[OSGeo-Conf] starting the 2012 RFP process...

[Jeff McKenna]

Hello everyone on the OSGeo Conference Committee!

A few topics to wake us all up:

1) Welcome Lorenzo Becchi to the committee
------------------------------------------

Needless to say Lorenzo's experience and opinions from leading FOSS4G 
2010 are more than welcome here on this committee.  I'll contact him to 
make sure that he'll be available through email for upcoming votes etc.

(list of current committee members: 
http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Conference_Committee#Current_Members)

2) FOSS4G 2012 Request for Hosting
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We have to spring into action now for a FOSS4G 2012 RFP for Hosting. 
Yes if we want to allow the winning bidder a chance to talk about 2012 
in Denver in September (and book their venue) it is tight.  I have 
created a draft in SVN of the RFP document:

- OpenOffice: 
http://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/rfp/2012/osgeo-conference-2012-request-for-proposal.odt
- pdf: 
http://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/rfp/2012/osgeo-conference-2012-request-for-proposal.pdf

Some notes:

- I'd like to release this on *June 1st* for the public
- I am proposing important dates (page 11) of:

   Letters of Intent (Stage 1) due:	2011-06-30 (23:00 UTC)
   Stage 1 question period: 		2011-06-30 to 2011-07-07
   Stage 1 decision: 			2011-07-07
   Proposals (Stage 2) due: 		2011-08-01 (23:00 UTC)
   Stage 2 question period: 		2011-08-01 to 2011-08-05
   Final decision: 			2011-08-05

- I've added a 'Conference Logo' section to the RFP, from feedback from 
previous local committees that this is a requirement for each event but 
was never documented

- you'll remember that we as a committee decided to modify the selection 
process for 2011, to solicit proposals from around different regions of 
the globe (2011 North America, 2012 Asia/Pacific, 2013 Europe), so 
following that, I have updated the 'Application Process' section (page 
6) to state:

"Following the selection process that was implemented during the 2011 
hosting process, where the OSGeo conference committee solicited 
proposals in the specific region of North America, the 2012 event will 
be aimed at the Asia/Pacific region (and the 2013 event will be focused 
on Europe)."

and then also:

"Letters of Intent" will be accepted from potential Local Organizing 
Committees (LOC) in the Asia/Pacific region. If there are no submissions 
from groups in that region, letters from other regions will then be 
solicited."

- you'll notice 3 empty sections in the Appendix for conference reports 
from FOSS4G 2010, FOSSGIS 2011, and an estimate from FOSS4G 2011.  I 
hope to get them this week from their committees

Please I hope this can begin discussions, with an aim to release this 
document with all of our changes by next Wednesday.

Thanks!

-jeff
Chair, OSGeo Conference Committee

PS. I think it would be ignorant of me to write this email mentioning 
the Asia/Pacific community, and not mention the events of the recent 
Japan earthquake disaster and its impact on that area of the world, and 
to our friends in the OSGeo community there.  On behalf of OSGeo my 
sincere best wishes to everyone there, for a full recovery.