Re: Call for bids for DebConf24
On 30 October 2023 11:36:33 pm IST, Stefano Rivera <stefanor@debian.org> wrote:
>Hi Paulo (2023.10.30_15:57:51_+0000)
>> Considering the shorter time, If I was you, I wouldn't organize DebCamp.
>> DebCamp is nice, it's great to have people earlier, but it's too much work
>> before the main event.
>
>Interesting to hear you say that. I have exactly the opposite view of
>DebCamp. It makes the event start slowly, without needing to have
>everything ready on day 1. Everybody understands if there are no
>nametags, no network in the hacklabs, or the beer is frothy on the first
>day.
>
>It's not like most other events, where there's a mad rush to get
>everything working the night before the conference starts. There's a
>whole week for the conference organizers to get everything ready, for
>the main conference.
I completely agree on this. We kept DebCamp beginning as deadline for everything, so we had a week's buffer time. I am also thankful of the DebCamp week, that's when most of the work was done. Local team have the advantage that they are at the venue with the global team to make things work before the actual DebConf.
>
>In Cape Town, we were super lazy. We didn't even provide catered food
>for the first 3 days. We just took the 10-20 attendees out for dinner.
>
>Yes, DebCamp+DebConf does make the event very long. But I didn't find
>that it added anything to my stress. It just let me spread it out.
I also had the same experience. I remember running around making things done in DebCamp and was more relaxed during DebConf. Personally I felt that the effort to arrange accommodation and food for one week or two weeks were the same (maybe because we did in a hotel), if we have the exact number. People turning up earlier or late than expected did create problems.
>
>> In 2019 we had 2 weeks, and because most of attendees arrived during
>> DebCamp, we had to deal with accomodation, food and venue for these 2 weeks.
>> When DebConf itself started, I was exhausted and I felt I couldn't join the
>> main part of the event.
>
>That I can relate to. The local organizers almost never get a chance to
>be fully present at the conference. There's usually too much going on,
>that keeps them busy. But I don't think the length of the event plays
>into it much.
>
>Rather, the size and quality of the local team. How effectively tasks
>are delegated, and handled without putting a strain on the main
>organizers.
We had a big team and everyone had their share of work done, so no one was overwhelmed. I am thankful to all of them.
If the constraint for any team willing to bid for DC24 is only the team size, I would express my interest to be "remote" local orga member (1-2 more Indian team members might also join). Less than 10 months is not enough time to plan a full fledged event, but if we have more people taking up tasks, it can be done.
>
>As an organizer and videoteam, I usually spend the whole of DebCamp
>working on bringing up infrastructure and getting the conference ready.
>Yes, not having attendees around would mean we could focus more on that
>work... But we'd also not get as much done at the event.
>
>Stefano
>
-- srud
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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