[OSGeo-Conf] Start 2019 RFP / Board discussion about RFP for FOSS4G-2019

Sun Sep 3 10:29:16 PDT 2017

Just one note on dates coming in the wake of Boston where we heard loud,
and often about our mid-August time period. And, as has been pointed out,
this timing did not deter our ability to attract a record number of
delegates:

   1. No time period is good for everyone. Some people are on vacation in
   August. Other people have significant academic calendar challenges with
   September. There will *always* be some people disappointed/frustrated by
   a given date. I do not believe it is in the best interest of the conference
   to declare that August vacations are more/less important than other
   legitimate conflicts with other time periods.
   2. At least in the US, there are significant cost and availability
   variations between August and September/October. Boston would have been a
   more expensive conference, with more expensive lodging had it been held in
   September.
   3. Indeed, while August does mean that some people who are on vacation
   cannot come, it is likely that it also opened up an ability for others to
   come who might not have been able to make a September date (hence the good
   attendance figures from the past 2 August conferences).

>From my vantage, it is OK to have a conference that moves around an August
- October time period. The specific conference date is chosen by the
CC/Board and based on what was proposed. I do not believe it is in the best
long term interest of the conference to have iron-clad limits on what might
be proposed.

Reading from afar, it looks like very good work, with predictable
challenges attempting to be addressed (i.e., cost containment; data
selection; etc.). Best of luck in getting the RFP for 2019 on the street.

MT

On Fri, Sep 1, 2017 at 2:33 PM, Cameron Shorter <cameron.shorter at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Till,
>
> Thanks so much for taking the lead on this. In our do-ocracy your vote
> counts for much.
>
> Re selecting dates, I agree we have diverse opinions on dates and are not
> likely to agree, but lets not have our committee members select a
> conference venue based on date proposed, (which might be the case if the
> opinions voiced here is the case). It is not fair to the cities putting in
> proposals.
>
> We should collectively work out our opinion as a committee, and provide
> that information to proposers. Maybe do a poll of voting committee members
> for date ranges, and present that information to proposing cities.
>
>
>
> On 31/8/17 11:58 pm, Till Adams wrote:
>
>> Hi CC,
>>
>> based on the discussion that already took pace in the past 2 hours, I
>> think we will not find an agreement, that satisfies everybody here. I'd
>> suggest to follow Steven (let the bidding teams suggest their prefered
>> date) and add a comment, that teams should line out, what an alternative
>> date would mean in sight of costs or other circumstances (in Bonn they
>> tourist office simply told me, that they could not block as many
>> accommodations as needed).
>>
>> So, if a bidding team suggests a date, that lies in "normal" holiday
>> periods (I know, that holidays vary from year to year, in Germany they do
>> it for every state every year), we could please them to briefly line out
>> what an alternative date in, let's say, September would mean.
>>
>> I'd more prefer, if anybody from CC (except Steven, he is on holidays
>> ;-)) could make comments on my time schedule for the RFP... ;-)
>>
>> Till
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Am 31.08.2017 15:51, schrieb Dirk Frigne:
>>
>>> IMHO was Bonn (2016) during the last week of August. Boston (2017) was
>>> August 15, which is a holiday and in the middle of the holiday season.
>>>
>>> my2c.
>>>
>>> btw, how many visitors where in Boston?
>>>
>>> On 31-08-17 15:17, Bart van den Eijnden wrote:
>>>
>>>> Several members of our community have pointed out that it is an issue
>>>> for them to attend, e.g. Jeroen Ticheler pointed this out before. For me
>>>> this is the same, I normally can't attend a conference in the school
>>>> vacation. Boston wasn't possible. Bonn was barely possible because
>>>> schools had just started that week (but some years school vacation will
>>>> be until early September even due to regional rotation).
>>>>
>>>> Looking at attendance figures and saying it's no big issue doesn't
>>>> really give the right attention to the problem IMHO.
>>>>
>>>> Also even if the venue might be cheaper, I'm sure flights and
>>>> accommodation will be expensive in the European holiday season.
>>>>
>>>> Best regards,
>>>>
>>>> Bart
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 31-08-17 15:03, Steven Feldman wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> 2016 was in august and attracted 940/950 people
>>>>> 2017 was in august and attracted 1140 people
>>>>> That's record attendance 2 years running (in August)
>>>>>
>>>>> Doesn't look like August is a big issue for us in the northern
>>>>> hemisphere.
>>>>> I also heard from some of the organisers that they were able to obtain
>>>>> lower rates for venues in August
>>>>>
>>>>> I think we should leave it to LOCs to propose the dates that work for
>>>>> them based on regional holiday patterns, pricing, weather and any
>>>>> other constraints they may have
>>>>>
>>>>> Now I'm going back to my end of august holiday ;)
>>>>>
>>>>> Steven
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 31 Aug 2017, at 13:15, María Arias de Reyna <delawen at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Also I can imagine of editing the section regarding the conference
>>>>>>> dates:
>>>>>>> I think we just have s.t.h like a target timeperiod (Sept-Oct), but
>>>>>>> we
>>>>>>> should hint bidding teams, that they may choose the best and/or
>>>>>>> maybe also
>>>>>>> cheaper period around this target period. On the other hand, I also
>>>>>>> know,
>>>>>>> that there have been some problems for people attending the
>>>>>>> conferences in
>>>>>>> 2016 and 2017 that took place in holiday-pregnant August, so maybe
>>>>>>> we can
>>>>>>> also have a discussion whether we can/will allow people to have their
>>>>>>> conference in August?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> I think this is very important. Having the conference during the
>>>>>> northern summer may look appealing to people that go to conferences as
>>>>>> if they were holidays. But for people that need to take care of their
>>>>>> family or people that just want to enjoy their holidays disconnecting
>>>>>> from work, this is a major issue.
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Conference_dev mailing list
>>>>>> Conference_dev at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/conference_dev
>>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Conference_dev mailing list
>>>>> Conference_dev at lists.osgeo.org
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>>>
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>
> --
> Cameron Shorter
> M +61 419 142 254
>
>
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-- 
*Michael Terner*
*Executive Vice President*
617-447-2468 Direct | 617-447-2400 Main
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