[OSGeo-Conf] Final proposal for hosting FOSS4G 2015 in Seoul, Korea

[Jeff McKenna]

Hello Sanghee and team,

Thank you for submitting this proposal.  I have a few questions, and I
also have comments (mostly for the OSGeo Conference Committee to read),
as I only a few months ago attended your FOSS4G-KR event in Seoul.

- I agree that holding the global FOSS4G in Seoul would explode FOSS4G
in the whole Asia region.  That is exactly what happened for S.Africa
and Sydney after their events.  I think the proposed 'FOSS4G Asia
Special Session' is very important for this reason.

- the COEX venue is indeed world-class, and having attended the "Smart
Geo Expo" with you a few months ago, I know how big of an event the
Smart Geo Expo is (maybe you can outline some stats of how large that
event was in 2014, for the OSGeo Conference Committee to understand.
e.g. how many exhibitors).  I think having FOSS4G around the same time
as Smart Geo is very smart.

- I am glad to read that you are already planning on hiring a
Professional Conference Organizer.

- having given a workshop at the proposed TOZ venue, I can verify that
it is indeed a top-notch training facility.  However I wonder how many
concurrent workshops that TOZ can handle, as in the past we have had
something like 9 concurrent workshop rooms running (I just did not see
all of the venue, maybe it has additional floors or training rooms?).
But indeed the facility for workshops is world-class.

- Also, I don't see the workshops in your proposed timeline, are they
likely planned for the Monday and Tuesday before?  (14th & 15th)

- Great to see your focus on the social events, as they are very
important for any FOSS4G event.  I wonder if an unofficial 'ice-breaker'
could be planned for the Tuesday night (the night before the talks
begins, as most will be arriving that night).  It could just be a pub to
meet at.

- I am happy to see that a Korean BBQ is planned, as this is a wonderful
part of your culture.

- One warning I received from past FOSS4G attendees, is that FOSS4G
attendees generally do not want to be forced to 'buy a ticket' to attend
each social event each night.  Generally the Gala event is acceptable,
but beyond that FOSS4G attendees want freedom to just have a
beer/network, without having to buy a ticket in advance.

- I am glad to see the code sprint planned for the Saturday after, at TOZ.

- Having stayed at the Hotel Ibis, I can verify what a great location it
is, a short walk to the COEX venue; in fact I foresee this hotel as
being 'the' hotel for the tribe

- In general I can verify that the local subway system is efficient and
safe.

- Great to see several OSGeo Charter members as part of your proposal
LOC.  I'd also like to see some members of the Japan chapter on your
LOC, such as Venka and Mori-san; their experience and network is very
important for your event.

- In terms of technical infrastructure for the COEX event, I know it
sounds silly to ask, but as FOSS4G attendees are so wifi/bandwidth
demanding, can you outline some infrastructure details for COEX?  I
know, your area is one of the most connected and stable areas in the
world, but, we must always plan for this, for any FOSS4G event.  Would
we leverage the existing COEX network, or setup a custom instance for
our attendees?

Again thanks for a wonderful proposal.  If all goes well, I hope to be
having a soju with you again there soon.

-jeff
OSGeo President






On 2014-04-28, 2:45 PM, Sanghee Shin wrote:
> Dear FOSS4G Selection Committee, 
> 
> On behalf of LOC, it's my great honor and pleasure to submit this final proposal for hosting FOSS4G 2015 in Seoul, Korea. 
> 
> Please note that some major changes has been made including venue, dates and co-organizer from our first LOI. 
> 
> I attached final proposals and budget estimation here. However I'd like to give you an executive summary as follows:
> 
> 1. Venue : Seoul COEX
> 2. Preferred Dates : 14th Sep to 19th Sep, 2015.
> 3. Regular registration fee : KRW 500,000(USD 455) including VAT
> 4. Will organize 'FOSS4G Asia Special Session'
> 5. Want to introduce 'Half for low-income countries scheme'. For details, see page 24 in the proposal. Need talks with OSGeo board. 
> 
> We are ready to answer to your questions about our proposal. Let's start the talks. 
> 
> Thanks and regards, 
> 
> Sanghee
> ---
> Shin, Sanghee
> Gaia3D, Inc. - Helping Earth Sustainable 
> http://www.gaia3d.com 
> Tel : +82-(0)2-3397-3475
> Fax : +82-(0)2-3397-3478
> 
> 
>