[OSGeo-Conf] Comments on Boston 2017 proposal

[Jeff McKenna]

Dear Michael and BLOC team,

Thank you for your proposal for Boston, Mass.  Here are
some comments from me, that I hope will help you in this final stage and 
beyond:

- thank you for including a Vision Statement for the local team.  It is 
nice to read that the OSGeo foundation plays such an important part in 
that vision.

- I think your inclusion of a promotional video really helps get a sense 
of the community.  As you know, the FOSS4G 2016 team really hit a home 
run with their own promotional video 
(http://2016.foss4g.org/index.php/promotion-video.html)

- thanks for describing the full BLOC team, it seems like a wide 
representation of the local community

- I like that you are already thinking of leaders for subcommittees. 
One that is often forgotten, yet is very important, is a subcommittee 
for managing Volunteers.  Roles such as room monitors, workshop monitors 
are a great way to give local students a chance to network and 
experience the event, but someone needs to manage this.  Please consider 
this important role in your plans.

- You have strong letters of support, including several from the 
community sector.

- I think your choice of going with a local PCO is very smart, as this 
will give you a boots-on-the-ground edge that is needed for so many 
months in advance of the event.

- You get strong bonus points from me for the section on working in 
partnership with OSGeo.  This proposal gives me a sense that you value 
the importance of the foundation.  I like your idea of an executive 
committee, as well as OSGeo being a "presenting sponsor".

- Regarding the workshop locations, will you be providing transportation 
to these offsite venues?  (such as transit passes)

- I like that you target some workshops for high school and 
undergraduate students

- Your proposal mentions a welcome event on the Wednesday, but also 
mentions the same event for the Tuesday.  In my opinion, having such a 
gathering place on the Tuesday night is as important as the official 
welcome party on Wednesday.  Maybe you could simply "recommend" Tuesday 
arrivals meet at the Harpoon Brewery, and then have the official welcome 
party there on Wednesday.  Often many LOCs mistakenly do not recommend a 
meeting place for the early (and workshop) arrivals on that Tuesday.

-  Thank you for listing the possible themes for the presentations, for 
technical and academic and social

- I like your idea of early-bird registrants getting a free gala pass

- regarding budget, have you also planned for some possible travel 
grants, to allow some underfunded participants to attend?  I believe 
FOSS4G Seoul had 10 recipients of these.

- thank you for specifying the possible sponsor packages and benefits.

- regarding conflicting events and timing, I think this discussion has 
already been handled on the mailing list.  However I would have liked 
the proposal to list the conflicting September events, for the reason to 
move to August.  (like I said, you can ignore this comment from me, as 
you have likely already answered that publicly)

Thanks again for your proposal.

-jeff