also sprach Steve Langasek <vorlon@debian.org> [2014-09-11 02:31 +0200]:
> I don't say that this is the case with the current plan, but
> I think it /is/ important to recognize that being too "successful"
> at fundraising does actually represent an existential danger to
> DebConf.
Fully agreed. Please have a look through the Git log… we started
with a lot of ideas and we have trimmed them down exactly with this
consideration in mind.
I also don't think the current plan endangers the conference, given
that we are just advertising what we have been doing in the past
already, and given the loose wording.
And I fully agree: we should not subscribe to any policy blindly.
Hence we are having this endless discussion ;)
> Are you comparing DebConf to other conferences of similar size
> (200-300 attendees)?
>
> If we really are cheap for the size, then isn't that an argument
> for, instead of adding extra perks, being more aggressive in our
> fundraising? Or perhaps increasing the prices on our sponsorship
> levels?
We've discussed this at length. Yes, I think the sponsorship levels
should be upped if the perks weren't offered in addition. But the
perks have a purpose (see below), and I think that this "experiment"
can actually turn out to be very successful. So then, the levels
seem right, and we should be able to attract a lot of sponsors.
The levels are IMHO still cheap in comparison to other conferences
of this size and reputation, although DebConf is not really
comparable to any of them. But this this is all I mean with cheap:
20k for being able to call you Platinum of a well-known event such
as DebConf… because of this, we feel that sponsors may be motivated
to buy something on top and help us that way.
> For clarification: does the fact that these expenses are not
> tax-exempt pose problems for the non-profit status of the
> organization as a whole? Or does it "just" mean additional tax
> paperwork / tax to be paid?
The former, although it will be possible to heal problems. However,
healing does not involve just paying additional tax or paperwork,
healing means that e.g. in the case of the conference dinner, we
would retroactively have to find someone to pay for the event.
Nobody says we cannot organise a day trip or a conference dinner,
and we may well succeed in doing so, even within the corsett of
being a non-profit.
However, I'd *much rather* take a *big* detour here and avoid any
discussion on the matter, … and find someone to pay for the event
proactively.
> > What LCA does every morning is IMHO a great addition to the
> > conference: the orga team meets and then the whole conference
> > assembles for a 20 minute session, when the orga team can relay
> > information from the venue, share details about such events like the
> > conference dinner or the day trip, or make all kinds of other
> > announcements. This is not only useful to the organisers and front
> > desk, because attendees do not always read their e-mail in time.
>
> FWIW there were several times during DC14 that I found myself wishing for
> exactly this. So +1 for fixing this in DC15.
\o/
--
.''`. martin f. krafft <madduck@debconf.org> @martinkrafft
: :' : DebConf orga team
`. `'`
`- DebConf15: Heidelberg, Germany: http://debconf15.debconf.org
DebConf16 in your country? https://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/DebConf16
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