FOSS4G'13

I like both of these ideas. Didn't we throw around some ideas about venues for the entertainment when we were initially coming up with the bid? 

Jo

I'll get back to the agents, tell them we're in the right ballpark fee, and find out about venue requirements. One thing I'm sure we wouldn't want to do is put half the audience in one lecture theatre and the other half in the other with a video link. We need a venue that can seat everyone - how many are we talking? Do we do this in the same space as the conference dinner or do we hike everyone off to a theatre?

Need to know soon as poss.

Okay, the GeoCamp is the venue.

What day might we want The Nerds? The Gala Event on the 19th or the closing party on the 21st? Am arranging a contract for inspection with agents, that should detail costs and requirements and we can give them a go-nogo decision.

I would say Gala Night

Me too

Great - unfortunately they're one Nerd down for the 19th - Matt Parker the maths guy - but the agent says they can either do their two-person show or get a sub in.

Also, who would the contract be with at this end? Do we have some kind of registered body for the conference or is it all going through OSGeo or what? I don't need the details now, but I assume they'll go on all the contracts and someone responsible will be signing them.

Replacement Nerd to make the numbers up to three is Seb: http://seb.ly/about/

He's a digital artist and has done some interesting things with audience participation and mobile phones. He is currently working with the other nerds on some show material. Have requested the agent gets us a contract for inspection asap...

Sounds ideal!

I've had a contract from the agent. Attached. Don't panic - the filename says 9th but the contract says 19th and that's what I've discussed with them.

The cost is quoted as:

£3,250 + VAT, travel and accommodation (for two people, I guess).

on top of which we will have to provide a rider (beers, cupcakes, whatever), amplification (which I guess we'll have, but they might want wireless headset mics which we should think about anyway), and insurance. I don't think they'll be blowing much stuff up so insurance shouldn't be a problem.

There's no mention of the performance duration, but the contract says if we're not happy about the performance, we have seven days after the show to whine about it formally. I can ask about how long we get so we can schedule the rest of the evening.

If anyone wants to read this and check any other points for clarification please let me know and I'll ask them sometime next week and maybe we can make a decision at the Friday meeting.

Nerd news. Just got off the phone to Steve Mould of the Nerds. He says they normally do a two hour show including a 20 minute interval, but reckoned that for a standing audience a continuous one hour show might be more acceptable.

The technical requirements aren't excessive - we will need some PA in the tent anyway (a couple of mics, mic stands, small mixer, amp, speakers), they just need a couple of lapel or wireless headset mics (maybe we can scrounge these up from somewhere) and a couple of DI boxes which connect their laptop and ukelele to the PA. (having played in bands and done sound for bands at gigs this is nothing fancy). He can send me their standard tech rider but its not a problem at the moment.

I'm not sure how high the stage needs to be - I suspect at least table-height for visibility at the back. Exact size not known either, but it only has to be big enough for the two of them plus however many members of the audience they wish to embarrass simultaneously.

They also need a projector and screen for graphics, driven from their on-stage laptop. May be a problem if that needs rigging from the tent.

In terms of content, Steve said they can work on some specific map-related stuff just for us.

Health and Safety may prevent us trying to break the world record for the biggest fire tornado though:

Small:
http://stevemould.com/fire-tornado/
Large:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8kQbGa72tM

Some haggling with the Nerds' agent has got us a £500 discount for a 1-hour show compared to a full on two-part extravaganza. So that's £2750 + expenses instead of £3250 + expenses. This is looking very good.

I suspect we can't decide on this until Steven returns, but I don't see any problems with it now.

If you are all good with it I'm ok too

Cheers all from Rajasthan!

Steven Feldman
KnowWhere Consulting
www.knowwhereconsulting.co.uk
http://twitter.com/stevenfeldman

+44 (0) 7958 924101
Sent from my iPhone

Claire,

 can you check the contract PDF in this thread on basecamp is okay (apart from the price) and if its all acceptable I'll get one with the right price from the agent for signature. It looks like standard contract stuff but I've no real experience of this.

Note it wants half the payment on signature of the contract, so that will have to come from somewhere soon.

Do we know if they will be claiming expenses?  section Do we know if they will be claiming expenses?

2.3 The Client will also pay such sums by way of reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Speaker(s) in connection with the event, including reasonable travel costs, all travel to be 1st Class or equivalent, accommodation, meals and refreshments. Such sums to be payable within 7 days of production by Noel Gay of valid receipts for such expenses.

Yes, I would expect two first-class return tickets London-Nottingham, plus taxi to venue, two single rooms for one night, and however much a nice dinner in Nottingham is. The first-class train will probably be most of that cost - might be cheaper to get a car for them.

1st class? Wow.....

I'd agree with Barry that a car will probably be cheaper. You can get the executive cars quite cheaply. I've rented them previously they're about a 20% markup on a minicab. 

A quick go on a car+driver comparison site gets me quotes under £150 from London to Nottingham for up to 4 people in an estate car (so plenty of room for equipment). However that is one-way.

Anyhooooo, I don't think the expenses are (literally) a show-stopper.

Here's the updated contract and the technical rider from the Nerds' agent, for checking PA requirements.

We'll also need to make sure the tent has a high enough stage.

Is the contract signing (and initial payment) for the Nerds in hand?

The contact I have at the the agent is:

Catrina and Kas <CatrinaAndKas@noelgay.com>

I meant to do it today but got bogged down with work stuff and desperate deadlines
Will go through it tomorrow

Done yet?

Yes now over to Claire to sign and send deposit

signed and passed to Maureen to make payment (tomorrow)

thx

- I suspect that's just to weed out strippers and Roy "Chubby" Brown, but note the requirement to inform them.

We also may have to consider PRS licensing for music unless the venue covers this - the PRS web site has some information and the cost for licensing conferences and exhibitions isn't great.

The venue contract also talks about liability insurance and so on. Its a thrilling rollercoaster of a read:

http://www.nottinghamconferences.co.uk/pdfs/Terms%20and%20Conditions%20Sept%2011.pdf

I assume this is broadly the contract we are operating under.

The Entertainment page on the site is looking a bit dull.

• Could Barry get a Nerds youtube embedded?
• Could Ant post something about the band and maybe a link to their music or a player embedded?
• Could Jeremy posts something about the Taste of Britain food for the Gala Night
• Could Jo or Addy put something up about Mike Parker and about the IceBreaker in general
• Could Jeremy post something about the Friday night entertainment
• Could Mark and Ian H post something about the closing party

We've got lot's planned, let's start telling people

Added Chris Conway to the web page - not sure about embedding - looking for a you tube vid but most of them have him playing Celtic (music not football) or weird instruments. Will ask him.

Nerds youtube embeddage done.

Ice-breaker done