[OSGeo-Discuss] FOSS4G-CEE congratulations

[Jeff McKenna]

Hello everyone,

I noticed several others have commented on the success of last week's
FOSS4G-CEE event (maybe on another list, sorry I am terrible handling
cross-posts with my email client, so I tend to send to one list at a
time only): great reviews by Markus, Jachym, and Gerald.

My brain is finally starting to come back online now, and I want to add
to the praise for FOSS4G-CEE-Bucharest.  Some highlights:

- wonderful event location (National library of Romania)
- passionate vision of Vasile, the chair (he would get about 2 hours of
sleep each night and then be at the venue organizing before others
arrive next morning, each day)
- good sized event (~220 attendees)
- focus on workshops for OSGeo projects (Cameron would be happy to hear
that the LOC relied heavily on the wonderful OSGeo-Live project)
- LOC really focused and stressed to the speakers and keynotes that the
goal of this event is for the students, to learn, to share, to grow.  I
was very impressed with this vision, and I hope other FOSS4G local
committees take note.
- Dirk Frigne's keynote on Open Source geospatial business models and
our ecosystem was, such a highlight, and he should be asked to speak
about this at every FOSS4G event.  It's a call to action and Dirk is a
leader.
- social events organized for each night, and a default location (pub's
patio) was always available to meet at
- most importantly: the Romanians were wonderful gracious hosts.  I was
treated like royalty.  It was so very nice to experience such a
beautiful country.

Just like the recent FOSS4G-BA event, I found the CEE-Bucharest event to
feel like the early days of FOSS4G, the energy, the passion, the
excitement to share.  All of the LOC for CEE-Bucharest need a big pat on
the back (and a week of recovery) for a wonderful international event.

And hint: the momentum will continue...

-jeff

(what a great year of FOSS4G events we have on the calendar for 2013.
we should all be proud)