2010 FOSS4G Bids are In

Four bids this year, from the, er, three corners of the earth. China, North America, and Europe (times two, Barcelona and Utrecht). Apparently sated after winning bids from South Africa and Australia, the antipodes are not represented this year.

My criteria will, as always, tend towards the practical matters of putting on a financially successful conference. Is there a track record of past performance? Is the local organizing committee well connected and able to bring in local sponsorships? Has the bid thought about some of the practicalities of putting on a conference for many hundreds of people? Is there a strong leader attached to the bid who can cut through committeeitis and get decisions made quickly? Of course, my own criteria will be subordinated to the overall conference committee criteria, and the process described therein, but that’s where I tend to come from. I like to see a bid that makes me think “yes, those people could put on a half-million dollar conference with no problems at all”.

One thing I hope we will manage well this year is getting a good discussion going during the evaluation phase with the proponents. In 2009 it didn’t matter, because we had just one bid, but in 2008 we didn’t really get any IRC chat going or really any back and forth, and I didn’t feel like I really knew who the proponents were.