In-Reply-To: a5360d2d0807281530o5a852967j91284aa6bd07ef83@mail.gmail.com
Recent Easter SF cons have been at hotels in Chester, Hinckley, Glasgow, Liverpool (but shall I say that I was not surprised that one of the MOD missing computers was stolen from a room in the Liverpool Adelphi). The Brighton Metropole had a big conferencing area in the rear, but the management and the SF community fell out in the late 80s and we haven't been back since.
Cheap dig at Liverpool there :(.
Oh I assure you it is aimed fairly and squarely at the Adelphi. Last year's Easter SF convention was meant to be there but there was a fair amount of hostility because of the history of thefts when we have been there. They assured the committee that they were changing the security system on the rooms, but failed to come up with documentary evidence of what they would do by when, so the conference was cancelled. (http://community.livejournal.com/uk_sf_events/27785.html) With that type of record I wouldn't want an event that is likely to have as many laptops floating around as I expect of WikiMania anywhere near the Adelphi.
The local chamber of commerce were also insisting on security being updated before Liverpool's turn as European City of Culture, but clearly nothing has changed if the MoD computer theft is anything to go by.
There's an association of conferencing facilities (or there was in the 1980s who you could write to with your specs and they would put your details in a circular to members.)
But back to the point, I think there could be some merit in investigating non-University approaches. During the Summer Hols, they really are out to make as much money as they can with conferencing. We may be able to find something a little cheaper by thinking outside this box - I'm slightly amazed that the Alexandria team got all that they did for free, though I do suspect that with some effort we may be able to get close...
That said, I personally lack ideas at the moment... It is worth keeping our eyes and minds open though.
http://www.conferences-uk.org.uk/ has a searchable directory in which you can put numbers. People who are interested in organising things can then look at facilities local to them.
Peter