Re: [Linux-aus] LCA2006

[Andrew Cowie <andrew@operationaldynamics.com>]

On Fri, 2004-01-23 at 16:08, Shane Stephens wrote:
> Just out of interest:  Don't we already have a sizable Kiwi contingent
> attending LCAs in Australia?

Big time.

Also, several people have pointed out to me that an noticeable
percentage of conference attendees are from the local area.

[With the interesting follow on that many seem to, after this first
attendance, decide to go to subsequent years' conferences!, and that
seems to be responsible for much of the year over year attendance
growth. Two people are planning on doing research work on this point in
the coming months, so we should have better numbers about this soon]

> 	* No visa or permit requirements

Now that's silly to ask for - who knows what the respective governments
will do? And who cares? 

While I will admit my sample size is relatively constrained to the
"western" world, you generally don't need a visa to go somewhere as a
tourist / conference attendee.

[Or, more precisely, just about any country will welcome you and your
conference/hotel/restaurant/tourist dollars and so will automatically
and effortlessly grant a tourist visa (either on entry (Can/US/UK/most
of EU) or by having your airline arrange one automatically,
transparently and electronically a few hours before you get on the plane
if you don't have a more formal visa already (Aus))]

So for NZ?

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/Visit/

specifically the link about exempt countries. Australian citizens do not
(now anyway) require a visa to enter New Zealand as a tourist or on
temporary business.

> should help keep attendance rates up.  Really, the only issue from the
> point of view of attendees is the requirement for a passport.

Which people should have anyway - and most do.

[Taking a year or two off abroad seems to be an almost right-of-passage
here, so this would present as good an excuse as any to get a passport
issued if you haven't happened to have the opportunity to go out of
Australia yet]

AfC

-- 
Andrew Frederick Cowie
Operational Dynamics Consulting Pty Ltd

Australia: +61 2 9977 6866  North America: +1 646 472 5054

http://www.operationaldynamics.com/