[Board] [OSGeo-Conf] FOSS4G Boston 2017 Financial Wrapup

Wed Jan 17 13:43:25 PST 2018

+ Guido, Ashley

Hey Astrid:
Sorry for the delayed reply. And, congrats on earning your Board seat! Love
to see the new blood on the Board making noise. ;-)

YES, we love your idea. And, we love the idea of a longer term partnership
with someone like Chaos Computer Club. As I reported on the list in
response to a post from Jeff we reached out them after Bonn as we were
incredibly impressed with their work. Sadly, they were not up for making
the trip across the Atlantic. But perhaps a formal partnership might make
that feasible; or they could assist in choosing another like-minded
partner. Indeed, technical assistance would be valuable too.

As you know from my post, we have strong feelings about this topic and feel
like we learned some good lessons that we can share, with the biggest of
them all being that Do It Yourself (DIY) is very, very hard; and we learned
that what groups like Chaos Club do in making it *look easy* is not at all
easy. So yes, the following are all part of what OSGeo can do to make this
work better, and to relieve the LOC of a difficult task that largely
benefits OSGeo more than it does the LOC since we're really most focused on
making a great conference for those who can attend:

   - Best practices for what's needed to record and/or stream
   - Technical assistance in specifying the work; selecting a partner
   - Direct help in funding a partner/contractor as in many parts of the
   world, those costs are high
   - And ideally, access to an approved partner like Chaos Club

Don't hesitate to ask us other questions as we'd be pleased to lend our
perspective and lessons learned. Speaking of which, we've started posting
those to the Wiki <https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2017_Lessons_Learned>
and will continue through the end of the month (nothing on videoing yet).

All the best and thanks for taking this on!

MT

PS: While we finally have completed processing all the "good video" (200+
sessions), which is available here <http://2017.foss4g.org/post_conference/>,
we are mindful that they're posted in Vimeo, and that we still want to make
sure we get them to TIB for permanent archive. Guido will be our point of
contact for getting that done.

On Tue, Jan 16, 2018 at 12:08 PM, Astrid Emde (OSGeo) <astrid_emde at osgeo.org
> wrote:

> Hello Michael, hello Mark and Msilikale from FOSS4G 2018 and Vasile from
> FOSS4G 2019,
>
> @michael thanks for your feedback on recording and the suggestion to get
> OSGeo involved in the video recording.
>
> At our last board meeting in december 2017 when we set up the budget for
> 2018 we talked about the recording too.
>
> See Meeting notes
> * https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_Meeting_2017-12-23#Draft_
> Budget_Read_through
>
> My action item from this meeting was to answer your mail and start setting
> up a technical video team to be available to LOC.
>
> The idea is that OSGeo
> * helps setting up a longterm support video team that helps FOSS4G LOCs
> with the big challenge of providing streaming/recording/publishing
> * gives financial supports to setup a technical video committee
> * also to support the video committee with their expenses for travelling
> or buying/shipping equipement
> * works on a process that can be repeated at every conference
>
> The committee could be similar to the c3voc (https://c3voc.de/) or work
> together with them and TIB (to publish the videos at TIB AV Portal (
> https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/TIB).
>
> Here ist he new wiki page for this video committee. I will send a mail to
> OSGeo-Discuss to encourage people to get involved:
> https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Video_Committee
>
> Hope you like the idea.
>
> @Mark and @Msilikale - would you like to try out this idea for Dar es
> Salaam already? Or do you already have a plan for your recordings?
>
> FOSSGIS 2018 will be in March in Bonn and I hope we can have a meeting
> with the c3voc team (they do the recording) and Bastian Drees from TIB and
> some people from OSGeo to discuss the idea.
>
> There is already a chapter about streaming & videos in the conference
> cookbook (could be updated when the new committee is setup)
>
> https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_Handbook#Streaming_and_ar
> chiving_presentations_and_keynotes
>
> Astrid
>
>
> Am 2017-12-23 18:46, schrieb Mark Iliffe:
>
>> Michael, Jeff,
>>
>> I must confess this is something at the top of my mind also - both in
>> terms of ensuring we have a record of the event but also to balance
>> this within our budget. I look forward to the new year and request
>> that the OSGeo board discusses this, not just for 2018, but also for
>> FOSS4Gs going forward.
>>
>> Many thanks,
>>
>> Mark
>>
>> On 23 Dec 2017, at 15:00, Michael Terner <mgt at appgeo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Jeff:
>>> Thanks for the recognition and your thoughts on the videoing.
>>>
>>> Indeed, Guido and I were tremendously impressed with how the Chaos
>>> Computer Club (CCC) handled the video'ing of FOSS4G Bonn 2016. We
>>> reached out to Till and his team to understand the costs they had
>>> incurred. After hearing from Till, we concluded that it would have
>>> been cost effective to pay for travel from Germany and lodging in
>>> Boston and have CCC provide similar video services to us. Guido
>>> reached out to CCC and we earnestly pursued that option.
>>> Unfortunately, CCC determined, and conveyed to us in a professional
>>> manner, that they would be unable to provide services to Boston. So
>>> we tried.
>>>
>>> Indeed, one of the benefits of having OSGeo involved could be the
>>> pursuit of a reliable and consistent approach and a pool of
>>> suppliers, like CCC, that might be engaged to help. Indeed, we had
>>> to learn everything from the ground up.
>>>
>>> Happy holidays to all!
>>>
>>> MT
>>>
>>> On Fri, Dec 22, 2017 at 10:02 PM, Jeff McKenna
>>> <jmckenna at gatewaygeomatics.com> wrote:
>>> Dear Michael, Ashley, Guido,
>>>
>>> Thank you for such an amazing Christmas present to the foundation!
>>> The whole BLOC should be immensely proud.  And such a financial
>>> contribution to OSGeo, truly the whole community thanks you.
>>>
>>> I am also very happy to hear of the creation of your new local OSGeo
>>> chapter.
>>>
>>> Regarding your proposal of OSGeo handling the video records of
>>> FOSS4G events, I have also been thinking of this; I agree that
>>> streaming, recording, and fast publishing of talks is now mandatory
>>> for events.  I have spoken to Volker and others about the streaming
>>> and sharing of FOSSGIS event talks (I have for years now been
>>> impressed with the group behind that for FOSSGIS).  I believe that
>>> group (http://c3voc.de/) handles events, sometimes for free: even if
>>> I am wrong on the cost, I think this is one of the possible groups
>>> that we could work with for FOSS4G (and get a cost quote if need
>>> be).  Talks for FOSSGIS are often archived and posted minutes after
>>> each talk.
>>>
>>> I agree that OSGeo should now step in and make sure this is handled.
>>> Especially with the FOSS4G-Boston financial contribution, I hope we
>>> can now consider to set this up for 2018, 2019 and beyond.
>>>
>>> Finally, the spirit of FOSS4G is about giving the spotlight to a
>>> community and group, planting a seed or just helping things grow;
>>> the Boston community took the spotlight and showed the whole
>>> geospatial world what innovation and community really is.  Thank
>>> you!
>>>
>>> Merry Christmas to you and your families Michael, Guido, Ashley,
>>> all,
>>>
>>> -jeff
>>>
>>> On 2017-12-22 11:51 AM, Michael Terner wrote:
>>> Earlier this week we wrapped up the finances of FOSS4G Boston and
>>> closed our accounts with our fantastic professional conference
>>> organizer (Delaney Meeting & Event Management, DMEM). And with Dar
>>> es Salaam's call for papers out there, and the selection of
>>> Bucharest for 2019 announced, we felt the time was right to share
>>> these results, and one important observation/suggestion. Suffice to
>>> say it's the holiday "giving season" we are extremely proud and
>>> pleased to be able to give back a substantial financial contribution
>>> to OSGeo. Here's what has happened:
>>>
>>> * Earlier this week the OSGeo Treasurer, Michael Smith, confirmed
>>> that
>>> a sum of *$178,132.29* was deposited from DMEM to OSGeo. This
>>> sum
>>> represented the following:
>>> o 100% repayment of the *$70,000* advance that OSGeo provided
>>> the
>>> Boston Team.
>>> o A surplus payment of *$108,132.29*
>>> o In addition, the Boston Team earlier provided OSGeo
>>> *$8,241.88*
>>> via an earlier cash payment and in-kind services provided in
>>> Boston (for a*total surplus of $116,374.17*)
>>> * In addition, and as per our original proposal, we have also been
>>> able to provide appx. $20,000 to endow a local non-profit -
>>> Technocation - to become a local/regional OSGeo chapter. Our
>>> Co-Chair, Guido Stein, will direct that non-profit.
>>>
>>> We wish Mark and Msilikale as well as Vasile similar luck and
>>> success this year, and next.
>>>
>>> Last, the Boston Team would like to make a suggestion for use of
>>> some of these funds for the Conference Dev and OSGeo Board to
>>> consider. Simply put,*we believe that OSGeo should fund the creation
>>> of, and distribution of the video record* (and/or any streaming).
>>> The video component of the conference was by far the most
>>> complicated and difficult part of our experience; and that is
>>> certainly part of our delay in posting the videos /which we are
>>> still doing/. Indeed, *this week we posted an addition 30 videos for
>>> a total of 182* that are now online
>>> <http://2017.foss4g.org/post_conference/#slides [1]>. Here is a
>>>
>>> quick summary of our experience, observations and rationale for this
>>> recommendation:
>>>
>>> 1. Videoing a conference of this magnitude is a significant
>>> endeavor.
>>> We had 11 rooms running concurrent sessions plus the main
>>> plenary
>>> hall for keynotes. Over 230 sessions needed to be recorded.
>>> 2. Not only do you need to record the videos, but they must be post
>>> processed/edited and then posted where they can be accessed. We
>>> grossly under-estimated how much time and attention this takes.
>>> 3. Given the magnitude of the job, the cost is relatively high. Our
>>> quote for having a third party do it was close to $50,000. It
>>> could
>>> be lower in other locations, but it will still be multiple
>>> five-figures of expenditure.
>>> 4. Given the cost, and the financial insecurity we had before all
>>> registrations and sponsors came in, we chose a lower cost "do it
>>> yourself" approach. This involved buying equipment, and running
>>> the
>>> equipment with volunteers. And it was time consuming and
>>> extremely
>>> stressful, and it has ultimately resulted in the delays in the
>>> post-processing of the videos.
>>> 5. If we knew the financial success we were to achieve, there is
>>> /no
>>> question/ that we would have chosen to spend the $50,000. And I
>>> say
>>> this as I know - via the 2019 RFP Q&A - that Vasile is
>>> considering
>>> using our approach, and indeed he is welcome to our equipment,
>>> which
>>> will be 2 years old by the time Bucharest comes around.
>>> 6. But here's the rub from the Chair's and LOC's point of view:
>>> *  From our vantage, our main job was to create an amazing
>>> event,
>>> /in Boston,/ for the people and sponsors who could attend
>>> (and
>>> ultimately paid for the event).
>>> * The video'ing task was very important, but very secondary to
>>> making the in-person experience great.
>>> * We would argue that the video'ing is /more important/ to
>>> OSGeo
>>> than it was to the BLOC itself. OSGeo wants to create the
>>> permanent record; OSGeo wants to broaden the reach to people
>>> who
>>> couldn't come to Boston. The LOC is more focused on those
>>> who
>>> /could /come; OSGeo is legitimately more interested in those
>>> who
>>> could /not /come to Boston.
>>> * So, it seems to make sense that OSGeo should /actually pay/
>>> for
>>> the videoing (or for some portion of the videoing).
>>> Something
>>> like a $30,000 grant to the chosen LOC and dedicated to
>>> funding
>>> videoing would make good sense. This will help relieve
>>> stress
>>> and to help ensure financial success for the LOC while
>>> ensuring
>>> there is high quality videoing occurring and the results are
>>> posted in a timely fashion.
>>>
>>> We would strongly urge the consideration of this proposal as we know
>>> that Boston's financial contribution to OSGeo helps to make this
>>> increasingly feasible.
>>>
>>> All of us thank you for the opportunity to show what the Boston and
>>> OSGeo communities could do together. We will be forever grateful for
>>> this experience. Happy holidays to all!
>>>
>>> Sincerely, MT & the BLOC
>>>
>>> --
>>> Michael Terner
>>> /Executive Vice President /
>>> Direct: _617-447-2468 [2] _
>>> Main: _617-447-2400 [3]_
>>>
>>> www.AppGeo.com [4] <http://www.appgeo.com/>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Board mailing list
>>> Board at lists.osgeo.org
>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/board [5]
>>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Michael Terner
>>
>> _Executive Vice President _
>> Direct: 617-447-2468
>>
>> Main: 617-447-2400
>>
>> www.AppGeo.com [4]
>>
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>>
>>
>> Links:
>> ------
>> [1] http://2017.foss4g.org/post_conference/#slides
>> [2] tel:617-447-2468
>> [3] tel:617-447-2400
>> [4] http://www.appgeo.com/
>> [5] https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/board
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>>
>
> --
> Astrid Emde
> Charter Member
> Open Source Geospatial Foundation
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/User:Astrid_Emde
>

-- 
Michael Terner
*Executive Vice President *
Direct: *617-447-2468 *
Main: *617-447-2400*

www.AppGeo.com <http://www.appgeo.com/>

-- 
This e-mail message and any attachments may contain confidential or legally 
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