Linux-Kongress 2000: Call for Location

Linux-Kongress 1999 has not yet begun (hurry up, it starts on
Wednesday, September 8th, in Augsburg!), but with these words we
start looking for next year’s location (as we promised in
Würzburg 1997, we will look for a new location in
Middle-Europe every year)!

So, would YOU like to organize the
Y2K-(without-problems;-)-Linux-Kongress in YOUR town?

You will now certainly ask: What do I have to do then?

Well, to be honest in the first place: A LOT OF WORK, but, trust
me as the local organizer in Cologne 1998, it is absolutely WORTH
doing so!

To be more specific:

• The first and most important thing to do is to find an
  appropriate location. Appropriate here means:
  • has at least three lecture rooms, the largest with >= 500
    places, the middle with >= 300 places, the smallest with >=
    100 places, plus some smaller rooms
  • has some space for making a (small) exhibition
  • is not too expensive. Ideally, it will be free (universities
    often offer such oppurtunities), but a good location might be worth
    paying for it.

  (If you have vistited former Linux-Kongresses, you will certainly
  have an idea about what we need.)

• Furthermore, you need to look for a hotel where the speakers
  can stay, a nice location for both the speakers’s dinner and the
  social event, a frame program for the speakers on the weekend after
  the Kongress, and it would also be fine if you find some cheap
  locations where the visitors can stay.
• You need to provide all “local important” information for our
  web-pages: The way to the Kongress (via car, train, tram, …),
  references to the hotels, where the visitors can take their lunch,
  …
• During the Kongress week, we need 10-15 volunteers to help in
  organizing the whole thing: Mark the way to the Kongress, help at
  the registration desk, transport of speakers, packing conference
  bags, moderation of tracks, help setting up the exhibition, guard
  the Internet-Cafe, solve unexpected problems, …

  PLEASE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS POINT: It has shown in past
  that even large Linux user groups had to work hard to get this
  amount of people, some are at work, some are in holidays, some are
  not that much interested as you might have expected!

  On the other hand, you DO

  • NOT need to care for the program (though we are happy if you or
    someone of your organization team would like to participate in the
    program chair)
  • NOT need to care for the registration (this is handled by the
    GUUG)
  • NOT need to care for public relations (though help, especially
    for local newspapers etc, would be greatly appreciated)
  • NOT care for the webspace (except providing the “local”
    information)
  • NOT necessarily need to look for sponsors and exhibitors
    (though your help would be greatly appreciated)

So, if you think that YOU can and would like to manage these
tasks, you will certainly ask: When will the event take place?

Well, this is not strictly determined, but

• we don’t see any need to change the traditional scheme of the
  last years: Start with the tutorials on wednesday, have the
  conference on thursday and friday.
• we need to avoid overlapping with other events, both local,
  Linux and non-Linux (e.g., you will not get affordable room for the
  speakers and visitors in Munich during “Oktoberfest”), and
  international
• it shouldn’t be during Germany’s summer holidays
• there should be some time-gap after this year’s Kongress

As a suggestion, the end of the third quarter 2000 (a little
later than this year) will be a good candidate.

The exact date will of course have to be discussed with the
location you proposed.

This is only a rough overview, to discuss the details we will
have a BOF on this year’s Linux Kongress on Friday, September 10th,
from 13:45-14:30, please ask at the registration desk for the
location.

If you can’t join this BOF, or if you have further questions,
please e-mail to cfl@linux-kongress.de.

If you can imagine to organize the Kongress next year, please
also mail to cfl@linux-kongress.de till
October 31st 1999.

You don’t have to have an perfect idea of how to handle all of
the things mentioned above till then, but you should have some
suggestions, especially about the location!

Thanks a lot,

Martin Schulte
Jens Chr. Bachem
Sebastian Hetze
Jos Vos

(for next year’s program committee)