ApacheConEu2012Planning

Planners

Melissa Warnkin
Sally Khudairi
Donald Harbison
Jim Jagielski
Nick Burch
Oliver-Rainer Wittmann
Paul Goetz
Rainer Jung
Ross Gardler
Steve Holden

Agenda for next call on Tuesday, Sep/04

1. Status of SAP contract
2. Status of finalizing talks, tracks, time slots, informing the track chairs of the available rooms/space
- ACTION Melissa: F/U with Steve (copying Nick) re resolving the mechanism for entering the data
- ACTION Nick: Merge the two different variations (from Steve and Lewis)
- ACTION Steve: Need information on how to send out the appropriate letters; is this an automated process, a manual process, or what?
- ACTION Nick: Look through archives to see what PMCs haven’t responded yet and send an email to get that information sent out (even if it’s in email format, since no one is certain of the reporting mechanism)
- ACTION Melissa: Send F/U to Steve re sending an email to submittors that notifications will be sent out next week (as opposed to today’s deadline); need confirmation of what day that will be to include in email
- ACTION Steve: Send email to submittors, as per above
- ACTION Steve: Update website to reflect the revised date of notifications being sent
3. IT requirements/capabilities
- ACTION Paul: Followup with Newthinking on Wednesday Sep/05
- ACTION Steve: Advise the venue that enabling IT in the press room is their first priority (IT capability needs to be active prior to the start of the hackathon on Monday)
4. Status of breaking out the contracts: What will Open Bastion do and what will newthinking do?
- ACTION Melissa: F/U with Christian. http://wiki.apache.org/apachecon/WhereToGoInSinsheim has some great info already, but there are still incomplete areas
6. ACEU promotional flyer
- (all): decide on format, layout and logos
7. Storage of ACEU documentation.
8. Updating and maintaining the timeline
- ACTION Everyone: Review and update the timeline – particularly, update the tasks that are assigned to you as progress is made, etc.
9. Re-branding
- ACTION Ross: Send out notifications advising of this
- ACTION Steve: Update the website
10. Pricing
- ACTION Ross: Send an email to the committers and students (if any) that have already registered advising them of the new pricing structure and offer a full refund
- ACTION Nick: Contact Newthinking re applying the new codes
11. Sponsorships
- ACTION MLW: F/U with Steve (Email Steve re boilerplate and logo info needed in order for Eldarion to incorporate sponsorship info on the website)
- ACTION MLW: F/U with Juliana Nichols Quadri from IBM re potential sponsorship opportunities
new: Venue Contract
- ACTION Ross, Nick: compile list of requirements to be sent to RNA (Eva Paffrath)

Minutes from past calls

Minutes Aug 31st call

Participants: Paul, Oliver (in place for Don), Nick, Sally, and Melissa

Review of action items from Aug 29th call:

1. Status of SAP contract
- a. Newthinking’s contact data has been entered at SAP into the system and Newthinking provided the required forms to SAP. The vendor approval for Newthinking is still pending.
- No update; hope to hear next week
2. Don - Status of finalizing talks, tracks, time slots, informing the track chairs of the available rooms/space
- *Ongoing
- ACTION Steve: Send email to track chairs reminding them of the 31st Aug deadline to notify speakers
- UPDATE: Notifications went out; however, the mechanism for entering the data for accepting/declining/reserve is still unclear.
- ACTION Steve: Send draft of acceptance/not accepted letters for review
- UPDATE: Done, but need to merge the two (from Steve and Lewis) in preparation of sending out
3. Paul – update on call w/Christop Hart (RNA) re IT requirements/capabilities
- a. Paul has contacted some companies in Germany; however, due to a busy conference week, a lot of them are already busy
- b. Paul has been in touch w/Cliff re contacts
- Newthinking can do and will send a proposal to Paul by mid next week
4. Status of breaking out the contracts: What will Open Bastion do and what will newthinking do?
- a. Contract w/TOB should be signed soon
- No update from Ross (he wasn’t on the call)
5. Status of hotel information and local information up on the website
- a. Nancy is currently in negotiations with Hotel Baer re a block (we are awaiting a response from Nancy re the rate and how many rooms she blocked); Nancy is also working on bids from Best Western in Weisloch and Holiday Inn In Heidelberg
- ACTION Melissa: Email Christian Beil for a f/u on him obtaining local information to include on website
- UPDATE: Contacted Christian; however, I have not received a response
6. ACEU promotional flyer
- a. Ongoing - Christian Grobmeier working on this
7. Storage of ACEU documentation.
- a. Proposal is to use the apache.eu website for all public information targeted to potential attendees; apachecon wiki for public information targeted to apachecon-discuss and concom audience; and use concom-planning wiki for internal information for planners. Working documents either linked as Google Docs or attached to concom-planning wiki, contracts and other important documents to be stored in subversion.
- UPDATE: There were discussions about whether or not to include the agenda, action items, and the meeting minutes on the wiki, or if these should be included as a additional tabs on the Event Management Master (the “timeline” document)
- Decision was to discuss this on-list (to save time for the other topics to be reviewed)
8. Updating and maintaining the timeline
- a. Time line has been updated some by Melissa, but we'd like to see Nick get hold of this and start using it to ensure we hit deadlines
- ACTION Ross: Grant Nick editing access to this document. Everyone who is tasked with a responsibility on the timeline has editing rights to this document (Nick, Steve, and Melissa currently having “sharing capability”; therefore, we can help grant access to whomever needs it)
- UPDATE: Ross granted access to Nick
9. Re-branding
- a. It has been determined that the official name will be “ApacheCon Europe, Community Edition”
- i. No other significant outreach other than the appropriate press lists
- ACTION Ross: Send out notifications advising of this
- UPDATE: No update from Ross
- ACTION Steve: Update the website
- UPDATE: No update from Steve
10. Pricing – Ross advised us that the Board has approved money for subsidizing 250 passes; therefore, the new pricing structure is as follows:
- a. Regular price will be 600 euros + VAT
- b. Committers & Student pricing is 75 euros (includes VAT); will require a special discount code
- c. AOO using SPI funds to offer discount; will need to provide a special code
- d. It has been agreed that everyone is comfortable with six tracks
- ACTION Ross: Send an email to the committers and students (if any) that have already registered advising them of the new pricing structure and offer a full refund
- UPDATE: It is believed that Ross will take care of this upon his return to UK
- ACTION Nick: Summarize and send full price info
- UPDATE: Done
11. Sponsorships
- a. Google Sponsorship – Sally
- i.They prefer to pay the ASF directly vs. newthinking because we are already in their Approved Vendor system
  - ACTION Ross: Consult with the Treasurer (copying Sally) regarding ASF invoicing Google
  - UPDATE: Done
  - ACTION Melissa: Email Steve re boilerplate and logo info needed in order for Eldarion to incorporate sponsorship info on the website
  - UPDATE: Contacted Steve re this, but I have not received a response
- b. New discussions regarding Sponsorships:
- i. Need to include the sponsorship information on the budget s/s so we can track income against expenses
  - 1. Nick changed the budget s/s to private, as there were concerns about publicizing private info outside of the ASF

Minutes Aug 29th call

Participants: Paul, Nick, Sally, Ross, and Melissa

Review of action items from Aug 27th call:

1. Status of SAP contract
- a. SAP has approved Newthinking as a new vendor; should receive the contract next week
2. Don - Status of finalizing talks, tracks, time slots, informing the track chairs of the available rooms/space
- * Ongoing
3. Paul – update on call w/Christop Hart (RNA) re IT requirements/capabilities
- a. Paul has contacted some companies in Germany; however, due to a busy conference week, a lot of them are already busy
- b. Paul has been in touch w/Cliff re contacts
4. Status of breaking out the contracts: What will Open Bastion do and what will newthinking do?
- a. Contract w/TOB should be signed soon
5. Status of hotel information and local information up on the website
- a. Nancy is currently in negotiations with Hotel Baer re a block (we are awaiting a response from Nancy re the rate and how many rooms she blocked); Nancy is also working on bids from Best Western in Weisloch and Holiday Inn In Heidelberg
6. ACEU promotional flyer
- a. Ongoing - Christian Grobmeier working on this
- b. Hackathon status – definitely going ahead w/this on Monday
7. Storage of ACEU documentation.
- a. Proposal is to use the apache.eu website for all public information targeted to potential attendees, apachecon wiki for public information targeted to apachecon-discuss and concom audience, and use concom-planning wiki for internal information for planners. Working documents either linked as Google Docs or attached to concom-planning wiki, contracts and other important documents to be stored in subversion.
- i. Everyone on the call should have editing access to the wiki; it is unclear, at this time, who all has access, and who is missing
8. Updating and maintaining the timeline
- a. Time line has been updated some by Melissa, but we'd like to see Nick get hold of this and start using it to ensure we hit deadlines
9. Re-branding
- a. It has been determined that the official name will be “ApacheCon Europe, Community Edition”
- i. No other significant outreach other than the appropriate press lists
10. Pricing – Ross advised us that the Board has approved money for subsidizing 250 passes; therefore, the new pricing structure is as follows:
- a. Regular price will be 600 euros + VAT
- b. Committers & Student pricing is 75 euros (includes VAT); will require a special discount code
- c. AOO using SPI funds to offer discount; will need to provide a special code
- d. It has been agreed that everyone is comfortable with six tracks and offer a full refund

Additional Items Discussed:

1. Sponsorships
- a. Google Sponsorship – Sally
- i. They prefer to pay the ASF directly vs. newthinking because we are already in their Approved Vendor system

Minutes Aug 27th call

1. Status of SAP contract
1. SAP sponsoring contract is still on its way (the shopping cart is done and approved, newthinking has to be approved as a qualified vendor, SAP purchasing is now in contact with newthinking). b. Deadline for getting contract signed is 60 days prior (end of this week)
ACTION Paul: Follow-up on 29th Aug
2. Don - Status of finalizing talks, tracks, time slots, informing the track chairs of the available rooms/space
- Level 3 to be used primarily for catering; can use as a break-out space for the track chairs during non-catering hours, and possibly for BOFs (insufficient IT for hacking, though)
- Folks have mentioned that the current schedule makes for too long of a day. Suggestions on how to shorten it:
  - - Have 1-hr slots and less tracks?
    - 40 minutes for talk & 10 minutes for Q&A - Reduce the amount of time in between talks down from 15 minutes - Reduce the keynote to ½ hour
- Decision has been made not to include FFT in the schedule for Thursday; perhaps an evening event…ONLY if someone approaches us with interest in sponsoring it
ACTION Steve: Send email to track chairs reminding them of the 31st Aug deadline to notify speakers
ACTION Steve: Send draft of acceptance/not accepted letters for review
ACTION Don: Will revise schedule grid
3. Paul – update on call w/Christop Hart (RNA) re IT requirements/capabilities
1. SAP IT not able to help
ACTION Paul: Contact Cliff Skolnick for options about WLAN access points and possible contacts in Germany
4. Status of breaking out the contracts: What will Open Bastion do and what will newthinking do?
1. Still ongoing
5. Status of hotel information and local information up on the website
1. Nancy is currently in negotiations with Hotel Baer re a block; we are awaiting a response from Nancy re the rate
  1. TAC will have an answer within a week re how many rooms and the requirements (single or sharing); 15 were approved by TAC; however, we won’t know for another week how many have accepted
  b. Paul & Rainer – Update on adding more local info on the website
6. ACEU promotional flyer
1. The flyer should have the ApacheCon logo, the SAP logo must state “sponsored by”, track list should be added, change date to Nov/6-8
ACTION Paul: Contact Christian Grobmeier re the changes
ACTION Steve: Send an email to Nick re hackathon status
7. Storage of ACEU documentation.
1. Proposal is to use the apache.eu website for all public information targeted to potential attendees, apachecon wiki for public information targeted to apachecon-discuss and concom audience, and use concom-planning wiki for internal information for planners. Working documents either linked as Google Docs or attached to concom-planning wiki, contracts and other important documents to be stored in subversion.
ACTION Nick: Grant permissions to Paul for the wiki pages
ACTION Paul: Discuss with Rainer how to proceed and create the wiki pages (once Nick grants rights)
8. Updating and maintaining the timeline
1. Time line has been updated some by Melissa, but we'd like to see Nick get hold of this and start using it to ensure we hit deadlines
ACTION Nick: Review and update the timeline
9. The lists….we need to “clean house” on the different lists….there’s been a lot of talk that certain subjects aren’t appropriate for certain lists; therefore, it is vitally important that the lists get sorted out. Who is on the private, who is on the planners, etc. etc. As it stands now, I’m afraid that some private/confidential information has leaked out because people thought the lists were appropriately named to certain groups. This is actually a priority to get fixed!!
ACTION: Steve will post to each list outlining the purpose of each
10. Re-branding
1. It has been determined that the official name will be “ApacheCon Europe, Community Edition”
ACTION: Do we need to send out notifications advising of this? If so, who will do this?
11. The weekly status reports from Nicole at newthinking
1. The issue was raised that her reports contain personal information, which should not be divulged amongst the list in which she is sending them to (planners@)
ACTION Steve: Send Nicole an email re releasing less detail on the weekly status reports (just a tally of the registrations, without personal information). Also advise her that we’ll have two additional discount codes that will need to be integrated on the system
12. Pricing
1. Still need a decision on what the regular price will be – ideally by Wed., Aug 29th

minutes from previous calls: Attachments?

ApacheConEu2012Planning

ApacheConEu2012Planning

Planners

Links

Agenda for next call on Tuesday, Sep/04

Minutes from past calls

Minutes Aug 31st call

Minutes Aug 29th call

Minutes Aug 27th call