[Foss4g2008loc] Budget

[Paul Ramsey]

Comparing your bid to this budget, the expenses are higher than  
anticipated, and the revenues lower.  I recognize that the revenue  
issue is caused by us (OSGeo): we want a conservative attendance  
number, one that we can beat.  I am a little frightened, so say the  
least, that our "conservative" number is basically what we did in  
Victoria (about 600 paying delegates).

So, give me some comfort here: what does GISSA do in sponsorship,  
usually?  What do they do in attendance? What are their attendance  
fees?  What do the GISSA people think of this budget?  How does it  
compare to their past events?

The head note, that students will be allowed in at R240, the "cost of  
food" does not line up with the food costs lower down the page, which  
are much much higher than that.

I see two undifferentiated expense items that I would like broken out:

* Computer Equipment.  What's the per-unit cost here?  It looks over  
twice our 2007 cost.
* Gifts for Delegates.  Again, what comprises this?  We got by on  
about $10 per person (bag'n'shirt), this seems to be about three  
times that.

Food pricing appears similar to Victoria, which is fine, but I was  
given the impression this was one of the areas where SA would easily  
beat us in providing value for money.

Could you explain the Gala Dinner.  Is R370 full cost recovery?   
That's what it costs, and that's what we're charging delegates?  (If  
so, hear hear, let the days of subsidizing the gala end.)

Good god you have a brutal VAT.

How does "Final On-site Programme" (R12000) differ from "various  
costs associated with printing of abstract book" (R40000) ?

Are we planning on two (2) invited speakers at R33000 each?  That  
would include speaking fees, I assume, with that much money.

Is the exhibition hall layout flexible? For how long? You have the  
dressing costs in there already, assuming a certain number of  
exhibitors, presumably we can downsize if necessary?  Does this  
exhibition hall size match GISSA previous experience?

The venue cost is double what was anticipated in the bid, any reason  
for that?  (Almost three times the Victoria cost.)

What's the cost of exhibiting going to be?

Thanks!

Paul