Re: [Debconf-team] DC10: Question for bid teams: comparison with previous venues
On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 4:14 PM, Moray Allan <moray@sermisy.org> wrote:
> Can you compare your proposed venue to previous DebConf venues?
> (e.g. what previous venue was most similar?)
>
> What would be new about DebConf in your proposed location?
This is from Benjamin Mako Hill, who's not subscribed to the list:
So, I've been to DebConf in Toronto, Oslo, Porto Alegre, Helsinki, and
Edinburgh but I can't speak to Mexico City or Argentina. Here's my
comparison:
In most ways, I think Helsinki is the best model to what the facilities
at MIT will be like. Both venues are large, modern, research
universities with all that such institutions have to offer. MIT will
also provide large academic meeting spaces and classrooms (although I
don't remember if we had so much classroom space in Helsinki). The
default accommodations at MIT will be dorm rooms as well so I suspect
Helsinki is a pretty good comparison on that end as well.
There are a few major differences with Helsinki. One is that we
shouldn't anticipate problems with the wifi which I know was a huge
headache for people then. Even in the worst situation, MIT offers two
weeks of full-access, unfirewalled, Internet to anyone for two weeks.
That's with no special arrangment or questions asked.
Second, the MIT campus is much less spread out than Helsinki. The
downside is that there won't be as many big open green spaces to play
soccer or frisbee in, for example. The upside is that nothing will be
more than a 5 to 10 minute walk away from anything else at MIT.
Third, the dining experience will be quite different. We'll have more
a-la-cart at normal restaurants than at a single cafeteria. Toronto is
actually a pretty good comparison in this regard although in Toronto there
was no funded food. I suspect most people will eat "food court" style on
most days.
The final comparison, which I think is different from every DebConf
except maybe Edinburgh, is that we'll be right in the center of
Cambridge. Boston is a short walk across the river and Central Square
Cambridge is a 5 minute walk from the venue. We're right near a major
bus and a subway stop. You can treat that as either access to a major US city
with lots of attractions or as things to distract from the conference. :)
Regards,
Mako
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