On 8/30/07, Majorly axel9891@googlemail.com wrote:
On 30/08/2007, Gary Kirk gary.kirk@gmail.com wrote:
All very well, but has anybody actually done anything? This is not a dig because that serves no purpose, but - I did bring up the idea of an unofficial bid in October last year - can people actually start cross-checking the 2007 bid with the 2008 bid. I have been told by UCL it's likely technical facilities, rooms etc will be available same as last year. If we can decide on things like dates, UCL can start putting things in place. Regards, Gary
I *want* to help... but I have no idea whatsoever what I'm doing :S
:-)
I've been involved in a London bid before (two years ago), which wasn't as good as others at the time - largely due to the perceived expense of London, and an unresolved question about technical facilities. If facilities are in place (and they seem to have been fine from last year), the main cloud over any London bid will be cost. Money. Sponsorship. If there is not an indication that there will be significant sponsorship, and if accommodation/travel/food will be a significant expense to visitors (who, bear in mind, and assuming it doesn't change so much in the coming year, would be dealing with the strength of the British pound), then I don't hold out much prospect for a London bid. That would be my main advice for this bid - identify full costs (both to Wikimedia, and to individual participants), and show how/where they can be cut, offset, or minimised.
On dates, I would keep to the same schedule as previous years, ie first week of August. The first few days of August 2008 are the weekend - maybe have the hacking days over these days and start the conference proper on the Monday, 4th. So, hacking days: 2-3; conference 4-6 (inclusive).
To return to my main point - money - I think there would be *plenty* of interest in Wikimania within the media, educational sector, and business. Sponsorship would be forthcoming - and plenty of people not yet committed to this bid will have links that can be milked. So, consider that whatever funding opportunities could be explored in the next month would not be the last word in funding - but still I stress that we would need some indication of interest at this stage. However, potential funders have to be made aware of the fact that this is still only a *bid*, and that there is no guarantee that it will be happening. We are simply wondering about the possibility of their interest in the event of Wikimania coming to London. :-)
That's my tuppence worth for the moment,
Cormac