FW: [Foss4g2008loc] Budget

[Carrin Martin]

Hi 

Several comment about the budget and the prospectus.  Running at a loss
is not an option, our income must meet our expenses.  We will do our
level best to secure very good sponsorship, but we cannot start the
conference knowing that we can run at a R3000 loss per delegate.  GISSA
is doing this for the good of the industry, but we would also like to
make a profit, as I'm sure would OSGeo.  If we do get good sponsorship,
I'd rather use the funds for extra workshops, even if it means bussing
people to the local universities.  Lets see what the demands are and see
how we can respond with the resources we get.   

The budget 

1. there is no fat on this budget and we are going to get into trouble
as there will be unexpected costs and we woun't have the funds. The full
conference rate needs to be higher.  I'm not sure why there is such a
big difference between the early and the late, I know that we want to
get people to register early, but we cannot run at a loss. 

2. The costs for the different activities need to be separated as
requested at our October meeting - the cost per person per workshop.
100 computers with 2 at a computer with 2 workshops a day is 400 people
a day. The cost of the venue plus any technical cost, computers, lunches
etc should be the cost.  I'm not sure how the current costs were
derived.  What if someone only wants to attend one workshop and not
both.  These costs are then directly paid by people attending the
workshops and not included in the overall bill.  If this makes the cost
of the workshops too high, we need to find a way of running more
workshops, say every morning, with labs in the afternoon and evenings
and the late reg people subsidise the early people.  

3. the cost of the full day workshop for late registration is R1708 -
way too much, locals are not going to attend a full day workshop for
that amount. 

4. the day rate are too high, people are not going to come for those
prices.  I'm not sure that we should factor them in in the pricing, I
think that we should stick to the full conference fee in the budgeting. 

5. the difference between the early and late for conference+Workshops
and just conference is very different.  I would like to see the early
one higher.  

6. The student rate needs to be closer to R500 a day. They are still
getting a good deal.  

7. Someone has to pay for exhibition floor space - either the exhibitors
or the delegates.  If we want to keep the reg fee down, then we make the
exhibitors pay for floor space.  The exhibition space and all associated
costs are then be covered by the exhibitors - cost of hiring the space
divided by the number of exhibitors plus they pay for the booth costs
plus some fat. If the exhibitors cover those costs then we don't need
the delegates to cover them.  

8. the workshop and exhibition fees total over R700 000.00 which could
be covered by the people using them.  then we work out the registration
fee based on the remaining costs that will not be covered by exhibitors
or workshops plus.  

9. I agree that the gift prices are too high.  

10. we need to try and get the cocktail function and the drinks for the
dinner sponsored.  Those costs then become profit. 

11. I'd be interested to see what percentage registered early last year,
but I think the current figure of over 80% for early registration is
over optimistic.  I doubt that it will be over 50%

12.  If we remove the computer space because its going to be paid for by
those people attending, and remove the exhibition space because its
going to be paid for by the exhibitors, we reduce the R3 790 000 to R3
000 000.00 divided by 600 that is R5000 per delegate.  Now we start
playing with the numbers, lower for early and higher for later.  

13.  I would like to see a slightly lower rate for out GISSA members.
Our membership fee has gone up to R120 year (about $20) so something in
the order of a R150 discount as an incentive.  

14. I don't recall seeing anything about how the demo area in the
exhibition hall is going to be allocated.  I suggested that the main
sponsors get the meal times, the lesser sponsors get tea times, and the
smaller exhibitors get time in-between.  That has to be used as a
sponsorship draw card.  

15. Regarding the title, we agreed on the title and I wrote the
motivation with the specific intention of 1. telling the developing
(underdeveloped, under developing, 2nd, 3rd, 4th) world that they need
to be here to learn about FOSS4, and 2. to get the developed (1st) world
to come and tell us what they are doing so that we can learn from real
examples.  The intention is not to exclude the developed world at all,
but to get them to come and share their knowledge and expertise, and to
help us with the debate.  I'm sure that at the same time they will learn
things, but the title came with intention. 

I'll have a look at the prospectus tonight, 

Carrin Martin
GISSA 


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