Wikimania 2015 bids/Esino Lario/Criteria 2014

Meeting the basic requirements

• Venues
  • Booking. Pre-agreement for the venues.
  • Equipment. Equipment planned for the rooms and recording of the sessions.
  • Rooms. Venues and summery of the rooms.
  • 1 large lecture hall or auditorium for plenary session, which can accommodate 1,000+ attendees. Considering the size of Esino Lario and its specificity, the entire event is a sort of plenary session where people can meet, cross and discuss during sessions and in their free time. The village doesn't have an auditorium for the expected participants. We could create a large tensile structure in an open air location outside the main centre of the village (Cainallo and Ortanella), but this approach would not allow us to take full advantage of the atmosphere of the village. We are planning a 30-minutes presentation in the morning each day of the conference in the largest room (500 people) and with streaming in other main locations (estimated total viewers can be 1'600); this connected moment (which could be on streaming in low resolution on the Internet) would be used for a 5 minutes presentation of the program of the day and a keynote. The emphasis of the program will be on smaller interactive sessions, which will allow to take full advantage of the site.
• Network Infrastructure. The network infrastructure will be developed for the conference and beyond.
• Support service. The local host team will be able to be reached on a 24-hour basis. A representative from each group (host, WMF staff, hotel, campus, IT, AV, etc.) will be able to respond immediately to help resolve issues that may arise. All systems will be functional, reliable and have back up services and equipment.
• Communication. The venue will be able to accommodate voice and data roaming compatibility for mobile phones and devices so that they can function effectively for the large audience (please refer to the technical plan) and the local host will provide at least 6 local mobile phones/walkie-talkies during the conference.
• Video of Conference Sessions. Equipment planned for the rooms and recording of the sessions.
• Childcare. Program for children.
• Accommodation. Accommodation will be available mainly in Esino Lario with higher standard hotels and more beds in Varenna and Perledo.
• Emergency Contact. The host will arrange for an Emergency Contact (local number) with the WMF.
• Conference materials. Working with WMF conference coordinator, local hosts will find vendors for design and production of conference t-shirt, onsite booklet, and other materials as needed. We will also provide content for these materials.
• Registration. The local hosts will assist WMF in handling registration duties at the venue. The registration desk at the venue will be staffed by a minimum number of 4 people to prepare badges and distribute registration packets and information to the participants. The registration desk will be staffed from 07:00-18:00 from Day 0-5 by at least 5 persons.
• Help Desk. We will provide personnel at the registration area during conference hours every day to answer questions from attendees. The registration area is located in Villa Clotilde which is a convenient location very closed to all rooms, working spaces and restaurants. Villa Clotilde has 3 bathrooms, rooms for the registration and offices and small meetings, and at the second floor it has a double bed room. The central position, the location as the conference main office and the accommodation guarantee that in the registration area there will always be people and that the site will be always guarded.
• Safety regulations. Safety is managed during Wikimania Esino Lario; the event will be organized according to safety regulations and it has already an expert involved as responsible for safety.
• Medical care. Medical care is both assured for general medical needs and assistance (pharmacy with defined opening hours, medical clinic, doctor on call and the assistance of the volunteers of the association Soccorso Val d'Esino), and for emergencies. An ambulance will be present on site, Esino Lario has an airstrip for helicopters and volunteers and the medical clinic can manage first assistance (defibrillator). This guarantees that first aid is be provided by trained operators within 20 minutes; further needed medical assistance will be provided with transport to general hospitals or specialized structures by ambulance, medical car or helicopter.
• Attendee Security. Esino Lario present a low criminality rate. Guidelines for the attendees will be provided with practical information about cloths, equipment for excursions in the mountains and contacts in case of emergency; excursions in the mountains will be organized in collaboration with the Regional Grigne Park (accompanied by experienced guides). Please refer to safety.
• Asset Protection. A reference person for each working space will manage keys in accordance with the working space owner and its team. A technical storage space will be provided and the technical chair will manage the keys in accordance with its team. It is possible to plan lockers in the collaborative working space (former museum). Please refer to safety.
• Sponsorship. We will address Italian sponsors and grant-makers to contribute to meet the financial responsibilities of the conference. We will work closely with the WMF staff to identify the appropriate sponsors. Acknowledgement of sponsorship will be displayed at the venue and on the web site. Sponsorship levels and benefits will be decided by the WMF in consultation with the hosts. Please refer to our financial plan, to the identified list of stakeholders and to our communication strategy.
• Website. Conference information will be provided both on the wikimedia.org web site. We will provide links and information for travelers, weather, visa and custom requirements, local transportation, and social events; we are already working on the event detailed information. WMF will post this information as well as the schedule of meeting events which is received from the program committee, and pre-registration on the web site. Please refer to our communication strategy.
• Outreach. Wikimedia Italia and Wikimedia CH are co-promoter of the conference in partnership with Esino Lario city council, Ecomuseo delle Grigne, Pro Loco Esino Lario, Parco Regionale della Grigna Settentionale and the Esino Lario local associations and community. The local Wikimedia community (Italian and Swiss) is involved in the organization and the broader community is informed and addressed through meetings, newsletters, media and the Wikimedia websites. A series of event organized before the conference are also meant to present what Wikimedia and Wikimedia is and to engage new users. Please refer to our communication strategy and our history.

Meeting the preferences

• Conference be held in a venue that is close to lodging. The venue of Wikimania Esino Lario is Esino Lario and the main lodging (estimated 700 beds) is provided within Esino Lario.
• Lodging that is within a walking distance that is affordable, clean and safe. The main lodging of Wikimania Esino Lario (estimated 700 beds) is within a walking distance to the venue and it is affordable, clean and safe.
• Close proximity to an international airport. Esino Lario is served by Milano Malpensa international airport (province of Varese), Milano Linate airport (province of Milan), Milano-Bergamo Orio Al Serio airport (province of Bergamo) and Milano central station (Milan). Esino Lario is a mountain village but – compared to other possible location – it has the advantage of being located in a range of 100km to a major European international airport, 2 airports with intense flights from Europe and North Africa and a major train station well-connected to Italian and European cities. It is evident that an event held in a small mountain village presents specific challenges in transportation compared to a major city. As far as time is concerned, reaching Esino Lario is not particularly longer than reaching a specific venue or accommodation in a large city. As far as services provided, to support attendees in reaching Esino Lario a series of service upgrades are organized:

1. a series of direct busses are provided from the three main airport.

2. buses from Varenna to Esino Lario are potentiated.

3. Info points are organized in Varenna and Malpensa airport.

• Conference should be held in July-August timeframe. The conference takes place over a weekend, thursday through sunday. The conference will take place in the last week of June; this is due to risk management, to reduce costs and to take advantage of all the accommodation available,
• Conference facilities should accommodate anywhere from 700-2000 attendees. The conference is designed for 1'000 participants.
• The main hall of the venue should be able to host all attendees for the keynote talks. As already presented, considering the size of Esino Lario and its specificity, the entire event is a sort of plenary session where people can meet, cross and discuss during sessions and in their free time. The village doesn't have an auditorium for the expected participants. We could create a large tensile structure in an open air location outside the main centre of the village (Cainallo and Ortanella), but this approach would not allow us to take full advantage of the atmosphere of the village. We are planning a 30-minutes presentation in the morning each day of the conference in the largest room (500 people) and with streaming in other main locations (estimated total viewers can be 1'600); this connected moment (which could be on streaming in low resolution on the Internet) would be used for a 5 minutes presentation of the program of the day and a keynote. The emphasis of the program will be on smaller interactive sessions, which will allow to take full advantage of the site.
• Ease of getting VISAs to attend. The management of visa will be assured.
• Personal safety of participants. Safety will be managed.
• Flexible meeting space that can accommodate multiple tracks for days. Venues and summery of the rooms.
• Meeting space that is attractive for socializing, open 24 hrs, and close to restaurants, transportation, etc. Venues and summery of the rooms.
• Catering menus that all accommodate spacial needs (vegetarian, kosher, etc). Food will be managed with attention to special needs.
• Networked infrastructure. The network infrastructure will be developed for the conference and beyond.
• Ability of hosts to meet their financial responsibilities. Financial plan and proposal in 2014 to organize Wikimania Esino Lario in 2016 to manage risks and assure to meet financial responsibilities.