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The OSGeo Board guaranteed most earlier global foss4g events (with
the exception of the failed Beijing event). Luckily all the
sponsored events have been profitable.<br>
<br>
The board addressed this topic or guarantees a few years back, and
collated into:<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors#Conferences_and_related_events">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors#Conferences_and_related_events</a><br>
referenced from:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_Handbook#Guarantees">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_Handbook#Guarantees</a><br>
<br>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: sans-serif;
font-size: 12.6999998092651px; font-style: normal; font-variant:
normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height:
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word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline
!important; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Conferences
are financially risky events. They need to be planned well in
advance, and you are never sure how many people will turn up, or
whether some global event will have a substantial impact on
registrations. Consequently, conferences such as FOSS4G require
financial guarantees up front in order to secure a venue. To
support and enable these conferences, OSGeo will endevour to
retain sufficient capital to offer such guarantees for any FOSS4G
event requesting it. If OSGeo's support is requested, then OSGeo
would expect these events to budget for a modest profit under
conservative estimates, and for OSGeo to retain profits from such
events. To date, such profits, while relatively modest, have been
OSGeo's primary income source.</span><br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 19/06/2015 4:46 am, Eli Adam wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CACqBkM8Wp-WcYAdZFpumC_1=U1c869nbcNRMQdXpNTcpf5zcqQ@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">On Thu, Jun 18, 2015 at 11:29 AM, Darrell Fuhriman <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:darrell@garnix.org"><darrell@garnix.org></a> wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">
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<pre wrap="">
If OSGeo is getting the benefits of any proceeds, they need to be assuming
the liability as well.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
I agree with this. I'd have to reread contracts (or get a lawyer's
opinion) but I think most of the liability is already largely on
OSGeo.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
This was the case for Portland, and was part of the contract signed with the VTM Group (the POC) and OSGeo.
</pre>
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<pre wrap="">
Agree.
</pre>
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<pre wrap="">
The LoC *couldn’t* accept any liability, because the LoC was not a legal entity, and to ask the LoC members to accept personal liability is obviously ridiculous.
So far OSGeo’s FOSS4G operating model is essentially this:
1) "Anyone want to run a conference for us?"
2) Choose one of the people who offer to do it and delegate
3) Give them a pile of money
4) Hope for the best
5) Profit(?)
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
If Darrell and I are in the bar, I'm prone to handing him my wallet,
saying "here's 40k, see you in a year with 100k", then I slap him on
the back and say "good luck!" His reactions range from a mild glare,
a gentle laugh, and occasionally a frothing at the mouth rant. This
model although very stressful for the LOC and chair, generally appears
to work.
</pre>
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<pre wrap="">
If (5) instead becomes “Lose money” that’s on OSGeo, and that’s as it should be, because if (5) is “Profit” it gets all the rewards, too.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
But more seriously, yes (5) is/should not be "Profit(?)" but "Profit
or loss". As I said before, I'm not convinced that this is not
already the case. We can certainly clarify this in the RFP which will
go out soon for 2017. Feel free to join in on the RFP process
details, <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/conference_dev/2015-May/003012.html">https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/conference_dev/2015-May/003012.html</a>
Eli
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">
If Gaia3d (presumably) is accepting any direct financial or legal liability for FOSS4G 2015 that is a *major* problem in my mind.
d.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">_______________________________________________
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<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/conference_dev">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/conference_dev</a></pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Cameron Shorter,
Software and Data Solutions Manager
LISAsoft
Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf,
26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009
P +61 2 9009 5000, W <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.lisasoft.com">www.lisasoft.com</a>, F +61 2 9009 5099</pre>
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