Re: Venues

[Stefano Rivera <stefanor@debian.org>]

Hi martin (2014.09.14_22:15:29_+0200)
> So I'd say this is like with the timing: get a venue and then we'll
> make it happen any way.

+1 to that. I was trying to give an idea of the DebConf atmosphere,
rather than force an up-front style selection.

> I suppose given that travel to Capetown will be arduous for most
> attendees, however, strong preference should be given to airport
> proximity.

The airport is fairly out of the way, 20 mins drive, and no potential
conference centers are is nearby. But there is a very affordable myciti
bus service into the city centre, with connections from there to the
Waterfront (location of Breakwater lodge).

Stellenbosch is supposed to get myciti bus service in the future, but I
doubt it'll be live by 2015.

Hotels all have shuttle services, and we could probably do a deal with a
shuttle company. Labour is cheap in South Africa, after all...

> For DC15, we did a completely breadth-first exploration of all
> possibilities:
> https://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/DebConf15/Germany/VenueScouting
> 
> This proved to be highly valuable and motivational for the team, who
> set out to submit a bid only if we would find a "perfect" venue.
> 
> This also proved to be very advantageous in later venue
> negotiations, because we simply had alternatives and a lot of
> information.

Sounds like a plan, we should start doing something similar.

> We did? Shuttles? ;)

I haven't been to such a debconf, but I had heard that such a thing had
once happened. I don't know which one, though, so maybe it was just a
bid that I'm thinking of.

> I don't know about South African standards, but at least for the
> Swedish DC15 bid, we ruled this out due to cost, inconvenience, and
> the effect it would have on the conference.

There's an enormous difference in the cost of labour between South
Africa and Sweden. It might be quite affordable. Certainly inconvenient,
though.

> > Bandwidth may be non-existent, of course. But I'd imagine that we
> > could live with a wireless link, if absolutely necessary.
> 
> Define "wireless link" ;)
> 
> If you are talking LTE, then I doubt it. If you are talking
> P2P/microwave, then yes.

There are certainly ISPs in Cape Town that'll do temporary P2P links
(and some that we have friends at). But we need line of sight to a POP
of theirs, of course...

> But then again, having less bandwidth means more people
> interactions! ;)

Our best option, turn it into a selling point :)

SR

-- 
Stefano Rivera
  http://tumbleweed.org.za/
  +1 415 683 3272