[CREATE] Decision for LGM 2011 venue — Action required

[Alexandre Prokoudine]

On 6/26/10, Louis Desjardins wrote:

> We have 3 bids (in alphabetical order):
> Brasil: http://create.freedesktop.org/wiki/Conference_2011_Brasil_Bid
> Canada: http://create.freedesktop.org/wiki/Conference_2011_Montr%C3%A9al_Bid
> Vietnam:  http://create.freedesktop.org/wiki/Conference_2011_Vietnam_Bid

To me the choice is clear between Brazil and Vietnam, because (sorry,
Louis :)) Montreal conferences have always been more like meetings of
developers and presence of actual users was scarce. After this year's
success going back to just developers meetings (which also not
everybody can attend, like last year) to me is losing momentum and
thus is out of question.

Both Brazil and Vietnam will lose us a number of developers who could
attend a conference in Europe or Canada, for a number of reasons,
which means that to make the conference successful we need to make it
well attended by actual users of software in question. Again, if we
want to keep the momentum, we will need:

1. Local team that is in touch with local communities of graphics
designers, DTP specialists, 3D artists, architects and so on.

2. Actual local communities of [see above].

3. Several local (language barrier, difference in cultures) activists
who actually use the software in question professionally to do
workshops. This is less important if we have people like rejon and
andyfitz aboard who have spent a considerable amount of time in Asia.

4. Some of the past organizers around at least several days before
start of the conference to help sorting out things (better -- a week
before).

After reading Vietnam bid I see a lot of clear honest information on
just about everything. There is much less information on the Brazil
bid.

Both bids however miss detailed information on local communities (yes,
we know some of the best FLOSS designers are in Brazil, but
nevertheless). On the other hand after checking translations of
related free applications I see that Brazil got there, while Vietnam
is only getting there, and that, in my opinion, says a lot about local
communities.

And thus I don't see a clear winner as of now.

Alexandre Prokoudine
http://libregraphicsworld.org