Re: [Linux-aus] LinuxWorld Australia

[Leon Brooks <leon@cyberknights.com.au>]

On Tuesday 03 May 2005 16:11, Minnie Constan wrote:
> We are very excited about being able to launch LinuxWorld Expo to
> Australia.  If you have any recommendations or suggestions as to how we
> can better service the Linux community we would be happy to hear them.

"Service" always has such agricultural connotations when it's used like 
that. (-:

> Just to give you a bit of background on AES we are a major exhibition
> organizer in Australia and were involved in N+I and Comdex so IT is not
> all together new to us, but realise we have a lot to learn in the coming
> weeks and months about the open source community.

> Again your comments and opinions are important to us and I look forward
> to receiving them.

Speaking only for myself, a few observations at random:

I'm expecting LW.au to be more like a trade show than LCA, more 
"industrial" and less technical, so I don't know how much overlap there 
would be between denizens of this list and visitors strolling the floor at 
LW.au. Do expect the typical visitor to be a lot more interested in detail 
and functionality than gloss and glitter anyway.

Having wireless internet freely available would be good, along with a 
cafe-like lounge to sit and type in between sessions, preferably with a 
network switch for those either without or distrustful of wireless. 
Streaming the sessions over the 'net is also helpful as it allows people 
to "be in two places at once".

Free nibblies and basic drinks (coffee, tea, hot choc, non-tap water) are 
also good, they encourage people to interact. Having an additional pay-for 
cafe area with more upmarket drinks and nibblies has also worked well the 
few times I've seen it done; it gives the truly up-market somewhere to go, 
and the salespeople somewhere to be seen investing in prospects.

Cheers; Leon