://www.laughingwhalecoffee.com/ Laughing Whale] are options for FOSS4G-HFX (note that I am drinking Laughing Whale while writing this). Done.''<br />
<br />
===== T-shirt =====<br />
<br />
'''I would first ask if this is necessary for the conference (it seems to be an unquestioned assumption that OSGEO=t-shirt), but if it is, then I'd ask:'''<br />
* '''Are they going to be mandatorily ordered for each delegate who orders and early-bird or will there be a "no t-shirt" option? Will it be opt-in or opt-out (opt-in saves money and waste of course)?'''<br />
<br />
''This is a good point Jonathan. As you know, there’s a lot of history with the FOSS4G t-shirts being displayed around the world, but, you are right that we must not assume that HFX attendees must receive a t-shirt. We will therefore make the t-shirt an opt-in, for the important reasons that you mention, mainly of unnecessary waste. Also, as an incentive to reduce that waste, for every time an attendee does not opt-in for the t-shirt, we will make a donation to the Travel Grant Program of 10 dollars.''<br />
<br />
* '''Will they be ethically sourced? (Ethical cotton and ethical manufacture)'''<br />
<br />
''Nova Scotians are proud that a local energetic student entrepreneur, Alex MacLean, started a t-shirt business a few years ago while he was attending our Acadia University; the business “East Coast Lifestyle” (ECL) has now won him national awards. The HFX team is excited to work with Alex’s student team locally, to ensure that ethical materials are used in the FOSS4G-HFX shirts, and at the same time support a grass-roots student business.''<br />
<br />
===Questions from Maxi Cannata===<br />
<br />
* '''how will you manage contribution from sponsors, in particular on the number / percentage and how they are acknowledged as sponsored talks?'''<br />
<br />
''Thank you Maxi for bringing up an important subject. You’ll notice that our bid contains very detailed plans for the FOSS4G-HFX program, with grouped talks forming a session on a shared topic (eg. “Open Geosciences”); in terms of sponsored contributions, as you know this can be not only talks but also workshops (HFX team members have been on past FOSS4G committees and have seen this topic has come up for workshops, talks, even keynotes). Besides giving ‘the stage’ to FOSS4G-HFX Diamond/Platinum/Gold sponsors for quick introductions during the Welcome Reception on the first day, and visibility throughout the event, there will also be one short sponsor talk, 5 minutes, during each Plenary session (one in the morning plenary, one in the afternoon plenary, each day). We will also try to fit in these short sponsor talks throughout the schedule, with the Program Committee.''<br />
<br />
''In terms of the program, the HFX Program Committee will be relying strongly on the Community Voting results of the abstracts, and then will have to make some decisions according to that (inclusivity & diversity, OSGeo project representation, balancing number of talks by presenter, for example). All sponsors will also be required to submit abstracts during the regular submission process, to be reviewed by the Community Voting round; sponsors who have talks accepted by the HFX Program Committee will have their talk marked with a special sponsor symbol in the final program.''<br />
<br />
''We thank you Maxi for sharing this openly, and the HFX team is open to your own ideas for handling this, as we know of your long experience with FOSS4G. In fact, we’d also like to invite you to participate on the HFX Program Committee, if successful, which is chaired by Jérôme Jacovella-St-Louis from the OSGeo-Ottawa chapter. So let’s work together as a community to get this right. Thank you Maxi!''<br />
<br />
===Questions from Michael Terner===<br />
<br />
* '''On page 27, you state: "A majority of our budget will be dedicated to the audiovisual." Can you clarify as the spreadsheets seem to indicate that Audiovisual + Live streaming + Translation will add up to $100,000. Under all three scenarios, $100,000 is far less than the "majority" of the three different total expense budgets (i.e., ~$696k - ~$863k). Can you clarify?'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Given that recent conferences have employed "professional conference organizers" (PCO), can you elaborate on why you chose to not have a PCO? Was a PCO ever considered? If so, was there a reason this option was not pursued? Can you elaborate on what services Destination Halifax will be providing on a complimentary basis? Has either of the two Chairs been involved in the hands-on organizing (i.e., not just being on committees) for a conference of 800, or more people? Will there be any other paid support staff for the organizing team beside the two Chairs?'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''What is the obligation/commitment of work that a “discounted volunteer” needs to complete to obtain the discount to $400? In other words, how much work should a volunteer expect to need to perform?'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Kudos on setting an ambitious sponsorship goal. But, as per Steven's earlier questions, it would be helpful to better understand how you intend to meet the goal. Given that top-tier sponsors (Diamond, Platinum, Gold) are often given "exclusive privileges" such as naming rights to large events, is it realistic that there will be 18 separate $2,000 investments in naming for the evening events (i.e., to match the $36,000 of expected revenue from evening event naming)? What kind of "exclusive benefits" will you be offering to top-tier partners if naming is not included in their base investment?'''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G2020_Q%26A_Halifax&diff=117148FOSS4G2020 Q&A Halifax2018-10-12T16:57:32Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Questions Mark I.:'''<br />
<br />
* '''What is the mission of your respective FOSS4G?'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
In terms of our mission for FOSS4G-HFX 2020, it is essentially “community” or more specifically “the world is one family”; to engage all of the OSGeo family of its local chapters, OSGeo sponsors & partners, service providers, projects, users, developers, students, young professionals, teachers, researchers, decision makers, and bring that world community together in Halifax, and help plant that seed locally in Atlantic Canada, to share the FOSS4G spirit to new potential users, developers, and leaders at the event. We have strategically assembled a local committee with vast OSGeo experience, who have boots-on-the-ground experience at the OSGeo community level, both locally, across North and South America, and internationally. We also hopefully plan on expanding the mission more thoroughly in the full proposal stage.<br />
<br />
* '''What is your commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and ensuring that FOSS4G 2020 is as inclusive and as diverse as possible?'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
In terms of inclusivity, diversity, and ensuring that FOSS4G 2020 is as inclusive and as diverse as possible, the FOSS4G-HFX team realizes the importance of this, and realize that there are many parts of a FOSS4G event that must be inclusive and diverse, right from the chairs of the event, the local team, the selected program and keynotes, even to the choice of venue, its prices, the event’s social program, and the local customs in the city/country. Part of the strength of our local committee team is that several of our team attended your FOSS4G-Dar es Salaam event in person to experience your & Msilikale’s wonderful diverse event, and have travelled to diverse FOSS4G global & regional events all over the world since year 2004. We are working very hard as a team to make sure that all aspects of FOSS4G-HFX 2020 are truly open and welcome to all in the geospatial community. We plan on expanding this for the full proposal stage hopefully as well.<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Questions Steven F.:'''<br />
* '''your proposed dates are 14-19 September. These dates overlap with the start of the jewish festivals on the evening of the 18th which may prevent some potential delegates from attending. Is there any potential to change?'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
Thank you for mentioning that Jewish festivals for Rosh Hashana begin on the evening of the 18th. We have a backup date reserved with the Nova Centre venue for 31 August to 5 September, so it is possible to change our dates. When we were looking at possible venues about 6 months ago, our vision was to leverage a mid-September date to additionally allow for university students and pre-university students to be involved, but also because the local weather is best in mid-September (a lot less rain, bringing beautiful fall/autumn colours and sunshine to the Atlantic Canada region). We the FOSS4G-HFX team will continue to analyze our dates closely. For the record, using our initially proposed dates, the 19th (Saturday) would be the community sprint. We will try to be accommodating as possible.<br />
<br />
'''Questions Till A.:'''<br />
* '''I would like to stress the point about costs.''' In the call we say "We hope to keep cost per participant under $650 USD for the conference (plus workshops).". As former chair I know about the difficulties FOSS4G teams have finding the right price for the conference. But can you tell something on how you are planning to enable people, who can not afford the conference fee and/or accommodation costs, to attend to your conference?<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
We have strategically included an energetic OSGeo member on our FOSS4G-HFX team from Mexico, Vicky Vergara, and during a few of our local committee meetings over the past few months she has reminded us again and again that what may seem to be an acceptable price or plan for one community, is far from affordable in the other parts of the world; if our mission indeed involves getting all of the world family together, leaving out those who cannot afford the event’s expenses fails to meet our team’s goals. At one of our recent local committee meetings we spoke about ideas to encourage this participation, credit here to Jérôme with an idea from the OSGeo Ottawa chapter, as well as an idea from Dmitry from the OpenStreetMap community.<br />
<br />
We have also been working as a team to try to get as many accurate known cost estimates as we can, in order to give a better financial picture of our actual budget, so we can experiment with different scenarios to encourage more participation; last week we began working on another quote from a third audio/visual company. As you said, this is not easy. But we can try to be as prepared as possible. <br />
<br />
We can also try to go as local committee members to as many FOSS4G global and regional events all around the world, to talk to OSGeo local chapter members from areas of the world that might not be able to afford the event, and listen, and do more listening, and take that information back to the FOSS4G-HFX team for discussion & planning. <br />
<br />
We have also begun to engage local potential sponsors, and to compile industry-wide contacts for this. All of this has to be in motion now, as our FOSS4G-HFX team realizes that the possible winner of this bid has only 6 months to prepare before registration would begin for FOSS4G-2020 (ok it is about 7 months, but it is still soon). <br />
<br />
We look forward to hopefully explaining our plans more in the final proposal stage. We are committed to do everything we can to make FOSS4G-HFX open to all OSGeo family members, from all over the world. One family.<br />
<br />
'''Questions Paul R.:'''<br />
* '''Conference centers are lovely but they usually take it out of your hide one way or another. In your estimates have you already included the costs of in-house AV, or wifi, or catering? Sometimes the rooms are cheap but the other necessities... not so much.'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
The Nova Centre does not require us to use the in-house audio/visual company (only if ”rigging” is required), so after we received the in-house quote, we also have been working with 2 outside audio/visual companies for additional quotes. Last week we began working on the third quote, in the hopes that we can get as competitive a quote as possible.<br />
<br />
In terms of wifi, Destination Halifax has assured us on the recent success of hosting 2,900 attendees at the Nova Centre this past May, but the FOSS4G-HFX team has been to so many global FOSS4G events that we know that FOSS4G brings a surprisingly high demand on wifi (IP addresses. bandwidth); we have therefore budgeted for an increase in bandwidth, and also possibly leveraging a custom network for the event.<br />
<br />
In terms of catering, we did receive the full menu package from the Nova Centre, and we have budgeted for food&beverage for 5 days of early morning refreshments and light snacks, morning break, lunch, and afternoon break.<br />
<br />
The FOSS4G-HFX team is very excited at the chance of showcasing this wonderful venue, its views, and the vibrant city of Halifax and its glorious harbour.<br />
<br />
'''Question Jonathan M:'''<br />
* '''Have you given any thoughts to ensuring your conference is sustainable\green\environmentally friendly?'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
Members of the FOSS4G-HFX team recently returned from FOSS4G events in Tanzania, as well as Brazil, and it is very interesting to us to see how different local committees from around the world handle sustainability and environmentally friendliness for an event (you can imagine the hosts of the FOSS4G-Brazil event being focused on this, as their agency is tasked with protecting the Amazon rainforest). We are compiling ideas and discussing ways to follow the lead of these events, and also make some changes/improvements. To answer the question directly: the FOSS4G-HFX team is committed to being environmentally friendly in every aspect of the event, throughout the whole lifecycle of the event.<br />
<br />
'''Question Jonathan M:'''<br />
* '''Does your venue have any sustainability initiatives\credentials etc?'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
The province of Nova Scotia produces the least waste per capita and has the<br />
highest waste diversion rate in Canada. We are therefore very proud to show our many initiatives locally, starting with the brand new venue the Nova Centre, in the vibrant downtown of Halifax. The venue has many initiatives, including:<br />
* received highest standard of green for a building, a LEED Gold building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)<br />
* water bottle refill stations in each room and throughout venue <br />
* digital screens at entrance to each room (reducing generating physical signs)<br />
* Use of a revolutionary Food Waste Disposal System: a self-contained, continual feed, organic waste disposal system designed to convert food waste into water.<br />
* catered food has local menu items that are organic, fairly traded, seasonal and not processed, helping to reduce the carbon footprint and support our local economy<br />
* Meals and snacks are presented on either porcelain or compostable dishware.<br />
* venue regularly donates unused food items to the local food bank (we’ve already requested this with venue)<br />
* and others! We'll explain more hopefully in next stage<br />
* but maybe pictures help more; back in June we had our walk-through of the new Nova Centre (also attended by the in-house A/V lead, so we got to ask many technical questions as well) (link blocked by wiki)<br />
<br />
'''Question Jonathan M:'''<br />
* '''Does your host city have good public transport, including between the venue/events/likely-accommodation/airport?'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
Great news is that just last year a new direct bus line, part of the Halifax transit system, was added from the international airport to downtown Halifax (to Scotia Square, which is literally beside the venue, and within walking distance to major hotels and hostels). The bus only makes one stop on the way, and costs only 2.60 USD. Locally it is called the “MetroX” airport bus.<br />
<br />
The FOSS4G-HFX team have been discussing transportation for several months now, and we have several ideas to help the OSGeo family easily arrive and get settled. We are famous in Canada for our maritime hospitality for a reason, and taking care to ensure a relaxing and stress-free arrival and departure and getting around, is part of who we are here.<br />
<br />
'''Question Jonathan M:'''<br />
* '''Is the host city reasonably reachable by something other than flying?'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
We are excited and thrilled to outline other modes of transportation for the OSGeo family, hopefully in the full proposal stage. We can answer now an enthusiastic YES.<br />
<br />
'''Questions Venka:'''<br />
* '''Highlight the contributions (code contributions, documentation, outreach etc.) that the chair/co-chair have made to FOSS4G communities'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
Jeff McKenna began his efforts through the MapServer community, becoming the lead of the documentation team, and joining its Project Steering Committee. Focusing on the users, Jeff maintains the very popular MS4W installer for Windows users, which is downloaded 6,000 times per month, and contains many OSGeo projects configured to use, including ZOO-Project, Mapbender, GeoMoose.<br />
<br />
Jeff has recently begun focusing on students within the FOSS4G community, as an admin of OSGeo’s 2017 and 2018 Google Code-In Initiatives, where small tasks are created for highschool students. Jeff is also an admin of OSGeo’s Google Summer of Code program, which each summer funds university students to work on OSGeo projects; in fact Jeff is this week at Google headquarters in Silicon Valley, for the Google Summer of Code Mentor Summit, with fellow OSGeo representatives Victoria Rautenbach (GeoForAll) and Vaclav Petras (GRASS GIS).<br />
<br />
Karine Jean has been active in the FOSS4G community for 10 years, specializing in planning outreach events for the OSGeo and LocationTech communities.<br />
<br />
* '''How have the chair/co-chairs been involved in promotion/governance (Charter Membership, involvement in Committees etc.) of OSGeo foundation.'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
Jeff McKenna is a founding charter member of OSGeo, and has been involved in the governance of the OSGeo foundation since its beginning, active in many OSGeo committees. Jeff is a former president of OSGeo, and has sat on its Board of Directors for many years, including now as an OSGeo Vice President. Jeff has always focused on relationships with partner organizations, and has helped drive these relationships through formal agreements with many groups. One example is the UN OpenGIS initiative, which began with a formal meeting between the UN GIS team and Jeff in Seoul in 2015, which has now become a very active initiative. Jeff McKenna has also been a long-time supporter of the GeoForAll initiative, and sits on its Advisory Committee.<br />
<br />
Karine Jean is a long-time OSGeo-Qc chapter member, and is currently on the Board of OSGeo-Qc. She has been nominated as an OSGeo Charter member this year.<br />
<br />
* '''Please elaborate on your local committee member's experience in planning OSGeo events (such as involvement in FOSS4G-global event teams, OSGeo local chapter event planning, or OSGeo code sprints). '''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
Karine Jean has organized 2 events in partner with the OSGeo-Qc chapter, the OSGeo-Ottawa chapter, and LocationTech. Karine was also on the organizing committee of OSGeo-Europe 2015 in Como, Italy. She was on the local committee for the FOSS4G-Ottawa 2017 bid. Most recently she organized the 10 year celebration of the OSGeo-QC chapter in Quebec City this summer. Soon she will be organizing a GeoHack in Morocco in collaboration with OSGeo-Qc in 2019. <br />
<br />
Jérôme Jacovella-St-Louis, an OSGeo Charter Member since 2016, was the co-chair of the FOSS4G-Ottawa 2017 bid.<br />
<br />
Thierry Badard, an OSGeo Charter member since 2008, is a board member of the OSGeo-francophone chapter. He also has been on the organizing committee of several OSGeo-Qc events.<br />
<br />
Tom Kralidis, an OSGeo Charter member since 2007, organized the very first OSGeo Code Sprint back in 2009, in Toronto. https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Toronto_Code_Sprint_2009<br />
<br />
Jeff McKenna, a founding OSGeo Charter member since 2006, has been involved in FOSS4G since its beginning. In 2004, Jeff met Venkatesh Raghavan, Markus Neteler in Thailand, and the three of them agreed to create a global FOSS4G event every year. Jeff would then go on to chair the new OSGeo Conference Committee, and draft a document to help call for hosts (that is still being used today) and develop a process to move the event around the globe each year. Jeff has also been active in many FOSS4G global committees, including being part of every local committee at FOSS4G from 2006 to 2011. Jeff since then has been active on many smaller FOSS4G regional event teams, in Asia, Europe and more.<br />
<br />
Jeff McKenna is always actively helping OSGeo local chapter events, and helping them form and grow, in areas all around the world, touching every continent on the planet.<br />
<br />
The FOSS4G-HFX team also contains several other OSGeo Charter Members, who actively participate in FOSS4G global and regional events: Assefa Yewonwossen, Matthew Hanson, and Vicky Vergera. <br />
<br />
'''Questions from Michael T'''<br />
* What are the options, availability and costs for getting to/from Halifax? What is size of airport and ferry port and the general availability of flights/boats?<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G2020_Q%26A_Niagara&diff=117147FOSS4G2020 Q&A Niagara2018-10-12T16:54:16Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Questions Mark I.:'''<br />
<br />
* '''What is the mission of your respective FOSS4G?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''What is your commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and ensuring that FOSS4G 2020 is as inclusive and as diverse as possible?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Questions Steven F.:'''<br />
* '''your proposed dates are 14-19 September. These dates overlap with the start of the jewish festivals on the evening of the 18th which may prevent some potential delegates from attending. Is there any potential to change?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''you say "The Niagara Falls LOC has budgeted a similar registration fee schedule as Boston 2017 and estimates a modest profit” there has been a lot of discussion about making FOSS4G more affordable, do you have any thoughts on this?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
'''Questions Till A.:'''<br />
* '''I would like to stress the point about costs.''' (In the call we say "We hope to keep cost per participant under $650 USD for the conference (plus workshops).". As former chair I know about the difficulties FOSS4G teams have finding the right price for the conference. But can you tell something on how you are planning to enable people, who can not afford the conference fee and/or accommodation costs, to attend to your conference? Especially the hotel prices starting at 169 CAN$ seem to be quite high?)<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''More an advice for the possible full proposal:''' An important part of a FOSS4G is the socializing part, it then would be great to read some words about what is planned and possible ;-)<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Questions Paul R.:'''<br />
* '''The idea of a cross-border conference is really cool in theory, but is hard to imagine in practice... what exactly are you planning WRT siting? All in Canada, all in USA, split days? What would the border folks things about 1000 people crossing over for the day for a conference?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
'''Questions Venka:'''<br />
* '''Highlight the contributions (code contributions, documentation, outreach etc.) that the chair/co-chair have made to FOSS4G communities'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''How have the chair/co-chairs been involved in promotion/governance (Charter Membership, involvement in Committees etc.) of OSGeo foundation.'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Please elaborate on your local committee member's experience in planning OSGeo events (such as involvement in FOSS4G-global event teams, OSGeo local chapter event planning, or OSGeo code sprints). '''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
'''Question from Michael T:'''<br />
* ''Somewhat similar to Paul's question, but perhaps more specific: '' Since the SCCN is in Canada, and given the international travel restrictions that some US delegates, particularly government, may face it seems that staying in a hotel in the USA and attending the conference in Canada could be feasible. Is this accurate? If so, could you describe what the daily process of crossing the border on foot/shuttlebus would be like?<br />
* Given that September is prime season for visitors viewing Fall foliage, will there be any pressure to maintain room blocks (or, require very early booking commitment) and/or cost implications?<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G2020_Q%26A_Niagara&diff=117146FOSS4G2020 Q&A Niagara2018-10-12T16:53:30Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Questions Mark I.:'''<br />
<br />
* '''What is the mission of your respective FOSS4G?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''What is your commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and ensuring that FOSS4G 2020 is as inclusive and as diverse as possible?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Questions Steven F.:'''<br />
* '''your proposed dates are 14-19 September. These dates overlap with the start of the jewish festivals on the evening of the 18th which may prevent some potential delegates from attending. Is there any potential to change?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''you say "The Niagara Falls LOC has budgeted a similar registration fee schedule as Boston 2017 and estimates a modest profit” there has been a lot of discussion about making FOSS4G more affordable, do you have any thoughts on this?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
'''Questions Till A.:'''<br />
* '''I would like to stress the point about costs.''' (In the call we say "We hope to keep cost per participant under $650 USD for the conference (plus workshops).". As former chair I know about the difficulties FOSS4G teams have finding the right price for the conference. But can you tell something on how you are planning to enable people, who can not afford the conference fee and/or accommodation costs, to attend to your conference? Especially the hotel prices starting at 169 CAN$ seem to be quite high?)<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''More an advice for the possible full proposal:''' An important part of a FOSS4G is the socializing part, it then would be great to read some words about what is planned and possible ;-)<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Questions Paul R.:'''<br />
* '''The idea of a cross-border conference is really cool in theory, but is hard to imagine in practice... what exactly are you planning WRT siting? All in Canada, all in USA, split days? What would the border folks things about 1000 people crossing over for the day for a conference?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
'''Questions Venka:'''<br />
* '''Highlight the contributions (code contributions, documentation, outreach etc.) that the chair/co-chair have made to FOSS4G communities'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''How have the chair/co-chairs been involved in promotion/governance (Charter Membership, involvement in Committees etc.) of OSGeo foundation.'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Please elaborate on your local committee member's experience in planning OSGeo events (such as involvement in FOSS4G-global event teams, OSGeo local chapter event planning, or OSGeo code sprints). '''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
'''Question from Michael T:'''<br />
''Somewhat similar to Paul's question, but perhaps more specific: ''<br />
* Since the SCCN is in Canada, and given the international travel restrictions that some US delegates, particularly government, may face it seems that staying in a hotel in the USA and attending the conference in Canada could be feasible. Is this accurate? If so, could you describe what the daily process of crossing the border on foot/shuttlebus would be like?<br />
* Given that September is prime season for visitors viewing Fall foliage, will there be any pressure to maintain room blocks (or, require very early booking commitment) and/or cost implications?<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G2020_Q%26A_Niagara&diff=117145FOSS4G2020 Q&A Niagara2018-10-12T16:51:47Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Questions Mark I.:'''<br />
<br />
* '''What is the mission of your respective FOSS4G?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''What is your commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and ensuring that FOSS4G 2020 is as inclusive and as diverse as possible?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Questions Steven F.:'''<br />
* '''your proposed dates are 14-19 September. These dates overlap with the start of the jewish festivals on the evening of the 18th which may prevent some potential delegates from attending. Is there any potential to change?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''you say "The Niagara Falls LOC has budgeted a similar registration fee schedule as Boston 2017 and estimates a modest profit” there has been a lot of discussion about making FOSS4G more affordable, do you have any thoughts on this?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
'''Questions Till A.:'''<br />
* '''I would like to stress the point about costs.''' (In the call we say "We hope to keep cost per participant under $650 USD for the conference (plus workshops).". As former chair I know about the difficulties FOSS4G teams have finding the right price for the conference. But can you tell something on how you are planning to enable people, who can not afford the conference fee and/or accommodation costs, to attend to your conference? Especially the hotel prices starting at 169 CAN$ seem to be quite high?)<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''More an advice for the possible full proposal:''' An important part of a FOSS4G is the socializing part, it then would be great to read some words about what is planned and possible ;-)<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Questions Paul R.:'''<br />
* '''The idea of a cross-border conference is really cool in theory, but is hard to imagine in practice... what exactly are you planning WRT siting? All in Canada, all in USA, split days? What would the border folks things about 1000 people crossing over for the day for a conference?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
'''Questions Venka:'''<br />
* '''Highlight the contributions (code contributions, documentation, outreach etc.) that the chair/co-chair have made to FOSS4G communities'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''How have the chair/co-chairs been involved in promotion/governance (Charter Membership, involvement in Committees etc.) of OSGeo foundation.'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Please elaborate on your local committee member's experience in planning OSGeo events (such as involvement in FOSS4G-global event teams, OSGeo local chapter event planning, or OSGeo code sprints). '''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
'''Question from Michael T:'''<br />
''Somewhat similar to Paul's question, but perhaps more specific: ''<br />
Since the SCCN is in Canada, and given the international travel restrictions that some US delegates, particularly government, may face it seems that staying in a hotel in the USA and attending the conference in Canada could be feasible. Is this accurate? If so, could you describe what the daily process of crossing the border on foot/shuttlebus would be like?<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G2020_Q%26A_Niagara&diff=117144FOSS4G2020 Q&A Niagara2018-10-12T16:50:31Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Questions Mark I.:'''<br />
<br />
* '''What is the mission of your respective FOSS4G?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''What is your commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and ensuring that FOSS4G 2020 is as inclusive and as diverse as possible?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Questions Steven F.:'''<br />
* '''your proposed dates are 14-19 September. These dates overlap with the start of the jewish festivals on the evening of the 18th which may prevent some potential delegates from attending. Is there any potential to change?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''you say "The Niagara Falls LOC has budgeted a similar registration fee schedule as Boston 2017 and estimates a modest profit” there has been a lot of discussion about making FOSS4G more affordable, do you have any thoughts on this?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
'''Questions Till A.:'''<br />
* '''I would like to stress the point about costs.''' (In the call we say "We hope to keep cost per participant under $650 USD for the conference (plus workshops).". As former chair I know about the difficulties FOSS4G teams have finding the right price for the conference. But can you tell something on how you are planning to enable people, who can not afford the conference fee and/or accommodation costs, to attend to your conference? Especially the hotel prices starting at 169 CAN$ seem to be quite high?)<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
* '''More an advice for the possible full proposal:''' An important part of a FOSS4G is the socializing part, it then would be great to read some words about what is planned and possible ;-)<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Questions Paul R.:'''<br />
* '''The idea of a cross-border conference is really cool in theory, but is hard to imagine in practice... what exactly are you planning WRT siting? All in Canada, all in USA, split days? What would the border folks things about 1000 people crossing over for the day for a conference?'''<br />
* '''Answer'''<br />
<br />
'''Questions Venka:'''<br />
* '''Highlight the contributions (code contributions, documentation, outreach etc.) that the chair/co-chair have made to FOSS4G communities'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''How have the chair/co-chairs been involved in promotion/governance (Charter Membership, involvement in Committees etc.) of OSGeo foundation.'''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
<br />
* '''Please elaborate on your local committee member's experience in planning OSGeo events (such as involvement in FOSS4G-global event teams, OSGeo local chapter event planning, or OSGeo code sprints). '''<br />
* '''Answer:'''<br />
<br />
Question from Michael T:<br />
Somewhat similar to Paul's question, but perhaps more specific: Since the SCCN is in Canada, and given the international travel restrictions that some US delegates, particularly government, may face it seems that staying in a hotel in the USA and attending the conference in Canada could be feasible. Is this accurate? If so, could you describe what the daily process of crossing the border on foot/shuttlebus would be like?<br />
<br />
[[Category:Conference Committee]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2020]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116632FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T18:24:20Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Security */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of '''3 overlapping, synergistic conferences''':<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
'''Cash and currency challenges''' were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
<br />
For the Academic Track papers were selected by the Scientific Committee.<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Code of Conduct ===<br />
There was a code of conduct violation. It was handled as per the Code of Conduct process. There are some definite lessons we learned in handling this. Key people involved in managing the CoC, got pulled away from the Gala and conducting the agenda of presentations that were supposed to be given at the Gala.<br />
<br />
It would be beneficial to have a CoC training session prior the conference. Key people should know their roles and the process in advance.<br />
<br />
=== Security ===<br />
There needs to be a security plan. There were some people who attempted to attend the conference "off the street" and we needed a plan on how to deal with this.<br />
<br />
''Sidebar'': in Boston, and as reported by Vasile, the venue had/will have a dedicated security team and plan provided by the venue.<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
It was chosen to use as a platform for managing the process Easychair and everything was smooth and easy. <br />
<br />
It was chosen to organize the Academic Track with ISPRS (OSGeo has a MoU with ISPRS) and this gave the possibility of having indexed Proceedings and the presence of two people from the ISPRS Council (Prof. Charles Toth and Prof. Chen Jun). The choice of indexed Proceedings is of greater value for the authors and ensures a good level of the papers.<br />
<br />
The choice of having a Scientific Committee ensured a good peer-review process.<br />
<br />
Moreover, the Proceedings are open access publications, published under the Creative Common Attribution 3.0 License.<br />
<br />
The Proceeding where available more than one month before the start of the Conference, giving the possibility to potential attendees to read not only the abstract but also the complete paper.<br />
https://www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XLII-4-W8/ <br />
<br />
The Academic Track was well attended; discussions were fruitful. <br />
<br />
Chair Persons of the Academic Track should be selected from the members of the Scientific Committee because this, in general, brings to more interactive/active sessions.<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116629FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:33:44Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Security */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of '''3 overlapping, synergistic conferences''':<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
'''Cash and currency challenges''' were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Code of Conduct ===<br />
There was a code of conduct violation. It was handled as per the Code of Conduct process. There are some definite lessons we learned in handling this. Key people involved in managing the CoC, got pulled away from the Gala and conducting the agenda of presentations that were supposed to be given at the Gala.<br />
<br />
It would be beneficial to have a CoC training session prior the conference. Key people should know their roles and the process in advance.<br />
<br />
=== Security ===<br />
There needs to be a security plan. There were some people who attempted to attend the conference "off the street" and we needed a plan on how to deal with this.<br />
<br />
''Sidebar'': in Boston, the venue had a dedicated security team and plan.<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116628FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:33:30Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Security */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of '''3 overlapping, synergistic conferences''':<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
'''Cash and currency challenges''' were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Code of Conduct ===<br />
There was a code of conduct violation. It was handled as per the Code of Conduct process. There are some definite lessons we learned in handling this. Key people involved in managing the CoC, got pulled away from the Gala and conducting the agenda of presentations that were supposed to be given at the Gala.<br />
<br />
It would be beneficial to have a CoC training session prior the conference. Key people should know their roles and the process in advance.<br />
<br />
=== Security ===<br />
There needs to be a security plan. There were some people who attempted to attend the conference "off the street" and we needed a plan on how to deal with this.<br />
<br />
Sidebar: in Boston, the venue had a dedicated security team and plan.<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116627FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:32:14Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Code of Conduct */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of '''3 overlapping, synergistic conferences''':<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
'''Cash and currency challenges''' were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Code of Conduct ===<br />
There was a code of conduct violation. It was handled as per the Code of Conduct process. There are some definite lessons we learned in handling this. Key people involved in managing the CoC, got pulled away from the Gala and conducting the agenda of presentations that were supposed to be given at the Gala.<br />
<br />
It would be beneficial to have a CoC training session prior the conference. Key people should know their roles and the process in advance.<br />
<br />
=== Security ===<br />
There needs to be a security plan. There were some people who attempted to attend the conference "off the street" and we needed a plan on how to deal with this.<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116626FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:28:20Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of '''3 overlapping, synergistic conferences''':<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
'''Cash and currency challenges''' were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Code of Conduct ===<br />
There was a code of conduct violation. It was handled as per the Code of Conduct process. There are some definite lessons we learned in handling this.<br />
<br />
It would be beneficial to have a CoC training session prior the conference. Key people should know their roles and the process in advance.<br />
<br />
=== Security ===<br />
There needs to be a security plan. There were some people who attempted to attend the conference "off the street" and we needed a plan on how to deal with this.<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116625FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:26:12Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Security */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of '''3 overlapping, synergistic conferences''':<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
'''Cash and currency challenges''' were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Code of Conduct ===<br />
There was a code of conduct violation. It was handled as per the Code of Conduct process. There are some definite lessons we learned in handling this.<br />
<br />
=== Security ===<br />
There needs to be a security plan. There were some people who attempted to attend the conference "off the street" and we needed a plan on how to deal with this.<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116624FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:24:55Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of '''3 overlapping, synergistic conferences''':<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
'''Cash and currency challenges''' were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Code of Conduct ===<br />
There was a code of conduct violation. It was handled as per the Code of Conduct process. There are some definite lessons we learned in handling this.<br />
<br />
=== Security ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116623FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:23:44Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Code of Conduct */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of '''3 overlapping, synergistic conferences''':<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
'''Cash and currency challenges''' were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Code of Conduct ===<br />
There was a code of conduct violation. It was handled as per the Code of Conduct process. There are some definite lessons we learned in handling this.<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116622FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:22:51Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of '''3 overlapping, synergistic conferences''':<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
'''Cash and currency challenges''' were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Code of Conduct ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116621FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:20:31Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of '''3 overlapping, synergistic conferences''':<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
'''Cash and currency challenges''' were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116620FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:19:38Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Conference was run as a set of 3 overlapping, synergistic conferences:<br />
* FOSS4G<br />
* HOTOSM<br />
* Understanding Risk Tanzania<br />
<br />
We could have done better in making clear what community attendees represented. For example, HOTOSM had some people use a special coupon; but many registered without the coupon, but we don't know who they were, or how many were represented.<br />
<br />
Cash and currency challenges were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116619FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:14:05Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique Dar es Salaam Approaches & Challenges ===<br />
Cash and currency challenges were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116618FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:12:27Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Travel Grants */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique African Challenges ===<br />
Cash and currency challenges were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving. Need to start as early as possible.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116617FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:08:20Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Travel Grants */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique African Challenges ===<br />
Cash and currency challenges were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria that reflect conference team priorities are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. It's important to state the conference team's priorities in the "call for grant applications" so attendees know what team's goals are. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116616FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:06:48Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Travel Grants */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique African Challenges ===<br />
Cash and currency challenges were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. All 1,000+ applications were read, but the top priorities were:<br />
* Tanzanian based attendees<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116615FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:05:08Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Travel Grants */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique African Challenges ===<br />
Cash and currency challenges were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Criteria are crucial for weeding through such a large number of applications. Top priorities:<br />
* African based attendees<br />
* Woman attendees<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116614FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:04:03Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Unique African Challenges */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique African Challenges ===<br />
Cash and currency challenges were very different than previous conferences.<br />
* Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
* Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
* The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116613FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:03:21Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Travel Grants */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique African Challenges ===<br />
Cash and currency challenges were very different.<br />
<br />
Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
<br />
Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
<br />
The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~700 applicants in the second round for >1,050 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116612FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T13:02:14Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Unique African Challenges */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique African Challenges ===<br />
Cash and currency challenges were very different.<br />
<br />
Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
<br />
Paypal worked well, but many African encouraged us to have another option.<br />
<br />
The need for large amounts cash for certain venue payments was a reality; and some challenges getting large amounts of cash on demand (i.e., cash machine limitations).<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~600 applicants in the second round for ~950 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116611FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T12:59:11Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Unique African Challenges */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique African Challenges ===<br />
Cash and currency challenges were very different.<br />
<br />
Had challenges with Pesapal at the outset.<br />
<br />
Paypal worked well, but many African<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~600 applicants in the second round for ~950 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116610FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T12:58:15Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
=== Unique African Challenges ===<br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~600 applicants in the second round for ~950 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116609FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T12:55:14Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Travel Grants */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time. Awardees need a long amount of lead-time to put a big trip together.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~600 applicants in the second round for ~950 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving.<br />
<br />
Beneficial to have awardees paid after they arrived at the conference. Avoids hassles of last minute complications and no-shows (e.g., plane tickets paid for and then not used).<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018_Lessons_Learned&diff=116608FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned2018-09-18T12:52:21Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Travel Grants */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[FOSS4G 2018|FOSS4G 2018 Home]]<br />
<br />
== Previous Years Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
*[[FOSS4G 2017 Lessons Learned|2017]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2016 Lessons Learned|2016]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2015 Lessons Learned|2015]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2014 Lessons Learned|2014]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2013 Lessons Learned|2013]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned|2011]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned|2010]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned|2009]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned|2008]] <br />
*[[FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned|2007]]<br />
<br />
== FOSS4G 2018 Lessons Learned ==<br />
<br />
This is to document things that the local committee learned, for the benefit of future FOSS4Gs!! <br />
<br />
=== Logo ===<br />
<br />
=== Sponsorship ===<br />
<br />
=== LOC Organization ===<br />
<br />
=== Marketing ===<br />
<br />
=== Discounts ===<br />
<br />
=== Travel Grants ===<br />
Bringing as many people as you can is noble, but need a long lead time.<br />
<br />
Response was overwhelming. Huge number of applicants, so selection was difficult. ~350 applicants in the first round; and, ~600 applicants in the second round for ~950 total. 132 total grants were awarded and 92 people were able to attend. Most of the round 2 drop outs were due to late notification. Of the first 50 awarded in round 1, only 10 were unable to come, mostly due to not getting any supplemental funding support.<br />
<br />
Need to have a single point-person "owning" the TGP and can keep it moving.<br />
<br />
=== Abstract Submissions ===<br />
<br />
=== Paper selection ===<br />
<br />
=== Workshops ===<br />
<br />
=== Academic Track ===<br />
<br />
=== Code Sprint ===<br />
<br />
=== Other side events ===<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G2018]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4G]]<br />
[[Category:FOSS4GLessonsLearned]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=OSGeoUS&diff=114966OSGeoUS2018-05-17T19:12:29Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Membership */</p>
<hr />
<div>For the latest information visit [http://osgeo.us OSGeo.US] online, or our [https://www.osgeo.org/local-chapters/osgeo-us/ page] on the OSGeo website.<br />
<br />
== Mission ==<br />
<br />
OSGeo.US will cultivate and support local OSGeo chapters and projects in the United States. OSGeo.US will also support activities and events that build awareness of the OSGeo and create opportunities to grow the OSGeo community. <br />
<br />
==Goals==<br />
<br />
* Chapter is in the process of forming, initial goal is to be recognized as an official local chapter<br />
* Start to hold meetings<br />
* Advocate for the use of Open Source GIS at regional and state levels<br />
* Develop an OSGeoUS presence at conferences<br />
<br />
==Meetings==<br />
<br />
Please join us at foss4gna for our first f2f meeting!<br />
<br />
==Activities==<br />
<br />
OSGeo.US is supporting the [[FOSS4GNA_Code_Sprint_2018]], obtaining a venue for sprint participants. <br />
<br />
==Email list==<br />
https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/us<br />
<br />
==Membership==<br />
<br />
[[user:rjhale1971|Randal Hale]]<br />
<br />
[[user:Kurt_Menke|Kurt Menke]]<br />
<br />
[[user:Micheletobias|Michele Tobias]]<br />
<br />
[[user:kgjenkins|Keith Jenkins]]<br />
<br />
[[user:gsteinmon|Guido Stein]]<br />
<br />
[[user:jrosenthal|Josh Rosenthal]]<br />
<br />
[[user:paylakatel|Kayla Patel]]<br />
<br />
[[user:Chrismarx|Chris Marx]]<br />
<br />
[[user:erikfriesen|Erik Friesen]]<br />
<br />
[[user:candrsn|Carl Anderson]]<br />
<br />
[[user:helena|Helena Mitasova]]<br />
<br />
[[user: Gisn8|Nathan Saylor]]<br />
<br />
David Bitner<br />
<br />
Rachel Stevenson<br />
<br />
[[user:MichaelTerner|Michael Terner]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=OSGeoUS&diff=114965OSGeoUS2018-05-17T19:11:13Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Membership */</p>
<hr />
<div>For the latest information visit [http://osgeo.us OSGeo.US] online, or our [https://www.osgeo.org/local-chapters/osgeo-us/ page] on the OSGeo website.<br />
<br />
== Mission ==<br />
<br />
OSGeo.US will cultivate and support local OSGeo chapters and projects in the United States. OSGeo.US will also support activities and events that build awareness of the OSGeo and create opportunities to grow the OSGeo community. <br />
<br />
==Goals==<br />
<br />
* Chapter is in the process of forming, initial goal is to be recognized as an official local chapter<br />
* Start to hold meetings<br />
* Advocate for the use of Open Source GIS at regional and state levels<br />
* Develop an OSGeoUS presence at conferences<br />
<br />
==Meetings==<br />
<br />
Please join us at foss4gna for our first f2f meeting!<br />
<br />
==Activities==<br />
<br />
OSGeo.US is supporting the [[FOSS4GNA_Code_Sprint_2018]], obtaining a venue for sprint participants. <br />
<br />
==Email list==<br />
https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/us<br />
<br />
==Membership==<br />
<br />
[[user:rjhale1971|Randal Hale]]<br />
<br />
[[user:Kurt_Menke|Kurt Menke]]<br />
<br />
[[user:Micheletobias|Michele Tobias]]<br />
<br />
[[user:kgjenkins|Keith Jenkins]]<br />
<br />
[[user:gsteinmon|Guido Stein]]<br />
<br />
[[user:jrosenthal|Josh Rosenthal]]<br />
<br />
[[user:paylakatel|Kayla Patel]]<br />
<br />
[[user:Chrismarx|Chris Marx]]<br />
<br />
[[user:erikfriesen|Erik Friesen]]<br />
<br />
[[user:candrsn|Carl Anderson]]<br />
<br />
[[user:helena|Helena Mitasova]]<br />
<br />
[[user: Gisn8|Nathan Saylor]]<br />
<br />
David Bitner<br />
<br />
Rachel Stevenson<br />
<br />
Michael Terner</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018&diff=114845FOSS4G 20182018-05-07T20:24:01Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Local Organizing Committee */</p>
<hr />
<div>__TOC__<br />
<br />
== Local Organizing Committee ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+ style="text-align:left;"|LOC_Members<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Name<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Organization<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Sector<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Title<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Location<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Role<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/msilikale05 Msilikale Msilanga]<br />
|World Bank<br />
|Geo<br />
|Geospatial expert;<br/>Geospatial Fellow at D-Lab, Dar es Salaam<br />
|Dar es Salaam<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/giuseppesollazzo Giuseppe Sollazzo]<br />
|St George's, University of London<br />
|Academia<br />
|Open Data expert and activist<br/>HPC lead / Senior Systems Analyst <br />
|London<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Ketty Adoch<br />
|GIZ/Map Uganda<br />
|Energy<br />
|GIS/Survey Consultant<br />
|Kampala<br />
|Member Communication and Outreach Committee<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/markiliffe Mark Iliffe]<br />
|N-LAB<br />
|Geo<br />
|FOSS4G Chair<br />
|London<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|Maria A. Brovelli<br />
|Politecnico di Milano<br />
|Geo<br />
|GIS Professor<br/>OSGeo Board<br/>ISPRS Chair of WG IV/4<br/>UN-GGIM Academic Network Task Team<br />
|Milan<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G AT Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/kateregga1 Geoffrey Kateregga]<br />
|Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team,<br/>Map Uganda<br />
|Community<br />
|Community Mapping expert<br/>GIS Specialist <br />
|Kampala<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Daniel K. Nanghaka<br />
|Geo4Africa / ILICIT Africa<br />
|Community<br />
|GIS trainer /Executive Director <br />
|Kampala<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Yves Barthélemy<br />
|OBSCOM<br />
|Geo<br />
|Geospatial expert<br/>UNEP PCDMB Consultant<br/>SUZA GEO Advisor <br />
|Zanzibar<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/ragnvald Ragnvald Larsen]<br />
|Mindland consulting<br />
|Government<br />
|Geospatial expert<br/>Works with Norwegian Environment Agency.<br />
|Norway<br />
|Program committee chair<br />
|-<br />
|Tim Sutton<br />
|Kartoza / OSGeo<br />
|various Geo / ICT<br />
|Joint MD of Kartoza<br />
|Swellendam, South Africa<br />
|ex FOSS4G 2008 LOC<br />
|-<br />
|Gavin Fleming<br />
|Kartoza / OSGeo<br />
|various Geo / ICT<br />
|Joint MD of Kartoza<br/>Professional GISc Practitioner<br />
|Johannesburg<br />
|ex FOSS4G 2008 Chair<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/enock4seth Enock Seth Nyamador]<br />
|OpenStreetMap Ghana / HOT<br />
|Geo / ICT<br />
|Community manager<br> GIS Trainer<br />
|Tarkwa<br />
|Member Outreach & Communications Committee<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelterner/ Michael Terner]<br/> <small>[https://twitter.com/TernerGeo Twitter]</small><br />
|TernerGeo<br />
|Private<br />
|Former Chair, FOSS4G Boston 2017,<br/> [https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Michael_Terner OSGeo Charter Member]<br />
|Boston, MA USA<br />
|Sponsorship sub-group<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/rvannice/ Rachel VanNice]<br />
|Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team<br />
|Humanitarian<br />
|Operations Manager<br />
|Washington, DC USA<br />
|HOT Summit Organizer, FOSS4G Liaison <br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
== Community Committee ==<br />
<br />
=== Past Activities ===<br />
[[FOSS4G 2018/Logo Contest|Logo Contest]]<br />
<br />
[[FOSS4G 2018/Logo Entries|Logo Entries]]<br />
<br />
== Program Committee ==<br />
<br />
==Communication and Outreach Committee==</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018&diff=114844FOSS4G 20182018-05-07T20:02:56Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Local Organizing Committee */</p>
<hr />
<div>__TOC__<br />
<br />
== Local Organizing Committee ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+ style="text-align:left;"|LOC_Members<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Name<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Organization<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Sector<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Title<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Location<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Role<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/msilikale05 Msilikale Msilanga]<br />
|World Bank<br />
|Geo<br />
|Geospatial expert;<br/>Geospatial Fellow at D-Lab, Dar es Salaam<br />
|Dar es Salaam<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/giuseppesollazzo Giuseppe Sollazzo]<br />
|St George's, University of London<br />
|Academia<br />
|Open Data expert and activist<br/>HPC lead / Senior Systems Analyst <br />
|London<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Ketty Adoch<br />
|GIZ/Map Uganda<br />
|Energy<br />
|GIS/Survey Consultant<br />
|Kampala<br />
|Member Communication and Outreach Committee<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/markiliffe Mark Iliffe]<br />
|N-LAB<br />
|Geo<br />
|FOSS4G Chair<br />
|London<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|Maria A. Brovelli<br />
|Politecnico di Milano<br />
|Geo<br />
|GIS Professor<br/>OSGeo Board<br/>ISPRS Chair of WG IV/4<br/>UN-GGIM Academic Network Task Team<br />
|Milan<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G AT Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/kateregga1 Geoffrey Kateregga]<br />
|Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team,<br/>Map Uganda<br />
|Community<br />
|Community Mapping expert<br/>GIS Specialist <br />
|Kampala<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Daniel K. Nanghaka<br />
|Geo4Africa / ILICIT Africa<br />
|Community<br />
|GIS trainer /Executive Director <br />
|Kampala<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Yves Barthélemy<br />
|OBSCOM<br />
|Geo<br />
|Geospatial expert<br/>UNEP PCDMB Consultant<br/>SUZA GEO Advisor <br />
|Zanzibar<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/ragnvald Ragnvald Larsen]<br />
|Mindland consulting<br />
|Government<br />
|Geospatial expert<br/>Works with Norwegian Environment Agency.<br />
|Norway<br />
|Program committee chair<br />
|-<br />
|Tim Sutton<br />
|Kartoza / OSGeo<br />
|various Geo / ICT<br />
|Joint MD of Kartoza<br />
|Swellendam, South Africa<br />
|ex FOSS4G 2008 LOC<br />
|-<br />
|Gavin Fleming<br />
|Kartoza / OSGeo<br />
|various Geo / ICT<br />
|Joint MD of Kartoza<br/>Professional GISc Practitioner<br />
|Johannesburg<br />
|ex FOSS4G 2008 Chair<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/enock4seth Enock Seth Nyamador]<br />
|OpenStreetMap Ghana / HOT<br />
|Geo / ICT<br />
|Community manager<br> GIS Trainer<br />
|Tarkwa<br />
|Member Outreach & Communications Committee<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelterner/ Michael Terner]<br/> <small>[https://twitter.com/TernerGeo Twitter]</small><br />
|TernerGeo<br />
|Private<br />
|Former Chair, FOSS4G Boston 2017,<br/> [https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Michael_Terner OSGeo Charter Member]<br />
|Boston, MA USA<br />
|Sponsorship sub-group<br />
|-<br />
|Rachel VanNice<br />
|Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team<br />
|Humanitarian<br />
|Operations Manager<br />
|Washington, DC USA<br />
|HOT Summit Organizer, FOSS4G Liaison <br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
== Community Committee ==<br />
<br />
=== Past Activities ===<br />
[[FOSS4G 2018/Logo Contest|Logo Contest]]<br />
<br />
[[FOSS4G 2018/Logo Entries|Logo Entries]]<br />
<br />
== Program Committee ==<br />
<br />
==Communication and Outreach Committee==</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018&diff=114843FOSS4G 20182018-05-07T20:02:25Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Local Organizing Committee */</p>
<hr />
<div>__TOC__<br />
<br />
== Local Organizing Committee ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+ style="text-align:left;"|LOC_Members<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Name<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Organization<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Sector<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Title<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Location<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Role<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/msilikale05 Msilikale Msilanga]<br />
|World Bank<br />
|Geo<br />
|Geospatial expert;<br/>Geospatial Fellow at D-Lab, Dar es Salaam<br />
|Dar es Salaam<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/giuseppesollazzo Giuseppe Sollazzo]<br />
|St George's, University of London<br />
|Academia<br />
|Open Data expert and activist<br/>HPC lead / Senior Systems Analyst <br />
|London<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Ketty Adoch<br />
|GIZ/Map Uganda<br />
|Energy<br />
|GIS/Survey Consultant<br />
|Kampala<br />
|Member Communication and Outreach Committee<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/markiliffe Mark Iliffe]<br />
|N-LAB<br />
|Geo<br />
|FOSS4G Chair<br />
|London<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|Maria A. Brovelli<br />
|Politecnico di Milano<br />
|Geo<br />
|GIS Professor<br/>OSGeo Board<br/>ISPRS Chair of WG IV/4<br/>UN-GGIM Academic Network Task Team<br />
|Milan<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G AT Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/kateregga1 Geoffrey Kateregga]<br />
|Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team,<br/>Map Uganda<br />
|Community<br />
|Community Mapping expert<br/>GIS Specialist <br />
|Kampala<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Daniel K. Nanghaka<br />
|Geo4Africa / ILICIT Africa<br />
|Community<br />
|GIS trainer /Executive Director <br />
|Kampala<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Yves Barthélemy<br />
|OBSCOM<br />
|Geo<br />
|Geospatial expert<br/>UNEP PCDMB Consultant<br/>SUZA GEO Advisor <br />
|Zanzibar<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/ragnvald Ragnvald Larsen]<br />
|Mindland consulting<br />
|Government<br />
|Geospatial expert<br/>Works with Norwegian Environment Agency.<br />
|Norway<br />
|Program committee chair<br />
|-<br />
|Tim Sutton<br />
|Kartoza / OSGeo<br />
|various Geo / ICT<br />
|Joint MD of Kartoza<br />
|Swellendam, South Africa<br />
|ex FOSS4G 2008 LOC<br />
|-<br />
|Gavin Fleming<br />
|Kartoza / OSGeo<br />
|various Geo / ICT<br />
|Joint MD of Kartoza<br/>Professional GISc Practitioner<br />
|Johannesburg<br />
|ex FOSS4G 2008 Chair<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/enock4seth Enock Seth Nyamador]<br />
|OpenStreetMap Ghana / HOT<br />
|Geo / ICT<br />
|Community manager<br> GIS Trainer<br />
|Tarkwa<br />
|Member Outreach & Communications Committee<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelterner/ Michael Terner]<br />
|TernerGeo<br/> <small>[https://twitter.com/TernerGeo Twitter]</small><br />
|Private<br />
|Former Chair, FOSS4G Boston 2017,<br/> [https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Michael_Terner OSGeo Charter Member]<br />
|Boston, MA USA<br />
|Sponsorship sub-group<br />
|-<br />
|Rachel VanNice<br />
|Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team<br />
|Humanitarian<br />
|Operations Manager<br />
|Washington, DC USA<br />
|HOT Summit Organizer, FOSS4G Liaison <br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
== Community Committee ==<br />
<br />
=== Past Activities ===<br />
[[FOSS4G 2018/Logo Contest|Logo Contest]]<br />
<br />
[[FOSS4G 2018/Logo Entries|Logo Entries]]<br />
<br />
== Program Committee ==<br />
<br />
==Communication and Outreach Committee==</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018&diff=114842FOSS4G 20182018-05-07T19:56:34Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Local Organizing Committee */</p>
<hr />
<div>__TOC__<br />
<br />
== Local Organizing Committee ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+ style="text-align:left;"|LOC_Members<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Name<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Organization<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Sector<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Title<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Location<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Role<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/msilikale05 Msilikale Msilanga]<br />
|World Bank<br />
|Geo<br />
|Geospatial expert;<br/>Geospatial Fellow at D-Lab, Dar es Salaam<br />
|Dar es Salaam<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/giuseppesollazzo Giuseppe Sollazzo]<br />
|St George's, University of London<br />
|Academia<br />
|Open Data expert and activist<br/>HPC lead / Senior Systems Analyst <br />
|London<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Ketty Adoch<br />
|GIZ/Map Uganda<br />
|Energy<br />
|GIS/Survey Consultant<br />
|Kampala<br />
|Member Communication and Outreach Committee<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/markiliffe Mark Iliffe]<br />
|N-LAB<br />
|Geo<br />
|FOSS4G Chair<br />
|London<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|Maria A. Brovelli<br />
|Politecnico di Milano<br />
|Geo<br />
|GIS Professor<br/>OSGeo Board<br/>ISPRS Chair of WG IV/4<br/>UN-GGIM Academic Network Task Team<br />
|Milan<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G AT Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/kateregga1 Geoffrey Kateregga]<br />
|Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team,<br/>Map Uganda<br />
|Community<br />
|Community Mapping expert<br/>GIS Specialist <br />
|Kampala<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Daniel K. Nanghaka<br />
|Geo4Africa / ILICIT Africa<br />
|Community<br />
|GIS trainer /Executive Director <br />
|Kampala<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Yves Barthélemy<br />
|OBSCOM<br />
|Geo<br />
|Geospatial expert<br/>UNEP PCDMB Consultant<br/>SUZA GEO Advisor <br />
|Zanzibar<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/ragnvald Ragnvald Larsen]<br />
|Mindland consulting<br />
|Government<br />
|Geospatial expert<br/>Works with Norwegian Environment Agency.<br />
|Norway<br />
|Program committee chair<br />
|-<br />
|Tim Sutton<br />
|Kartoza / OSGeo<br />
|various Geo / ICT<br />
|Joint MD of Kartoza<br />
|Swellendam, South Africa<br />
|ex FOSS4G 2008 LOC<br />
|-<br />
|Gavin Fleming<br />
|Kartoza / OSGeo<br />
|various Geo / ICT<br />
|Joint MD of Kartoza<br/>Professional GISc Practitioner<br />
|Johannesburg<br />
|ex FOSS4G 2008 Chair<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/enock4seth Enock Seth Nyamador]<br />
|OpenStreetMap Ghana / HOT<br />
|Geo / ICT<br />
|Community manager<br> GIS Trainer<br />
|Tarkwa<br />
|Member Outreach & Communications Committee<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelterner/ Michael Terner]<br />
|TernerGeo<br />
|Private<br />
|Former Chair, FOSS4G Boston 2017,<br/> [https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Michael_Terner OSGeo Charter Member]<br />
|Boston, MA USA<br />
|Sponsorship sub-group<br />
|-<br />
|Rachel VanNice<br />
|Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team<br />
|Humanitarian<br />
|Operations Manager<br />
|Washington, DC USA<br />
|HOT Summit Organizer, FOSS4G Liaison <br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
== Community Committee ==<br />
<br />
=== Past Activities ===<br />
[[FOSS4G 2018/Logo Contest|Logo Contest]]<br />
<br />
[[FOSS4G 2018/Logo Entries|Logo Entries]]<br />
<br />
== Program Committee ==<br />
<br />
==Communication and Outreach Committee==</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=FOSS4G_2018&diff=114841FOSS4G 20182018-05-07T19:55:23Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: /* Local Organizing Committee */</p>
<hr />
<div>__TOC__<br />
<br />
== Local Organizing Committee ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+ style="text-align:left;"|LOC_Members<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Name<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Organization<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Sector<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Title<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Location<br />
! style="text-align:left;"|Role<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/msilikale05 Msilikale Msilanga]<br />
|World Bank<br />
|Geo<br />
|Geospatial expert;<br/>Geospatial Fellow at D-Lab, Dar es Salaam<br />
|Dar es Salaam<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/giuseppesollazzo Giuseppe Sollazzo]<br />
|St George's, University of London<br />
|Academia<br />
|Open Data expert and activist<br/>HPC lead / Senior Systems Analyst <br />
|London<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Ketty Adoch<br />
|GIZ/Map Uganda<br />
|Energy<br />
|GIS/Survey Consultant<br />
|Kampala<br />
|Member Communication and Outreach Committee<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/markiliffe Mark Iliffe]<br />
|N-LAB<br />
|Geo<br />
|FOSS4G Chair<br />
|London<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|Maria A. Brovelli<br />
|Politecnico di Milano<br />
|Geo<br />
|GIS Professor<br/>OSGeo Board<br/>ISPRS Chair of WG IV/4<br/>UN-GGIM Academic Network Task Team<br />
|Milan<br />
|Co-Chair of FOSS4G AT Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/kateregga1 Geoffrey Kateregga]<br />
|Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team,<br/>Map Uganda<br />
|Community<br />
|Community Mapping expert<br/>GIS Specialist <br />
|Kampala<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Daniel K. Nanghaka<br />
|Geo4Africa / ILICIT Africa<br />
|Community<br />
|GIS trainer /Executive Director <br />
|Kampala<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Yves Barthélemy<br />
|OBSCOM<br />
|Geo<br />
|Geospatial expert<br/>UNEP PCDMB Consultant<br/>SUZA GEO Advisor <br />
|Zanzibar<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/ragnvald Ragnvald Larsen]<br />
|Mindland consulting<br />
|Government<br />
|Geospatial expert<br/>Works with Norwegian Environment Agency.<br />
|Norway<br />
|Program committee chair<br />
|-<br />
|Tim Sutton<br />
|Kartoza / OSGeo<br />
|various Geo / ICT<br />
|Joint MD of Kartoza<br />
|Swellendam, South Africa<br />
|ex FOSS4G 2008 LOC<br />
|-<br />
|Gavin Fleming<br />
|Kartoza / OSGeo<br />
|various Geo / ICT<br />
|Joint MD of Kartoza<br/>Professional GISc Practitioner<br />
|Johannesburg<br />
|ex FOSS4G 2008 Chair<br />
|-<br />
|[https://twitter.com/enock4seth Enock Seth Nyamador]<br />
|OpenStreetMap Ghana / HOT<br />
|Geo / ICT<br />
|Community manager<br> GIS Trainer<br />
|Tarkwa<br />
|Member Outreach & Communications Committee<br />
|-<br />
|[https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelterner/ Michael Terner]<br />
|TernerGeo<br />
|Private<br />
|Former Chair, FOSS4G Boston 2017,<br/> Eliot Fu<br />
|Boston, MA USA<br />
|Sponsorship sub-group<br />
|-<br />
|Rachel VanNice<br />
|Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team<br />
|Humanitarian<br />
|Operations Manager<br />
|Washington, DC USA<br />
|HOT Summit Organizer, FOSS4G Liaison <br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
== Community Committee ==<br />
<br />
=== Past Activities ===<br />
[[FOSS4G 2018/Logo Contest|Logo Contest]]<br />
<br />
[[FOSS4G 2018/Logo Entries|Logo Entries]]<br />
<br />
== Program Committee ==<br />
<br />
==Communication and Outreach Committee==</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Terner&diff=114839Michael Terner2018-05-07T19:51:48Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: </p>
<hr />
<div>* Joined the geo ranks 30+ years ago in the dark ages of GIS on VAX and Prime computers running ARC/INFO v3.0.<br />
<br />
* Undergraduate degree from Tufts University, 1985<br />
<br />
* Seven years in State Government (1985-1991) and first Manager of MassGIS.<br />
<br />
* Masters of City Planning from MIT, 1992<br />
<br />
* Executive Vice President and co-founder of AppGeo, 1991 - 2018.<br />
<br />
* Open source activity started in 2009 in work on National Broadband Map and accelerated after seeing Paul Ramsey's Keynote Speech at MN GIS-LIS Conference in 2009 when it became clear it would be an enduring part of our services practice.<br />
<br />
* First FOSS4G Conference, Denver 2011.<br />
<br />
* Sat on Program Committee for FOSS4G North America, Washington DC, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, 2013; and St. Louis, MO, 2018.<br />
<br />
* Co-chair for Global FOSS4G Boston 2017.<br />
<br />
* OSGeo Charter Member (nominated, 2017)<br />
<br />
* Sponsorship Director for Global FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
[[File:C:\Temp\OSGeo charter.png|thumbnail]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTernerhttps://wiki.osgeo.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Terner&diff=114838Michael Terner2018-05-07T19:51:15Z<p>Wiki-MichaelTerner: </p>
<hr />
<div>* Joined the geo ranks 30+ years ago in the dark ages of GIS on VAX and Prime computers running ARC/INFO v3.0.<br />
<br />
* Undergraduate degree from Tufts University, 1985<br />
<br />
* Seven years in State Government (1985-1991) and first Manager of MassGIS.<br />
<br />
* Masters of City Planning from MIT, 1992<br />
<br />
* Executive Vice President and co-founder of AppGeo in 1991.<br />
<br />
* Open source activity started in 2009 in work on National Broadband Map and accelerated after seeing Paul Ramsey's Keynote Speech at MN GIS-LIS Conference in 2009 when it became clear it would be an enduring part of our services practice.<br />
<br />
* First FOSS4G Conference, Denver 2011.<br />
<br />
* Sat on Program Committee for FOSS4G North America, Washington DC, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, 2013; and St. Louis, MO, 2018.<br />
<br />
* Co-chair for Global FOSS4G Boston 2017.<br />
<br />
* OSGeo Charter Member (nominated, 2017)<br />
<br />
* Sponsorship Director for Global FOSS4G Dar es Salaam 2018<br />
[[File:C:\Temp\OSGeo charter.png|thumbnail]]</div>Wiki-MichaelTerner