[California] Planning for Exhibits, help needed

Mon Jan 12 23:44:40 EST 2009

you know I dont want to speak too soon, but..
I had dinner most all of the Google KML engineers and at least two of  
them expressed interest in a CA OSGeo chapter
I havent done anything to follow up on that lead
though I am now sort of on the hook for some gnarly code I suggested
so diplomatically I should probably code first :-)

On Jan 12, 2009, at 5:50 PM, Landon Blake wrote:

> Alex,
>
> I have attached a (very) rough draft of a sponsorship letter based on
> the information that you have given me. I did not include any  
> letterhead
> with the OSGeo logo at this point. I figure we can do that if we make  
> it
> past the marketing/conference committees.
>
> I have placed my contact information in the letter, but that could be
> easily changed to your contact information (or the contact information
> for someone else).
>
> I also used a name for our group. My heart isn't set on that particular
> name, but I needed to use something.
>
> Feel free to cut my letter up however you like. :]
>
> Landon
> Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
> Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658
>
> P.S. - Since we are starting to actually DO SOMETHING as a "group"
> perhaps we should take another hard look at what we need to do to  
> become
> an actual chapter. I don't think it is a great idea to operate as this
> "pseudo" chapter any longer than we have to. This would make it easier
> to:
>
> - Solicit help from new members.
> - Assign tasks and responsibilities. (For example: We could pick an
> official secretary or public relations person and use their contact  
> info
> on this type of letter.)
> - Avoid confusion on our exact "status" and relationship with the  
> OSGeo.
> - Set up a decision making body based on some warped form of democracy.
> :]
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alex Mandel [mailto:tech_dev at wildintellect.com]
> Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 2:06 PM
> To: Landon Blake
> Cc: california at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: Re: [California] Planning for Exhibits, help needed
>
> Landon,
>
> Don't worry about the details, I need the draft for tomorrow night so I
> can clarify those exact points with the marketing committee.
>
> In terms of website I think we should stick to the osgeo wiki for now
> and if we ever need something more get it from them.
>
> Logo's are online:
> http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo/browser/marketing
>
> AAG - Osgeo already put $500 down on a $1000 booth
> CGS - Will be cheap and some of us already plan to go
> Where 2.0 - Paul Ramsey is coming and plans to run the booth, so thats
> also a go pending funds(table is probably free but we'll need
> materials).
>
> I'm not sure if the letter's are going snail mail or email yet so just
> put in place holders(examples or likely info) for those kinds of  
> things.
>
> Does that help?
>
> Alex
>
> Landon Blake wrote:
>> Alex,
>>
>> I think we need to nail down a couple of issues before I can move
>> forward with a draft letter asking for sponsorships:
>>
>> - We aren't an official OSGeo chapter just yet. That can complicate
>> things. Are donations made to our group tax deductible? I don't think
>> they will be unless we give them directly to the OSGeo. We should
> check
>> with the conference folks at the OSGeo about accepting donations on
> our
>> behalf. What do we use for a mailing address a logo?
>>
>> - Do we know what specific conferences we would like to have a booth
> at?
>> You mentioned the AAG and CGS conferences. I assume you mean the
>> Association of American Geographers and the California Geographic
>> Society conferences for 2009. Do we have other specific conferences
>> where we would like to have a booth? I should list these specific
> events
>> in the letter.
>>
>> Let me know what your thoughts are.
>>
>> I'm happy to use a PO Box of my own as a mailing address, and we can
> use
>> the little web page I've set up here for a temporary web address:
>>
>> http://www.redefinedhorizons.com/calosgeo/
>>
>> I suppose we can call our little group "The California OSGeo Chapter
>> Incubator" for the time being. "The California OSGeo Chapter Formation
>> Group" or something similar would also work.
>>
>> Landon
>> Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
>> Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Alex Mandel [mailto:tech_dev at wildintellect.com]
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 12:25 AM
>> To: Landon Blake
>> Cc: tech at wildintellect.com; california at lists.osgeo.org; Michael
>> Treichler; Michele Tobias
>> Subject: Re: [California] Planning for Exhibits, help needed
>>
>> Landon,
>>
>> Any chance you can take a crack at the letter this week. I want to try
>> and have a few reviewers so we can get it ready in time for the
>> marketing meeting in 1 week and get them out to prospective donors
> after
>> that.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Alex
>>
>> Landon Blake wrote:
>>> Alex wrote: "Howdy chapter..."
>>>
>>> Well, we're not really a chapter just yet. More like an idea for a
>>> chapter. :]
>>>
>>> Alex wrote: "The designs aren't quite done yet, all we have is the
> new
>>> logo, it hasn't been set into item specific sizes yet, etc if someone
>>> has talent and time it would save us money that can be spent
>> elsewhere."
>>> Does this mean we need some graphic design? I'm fairly handy with
> GIMP
>>> and Inkscape, if that is what you are talking about.
>>>
>>> Alex wrote: "We need to attain additional funding for our exhibit to
>> pay
>>> for materials(the booth is 1/2 paid for already by OSGeo). I'm
>>> estimating we need to raise $2000 for the AAG, $250 for CGS and an
>>> unknown amount for other conferences this year. In order to do this
> we
>>> need some sort of letter asking for sponsorship. I think we can offer
>>> some type of visibility, ie company name and logo at the booth in
>>> exchange but someone needs to draft a letter to work with."
>>>
>>> I can draft the letter if you will review it. Let me know.
>>>
>>> Alex wrote: "Of course that also means we need the
> names/numbers/email
>>> of some companies to ask for sponsorship. I plan to ask O'Reilly
>> Books,
>>> anyone else have any ideas? Companies that are not already sponsors
> of
>>> OSGeo."
>>>
>>> I'm thinking our best bet in this area may be local or regional
>>> companies that are not already involved in GIS at a national level. I
>>> would think that our fund raising efforts will be difficult with the
>>> state of the US economy. Still, we could each try and come up with a
>>> list of possible sponsors in our local communities.
>>>
>>> Will the OSGeo be accepting the donations? I think we'll need an
>>> "official non-profit" so those donations will be tax deductible. Who
>>> will we be working with at the OSGeo to coordinate this management of
>>> donated funds?
>>>
>>> Thanks for all of your effort and energy.
>>>
>>> Landon
>>> Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
>>> Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: california-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
>>> [mailto:california-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Alex Mandel
>>> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 1:03 AM
>>> To: california at lists.osgeo.org
>>> Cc: Stacey Ellis; Michael Treichler; Michele Tobias
>>> Subject: [California] Planning for Exhibits, help needed
>>>
>>> Howdy chapter,
>>>
>>> Just got done talking with the OSGeo marketing committee. Good news
> is
>>> the budget is looking good to help us get all the materials we need
> to
>>> exhibit all over the State this coming year.
>>>
>>> However there is much work to be done and I could use some help.
>>> We've got the basics of materials listed:
>>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Exhibition_Pack
>>>
>>> In anticipation of the AAG in Vegas in March where a bunch of us UCD
>>> folks will be tabling at we need to get moving and get the larger
>> items
>>> ordered in January, ie table skirt, banner etc.
>>>
>>> 1. I plan to go get some quotes on stuff this week but if anyone else
>>> knows of some vendors please chime in.
>>>
>>> 2. The designs aren't quite done yet, all we have is the new logo, it
>>> hasn't been set into item specific sizes yet, etc if someone has
>> talent
>>> and time it would save us money that can be spent elsewhere.
>>>
>>> 3. We need to attain additional funding for our exhibit to pay for
>>> materials(the booth is 1/2 paid for already by OSGeo). I'm estimating
>> we
>>> need to raise $2000 for the AAG, $250 for CGS and an unknown amount
>> for
>>> other conferences this year. In order to do this we need some sort of
>>> letter asking for sponsorship. I think we can offer some type of
>>> visibility, ie company name and logo at the booth in exchange but
>>> someone needs to draft a letter to work with.
>>>
>>> 4.Of course that also means we need the names/numbers/email of some
>>> companies to ask for sponsorship. I plan to ask O'Reilly Books,
> anyone
>>> else have any ideas? Companies that are not already sponsors of
> OSGeo.
>>> http://www.osgeo.org/content/sponsorship/sponsors.html
>>>
>>> I've started a list of other conferences we probably want to do in
>> 2009
>>> and annually, please feel free to add.
>>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/California#Events
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Alex
>>>
>
>
>
>
>
> Warning:
> Information provided via electronic media is not guaranteed against  
> defects including translation and transmission errors. If the reader  
> is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any  
> dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is  
> strictly prohibited. If you have received this information in error,  
> please notify the sender  
> immediately.<January_2009_Sponsorhsip_Letter.pdf>______________________ 
> _________________________
> California mailing list
> California at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/california