[OSGeo-Conf] Re: Localize FOSS4G

[Frank Warmerdam]

Arnulf Christl (OSGeo) wrote:
> I think that from an OSGeo perspective FOSS4G should aim at being *the* 
> event. But definitely not the *only* event. Therefore I wondered what 
> you would do with FOSSGIS once you dropped it out of the CFP documents? 
> (thanks Jeff for keeping it).
> 
> There is no other place yet to put information about the FOSSGIS event, 
> yet it contains valuable information about how to manage and fund local 
> conferences. I believe that it is a good prototype/template for what I 
> feel is a highly important task for OSGeo's outreach activities - help 
> spawn and foster localized conferences on a reasonable budget. 

Arnulf,

I agree completely.  I'm not sure exactly how it should happen, but I
would love to see OSGeo provide best practices, and some other kinds of
support for organizing local conferences.  To some degree I see a
continuium like:

Small: 1 person speaks about OSGeo or OSGeo projects at an existing
conference.

Medium: A few people organize a booth, or perhaps an open source "track"
at an existing conference.

Full: Several people organize a local add-on day to an existing conference
or a standalone local conference on FOSS4G topics.

So, I think the VisCom conference presence organization process offers
some bits of what we need.  For instance some supporting promotional
material for instance.

What we also need - I think - is a wiki page with a variety of material
and best practices for folks who want to do local conference events.
Perhaps a mailing list where they can ask for advice.  And also a mechanism
to find others - individuals willing to help, and perhaps local companies
who might help sponsor.

As always, this is a task wanting volunteer support.  Hopefully setting
up an area in the wiki, clearly linked off the conference and viscom
pages, would be a start.  I think the idea should be promoted on the
discuss and/or international lists too.  Unfortunately, this is not a
concept that I have much personal knowledge to contribute.  I'm more likely
to be one of the people hoping to draw on the knowledge some day when
the OSGeo Ottawa chapter makes the push to host a smallish 1 day event -
something we have talked about a bit already.

>> If I wanted it to be *the* geospatial event of the year, I'd no doubt 
>> want
>> to broaden it's appeal a great deal, mount a huge marketing campaign and
>> so forth.  
> 
> I do not believe that this is what we need to do and this is not what 
> VisCom aims for currently. We still have not much of a budget and I like 
> it that way. KISS people efficiently. Grow slow.
>> But I'd be happy for it to clearly be the leading event around
>> FOSS geospatial software.

I would note I didn't seriously want to do the things to make FOSS4G huge.

Best regards,
-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGeo, http://osgeo.org