[FOSS4G2016] Proposed change to the Sponsorship and Exhibition Model

[Marc Zakelijk]

Arnulf,

Given the lay out of the exhibition area (free space with not that many back walls available) the suggestion is to make it more into a Cas(h)bah. The (Cathedral vs) Bazar finally visualised, OS having its own 3D footprint!

No boring bland sad rows of booths, but islands where visitors can meander through the hall.
It makes the experience more lively and interactive, empty booth are less noticeable (while still getting sponsor money for it).
Value/pricing would then be per square meter(s).
Which enables SME to have as a cheapest option a single standing table with some high stools around it. 

Let's be different from what all others have done for ages!


Vriendelijke groet,
Marc Vloemans


> Op 21 okt. 2015 om 12:34 heeft Arnulf Christl <arnulf.christl at metaspatial.net> het volgende geschreven:
> 
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
> 
> Folks,
> we propose some changes to sponsorship levels and and exhibition area.
> Some of this has already manifested on the web site:
> 
> 1) Please note, that we separated sponsorship and exhibition. Sponsors
> from Bronze upwards may also book exhibition space. Prices and details
> to exhibition will be announced soon.
> 
> 2) Please also note, that we assign exhibition places in the order
> sponsors announce their sponsorship!
> 
> 
> Before going ahead we want to let you know what we have come up with and
> ask for feedback. Ideally short, concise and now so that we can go ahead
> with contacting sponsors.
> 
> 
> Background:
> So far exhibition space increased proportionally to the sponsorship
> level. Experience shows that this makes a lot of sense for the Bronze
> and Silver levels. They typically represent the totally Open Source
> committed SME who can barely afford to go to FOSS4G AND ship a booth AND
> folks to man the stand. But they still do it. And the exhibition area is
> alive because of those folks. They are all enthusiastic and will come up
> with nice ideas how to get involved with visitors and community.
> 
> The bigger the sponsors the more diverse their interest in exhibiting.
> The biggest sponsors often even politely decline to man a booth at all
> because their interest in supporting FOSS4G (and OSGeo) is not so much
> in talking to end users. Therefore in the past quite a few large
> exhibition areas were deserted or sparsely used at the expense of the
> smaller exhibitors.
> 
> Therefore we propose that by default we include basic exhibit space for
> all sponsorship packages (except Supporter). It includes (something
> like:) 1.5 Meter front line, 1 table 2 chairs (detaisl up for
> discussion). BUT - additionally - sponsors *have to* explicitly register
> for this exhibition space, otherwise we do not reserve any space for
> them. This prevents us from those ugly empty boxes, half-baked
> last-moment printed wall posters and unmanned stands.
> 
> Any sponsors can additionally book exhibit space at regular prices, e.g.
> 1 Meter front line at €1000 or some such. Making the front-line rather
> expensive will help to raise the value and make sure that people use the
> space they have efficiently. Plus it may prevent one sponsor from buying
> up all space... :-)
> 
> All exhibitors obviously get full wired Internet access, 220V sockets,
> etc. ...
> 
> 
> Please comment (ideally sort of NOW as we are already busy contacting
> sponsors).
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Arnulf
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> Version: GnuPG v2.0.17 (GNU/Linux)
> 
> iEYEARECAAYFAlYnajYACgkQXmFKW+BJ1b2i+QCeI2Ow833Hv1kCMXHsfmefNqX4
> WuQAn2YnydD62GggCBYuG6ccoOue78R0
> =h/2A
> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
> _______________________________________________
> FOSS4G2016 mailing list
> FOSS4G2016 at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/foss4g2016