[Board] Re: [Marketing] Processing "OSGeo Teach-in" request

[jo at frot.org]

On Tue, Jun 03, 2008 at 02:03:19PM -0700, Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo) wrote:
> > This idea of selling the "OSGeo Teach-In" as a "brand" to sponsors
> >  keeps the decision clean. There's already a range of sponsorship
> >  benefits listed at http://www.osgeo.org/sponsorship ... a Supporting

> I don't see how becoming a sponsor can help in these cases.  It's  
> come up a couple times but I think there's a misunderstanding of  
> sponsor benefits here.  The rights of sponsors don't really include  
> using the OSGeo brand as part of their own events.  It merely lets  
> them identify themselves as sponsors.  Are you thinking of specific  
> wording on that page that suggests more?  I'm thinking of the "Right  
> to use OSGeo Sponsor logo and promote named sponsorship level"

I'm reading back to Arnulf's original suggestion [[ (...thinking         
out loud): The logo "OSGeo Teach-in" could be something you get when
you are a sponsor. Then you can do this kind of event.]]

I've assumed this means *extending* the Supporting Sponsor benefits to 
include the right to host an annual "OSGeo Teach-in" event. 

[[2. Make the brand "OSGeo Teach-in" available to sponsors and let
them run loose with it. I suggest to request for official feedback from
participants, maybe through some web interface and an option to
exclude sponsors that mess up the "OSGeo Teach-in"]]

As stated i quite like the implications of this in that:

- It can help keep the need for a policy minimal, while answering the
  "what happens next time someone asks" question clearly.
- It can keep the OSGeo branding on the name of the event (mutual
  benefit) without involving the Foundation in commercial activity,
  either in perception or reality
- It can keep resource and energy commitment from OSGeo to a low level  
- It applies minimal constraints and would not affect the Foundation's
  ability to do similar things on a not-for-profit basis, directly

I thought this made sense, but perhaps i just wasn't clear. :/


jo
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