[OSGeo Finance] FOSS4G 2008 Budget

[Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)]

I have nothing to add and am satisfied with the review so far.

On 3-Apr-08, at 12:26 PM, Dave McIlhagga wrote:
> Thanks Paul for the clarifications.
>
> Given this - I'm definitely +1 on recommending to the board that we  
> approve the budget as is.
>
> Anyone else (Tyler/Ken) have any comments?
>
> Dave
>
>
>
>
>
> On 3-Apr-08, at 2:36 PM, Paul Ramsey wrote:
>> Dave,
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 11:22 AM, Dave McIlhagga
>> <dmcilhagga at dmsolutions.ca> wrote:
>>>  So tell me if my understanding is right -- from what I can see,  
>>> in the
>>> event of the low-ball number of attendees (700) and based on the  
>>> current
>>> committed sponsors/exhibitors -- we're around R 700,000 (100k  
>>> USD) short of
>>> break-even. The only place to make that up is in additional  
>>> sponsorship /
>>> exhibitor funds.
>>
>>>  First of all -- am I reading the tea leaves correctly?
>>
>> Right, based on *current* confirmed sponsorship, the budget is in
>> deficit. That said, the projected sponsorship levels are reasonable,
>> IMO.  Based on the experience of GeoAfrica in filling an exhibition
>> floor, and previous FOSS4G conferences.
>>
>>>  Secondly -- from your experience with 6 months to go before the  
>>> big event
>>> -- does attracting 100k in more sponsorship seem to be a likely  
>>> thing to
>>> pull off?
>>
>> I think they have not done a great job rounding up sponsors early in
>> the process, but I do not think it is impossible or even highly
>> unlikely to get that 100k in sponsors/exhibitors over the next  
>> months.
>>
>>>  Any other thoughts you can shed on this would be helpful.
>>
>> My comfort level with this budget is based on the previous GeoAfrica
>> event, which did break 600 attendees, and had a full exhibition  
>> floor.
>>  If we should happen to lose $100K on this bet, we'll split that w/
>> GISSA, so we're only down $50K and that's covered by the '07 surplus
>> easily.  And losing $100K would require going forward with no course
>> corrections along the way to reduce expenditures to meet revenues if
>> things look like they are going very very bad, so it truly is a very
>> worst case scenario.
>>
>> I have lots of discomfort about this things have been marketed so  
>> far,
>> and the overall visibility of the conference, and am trying to push
>> those issues to the fore, but the budget itself doesn't give me the
>> willies anymore.
>>
>> Paul
>
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Tyler Mitchell
Executive Director
Open Source Geospatial Foundation
tmitchell at osgeo.org
P: +1-250-277-1621
M: +1-250-303-1831