[OSGeo-Discuss] Costly FOSS4Gs

Sat Oct 21 02:54:11 PDT 2017

Dear Ravi,

If you feel sidelined, I am very sorry to hear/read this.
Various commentators in this thread have tried in very rational ways to explain how international, regional and local events have different requirements, constraints and even audiences. Obviously, to no avail.

I would suggest that “the prove (or price) of the pudding is in the eating”. If anyone feels sidelined...well, OSGeo is a do-ocracy....so, in stead of continuing this thread-with-no-end-or-single-silver-bullet....I invite you to try your hand at organising a 1000-plus event and see what it takes. 

From present experience as chair of FOSS4G NA 2018 I can relate to all chairs of similar previous events; our growth means success and success (of eg events) comes at a price.

‘Correction of course’ would ultimately entail downsizing international events, the only time there is this size of gathering our tribes, and even the community at large, which defeats all purposes.

About the latter, we do a good job of that.
For those who have missed it: Paul Ramsey tweeted he left this list..... I have no means to check this, but even the signal itself should tell us all something.....

Kind regards,
Marc Vloemans

> Op 21 okt. 2017 om 10:58 heeft Ravi Kumar <manarajahmundry2015 at gmail.com> het volgende geschreven:
> 
> "the fees are certainly not for normal people from most of the world".. This is balm to all those who consider themselves sidelined.
> Much of the world needs Open Source and Open and Free GIS for Transparent administration among a multitude of reasons. May be it is time for a course correction.
> Ravi
> 
>> On Thu, Oct 19, 2017 at 1:06 PM, Jachym Cepicky <jachym.cepicky at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Guys,
>> 
>> the fees are certainly not for normal people from most of the world. Not talking about travel costs.
>> 
>> But, as active member of the community, you can get considerable discount (giving workshops, volunteer at sessions, ...).
>> 
>> With FOSS4G-Europe, we aim to bring "little FOSS4G" to more people. And it seems to be working.
>> 
>> Just 0.02
>> 
>> J
>> 
>> čt 19. 10. 2017 v 8:44 odesílatel Till Adams <till.adams at fossgis.de> napsal:
>>> Dear list,
>>> 
>>> I can invite everybody, to follow the RfP process for FOSS4G 2019 [1] - including the questions to the teams. This will show, that we as CC have the cost factor always in mind. When discussing about prices, please take into account, that conference fee normally is 1/3 - 1/5 of the total costs you have when visiting a FOSS4G.
>>> 
>>> Also I'd like to invite everybody to make even small donations to the travel grant programme. We will announce, when the TGP for 2018 is setup.
>>> 
>>> Cheers, Till
>>> 
>>> [1] https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2019_Bid_Process
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Am 18.10.2017 um 09:30 schrieb Andrea Aime:
>>>> On Wed, Oct 18, 2017 at 8:39 AM, Bruce Bannerman <bruce.bannerman.osgeo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> When you look at the costs associated with a person attending a typical international FOSS4G event, the actual conference fees a small amount of the actual cost.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Consider airfares, transportation, accomodation, meals, lost wages etc. There is nothing that an LOC can do about these individual costs.
>>>> 
>>>> Ah hem, nothing that the LOC can do once the conference site is chosen, but something that OSGeo can do when assigning the location and timing.
>>>> And I believe that is happening, if I'm not wrong for the first time the LOC needs to provide expected cost of airfare and accommodation as part
>>>> of their proposal, which will make people consider carefully that aspect too. 
>>>> 
>>>> Another aspect that was not cited but that I heard in conversations and believe is important, it's that it is really hard to compress
>>>> the cost of a large conference: the LOC needs a place that can host 1000 people, and that can give internet to this many people,
>>>> that places forces the catering package on you (I've been told by several conference chairs there no way to dodge that) and the 
>>>> two together make up for a large amount of the cost.
>>>> 
>>>> So, besides some exceptions (think FOSDEM) it seems the only way to setup a cheaper conference is to make a smaller
>>>> one that can be hosted at a university or in a smaller conference center. Hence the focus on the local conferences.
>>>> I believe the threshold is at around 500 people, larger than that one is hung on the costly options.
>>>> 
>>>> Cheers
>>>> Andrea
>>>> 
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>>>> 
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