[OSGeo-Discuss] Can you get to FOSS4G2009 on this date?

[Andrew Turner @ mapufacture]

On Sat, Aug 30, 2008 at 6:51 AM, Cameron Shorter
<cameron.shorter at gmail.com> wrote:
> In Sydney we are finalising venue and date details and want feedback on
> whether any specific dates are going to clash.
>
> If there are important Geospatial events for 2009 happening in your region,
> could you please tell us when and where they are and what attendees are
> likely to be effected.
> (we are keeping track of these dates at:
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2009_Marketing_Plan#Related_Conferences )
>
> The key dates we are considering are:
>
> 17 - 21 Nov 2009
> 23 - 27 Nov 2009 (US Thanksgiving is 26 Nov 2009. Is this a showstopper?)
> 20 - 24 Oct 2009

I wouldn't say US Thanksgiving is a "showstopper", but I will assume
would definitely prohibit many potential attendees from the US. There
is a case to be made "why not have Thanksgiving in AU?!" but in
reality the US holiday is so wrapped up with many families together
that this kind of scheduling is unrealistic.

So combining a potentially limiting holiday along with the long
distance, both potentially dropping number of interested attendees, I
would recommend against the conflict.

My suggestion is the October 20-24 date - it's also far enough out
that it doesn't even come up against Thanksgiving travel.

Thoughts from other Americans?
Andrew