Well we need to be looking at UK companies in particular, or at least UK
branches of international ones. Companies that would potentially benefit
from an increase in local reputation. (International sponsors are great once
bidding is over, but at this point we're looking for people who would
sponsor us but not any other bid.)
I don't think IBM have that big a presence over here (though I may be wrong)
so they're maybe not ideal.
As for the Wikimedia UK e-mail address, yes it would be useful, but at the
moment I don't have it either. I wouldn't let it stop you from contacting
people, no one at Wikimedia UK would begrudge you putting Wiki Educational
Resources after your name, or saying on behalf of...
Tom
-----Original Message-----
From: wikimediauk-l-bounces(a)lists.wikimedia.org
[mailto:wikimediauk-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Oldak Quill
Sent: 22 July 2008 16:48
To: wikimediauk-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Wikimania Oxford 2010
2008/7/22 Tom Holden <thomas.holden(a)gmail.com>om>:
We need a lecture theatre that holds 500, so those
main halls wouldn't be
big enough. Given previous years experience, UCL seems the best bet for a
hypothetical London bid. But unless someone's prepared to take the lead on
it it's not going to happen.
There are several non-location specific tasks that need doing, such as
contacting large tech-savvy companies to try and get sponsorship, so
there's
a job for someone if they want it.
Tom
I looked at UCL, but the closest they came in terms of room capacity
was 400 (
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/efd/roombooking/all-rooms/ )
There are two massive conference centres in London that I know:
* The Royal Horticultural Hall -
http://www.horticultural-halls.co.uk/
**
http://www.horticultural-halls.co.uk/venues/lawrence-hall/?capacity
- The Lawrence Hall has a maximum capacity of 1000
**
http://www.horticultural-halls.co.uk/venues/lindley-hall/?capacity
- The Lindley Hall could just about fit 500
*Westminster Central Hall -
http://www.c-h-w.com/roomhire/capacities.html - lists room capacities.
Sadly, the largest room has a capacity of 2160 in "theatre mode", and
the two other largest rooms have capacities only up to 450 in this
mode.
In terms of contacting large tech-savvy companies, wouldn't that best
be done from a wikimedia.org.uk address? Virgin have shown interest in
sponsoring Wikimedia in the past (though that was a bit of a mess). I
don't know if a company like IBM would have any interest in sponsoring
a Wikimedia event... (
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/ ) Their
website suggests they are interested in points of contact between
technology and education.
--
Oldak Quill (oldakquill(a)gmail.com)
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