Regarding costs: 

Santa Cruz is $100 / person / day including 3 meals, _and_ rooms are free. 
Multimedia (projector rental, etc) is not free but is typically much much cheaper than I have seen e.g. in hotels.  Hotels may charge $500 / day for projector rentals for the low power units, and the quote for a high power unit for the main room... was absolutely ridiculous. 

So perhaps $100 / person / day + free rooms is not so bad in the Bay Area. 
On the negative side, I have heard at various Wikimania people scream in horror at any price that would be more than about $ 30 / person / day, and I certainly do not know how to organize something in the Bay Area at that price (unless we get a huge sponsorship, that is). 

Luca

On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 4:44 PM, Luca de Alfaro <luca@dealfaro.org> wrote:
Santa Cruz might have the Theater -- a big open air place that seats 3,000 and is very beautiful... 

Luca


On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 4:40 PM, Robert Rohde <rarohde@gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 4:28 PM, Eugene Eric Kim <eekim@blueoxen.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 4:17 PM, Luca de Alfaro <luca@dealfaro.org> wrote:
>> I am also at Google now, so if you like, I could at least let it be known of
>> the possibility; I have no idea of whether it would be possible, or
>> advisable, to get Google support or space for this.  Any feedback?
>
> I've organized several events hosted by Google through Leslie
> Hawthorn, who's great and is a friend of our community. (She's been to
> several RCCs.) The experience has been great, but it has the same
> problems as the others listed: size (probably can't host a 1,000
> person gathering), proximity to housing, transportation, etc.
>
> It sounds like Berkeley is the best bet so far. Phoebe, have you
> investigated other local universities?

You have similar space issues with Berkeley when it comes to keynotes
and the like.  The Student Union has conference spaces that go up to
about 500 seats.  The largest classroom space is the main auditorium
in Wheeler which seats 730.  The second largest, Pimentel accommodates
around 500.  One might be able to kludge together something larger out
of gymnasium, but as a practical matter 700 is probably about the most
Berkeley can easily manage in a single room.

I know the organizers of the Berkeley Energy Symposium (an annual one
day conference for ~400) so I can put you in touch with them for
suggestions.

-Robert Rohde

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