[3836] in comp.os.os2.announce archive
PR: Warpstock 98 Proposal Form
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Paul Hethmon)
Wed Feb 18 01:39:29 1998
To: os2ann.DISCUSS@bloom-picayune.MIT.EDU
Date: 10 Feb 1998 02:01:00 -0500
From: phethmon@hethmon.com (Paul Hethmon)
Reply-To: phethmon@hethmon.com (Paul Hethmon)
Reply-to: phethmon@hethmon.com (Paul Hethmon)
[Followups directed to comp.os.os2.misc]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Warpstock 98 Proposal Form
February 5 1998
1. Introduction
It's wonderful that your group wants to sponsor Warpstock. The 1997
Warpstock was an enormously successful one, and was enthusiastically
accepted by the OS/2 community. That makes it especially important that
Warpstock '98 continue the "good energy" that was created.
This document was put together to help your group organize and present its
offer to sponsor Warpstock. The Warpstock Steering Committee will examine
the offers from groups who submit written proposals, with input from the
OS/2 community, and will announce a decision.
To submit your proposal for Warpstock sponsorship, please create a document
addressing each of the questions and issues that follow. Send it to
phethmon@hethmon.com. Feel free to supply more information that what's asked
for, here; these questions are meant as a template to elicit a detailed
proposal, not a multiple-choice exam.
2. Deadline
The deadline for submitting bids is February 28, 1998.
3. Bid Information
This is the actual information to submit. Please feel free to elaborate as
needed and to add any material you feel is relevant.
3.1 Contact Info
Contact name
Contact phone
Contact email address
Contact snail-mail address
City that you represent
Organization Name
Organization legal standing (incorporated, tax status, etc?)
3.2 Dates
Proposed dates for Warpstock?
Any conflicting trade shows (Comdex, Internet World, etc)?
Any trade shows just before or after Warpstock to make it easier,
and more reason to travel to the US? (i.e., can someone combine a trip)
3.3 Geography
Why is this city a good location for Warpstock?
What special advantages does it offer?
What disadvantages need to be coped with?
3.4 Travel
What options are available for out-of-towners?
Hotel prices, or other lodging arrangements?
Airports? Driving ease?
3.5 Facilities
Where will Warpstock be held? (List all choices being considered)
How many people can be accommodated?
How many rooms are available for presentations, with what capacity?
Where will the exhibit hall be?
What other advantages --and disadvantages-- does the facility have?
What about the site's proximity to hotel, food, and airports?
3.6 Finance
(These numbers can be put forth in general terms, but should be addressed.)
What expenses do you expect to incur?
From where do you expect to get the income?
How much do you plan to charge for Warpstock admission?
What's the break-even point (i.e. expenses == income)?
How many people do you need to have?
What's the maximum number of people you can handle?
What if this is a bust; can your group afford to fail?
3.7 Personnel
Who will bear the brunt of the work?
What individuals have stepped forward, already, to take charge of the
event and the main activities (chairperson, exhibits, presentations,
facilities, treasurer, Webmaster, PR/advertising, etc)?
What experience do they have?
What other volunteers do you have to call upon?
What's the history and accomplishments of the sponsoring organization?
What are your weak points, organizationally? (Let's be honest, here.)
3.8 Event Planning
This doesn't have to be in as much detail, but it doesn't hurt to mention.
What are your thoughts and considerations about the presentations, exhibit
hall, etc?
What do you have in mind for entertainment?
3.9 Everything Else
How will you market Warpstock, so that the target audience learns about
it, and realizes that it simply *must* attend?
What unique advantages would attendees have, by attending a Warpstock
in YOUR city?
In other words, why should we choose _you_, instead of the other guys?
Here's some logistics issues to keep in mind, in no particular order.
They're meant as fodder for your thinking/planning process.
parking
handicap accessibility
hotel facilities (including computer friendly rooms)
food
shuttle bus
discounts on airlines
discounts for local group members (if any and amount)
weather issues
audio-visual issues (projection screens, microphones)
computers for presenters
speaker prep room
fast Internet access, for vendors and/or presenters
preparing the program
preparing the after-event CDROM (or whatever you have in mind)
Internet access for those who can't attend (videoconferencing etc)
volunteer chair/management
t-shirts (for volunteers, and for sale)
up front seed money for before-event expenses
registration
check-in and database management
establishing what should be on the program (program chair)
establishing which vendors should be invited, convincing them, etc (exhibit chair)
arranging the presentation schedule
press/media relations
IBM liaison
storage
equipment rental (chairs, exhibit tables, and so on)
setting up facility (when can exhibitors get in to set up their booths?)
posters and banners
entertainment for the evening(s)
entertainment available nearby (for family, before/after the event, etc)
lists of nearby restaurants and tourist sights
area maps (for the Web site, at least) and driving directions
press releases for Warpstock
liaison with vendors for their "announced at Warpstock" press releases
acknowledging that the organizers in charge won't have a life for weeks
before the event
cleanup after the event (who does it?)
4. Planning Considerations
To help you get a feel for what to plan for, here are some general
numbers of what happened at Warpstock 97
Total Attending: 325
Hotel Rooms Blocked out: 75
Total Budget: $15,000
Admission (early): $40.00
Admission (late): $60.00
Vendor Charge (early): $300.00
Vendor Charge (late): $450.00
Facility Rental: none
AV Labor: $2500.00
Computer Rental: none (all loaned)
AV Rental: none (all loaned)
Food & Drinks: $3000.00
Programs/Printing: $800.00
CD Rom: $1500.00
Shirts: $1200.00 (for volunteers and speakers)
Rental Tables/Chairs: $1200.00
Shuttle Bus Rental: $800.00
Insurance: $300.00
Misc: ?
Presentation Rooms: 5
Smallest Room: 16 people
Largest Room: 300 people
Network Access Speed: T1
5. Thank You
The Warpstock Steering Committee would like to thank everyone for submitting
a bid for Warpstock 98.
Paul Hethmon Rollin White Judy McDermott
Chair SCOUG Liaison Volunteer Chair
Kevin Royalty Esther Schindler Mark Abramowitz
Presentations Chair Presentations Co-Chair Exhibits Chair
Paul Wirtz Mary Ellen Pascucci Timothy Weaver
Exhibits Co-Chair Volunteer Co-Chair Networking Chair
Seth McFarland Larry Finkelstein John Morrison
Webmaster Advisor Advisor
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Position Announcement: Needed hardworking person with organizational
skills, devotion to OS/2, plenty of spare time. No pay, no benefits.
Apply by self-nomination :-)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Hethmon phethmon@hethmon.com
Inet.Mail Internet Mail Server http://www.hethmon.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author "Illustrated Guide to HTTP" http://www.browsebooks.com/Hethmon?882
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warpstock -- Tune In! & Warp Out! -- http://www.warpstock.org
_____________________________________________________________________
| NOTE: Please send submissions by EMAIL os2_ann_req@bix.com
| Correspondence to the COOA Moderator: lfirrantello@bix.com .
| Please see: http://www.bix.com/pub/os2ann/pindex.htm for posting guidelines
