[OSGeo-Discuss] FOSS4G 2013 Nottingham update

[Barry Rowlingson]

FOSS4G planning is getting hectic, so it seems a while since the last
of these updates. Have no fear, we are ready. We were born ready. Then
for a while we weren't ready, but now we're back to full readiness.

The BIG Entertainment News. For our Gala night in the GeoCamp on
Thursday we have booked an act that could have been custom-made for a
tent full of open source geo geeks. Steve and Helen from "Festival Of
The Spoken Nerd" will be presenting comedy, music, and live
experiments from their hit shows such as "Technobabble" and "Full
Frontal Nerdity", which have played to packed theatres at the
Edinburgh festival, as well as under a giant upside-down purple cow in
London for "Udderbelly". Audience participation may be required!

Serious News: our academic bursaries, sponsored by edina.ac.uk, have
been reviewed and awarded, giving a number of students the opportunity
to attend FOSS4G. The winning students have been informed and the
remaining students have been offered a place at Early-Bird rates if
they wish to attend.

Volunteer News: Abi, our volunteer coordinator, has put out a call for
volunteers and will be collecting names and assigning tasks such as
staffing the registration desk, pointing lost delegates in the right
direction, helping run sessions and so on. There's also some specific
technical volunteers we need to do video and sound tasks. Details and
sign-up form are on the volunteer web page:
http://2013.foss4g.org/volunteering-at-foss4g/ All our volunteers will
be thanked and rewarded specially at the conference.

The presentation programme is being processed, and some minor edits
are being done to set the style for the printed programme. A live
timetable to replace the current static provisional one should be out
in a couple of weeks. We've found a designer to produce a good-looking
booklet for delegates with all the information (for when the Wifi
fails? That won't happen).

The committee is now moving to a weekly meeting schedule, and this
week a number of them are meeting at the venue to discuss logistics
with the conference centre and university staff, and produce a more
detailed delivery plan for the days ahead. The 74 days ahead.

Everything is on schedule, hundreds of people have registered, and
we're heading for a fantastic fun-packed foxy FOSS4G. You will of
course get regular updates here.

Barry