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Re: [Linux-aus] About a User Conference (was...)]



Anthony Towns wrote:
Tim Bowden wrote:

Just out of interest, can anyone give an of-the-cuff ballpark figure of
what lca2004 cost, with an approximate breakdown of where the money
went?


Going from memory on 2002, the key costs were:

    * venue (yay for in kind sponsorship from unis!)
    * flying international speakers in
    * food (morning/afternoon tea; conference dinner)
    * everything else

Think, say, $20k for each of those items for a conference of 300 attendees, and you're in the right ballpark.

I suspect that international speakers for a user conference is counter productive -- the international speakers tend to be specialists, and you're looking at something more general for a user conference. I would think that the costs for a starting out user conference are:


 - venue
 - a small amount of printing (handouts at the event)
 - a tshirt for the attendees
 - A/V costs (possibly part of venue)

And that should be about it.

Subsequent conferences have added other stuff and gotten bigger, but the above will get you your base model LCA without the options.

Yes, with proposed tweak.

New issues for a user conference could potentially include:

    * not being able to run it at a uni or get cheap rates
    * having to pay speakers to present (particularly specialist
      trainers who mightn't want to compete with themselves)
    * having to pay organisers

I agree with one of those. I know that a major hotel in Canberra will do a day package of $49 per person for events (with a minimum booking). For my 100 people proposal, that's only about $5k, and I assume that a community club can do better for a non-profit.


If it's run as a national LUG meeting, then you don't need to pay speakers -- they'll presumably come for the same reasons that they speak at LUG meetings now.

Anything heading towards a trade show type event should be buried 6'
under unless a commercial organiser wants to do it themselves.  IMHO it
should not be lug's or la that drive such a thing.

So what /would/ people like to see? Talks? Tutorials? Classes? Areas where you can go to talk to Linux developers / consultants / companies? Do you want to focus on learning stuff, or getting ideas on new things to do, or networking? Do you want to come wearing a suit and holding a business card, or with a t-shirt and a laptop?

I think business stuff is a different event. An event I suspect is needed, but not part of LCA or a user conference.


What would you or your friends/workmates go to a "CALU" for, that you wouldn't be better off going to an LCA/AUUG/SAGE conference for?

Interesting... I will meditate.

Mikal

--

Michael Still (mikal@stillhq.com) | "The geek shall inherit
http://www.stillhq.com            |  the earth"
UTC + 11                          |    -- The Simpsons

Linux.conf.au 2005 -- Quite like an excellent Linux and Open Source
conference. http://lca2005.linux.org.au