[OSGeo-Conf] RfP FOSS4G2024

[Adam Steer]

Hi everyone

I've spoken to one community I know who would be great at hosting a global
FOSS4G. We actually worked on an RFP, which would place FOSS4G as a
co-event with another important regional geospatial+political forum - then
it was felt that 2026 might be a better target.

Here are issues I saw:

- The southern hemisphere outside the Americas just isn't on the OSGeo map.
This is unapologetically blunt, and the standard response to pointing this
out is "but the people and money are in the north", and an obvious response
is "so you can afford travel more easily right?" ;)

- Related to that point, the tradition / expectation / requirement that
FOSS4G is OSGeo's primary funding source limits where it can be held.

- Related to profit-making is the scale. An expectation that a global
FOSS4G should be ca. 1000 in-person attendees is for sure daunting and
excludes a lot of potential venues.

FOSS4G is extraordinary as a volunteer (and/or people who can do stuff as
part of their normal paid job) run event. In many interactions we have with
other organisations, it is clear that volunteer-driven organisations and
events at this scale are unprecedented. Which is a huge credit to the
community.

So, in order to keep our community sane and happy and not burned out with
the expectation of a huge FOSS4G each year, can we look at ways to make
better != bigger?

If there's no "global" FOSS4G in a year, how can OSGeo better serve /
support regional events? Importantly, how can the energy of FOSS4G events
be captured in ongoing OSGeo volunteerism?

Suggestions from me:

- immediately in 2024: as soon as we can be sure no "global" focus event
will happen, publicise that fact and draw peoples' attention to OSGeo
support systems like the travel grant program. Also remind everyone how
sponsorship currently works, so that anyone organising regional events is
fully aware of how local support also translates into global support.

- In 2022 there was some effort toward co-sessions (remote) between two
regional events in Oceania. It didn't work out then - maybe it can in
future. Also what about ideas like "24 hours of FOSS4G" with regional
events coordinated around the globe so that anyone, anywhere can tune into
a session at any time during the week? That is also a lot of distributed
logistics...

- in the long term: continue work on ways to decouple OSGeo funding from
FOSS4G events. Take the pressure off.

At this point, I can only offer ideas. I have my own multiple crises to
deal with before I can say "yes I am secure and can offer time to act on
things" (or more hopefully "I can do this as a regular part of my work
day").

Cheers

Adam


On Fri, Apr 28, 2023, 01:32 Msilikale Msilanga <msilikalemsilanga at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Thank you for following up and for your comments. I have been providing
> support to Vasile behind the scenes, but given the current situation, we
> could really use your suggestions. If you have any experience or ideas,
> please share them with us. Vasile <vasile.craciunescu at gmail.com>, if you
> have any insights or proposed solutions, please let me know how I can
> assist in moving us forward.
>
>
> Best,
>
> Msilikale
>
> On 27. Apr 2023, at 4.13 PM, Paul Ramsey <pramsey at cleverelephant.ca>
> wrote:
>
> Seems like a pretty rough situation.
>
> We could go out and directly solicit some communities, where we know there
> are strong local groups and hasn’t yet been a FOSS4G. At least get a sense
> of what’s holding people back.
>
> Calgary, Halifax from the last North American call.
> DC, Minneapolis, Seattle.
>
> Further afield, Japan, Netherlands, Brazil, India, all feel like places
> with large local communities that might be able to pull off a FOSS4G.
>
> That said, the clock is running and it will soon be infeasible to carry
> out a large international conference.
>
> P.
>
>
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