Talk:Wikimedia Conference 2014/Bids

Questions and Answers for Application #1: WMDE

Thank you for submitting the bid! In order to allow us to make the most informed decision, it would help us tremendously if you could answer in the following days, the questions that came to mind based on your bid. –Bence (talk) 18:58, 2 October 2013 (UTC)

Thank you for your diligence in answering our first round of questions! Today we had a conference call in the location committee and felt that we needed one or two additional pieces of data to be able to compare all bids and come to a good decision by the proposed deadline (i.e. 15 October). If you could answer them in the next 3-4 days, that would allow us to take the answers into account in making the final determination. –Bence (talk) 20:16, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

1. Is something known about the specific venue? (Asaf)
2. After hosting the Conference 4 times, why do you want to do it again? What is your motivation? What do you think is the most valuable of hosting the Conference? (Osmar)
3. In the last Wikiemdia Conference organized by Wikimedia DE there was a long distance between the dorms and the place hosting the meetings. How it’s the condition in you proposal for 2014? (Ilario)
4. Please could you add an estimate of the travel costs per WMF staff member from San Francisco? (Mike)
5. Organizing the Wikimedia Conference should ideally not be too distracting from the general programmatic activities of the organiser. How does this conference fit in with your general activity? Do you feel that you have enough capacity to organise it, without a detrimental effect on your other planned activities? --Bence (talk) 20:07, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Answers

1. My colleagues from the event management team have blocked the two weekends at two different venues, and will further negotiate about the specs after a potential confirmation by the location committee. One venue is near Friedrichstraße, close to the hostel people stayed in 2011 and 2012. It has a huge room for all participants, several seminar rooms in different sizes, and a cozy lounge and courtyard for the breaks. The other is near Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten and offers an auditorium and several rooms for workshops and meetings with a total of 1.400 m². Both settings offer rooms close to each other, so no long distance walks in the building when changing rooms. Also, both are surrounded by hostels and hotels within the mentioned price ranges and are in walking distance. Please understand that we won’t make the names public before we sign any contract. Of course, we are happy to provide the names of the venues off wiki.
2. In our view, the Wikimedia Conference is not meant to be (or become) the little sister of Wikimania. The point is that we need to focus on the programme and not on the logistics, and spend as little movement energy as possible while building an environment as good as possible. Wikimedia Deutschland is best suited to provide this setting. We want to do it again exactly because we have the necessary experience and commit ourselves to guarantee a smooth process - especially regarding tricky issues (like visa) which are not part of regularly event organisation and which do not come with valuable learning effects for other chapters.

   From our understanding, the whole conference focuses on a meta level of Wikimedia politics, which means it does hardly have any impact on the hosting chapter’s outreach to members, donors, media or potential new editors. As it takes a severe amount of time and energy from staff and volunteers, we feel that it makes more sense for one of the more developed chapters to host this conference. We now have an event management team who can professionally take care of the logistics without paralysing the whole chapter for months.

   Our motivation mostly lies in the fact that we would love to see this conference being taken to the next level. We hope that with the whole logistics being taken care of by our staff members, we all (as in: all involved parties together) can focus more on the heart of the conference: the goals, programme, outcomes and sustainability, which came off sort of badly in the previous years. We would assign one or two facilitators to support the programme team (from various entities) throughout the whole process between brainstorming ideas and post-processing the outcomes of the conference.

   On a programmatic level, we see the conference as a unique chance to discuss the results of the first phase of our Chapters Dialogue project and - most importantly - kick-off follow-up projects together with affiliates and stakeholders. Also, from hosting the conference in Berlin we hope to intensify our relations and build upon existing liaisons with our friends and movement partners.

   Last but not least, we would simply love to welcome the international Wikimedia crowd in Berlin again and host THE event for international Wikimedia politics with our utmost care and pleasure.

3. The 2012 venue was more of a “plan b” venue (plan a was cancelled on short notice), and this unfortunately resulted in the long distance between the already booked hostel and hotel accommodations. Like mentioned above, hostels and hotels will be in walking distance (or at least only a few stops away with public transport) next year.
4. For a return flight with two stops, it's 892 Euro per Person, if you're going for the more comfortable one-stop-flight, it's 978 Euro. (via skyscanner as of 5 October)
5. The Wikimedia Conference fits quite well in our general programmatic activities. As written above (answer 3), we see the conference as a unique opportunity for discussing the results of our Chapters Dialogue project and – most importantly – kick-off follow-up projects together with affiliates and stakeholders. We have several projects running in partnership with other movement entities (for example Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU, Wikidata, Chapters Village at Wikimania, Diversity Conference). On top of that, in our plan for 2014 we focus even more on sharing and knowledge transfer within the whole movement, and this is also one of the purposes of the conference. Regarding the question for capacities, please see our answer 3 (in short: yes.).

Hope this answers your questions. Happy to provide more information if needed. --Nicole Ebber (WMDE) (talk) 18:27, 4 October 2013 (UTC) + Update WMF flight costs --Nicole Ebber (WMDE) (talk) 17:15, 5 October 2013 (UTC) + Update distraction --Nicole Ebber (WMDE) (talk) 17:54, 9 October 2013 (UTC)

Questions and Answers for Application #2: WMIN

Thank you for submitting the bid! In order to allow us to make the most informed decision, it would help us tremendously if you could answer in the following days, the questions that came to mind based on your bid. –Bence (talk) 18:58, 2 October 2013 (UTC)

Thank you for your diligence in answering our questions! Today we had a conference call in the location committee and felt that we needed one or two additional pieces of data to be able to compare all bids and come to a good decision by the proposed deadline (i.e. 15 October). If you could answer them in the next 3-4 days, that would allow us to take the answers into account in making the final determination. –Bence (talk) 20:16, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

1. Could you give an estimate of per person accommodation costs (which I understand include the venue costs, catering, etc) for 130 people for four nights? Also, possibly a breakdown if 80 of those people stay in double rooms, while 50 in single occupancy rooms? (Bence)
2. Can you confirm that the cost per person on the bid include Breakfest, Lunch, dinner and drinks and snacks during the day? According to the hotel prices room with breakfast only costs INR 10,986.64 per night? (Itzik)
3. Are the venue costs (that are already included accoroding to the bid) includes amplification & projection in all the rooms? (Itzik)
4. To better understand your price calculations, how does “This would work out to INR 16,80,000 for 3 nights” and “Total cost would be INR 19,60,000/- or USD $ 31,309.82 “ in the next paragraph relate to each other? (Bence)
5. Other bids have included the estimated cost of facilitators. What is your proposed solution for facilitating the conference sessions and how much would it cost? (Bence)
6. Local logistics always present risks and last-minute problems. Is one local person, and none of the chapter board, enough to ensure at least the basics (venue, accommodation, food, wifi) would function smoothly? What is your contingency planning to mitigate this risk? (Asaf)
7. Please could you add an estimate of the travel costs per WMF staff member from San Francisco? (Mike)
8. Organizing the Wikimedia Conference should ideally not be too distracting from the general programmatic activities of the organiser. How does this conference fit in with your general activity? Do you feel that you have enough capacity to organise it, without a detrimental effect on your other planned activities? –Bence (talk) 20:08, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Answers

1. Single occupancy will cost the same as the double occupancy; i.e. 8K. So, 80 people in double room will cost 320,000 per day and 50 people win single room will cost 400,000 per day. 2,160,000 will be the total hotel cost for three day considering 80 people in double rooms while 50 in single. -- ♪Karthik♫ ♪Nadar♫ 08:59, 3 October 2013 (UTC)
2. Yes, it includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its a custom quote they gave us. It doesn't include tea/coffee during the day but I'm pretty sure we can negotiate that to be included in cost as well as all rooms are anyways equipped with complementary tea/coffee makers. AroundTheGlobe (talk) 07:02, 3 October 2013 (UTC)
3. We were asked for a rough bid so we got a quote but we haven't yet negotiated details such as projection equipment/mikes etc. but we feel we should be able to get to get all of that included in cost in the final MoU. AroundTheGlobe (talk) 07:02, 3 October 2013 (UTC)
4. On the estimate that we will need half the rooms (35) for a 4th night, which would come upto INR 2,80,000/- the total for 3 nights plus a 4th night in some cases based on flights etc would be 19,60,000/-. AroundTheGlobe (talk) 07:02, 3 October 2013 (UTC)
5. We have just received a rough quote from event managers of 500,000 INR; which translates to $8,064 though this will be negotiated in future. -- ♪Karthik♫ ♪Nadar♫ 05:51, 4 October 2013 (UTC)
6. One local person (there may be other local community interested too, if there isnt, we will request community members from Bangalore or Mumbai to step in as indicated) + fellow + event manager. AroundTheGlobe (talk) 07:02, 3 October 2013 (UTC)

   Could you expand on this a bit? Thank you, –Bence (talk) 20:08, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

   Fredrick is local to Goa and has offered to help with this event. We understand that there are a few others locally who could help us as well. In addition, we would like to hire a fellow to help with printing, visas, ticketing and local venue logistics as indicated. We would further like to hire an event manager who would work in tandem with the fellow to make sure everything works like clockwork. In addition, if required we could request a few members of the community from cities like Bangalore or Mumbai or elsewhere to help during the event should there be such a requirement. I hope this is what you were asking for. AroundTheGlobe (talk) 05:55, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

7. INR 70,047 or USD $ 1140 aprox per person from San Francisco to Goa and back. [1]. AroundTheGlobe (talk) 06:00, 7 October 2013 (UTC)
8. Our project in India has been quite event heavy in the last few years. In 2012-13 there were 50+ events big and small. In 2013 two communities, Telugu and Tamil communities conducted major regional events so far. We are no strangers to events and conferences, although we have not done it on an international scale, we have done atleast one event which was more than triple this size. In Bangalore we had a meetup for Wikipedia X where 350+ people turned up, that again is probably double this size. There are other examples as well. In terms of capacity, we hope to involve local community, hire a fellow and an event manager so this should not put too much stress on our board members, staff or volunteers elsewhere or much impact on our proposed project plan. We may involve volunteers from other parts of India during the venue if required, but that would just be a 3-4 day involvement and should not have too much impact on other things. AroundTheGlobe (talk) 06:11, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

Comments

• Soon, visa on arrival for 40 more nations, senior tourists: This is what we have in out national news right now. It says that, "40 countries including the US, the UK, Germany, France, Brazil, Russia and China among others will avail visa on arrival when they land on Indian shores." -- ♪Karthik♫ ♪Nadar♫ 14:32, 9 October 2013 (UTC)

Questions and Answers for Application #3: WMSE

Thank you for submitting the bid! In order to allow us to make the most informed decision, it would help us tremendously if you could answer in the following days, the questions that came to mind based on your bid. –Bence (talk) 18:58, 2 October 2013 (UTC)

Thank you for your diligence in answering our questions! Today we had a conference call in the location committee and felt that we needed one or two additional pieces of data to be able to compare all bids and come to a good decision by the proposed deadline (i.e. 15 October). If you could answer them in the next 3-4 days, that would allow us to take the answers into account in making the final determination. –Bence (talk) 20:16, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

1. What resources can you devote to handling visa issues? (Asaf)
2. Is something known about the specific venue? (Itzik)
3. What is your main motivation to host the Conference? (Osmar)
4. Please could you add an estimate of the travel costs per WMF staff member from San Francisco? (Mike)
5. Organizing the Wikimedia Conference should ideally not be too distracting from the general programmatic activities of the organiser. How does this conference fit in with your general activity? Do you feel that you have enough capacity to organise it, without a detrimental effect on your other planned activities? --Bence (talk) 20:10, 6 October 2013 (UTC)
6. Are you currently in touch with the proposed venues? Could you get us an updated actual quote from them by around Thursday next week (10 October)? Thank you, –Bence (talk) 20:10, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Answers

1. (See first motivation below.) Wikimedia wants to do something for the international Wikimedia community in 2014 and has budgeted from the FDC to have staff working around 2 months. Those are not neccisarily devoted only to visa issues, but they are certainly included. To go to Sweden, the chapters that need visa are Armenia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, The Phillipines, Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine and South Africa. (Jan)
2. As of now, we are looking at "The House of Engineers" in the very center of Stockholm. However, it is not unlikely that either The University of Stockholm or The Royal Institute of Technology can host us cheaper. (Jan)
3. Wikimedia Sverige wants to help the movement more on an international level. We feel that we are a quite big an mature chapter and it is time for us to help out. (Jan)
4. €587/person (according to skyscanner) (Jan)
5. I believe we are in the same position here as every other bid. Of course it is going to take resources to organize the conference, but not more for us than anyone else. (Jan)
6. No, we have not been in contact with the venues, this is list prices (the same goes for the accomodation and catering). (Jan)

Questions and Answers for Application #4: WMIT

Thank you for submitting the bid! In order to allow us to make the most informed decision, it would help us tremendously if you could answer in the following days, the questions that came to mind based on your bid. –Bence (talk) 18:58, 2 October 2013 (UTC)

Thank you for your diligence in answering our questions! Today we had a conference call in the location committee and felt that we needed some additional pieces of data to be able to compare all bids and come to a good decision by the proposed deadline (i.e. 15 October). If you could answer them in the next 3-4 days, that would allow us to take the answers into account in making the final determination. –Bence (talk) 20:17, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

1. How close is the nearest hospital? (Asaf)
2. Is something known about the specific venue? (Itzik)
3. After the experience past year, what would you change in the organization of the conference? (Osmar)
4. What are the dates you have in mind for the event? (Frances)
5. Please could you add an estimate of the travel costs per WMF staff member from San Francisco? (Mike)
6. Organizing the Wikimedia Conference should ideally not be too distracting from the general programmatic activities of the organiser. How does this conference fit in with your general activity? Do you feel that you have enough capacity to organise it, without a detrimental effect on your other planned activities? --Bence (talk) 20:13, 6 October 2013 (UTC)
7. Can you please confirm that the proposed location has a large enough room to fit all attendees (at least 150 people), the linked page of the convention center suggests that their largest room can only hold 88 people? (For the venue criteria, see here). –Bence (talk) 20:13, 6 October 2013 (UTC)
8. What are your proposed options for hotels? Have you negotiated a special price, or are there hotels in the vicinity of the venue that offer rooms at the prices indicated (€90 for a single room; €100 for a double room)? –Bence (talk) 20:13, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

   Also, could you give some of the names of the hotels you planning to booked around the venue? It seem from our check that most of the hotels are small and very expensive. --Itzike (talk) 21:54, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Answers

1. The nearest hospital is in Bellano (Via Carlo Alberto, 25), 5.5 km from the venue, 8 minutes by car. - Laurentius (talk) 15:30, 3 October 2013 (UTC)
2. Yes, it's Villa Monastero. That's the one in the second photo in the bid overview. - Laurentius (talk) 15:30, 3 October 2013 (UTC)

   I would add that Villa Monastero hosts some international events (in the field of physics) as:

   • The International School of Physics "Enrico Fermi" (yearly event)
   • This conference organized by the International school of plasma physics (every two years) -- CristianCantoro (talk)

3. Some points:
   • start earlier: last year we weren't late, but we could use more time. As this year we have a clearer bidding process, we would be able to start earlier with the real work.
   • Logistics: last year the participants had to be in different places, sometimes far from the venue. That was a necessity, because there wasn't a single hostel able to accommodate everyone near to the venue. This won't be a problem in Varenna.
   • Wifi: check it (both inbound and outbound connection) as soon as possible.
   • Visas:
     • Push chapters that require visas to define their representatives well in advance: the earlier they ask for a visa, the lower is the probability of having it rejected.
     • Inform chapters in countries who have visa issues about what are the most common reason for denial (mainly, to which people are most commonly denied).
   • Program: the program committee will be in charge of that, but, as general ideas:
     • having a program defined earlier;
     • more involvement of the facilitators in the development of the program;
     • try to make the sessions stay on time (maybe with longer breaks, but with less delay);
   • Social events:
     • what is a good social event for a wikimedian? I'm not sure, but that's something we should try to find out.

   - Laurentius (talk) 15:30, 3 October 2013 (UTC)

4. We have written the bid with the dates of 3-6 April in mind, as specified in the bidding questions. - Laurentius (talk) 15:30, 3 October 2013 (UTC)
5. Currently a return flight for those dates starts from 799 € (delta, one-stop, 15-19 h of travel), and on skyscanner there are a good number of results below 900 €. When I went to SF (from Milan) last June I paid 730 €. - Laurentius (talk) 11:19, 6 October 2013 (UTC)
6. Shortly (since we already "tested" this issue last year): yes, we have. --Frieda (talk) 12:30, 8 October 2013 (UTC)
7. Our location usually hosts conference up to 160 attendees linking rooms with streaming (option 1) or we can have an extra room for 200 people in the next building (option 2). Besides we noted, as many suggested during the feedback session, that plenary sessions need to be changed/redesigned: the most interesting sessions are the ones that take place in smaller rooms and are focused on specific topic. --Frieda (talk) 12:30, 8 October 2013 (UTC)
8. Every hotel is the vicinity of the venue (remember: everything can be reached in a five minute walk!). We already obtained some special price from some hotels (as Hotel Montecodeno for instance), but we can't start a full negotiation without being certain that Varenna will host the conference. If this sound a bit strange I'm sorry, but that's pretty common in Italy. Proposed prices come from website or direct phone call. --Frieda (talk) 12:30, 8 October 2013 (UTC)

The October 15 deadline has passed Location Committee!

Hi. What is the decision of the Location Committee? Ad Huikeshoven (talk) 09:29, 17 October 2013 (UTC)

Berlin, it was announced five days ago. It is also updated on Wikimedia Conference 2014. Jan Ainali (WMSE) (talk) 09:38, 17 October 2013 (UTC)