[Foss4g2008loc] Programme (Including workshops, labs,presentations & other)

[Antony Cooper]

Hi Inge

Presumably, most of the delegates from out of town will stay at hotels in the city bowl, so the rush-hour traffic should not be an issue for them.  As for the locals who normally commute into the city bowl, a start of 08:30 or 09:00 will either be normal or late for them.  Rush-hour traffic will be an issue for those staying outside the city bowl who do not normally commute into the city bowl.

My preference would be for 08:30, because us South Africans are early starters.  It also gives us more of the evening to enjoy in Cape Town, which is one of the attractions there.    There are also a few events planned for the early evening.  However, the foreign delegates might be more used to an 09:00 start.

I agree with your layout of the programme: 90-minute slots, 90-minute lunch break and 30-minute tea breaks.  Its not clear if you have budgeted for a break between the late afternoon sessions and the evening sessions (for BOFs, AGMS, etc).  It might be useful to budget a 15-minute 'body break' for then - it also allows delegates time to have a few conversations after the last sessions, pack up and find the venue for the evening session.  Also, it is not clear how long these evening sessions are - they should not be too long!  :-)  If the evening sessions are 75 minutes long, an 08:30 start will mean the evening sessions end at 18:30, and an 09:00 start will mean they end at 19:00 - edging into dinner time!

Registration is only an issue on the first morning, after which the volumes taper off.  How feasible will it be to do some registrations on the Sunday before?

Regards
Antony

>>> On 11 June 2008 at 16:19, in message
<004201c8cbce$2cb8cff0$6a03a8c0 at SAHAIntRSA.local>, "Inge Netterberg"
<inge.netterberg at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all
> 
> There are a few things that need to be decided on with regards to the
> programme.
> 
> Starting time for the conference. (I am seeing different times for this) 9
> am is a good time to start ito traffic, and getting to the venue for those
> not staying in the city bowl. And allows some time for daily registrations
> (8:00 - 9:00) I would not allow less time than an hour for daily
> registrations. But 8:30 could also work. I would not start earlier than
> 08:30.
> 
> 1.5 hour slots works well. I think most of us are agreed on this.
> 
> At AfricaGIS2005 the 1.5 hour lunch worked well and gave people time to do
> some serious networking together with giving the exhibitors good exposure.
> There was good feedback about the long lunch.
> 
> We are going to need someone to help with the synchronisation of the
> programme as we need to check who is presenting where and not schedule them
> in 2 places at once. We need to especially check that across the whole
> programme with the workshops / labs / presentations. 
> 
> Your comments please.
> 
> Kind regards
> 
> Inge



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