[OSGeo-Conf] [FOSS4G 2016] / upcoming FOSS4G - do we want a travel grant budget / student award

[till.adams at fossgis.de]

Hi conference committee,

just a reminder of my email, I sent you a week ago - see below. 
Unfortunately I received no response to my ideas.
I talked to Steven about that yesterday, and he more or less agrees on 
my ideas.

Are there any further opinions or should I contact the board directly?

I've CC'd Christoph, who is new in our LOC and from now on the chair 
for the travel grant programm, so please include him in further 
discussions.

Till



Am 2016-01-26 16:01, schrieb till.adams at fossgis.de:
> Hi Conference Committee,
>
> long time no real news from Bonn, but in short: Up to now preparation
> of FOSs4G is running quiet well, we just released our Call for
> Submissions as you might (should) have noticed.
> Anyhow, there are some ideas we have that are quite interesting for
> all FOSs4G's in the future and therefore I take the opportunity to
> discuss with you.
>
>
> 1. Travel Grants
> Seouls team (Sanghee, correct me if I am wrong) set up a travel grant
> budget, AFAIK he took 10k $ from his budget and also enabled 
> attendees
> to make a donation for the travel grant budget.
> People from developing countries then were encouraged to apply for
> such a travel grant and Seoul LOC paid for a number of them for 
> travel
> costs and also gave these people a free/reduced ticket. They used
> world banks country rating to forgive these grants, which is a good,
> because widely as independent accepted, way to decide on that.
>
> In general I really like the idea of enabling people from developing
> countries to attend a FOSS4G. I think especially in developing
> countries Open Source could be a key technology to really improve
> situations there and keep knowledge and with that also money inside
> the country.
>
> On the other side, we, Bonn's LOC, now have the same problem all
> former and upcoming LOC's had/will have: First you see all the costs,
> that come up and although we are in a good hope, that FOSS4G 2016 in
> Bonn will become a great success, we don't know, what really happens.
> Taking both things into account, I'd like to apply at OSGeo board for
> the following:
>
> I'd like OSGeo to set up a fixed budget for travel grants for a
> FOSS4G. If (our) FOSS4G becomes a success, OSGeo will get this money
> back anyhow, because Bonn's LOC agreed to give at least 90% of our
> surplus to OSgeo. If we make a loss, the money from OSGeo is gone and
> doesn't enhance our financial desaster ;-). The other way around 
> would
> be, that we decide on having that (like Sould team did) on our risk,
> but the money for OSGeo is lost anyhow, because at the end of the 
> day,
> the money comes out of OSGeo pocket anyhow. So why not taking the
> opportunity to make that a fixed part for all FOSS4G-conferences?
>
> Just FYI: I will also apply for some more money at FOSSGIS (local
> german speaking OSGeo chapter), which have the same goals as OSGeo.
>
>
> 2. Student Award
> In Seoul also there has been a student award, or to be honest, they
> were 4, 2 from OSGeo and 2 from LOC Seoul, respectively one for the
> best student-poster and for the best student-presentation. The
> presence of twoxtwo student awards caused a little confusion in my
> eyes. I think it was around 500$ each award, directly given to the
> winners in the closing session.
> I know that it was a quiet spontaneous decision on how to decide on
> the winners which was just made right during Seouls FOSS4G lunch-time
> ;-). This also could become a now established and fixed part of a
> FOSS4G - and hits also one of the main goals OSGeo has - to prosper
> education with OSGeo software.
>
>
> So here are my questions:
> A) Would conference committee support us and upcoming teams by
> advising the board to setup a fixed travel grant budget?
> B) Same question for the student award?
>
>
> Many thanks for your time ;-)
>
> Till