[Conference-europe] when and where

[Karel Charvat]

Hi all,
Some ideas, how to attract commercial sector for participation of FOSS4GI Europe events. There could be two reasons:
1.To know  something new about products. But probably this will be not reason, to come for the conference. Usually is cheaper (and it is mainly due time spend for conference, then fee} to read this information on Web. Usually, if some company is using some product or Library, it is not necessary latest version and in some cases to come to new versions could be expensive. So I am not sure, that this is the way, how to attract Companies in larger scale.
2. To attract private sector trough public sector. The reason for me to go to some conference is, if I can meet potential customer and show them my work. This is the most reasonable to come for some event. So the advertisement of Commercial track, has to be mainly towards public sector. If enough representative of public sector will participate on conference, then could be conference more attractive for Commercial sector. But there is one more limitation. The most of SMEs has no ambition to enter international market, so, then it is question, it SMEs will come on international events. For example we as HSRS are only one  Czech GI companies regularly participating on international events. So here could be some problem and limitation. The question is, if we will be able to attract big international companies.


Could be, that some way will be to organise track (and I am offering to do it or assist with this) track FOSS in EC projects. I think, that here I know a lot of projects dealing with this and eventually come also to the Commission. In EC projects minimally 50 percent are usually companies, so this could be the way, how to attract more new people for conference.

But for all such action, you ned to use other channels for promoting them OSGEO mailing list. Probably focused on such channels like INSPIRE forum, communicate with OGC, or using different fora's focused on Horizon 2020.
Karel


-----Original Message-----
From: conference-europe-bounces at lists.osgeo.org [mailto:conference-europe-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Mateusz Łoskot
Sent: Friday, August 22, 2014 9:28 AM
To: Karel Charvat
Cc: foss4g-europe
Subject: Re: [Conference-europe] when and where

On 22 August 2014 02:24, Karel Charvat <charvat at ccss.cz> wrote:
> I think, that umber of attendants is something, what is difficult predictable. Not so easy to reach 200 attendants.
>
> I am all time thinking, how to do something, what could attract larger community. It seems to me, that till now we didn’t succeed to attract commercial sector to broader participation. Seems to me, that maximum 5 - 10 percent of companies, who are using Open Source GI technologies, are participating on such events.

Good points Karel.

> More and more of so called Apps developers including independent developers is out of communities very often utilising other products or starting from scratch.  Seems for me critical, how to attract people.

program + time + location
where the program is what we've got full control of, the two other are more objective decisions/limitations


> OGC and INPIRE are important for business, because their standards define rules, which I as private company has accept.

Agreed.

> I think, that academic track is good, but in some way, for me as representative of businesses seems for me FOOS4GI more academic oriented.
>
> I would like to vote and also discuss something like commercial section.

Could you give a summary of major goals of such commercial section?
What is the idea, roughly?
Are you thinking about companies presenting products, demos?

I always thought a conference is slightly different event than a trade fair (like Intergeo is), but I may be misunderstanding your idea, so please explain.

Best regards,
--
Mateusz  Łoskot, http://mateusz.loskot.net _______________________________________________
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