FOSS4G 2018 Bid Process

Overview

• FOSS4G 2018 will be in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
  • FOSS4G 2017 will be in Boston, USA
  • FOSS4G 2016 was in Bonn, Germany
• "Letters of Intent" will be accepted from potential Local Organizing Committees (LOC) in the Rest of the World. If there are no submissions from groups in RoW, letters from other regions will then be solicited.
• If more than one letter of intent is received, the Conference Committee members will vote by each selecting a single letter as their choice. A letter must receive the backing of at least two members to move on to the bid stage.
• Selected letters will be invited to prepare a full bid based on the usual RFP process.
• A proposal outlining budget, potential sponsors, LOC members, and venue costs will be required even if only one letter is received.

Summary of Important Dates (AoE)

Release RFP:	2016-09-22
Letters of Intent (Stage 1) due:	2016-10-10
Stage 1 question period ends:	2016-10-16
Stage 1 decision:	2016-10-19
Proposals (Stage 2) due:	2016-11-24
Stage 2 question period ends:	2016-12-04
Final decision:	2016-12-19

Letters of Intent

• Limited to two pages
• Read the RFP document (below) and answer the following questions:
  • Who is your conference chair?
  • Who else is on your LOC?
  • What is your venue?
  • What makes FOSS4G in your proposed location compelling?

You may optionally also address the following questions:

• Historically, half to three quarters of delegates come from the hosting country / region. Hence it is very valuable to have links with the regional geospatial industries. How do you propose to engage the regional communities in order to attract delegates and sponsors.
• Recent conferences have worked with a professional conference organizer. If you plan to make use of one, please mention them.
• Prior regional or local FOSS4G events (or similar) demonstrates an active community and experienced LOC. Such experience is worth mentioning.

RFP Documents

• RFP containing updated process (RFP)
• Budget template (file)

Letter of Intent Review

• Letters of Intent were received from the following local committees:
  • FOSS4G 2018 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (pdf) FOSS4G2018_Q&A_Dar_es_Salaam
  • FOSS4G 2018 Bangkok, Thailand (pdf) FOSS4G2018_Q&A_Bangkok
  • FOSS4G 2018 Lima, Peru (pdf) FOSS4G2018_Q&A_Lima

• Letters with 2 votes will be passed on to the proposal stage.
  • Letters from Dar es Salaam and Bangkok received 2 or more votes and proceed to the second stage
  • Subsequently Bangkok withdrew from the process due to the national year of mourning following the death of the King of Thailand

Bid Process

• Bids were received from:
  • Dar es Salaam
    • Dar es Salaam Proposal
    • Dar es Salaam Budget
• Questions will be asked of bidders on conference_dev until 2016-12-04
• A conference committee teleconference or IRC meeting may be held before voting commences and further clarifications may be sought from bidders
• Conference committee will vote and results announced on or about 2016-12-19
  • On 2016-12-12 the CRO for the Conference Committee confirmed that Dar es Salaam had received unanimous support (2 CC members abstained because they are members of the Dar es Salaam LOC)