Re: [guadec-list] Guadec Planning Meeting Notes - 3rd March 2007

[Dave Neary <bolsh gnome org>]

Hi,

Some suggestions to keep down costs, and a couple of questions:

Thomas Wood wrote:
>      * Setting up the limited company will cost about £200
>      * The accounting will likely cost 12-14k
>      * An audit would cost around £370-400

Erk... 12 - 14K sounds like a lot out of a £80K budget.

>      * We were advised to invoice only in Stirling, so as to simplify the
>        records for tax reasons in the case of fluctuations in exchange
>        rates.

Stirling in Scotland?

>      * Preliminary suggestion for registration prices was £80 for
>        corporate registrations, £40 for normal registration, and £20 for
>        concessions.

£40 = €60 seems a bit stiff compared to the €30 we had last year... what
criteria are you planning on using for concessions?

> Keynotes
> 
>      * Progress has stalled somewhat
>      * No further responses since last meeting
>      * Need to ask board for help

How about going further down the list? I'd love to invite James Dyson &
Donald Norman :)

>      * Bags - £6.65 ( for runs of more than 250)
>            o Will be getting a samples to test
>            o Do we even need a bag? It was decided that if possible we
>            may not want to include a bag as part of the attendee items.

I have previously gotten plastic bags with tourist packs from the city
here - they produce them by the thousand, you can get 500 handy, and I
don't think that you really need a canvas bag (although last year's
GUADEC bags were very cute and are great camera bags/handbags/nappy
bags). And €10 per bag is taking a €5000 chunk out of your budget.

>      * Polo shirts - £10
>      * T-shits:
>            o £4.23 - one colour print
>            o £5 - 4 colour print
>      * Will only be giving one t-shirt away free this year (the Guadec
>        t-shirt with sponsor logos)
>      * Possibility to sell other GNOME t-shirts

I suggest giving away a t-shirt, and selling polo shirts. No need to go
overboard on the number you order, you'll end up with extra if you get
any more than 500 t-shirts and 200 polos.  And I'm not even sure you'll
sell 200 polos - it's worth taking a poll beforehand.

>      * Further ideas were discussed, and we will get quotes for:
>            o Stickers - sheet of different stickers would be nice
>            o Badges - approximately 20p each
>            o Lanyards - about £1 each)

Get these sponsored - offer supply of lanyards as part of a gold or
cornerstone package. They won't be branded GNOME, but so what? You're
saving £500.

>            o Badge holders - about 30p each
>      * Mugs  are £1.50 for 1 colour, and £2.40 for 4 colour
>      * Custom USB drives are about £11 with a 4 colour print
>      * GNOME Beer mugs?!
>      * We would definitely like to include stickers, badges and usb
>        sticks as attendee items.
>      * A budget of no more than £20 per person was agreed.

Be careful with "stuff" - you can blow a big chunk of money with that
stuff, and a lot of it will never be used after the conference. Are you
planning on giving all this away, or trying to sell some stuff?

> Print
> 
>      * We will need to produce:
>            o A programme
>            o Attendee badges
>            o Booklet/Brochures
>            o Banners (for main stage, and if possible something to attach
>            to railings or signs for outside).

You'll need to figure about £3000 - £5000 for everything, I would guess.
You're planning on both a booklet and a programme? Or are they the same
thing? Are you hiring someone to do layout? It'll need to be in the budget.

Cheers,
Dave.

-- 
Dave Neary
GNOME Foundation member
bolsh gnome org