[VisCom] OSGeo at GeoWeb - PR opportunity

[Peter Moran]

That makes sense Chris.  Good point about emphasizing OSGeo
participation over sponsorship.  I'll ask the GeoWeb folks to get your
input on the release or review it - thanks for offering!

Peter

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Holmes [mailto:cholmes at openplans.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 6:04 PM
To: dev at visibilitycommittee.osgeo.org
Subject: Re: [VisCom] OSGeo at GeoWeb - PR opportunity

Very cool.

The one concern I have specifically about the press release is balancing

nicely between Autodesk's sponsorship and OSGeo promotion.  Namely I'm 
not sure that we want it to be 'OSGeo Sponsored'.  Like then it would 
appear that OSGeo has all this money to spend, just to promote itself. 
Like it makes it seem a lot less grass roots, like it's the money behind

it that matters, and not the participation.

I think we could play it something like Autodesk sponsoring as they feel

the 'GeoWeb' won't truly take off without an open source presence.  Like

basically play up that Autodesk is taking on this sponsorship in order 
to properly promote all the great OS software out there.  Something like

'AutoDesk boosts OSGeo presence at GeoWeb'.

I don't feel I'm being very articulate here, but basically to me there's

a bit of a cognitive dissonance if OSGeo is actually sponsoring the 
conference, that sponsorship should be autodesk's, as a big company that

can make that happen, and then use all the individual opportunities to 
promote OSGeo.

I'd be happy to help out with some of the wording for the press release.

  The topic of 'open source importance to the geospatial web' is one I 
like riffing on.

Chris

Peter Moran wrote:
> Autodesk will be donating the benefits of sponsoring the GeoWeb
> conference (Vancouver July 24-28) to OSGeo.  
> 
>  
> 
> We've been contacted by the conference organizers, who want to issue a
> press release on Autodesk's involvement and sponsorship. 
> 
>  
> 
> We'd like to suggest that they shift the spotlight a bit to shine on
> OSGeo instead, and have the release talk about OSGeo involvement and
> sponsorship.  I've suggested that they get a quote from Dave, who I
> believe will be speaking there.
> 
>  
> 
> I see this as a good way to get some free publicity for OSGeo.
> 
>  
> 
> Make sense?  Any objections?
> 
>  
> 
> Peter
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 

-- 
Chris Holmes
The Open Planning Project
http://topp.openplans.org