[OSGeo-Conf] Final Statement & Q/A summary from Portland

[Darrell Fuhriman]

First off, we want to thank the members of the list for their questions and comments. We think they’ve helped both proposals be clearer and more carefully thought out.

Second, we’d like to remind the committee members that the cost of the conference is more than just the budget, but also the cost to the attendees. We believe that we have a very strong proposal on this front, and can keep the cost to the attendees low, not just in terms of registration, but in transportation and lodging costs as well.

Third, we’d like to emphasize that while Portland has a (somewhat undeserved) reputation for dreary weather, early September is a fabulous time to be here, with low humidity, clear skies, and a mean high of 76F (25C). We look forward to arranging field trips that allow attendees to take advantage of our incomparable natural setting.

Finally, below is a summary of changes and clarifications to our proposal based on the Q and A.

	• In exchange for volunteer time,  students will receive a discounted registration fee of $200 or less.

	• Workshop instructors will be given a free registration to the conference. 

	• It is and has always been our intention to return all profits from the conference to OSGeo. 

	• We will keep our plan for professional live recordings.  If the final breakdown of costs shows streaming to have a poor return on investment, beyond the cost of simply recording, then we will certainly drop it. We will, of course, look for creative ways to make this line item and all others smaller.

	• There were two mistakes in the version of the budget I sent out initially. The corrected summary is below. I emailed a copy of the corrected spreadsheet to the list, but you can also contact me for a copy.


Base
Better
Best
Total Attendance
850
978
1,063
Paid Attendance
765
880
957
Surplus/Loss
$98,248
$115,624
$127,402
Surplus/Loss per Attendee
$116
$118
$120




Total Revenue
$696,938
$764,213
$809,258




Fixed Expenses
$266,025
$266,025
$266,025
Variable Expenses
$332,664
$382,564
$415,830
Total Expenses
$598,689
$648,589
$681,855

We know it will be a tough decision, but we really hope to see you in the City of Roses in 2014!


Thanks,

Darrell and the The Portland LOC
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