Convened at 2014-11-19 19:32:57.614898 by tumbleweed
in #debconf16-capetown on oftc
[19:32:57]
<tumbleweed>
tibid: start meeting about DebConf 16 Cape Town planning
[19:32:57]
* tibid
gets out his memo-pad and cracks his knuckles
[19:33:15]
<superfly>
tibid: I am Raoul Snyman
[19:33:15]
<tibid>
superfly: Done
[19:33:21]
<superfly>
ooo, it works!
[19:33:26]
<tumbleweed>
tibid: I am Stefano Rivera
[19:33:26]
<tibid>
tumbleweed: Righto
[19:33:36]
<nattie>
tibid: i am Nattie Mayer-Hutchings
[19:33:36]
<tibid>
nattie: Yessir
[19:33:42]
<tumbleweed>
(for people who haven't seen that before, it'll include real names in the minutes, as well as allow everyone to introduce themselves)
[19:33:43]
<nkukard>
tibid: I am Nigel Kukard
[19:33:43]
<tibid>
nkukard: Alrighty
[19:33:44]
<nattie>
oi! i iz a girl
[19:33:50]
<nkukard>
would so much like to say "Your mom" but yea
[19:34:15]
<tumbleweed>
err agenda
[19:34:14]
<tumbleweed>
so, minutes: http://whiteboard.debian.net/9fcb2.wb
[19:34:47]
<tumbleweed>
I've done approximately nothing in the last week, but indiebio and ginggs have been a little more active, I think?
[19:34:57]
<indiebio>
there's soooo much space for fooling around with that introducing thing.
[19:35:12]
<indiebio>
yeah, I'm still busy with the report, I've lost Clare's prices.
[19:35:27]
<superfly>
:-(\
[19:35:30]
<indiebio>
I mean, the agenda, but it's starting to look like a report
[19:36:28]
<indiebio>
wendar, do you have clare bock, apetite catering's prices in shorthand nearby please?
[19:39:02]
<indiebio>
argh. I know we're all open source and all, but libre office sucks. my humble opinion.
[19:40:17]
<indiebio>
helloooo?
[19:40:19]
<tumbleweed>
as do all other office suites I've ever gone near
[19:40:25]
<indiebio>
true
[19:40:35]
<indiebio>
but I can't open clare's quote.
[19:41:37]
<indiebio>
how do you force quit something in ubuntu?
[19:42:16]
<tumbleweed>
killall soffice.bin
[19:42:51]
<indiebio>
thanks
[19:45:05]
<ginggs>
shall i report back so long?
[19:45:07]
<superfly>
oh yeah, office suites suck
[19:46:18]
<indiebio>
please do ginggs, I'm almost up to speed :)
[19:46:46]
<ginggs>
tibid: i am Graham Inggs
[19:46:46]
<tibid>
ginggs: Alrighty
[19:47:30]
<ginggs>
ok, we have received the signed applications back from the DVC's office
[19:47:53]
<tumbleweed>
nice
[19:48:02]
<ginggs>
provisional booking for the venues for 2016 only opens around march 2015
[19:48:27]
<tumbleweed>
ok, we should note that in the bid
[19:49:33]
<ginggs>
i have been in contact with three of the film caterers and exhanged a few emails answering questions, but no actual pricing received yet
[19:49:33]
<indiebio>
and we navigated the black hole of finding someone who actually responds in the venues@uct realm!!
[19:49:34]
<nattie>
i think that's shortly after the decision meeting
[19:50:14]
<ginggs>
i think that was all from me
[19:50:14]
<tumbleweed>
do we need to decide which areas we want floor plans of?
[19:50:30]
<indiebio>
ok, my agenda/report for catering is as far as it's going to get.
[19:50:56]
<indiebio>
well, tumbleweed, are we still considering Leslie Social or kramer for the entire conference?
[19:51:09]
<indiebio>
If I ask for one building only we can probably get more detail.
[19:51:26]
<indiebio>
wendar probably can also give advice here
[19:51:29]
<tumbleweed>
that's a good question
[19:52:11]
<tumbleweed>
kramer is closer to main road
[19:52:28]
<tumbleweed>
leslie has big venues
[19:52:40]
<tumbleweed>
but I do like the feel of chem eng (and the pull we have, there)
[19:52:57]
<tumbleweed>
I think they're all perfectly viable
[19:53:27]
<indiebio>
My preference is 1. Engineering, 2. Kramer, 3. Leslie
[19:53:42]
<ginggs>
tumbleweed: any idea of the connectivity in kramer?
[19:53:47]
<indiebio>
But I think I'll ask for basic sizes, and location of plugs
[19:53:58]
<tumbleweed>
ginggs: well, it wouldn't be any worse than anywhere else, right?
[19:54:15]
<tumbleweed>
all these buildings have fibre
[19:54:17]
<indiebio>
no idea, but guess it's the same campus wide. ginggs, does engineering have anything special that the rest of campus wont have?
[19:54:43]
<ginggs>
i think upper campus is all the same, i have no idea about middle campus
[19:55:01]
<ginggs>
but i can find out
[19:55:28]
<ginggs>
tumbleweed: please make your bot note that
[19:55:40]
<tumbleweed>
ginggs: can you remember teh URL of the site with uct network layout?
[19:55:40]
<nattie>
tibid: agreed ginggs to inquire about connectivity
[19:55:40]
<tibid>
Agreed: ginggs to inquire about connectivity
[19:56:01]
<nattie>
oops, i should have added "on middle campus"
[19:56:57]
<wendar>
(sorry, distracted) indiebio: I added apetite to the spreadsheet
[19:57:27]
<indiebio>
thanks :) I finally found it and managed to open it, eventually. I put all the stuff on the agenda page too
[19:57:29]
<wendar>
and, agreed on preference for Engineering
[19:57:08]
<tumbleweed>
http://nom.uct.ac.za/ ?
[19:57:46]
<wendar>
We may want one room from other building for opening and closing keynotes
[19:57:52]
<indiebio>
wendar, how strong is that preference, should we even still investigate others?
[19:57:52]
<wendar>
but, I think not for the whole event
[19:58:05]
<indiebio>
I will definitely book Leslie Social 2A for the plenaries.
[19:58:06]
<nattie>
what would we do for accommodation? halls?
[19:58:23]
<nattie>
is the break long enough for that?
[19:58:27]
<tumbleweed>
for the video team, moving between venues is horrible esp, between buildings
[19:58:30]
<indiebio>
Accommodation I have not had any replies, will be looing at Fuller Hall. It's within walking distance,
[19:58:31]
<nattie>
(sorry for daftish questions)
[19:58:50]
<tumbleweed>
nattie: that's the plan,yes
[19:59:00]
<nattie>
tumbleweed: ok :)
[19:59:01]
<wendar>
indiebio: Snape LT! or Menzies 9 or 10 were also options for plenaries on smaller attendence
[19:59:07]
<wendar>
er, LT1
[19:59:11]
<indiebio>
BUT ginggs and I couldn;t quite figure out how a wheelchair will make it up without very fit uphill and long winding roads
[19:59:23]
<indiebio>
yes, I'll book those anyways too.
[19:59:26]
<tumbleweed>
nattie: http://www.uct.ac.za/calendar/terms/
[19:59:32]
<wendar>
moving between venues is horrible, yes, but it would only be for 2 half-days
[20:00:02]
<indiebio>
The way I see it, I expect tehse venues to be free (I asked but that question went unanswered, and I expect UCT to back this which would add support), and it will be holidays, so these won't be used either way.
[20:00:05]
<wendar>
indiebio: would a small campus cart be an option for wheelchair transport?
[20:00:10]
<nattie>
indiebio: the two main wheelchair users i can think of who might attend - one's actually very fit apart from the whole not-walking thing, and the other has a very snazzy powered chair
[20:00:13]
<wendar>
(just a couple of trips?)
[20:00:28]
<nattie>
wendar: like an airport cart thingie?
[20:00:33]
- superfly_
online
[20:00:39]
<tumbleweed>
wendar: they exist (wheelchair transport)
[20:00:41]
<indiebio>
wendar, Jammie shuttles have a wheelchair dedicated mini-bus, that we could rent, yes.
[20:00:45]
<wendar>
nattie: yah, sort of grounds-keeper carts
[20:00:50]
<wendar>
or the bus, yeah
[20:01:10]
<indiebio>
I see it at the station, there's a blind academic that uses it too.
[20:01:45]
<indiebio>
can you please note that I should bug the accommodation people again? I think they were busy with people vacating last time
[20:01:55]
<wendar>
we'll likely be arranging Jammie shuttles or similar for evening dinner outings, so we can ask about it at the same time
[20:02:05]
<nattie>
tibid: agreed indiebio to contact accommodation people about accessibility again
[20:02:05]
<tibid>
Agreed: indiebio to contact accommodation people about accessibility again
[20:02:54]
<indiebio>
wendar, we can ask about Jammies now, but I'm a bit worried they might not exist in 2016 or something. They've been rather tumultous financially, I think,
[20:02:57]
<tumbleweed>
indiebio: thanks so much for all this running around. I'm feeling rather guilty now :)
[20:03:25]
<tumbleweed>
we should probably find out about jammies either way, and a private transport company, too
[20:03:50]
<indiebio>
it's a great procrastination tool :)
[20:03:55]
<indiebio>
and only a few emails, not a big deal
[20:04:25]
<indiebio>
ok, I can do Jammie, but I think someone else must volunteer for the private transport quotes
[20:04:39]
<nattie>
perhaps superfly?
[20:04:47]
<nattie>
or nkukard?
[20:05:37]
<nkukard>
not something I have any expertise in at all :(
[20:05:43]
<indiebio>
oh ya, nattie, thanks for reminding. if we use UCT Upper and their accommodation, the dates are likely to be 6 - 16 July.
[20:06:38]
<tumbleweed>
ginggs: http://www.icts.uct.ac.za/images/Network_Blueprint_version_5_5November2007.pdf - Kramer houses one of the distribution switches
[20:06:51]
<tumbleweed>
so it is as well connected as Leslie
[20:07:48]
<superfly_>
I'm sorry, I don't have the time :-( I'm just a fly on the wall
[20:07:56]
<indiebio>
nkukard, doubt anybody has, we just need a bit of grafting
[20:08:16]
<nattie>
nkukard: i can help you formulate an inquiry mail if you like
[20:08:22]
<tumbleweed>
I don't think the private transport thing is urgent. I don't expect transport to be a huge expense
[20:08:29]
<tumbleweed>
but it'd be useful
[20:08:53]
<superfly_>
I imagine a lot of people would probably want to try their luck with our minibus taxis :-P
[20:09:51]
<nkukard>
indiebio, if my PA didn't quit cause she got cancer it would of been no problem at all :) , I fly out next week around europe giving advanced cloud infrastructure seminars and lectures :(, after that mid dec I"m 100% available
[20:10:10]
<wendar>
I wonder if we could arrange an Uber discount for the week? They are all Ubuntu-based.
[20:10:25]
<nkukard>
nattie, indiebio , mid Dec I'm all yours :)
[20:10:34]
<indiebio>
probably, Uber was sponsoring some TEDx events
[20:10:47]
<tumbleweed>
ok, so what else do we need to cover?
[20:10:50]
<indiebio>
they're also a bit controversial... but probably less so in SA
[20:10:56]
<tumbleweed>
yeah
[20:11:05]
<tumbleweed>
indiebio: you mentioned a 10% breakwater discount? Is that all they had to offer?
[20:11:12]
<indiebio>
Breakwater - is 10% discount enough, wendar?
[20:11:23]
<indiebio>
It looks like it. business types. ptsh.
[20:11:24]
<tumbleweed>
I don't think that makes any difference to us
[20:11:42]
<indiebio>
yeah, that's what I thought, that and the small restaurant killed breakwater for me. :/
[20:11:44]
<wendar>
indiebio: the room prices for non-university were nearly double the university rate
[20:11:58]
<wendar>
so, 10% is something, but not enough to put it in our range
[20:12:02]
<indiebio>
'K, so scratch that then
[20:12:14]
<wendar>
so, I guess we go with the bid as UCT Main, with a backup of...
[20:12:21]
<wendar>
hmmm... TechnoPark?
[20:12:45]
<wendar>
this may simplify the bid drafting
[20:13:04]
<nattie>
if TechnoPark, then back to August?
[20:13:34]
<tumbleweed>
technopark is approaching R1m, without accom
[20:13:54]
<tumbleweed>
it's not cheap, but probably within range?
[20:14:02]
<nattie>
egads. i've never budgeted a million of anything for anything
[20:14:13]
<indiebio>
and river club?
[20:14:31]
<nattie>
indiebio: you just want to play golf ;-)
[20:14:47]
<tumbleweed>
indiebio: we don't have any kind of accom prices for that
[20:14:59]
<tumbleweed>
but I assume they'll be similarish?
[20:15:08]
<indiebio>
nope, their pub was just very inviting. and it's pretty and near water
[20:15:18]
<tumbleweed>
(rather black water)
[20:15:19]
<nattie>
but aren't they rebranding shortly?
[20:15:31]
<wendar>
indiebio: we could plan a pub night at river club :)
[20:15:34]
<indiebio>
hmmm, we could try uct acc? or is that putting all eggs in one basket?
[20:15:46]
<indiebio>
with regards to the bid it's flying blind what with all the renovations...
[20:16:19]
<tumbleweed>
I think I'm ok with technopark as a backup, with the understanding that that means significantly less money for travel sponsorship
[20:16:26]
<wendar>
nod
[20:16:34]
<tumbleweed>
it's a safer backup bet than river club, because there are less unknowns
[20:16:39]
<nattie>
*nods*
[20:16:50]
<nattie>
though people might throw a strop at reduced travel sponsorship
[20:17:07]
<nattie>
but it's only a backup venue, anyway
[20:17:11]
<indiebio>
agreeed
[20:17:14]
<indiebio>
eeee
[20:17:16]
<indiebio>
:)
[20:17:21]
<tumbleweed>
yeah, we could always fundrais extra-hard to make up :P
[20:17:29]
<nattie>
we could have a bake sale :)
[20:17:34]
<nattie>
anyone good at cakes here?
[20:17:40]
<indiebio>
not me.
[20:18:11]
<tumbleweed>
OK. Anything else we need to talk about?
[20:18:17]
<tumbleweed>
my stomach wants to discuss lunch
[20:18:33]
<indiebio>
well, yes, catering.
[20:18:34]
<tumbleweed>
(away from here)
[20:18:40]
<indiebio>
I put the numbers on the agenda.
[20:19:14]
<indiebio>
I contacted some hotel schools, only TTBISA came back (well, one or two others came back with no)
[20:19:16]
<tumbleweed>
those numbers look fine. They are restuarant-level prices, so I'd like to think we could get cheaper. But we can budget with this
[20:19:20]
<indiebio>
They sound really enthusiastic
[20:19:30]
<tumbleweed>
that's nice
[20:19:49]
<indiebio>
Yeah. Clare Bock also emailed again today to check back, she sounds very very professional.
[20:20:05]
<tumbleweed>
I don't have experience with this. Are restuarant-level prices what we should expect from large scale catering like this?
[20:20:06]
<indiebio>
I told her about the bid, but also said I'll keep her updated. Any comments to relay to her?
[20:20:52]
<madduck>
hello, i am sorry i missed the meeting
[20:20:57]
<indiebio>
I have NO idea. I don't even know who to ask. But can give it a think. For now we have quotes for the bid...
[20:20:58]
<tumbleweed>
not entirely
[20:20:59]
<wendar>
her numbers looked good, and flexibility for alternate diets looked good too
[20:21:04]
<indiebio>
hi madduck!
[20:21:15]
<madduck>
i am in instanbul and while I thought I could be back at the hotel in time, traffic here is of another dimension.
[20:21:23]
<tumbleweed>
:)
[20:21:23]
<indiebio>
I'm curious to see what the movie caterers quote
[20:21:35]
<nattie>
madduck: it's fine. you can catch up later. we're just on catering now.
[20:21:46]
* tumbleweed
could also contact our old office lunch caterers. They used to be really cheap
[20:22:02]
<tumbleweed>
(R40 for lunch, IIRC)
[20:22:19]
<indiebio>
this is also Cape Town. I am not enthusiastic on getting bargain prices... back on that old horse. but the movie caterers might do something different?
[20:22:19]
<tumbleweed>
but this would be a big scale for them
[20:22:37]
<indiebio>
anyways, we can refine that in due time.
[20:22:41]
<ginggs>
Food Lab said they had a range of options
[20:22:48]
<tumbleweed>
yeah, there's a long time to nail all of this down
[20:22:52]
<tumbleweed>
we just need a budget for the bid
[20:23:23]
<ginggs>
so it can be tailored to the budget, i asked them just to quote on the middle of the road
[20:23:34]
<tumbleweed>
ginggs: sounds good
[20:23:59]
<ginggs>
they said they had recently catered for Navy Week, and would base our quote on that
[20:24:10]
<madduck>
yeah, flexibility will be good, what sort of advance notice do they need?
[20:25:31]
<ginggs>
madduck: i have no idea
[20:25:47]
<tumbleweed>
OK, we're at 55 mins. Any other business?
[20:25:55]
<indiebio>
not from me
[20:26:02]
<madduck>
ginggs: this is something to check so we know it early and might be able to negotiate as well.
[20:26:20]
<madduck>
i.e. in heidelberg, we have *rough* numbers 4 weeks ahead, final numbers one week notice
[20:26:33]
<madduck>
which is rather long but I bit into a rock trying to get shorter times
[20:27:39]
<tumbleweed>
after the reconfirmation, I don't know how much more detail we have on attendee numbers. Do people e-mail saying they aren't coming?
[20:27:52]
<wendar>
rarely
[20:28:40]
<wendar>
in Portland, we told the caterers to anticipate roughly 80% of confirmed attendees would actually eat
[20:28:40]
<tumbleweed>
ok, I want to call this, and go get lunch
[20:28:53]
<tumbleweed>
and that turned out to be pretty accurat, IIRC
[20:29:00]
<wendar>
it did, yes
[20:29:15]
<wendar>
lunch sounds good
[20:29:16]
<wendar>
thanks!
[20:29:18]
<tumbleweed>
tibid: end meeting