[Wikimania-l] What to do about 2012, and the future

[WereSpielChequers]

I've been to the last two wikimanias, plus GLAM wiki here in London
and several conferences in my real life. I absolutely agree with the
argument that the lifecycle of a volunteer is too short to have 24
month gaps between wikimanias. But there are sensible things that
could be done to simplify the process.

1 Don't reinvent all the wheels. The local team has to find venues and
accommodation, but do they really need to create their own booking
system from scratch (I think this is one area where Poland came
unstuck).

2 Recruit freely. Once you know who has the bid then a call for
volunteers can't hurt and can be last minute. Yes it is nice to
involve the local chapter, but if the local chapter is short of people
to do particular things then why not ask for a few regulars to urn up
a few days early or late and do the tasks you haven't otherwise
managed.

3 Use a resort town that is used to hosting conferences - ideally one
that will supply some of the logistical support. (in the UK out of
season resorts can be quite cooperative).


WereSpielChequers