On 7/28/08, Tom Holden <thomas.holden(a)gmail.com> wrote:**
*
*
*From:* wikimediauk-l-bounces(a)lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:
wikimediauk-l-bounces(a)lists.wikimedia.org] *On Behalf Of *Cormac Lawler
*Sent:* 28 July 2008 12:31
*To:* wikimediauk-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
*Subject:* Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Wikimania 2010 - Manchester?
On 7/27/08, *Tom Holden* <thomas.holden(a)gmail.com> wrote:
I don't think sending off a few exploratory e-mails would hurt though, if
only so we had a benchmark to compare Oxford's costs against.
I made enquiries about Manchester last year (for Wikimania '09) and I got
the following quotes: Renold building - £34 (plus VAT) per person per day
(including lunch); en-suite B&B accommodation £38.50 (plus VAT) pp pd (in
university halls). University Place [1] is similarly priced (however,
accommodation may not be available on-or-adjacent-to site).
I'm also a postgrad student at the University of Manchester, and am more
than willing to make further investigations. I've also attended all four
Wikimanias so far, so I have some understanding of what is required.
Cheers,
Cormac
[1]
http://www.conference.manchester.ac.uk/meetingmanchester/meetingandaccommod…
Well with the charity discount Oxford Town Hall would be £6000 for the 3
days (plus £4 * 500 * 3 for lunch perhaps to make the comparison fair =
another £6000). But £34 * 500 * 3 = £51000 > £12000... (Without the charity
discount it'd be another £6000, which is still less than half of your
Manchester quote.)
Seems rather more expensive than I was expecting Manchester to be. Are you
sure you're not paying for services usually provided to us by volunteers?
Tom
I double checked - the price I was quoted for University of Manchester
includes hire of venue, catering, and A/V support - all things that we would
require. And there is no option for pricing the venue "all-in" - it is only
priced per delegate.
In fact, the price you are quoting seems very cheap - I've just priced
probably the only other place in Manchester which could hold Wikimania
(albeit a pretty expensive venue anyway - the GMEX [2]), and that works out
somewhere in the region of £27,000 per day. They did, however, say that
there might be room for discount as it would be in their quiet season, and
possible funding available through Visit Manchester (tourism board)...
Cheers,
Cormac
[2]
http://www.manchestercentral.co.uk/ or
http://www.conferences-uk.org.uk/conference_venues_uk.asp?venue=Manchester%…