[OpenGeoscience] Activities at EGU 2018: Call for abstracts / Townhall / Splinter

["Peter Löwe"]

Dear list,

the calls for EGU submissions are open until January 10 2018 (https://www.egu2018.eu/).

I would like t o draw you attention especially on this session:

ESSI3.1:Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) for Geoinformatics and Geosciences
Details: http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2018/session/26511

Further, I would like to ask for feedback whether the committee shall organize another Townhall event at EGU (evening event) or shall instead go for a lunch-(splinter)event.
OSGeo Townhalls have been hosted since 2014 (report on last townhall https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/EGU_Townhall_2017).

Townhalls have the disadvantage to compete for attendees, as several Townhall events happen in parallel in the same timeslot. 

The same applies potentially to splinter meetings hosted during lunch, but during that time of day most of the conference attendees are on the move anyway.

IMHO the biggest difference between a splinter event for lunch and a Townhall would be availability of libations (evenings: "free science", "free software", "(free) beer") instead of hot beverages (coffee/tea). 

For an OSGeo-themed evening event we could also schedule a dinner-event (including libations) to meet with local OSGeo activists, as it was done in the past years.

Please comment.

best,
Peter