Conference Committee
From OSGeo
The Conference Committee is the official committee of OSGeo responsible for operating the annual FOSS4G conferences.
Contents
Noteworthy Documents
- FOSS4G Handbook (provides guidance to future FOSS4G and related events, based upon the collective wisdom gained during prior events)
- Conference Committee email list
- OSGeo Conference Committee main page (includes RFP, proposals, and archived files from past conferences)
- Past conference reports are detailed at Past FOSS4G Reports
- Conference website management
- Motion to form Conference Committee
- Conference Committee Budget 2017 (draft)
Goals
The conference committee have the responsibility to:
- Run the selection process and voting for the global FOSS4G
- Vote on conference related proposals submitted to the committee
- Retain the collected wisdom for FOSS4G and related events
- Advise the board, Local Organising Committees (LOC), and related events organisors, ideally referencing the FOSS4G Handbook
- Ensure OSGeo foundation principles are applied to global FOSS4G conferences
- Manage the OSGeo Travel Grant Programme for FOSS4G and regional events
See also: 2016 priorities are summarised in Conference Committee 2016 Priorities
Housekeeping Procedures
The Conference Committee uses the following procedures to make decisions.
Decisions
- Anyone may contribute to conference committee discussions. All votes will be noted, but only conference committee member votes count toward decisions.
- Voting will use convention of:
- +1 : For
- +0: Mildly for
- 0: Indifferent
- -0: Mildly against
- -1 : Strongly against. This is expected to be accompanied by a reason and alternative proposal.
- Everyday topics will be decided by an open vote of all members in a clearly designated separate mail thread over a minimum of 2 business days with a minimum participation of 3 votes.
- For major decisions, such as conference venue selection, a minimum of one week shall be allocated to try and ensure at least 50% voter participation.
- The committee aims for consensus, and will specifically attempt to address all -1 votes, but will revert to a majority vote where necessary.
- The result will be clearly declared afterwards.
- Secret voting, when required, will use an online voting service or use an email to an independent teller appointed by CC Chair.
FOSS4G Selection
- All Letters of Intent and subsequent proposals will be posted to the list for open comment by all.
- The selection of the winning proposal is by secret vote of conference committee members.
- The OSGeo Board will be requested to ratify the conference committee’s recommendation.
- Any committee member who has a potential conflict of interest is expected to withdraw from voting. A member of the committee who is part of a bidding team, intends to become part of the LOC or is employed by a company playing an active part in a bid should exclude themselves from voting in the selection process. In the event of a disagreement regarding a potential conflict of interest the committee chair has the authority to make a decision.
Membership
- To ensure voting control for key decisions remains with experienced people, the committee aims for more than 50% of members to be chairs (or vice chairs) of past FOSS4G global events. The chair of the most recent FOSS4G event will automatically be invited to become a member but still requires a motion and vote.
- The conference committee aims to retain a chair or vice-chair from the 5 most recent global FOSS4G conferences.
- The remaining membership, less than 50% of members, is open, ideally attracting chairs or LOC members from past Global or Regional FOSS4G or related conferences.
- Each year, prior to releasing the Global FOSS4G RfP, the membership list shall be re-visited.
- Existing members shall be asked whether they wish to continue on the committee. If a member doesn't respond, after a number of attempts to contact them, they shall be retired.
- Interested people may be suggested, or request to be voted onto the conference committee.
- If less than 50% of membership would be past global FOSS4G chair/vice chairs, then non global FOSS4G chair/vice chair positions shall be up for re-election.
- Election of conference committee members is by secret vote by the existing conference committee and board members who are not already members of the conference committee. Voters will vote Yes/No/Abstain for each candidate. Voters may select "Yes" for up to the number of positions available.
- Votes will be secret either using an online voting system or by email to a designated teller who is not a voter. The mechanism will be selected by the committee chair.
Current Members
- Steven Feldman - member since October 2013 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2013)
- Eli Adam - member since January 2015 (1 of 4 co-chairs of Global FOSS4G 2014)
- Peter Batty - member since 2011 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2011)
- David Bitner (chair of the 2013 FOSS4GNA)
- Maria Brovelli - member since March 2016 (Chair FOSS4G Europe 2015)
- Jachym Cepicky
- Vasile Craciunescu - member since July 2013 (chair of FOSS4G Central and Eastern Europe 2013)
- David Fawcett (Programme Team FOSS4GNA 2013)
- Gavin Fleming - (chair of Global FOSS4G 2008)
- Darrell Fuhriman (chair of Global FOSS4G 2014)
- Claude Philipona - (chair of Global FOSS4G 2006)
- Venkatesh Raghavan - member since Oct. 2006 (Chair FOSS4G-2004, FOSS4G-Asia 2014)
- Paul Ramsey - Chair of global FOSS4G 2007
- Cameron Shorter - member since 2009 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2009)
- Sanghee Shin - member since 2015 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2015)
- Till Adams - member since September 2016 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2016)
Past Members
- Lorenzo Becchi
- Allan Doyle
- Olivier Ertz
- Alain Grignon
- Luc Maurer
- Daniel Rappo
- Dave Patton
- Rafael Medeiros Sperb
- Jeff McKenna
- Arnulf Christl
- Markus Neteler
- Steve Lime
- Frank Warmerdam
- Dave McIlhagga (resigned August 2016)
- Jeroen Ticheler (resigned September 2016)
- Thierry Badard (resigned September 2016)
- Helena Mitasova (resigned September 2016)
Meetings
- Meetings occur in IRC in the #foss4g channel (on irc.freenode.net) or by other means organized on the email list. Meetings are infrequent.
-
As of 2016 the Conference Committee Meetings page was not being maintained any more.
2018 Pages
2017 Pages
2016 Pages
2015 Pages
2014 Pages
2013 Pages
- Main page: FOSS4G_2013
- 2013 Proposal
- Reflections on the event by the LOC (includes lessons learnt and supersedes the old Lessons Learned page): FOSS4G2013_Reflections_by_the_LOC
2012 Pages
Main page: FOSS4G 2012
- RFP (OpenOffice, pdf)
- budget template (OpenOffice)
- Important dates:
2011 Pages
2010 Pages
2009 Pages
- FOSS4G 2009 Governance
- All FOSS4G 2009 pages.
2008 Pages
- RFP and Proposals
- Voting Process
- FOSS4G 2008 Governance
- FOSS4GLOC matters
- Workshop and lab evaluations
2007 Pages
- Pages in category "FOSS4G2007"
- FOSS4G2007 - wiki page
- http://www.foss4g2007.org/ - Conference Site
- Proposals and RFP
- requirements Wiki page
- Naming results
- Victoria 2007 Proposal
- FOSS4G 2007 Governance
- FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned
2006 Pages
- Pages in category "FOSS4G2006"
- http://www.foss4g2006.org/ - Conference Site
- FOSS4G2006 information
Event Policy Pages
- OSGeo Event policy (in review)
- Board notes regarding event policy
- OSGeo Code of Conduct