Re: [PLUG] KDE Conference 2005

["William H. Magill" <magill@mcgillsociety.org>]

On 10 Sep, 2004, at 11:14, Ian Reinhart Geiser wrote:
> Historicaly we have been big fans of using
> university campuses, but I'm having problems getting to "the right 
> people"
> to see if we can get into a campus for free or for cheap.
>
> Basicly our requirements are on site food service that is discounted, 
> or
> at least bundled with the stay.  Dorms, or hostel type accomidations 
> for
> students and developers.  Hotels for those who can afford such things 
> on
> their own.

In general, all the Schools in the Philadelphia area will only provide 
free support for "small," faculty sponsored groups -- nominally the 
size which will only require one room or lecture hall ... and then 
usually only for 2 to 4 hours.

The big issue with scheduling a Campus location is timing -- you have a 
better (actually the only) chance if you can schedule for a time when 
their student body is "off." The problem with Philadelphia is that time 
is becoming shorter and shorter, to the point of being virtually 
nonexistent on the larger campuses. Most of the campuses are actively 
recruiting "paying groups" to run conferences on campus as a mechanism 
to make money.

If you get a Tenured Faculty member to sponsor your meeting to the 
School's conference coordinators, you will have a much easier time than 
if you contact the coordinators first and the go looking for a sponsor.

Dorm accommodations are in the same category -- although, here in 
Phila, dorms room "deals" don't cost much less than hotel rooms. 
Remember, hotel rooms in Phila are only slightly cheaper than those in 
NYC.

The place you should start talking is the Phila Convention and Visitors 
Bureau.
http://www.pcvb.org/
They have access to the current accurate information (including 
scheduling availabilities) for every venue in the City.  [Your title is 
"Meeting Planner."]

They will also have records on your organization and will likely know 
more about your meeting requirements than you do!!! (All of the similar 
bureaus around the country exchange information.)

They will help you put together a complete bid package - 
Accommodations, attractions, venues, etc.

T.T.F.N.
William H. Magill
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magill@mcgillsociety.org
magill@acm.org
magill@mac.com
whmagill@gmail.com


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