[GNUz] [RMS] The Great Hall Sponsorship Application

[Rik Tindall]

Hello GNUz and especially Don,

I believe we will all now be appreciating the issues around organising 
something, well, with just five weeks' notice.

- Instead of

a) 'Do you want to be involved in the August 2008 RMS NZ tour?'

preferred would have been

b) 'Can you help with an RMS NZ tour?'

to which the answer would have been "Yes, most effectively any time in 
2009" I'd say.

 From where we are now - hoping to be convinced that the August 2008 is 
guaranteed to happen - this much needs be said:

c) GLU can definitately pick up a Chch leg of the August 2008 tour, from 
what's been stated.  It will cost about $1,000 at a guess, all costs 
inclusive - hopefully with a $200 speaker's fee for RMS - but adding to 
that whatever we might be asked to pay towards the RMS flight ex-NZ. I 
am happy to pay the $1,000, then recover whatever the local *nix 
community wants to donate towards the costs, out of my gratitude for 
what BSD/GNU/LNX/OSS adds in terms of quality to (my) life - it's valid 
promotional work too. This arrangement is how SFD has been run locally 
and successfully for the past four years, with all transactions passing 
thru my BSD/GNU/LNX/OSS-based InfoHelp business account - should anyone 
need to ask, trace, follow up, etc. Additional sponsors beyond that 
arrangement add work but are most welcome and valued. Many thanks to all 
GLU & GNUz participants in the local FOSS cause.

The $1,000 cost is acceptable because it would be twice or three times 
as much for us to host an RMS tour, alone, at any other time. 
Significant pledges would need to be seen, now, for us to consider any 
other arrangement than that outlined though. A bigger sponsored event 
(that RMS might agree to) could be possible in the months or years 
beyond August, but not then, IMHO.

So we should take Don's advice and make an application in person to the 
Arts Centre for sponsored meeting space to use (at reduced or no cost) - 
in return for our advertising work. They have the Hurst-Seager Room 
space for 100 seated, which realistically could be the best attendance 
we can do with one month's notice. We may have to close the doors, and 
start preparing for a bigger event another year, but the modest space 
cannot then make us look foolish - as Don has warned.

We have a backup 100-seat booking already, @$150, at a CCC centre. Now 
we can start planning the less arduous advertising work we have, quite 
urgently, ahead of us - of an achievable scale.

To repeat, the primary sponsorship deal we might like to strike is one 
with the Arts Centre - for a modest meeting space - and thereafter with 
authentic, small-scale local FOSS service companies whom might like to 
attach to our RMS meeting (that RMS retains veto right over, as per his 
instructions). Bigger business attachments would only complicate our 
task, in this short period.

HTH, will offer up some Application proofing thoughts asap,

Thanks for all the very fine effort,

Don Gould wrote:
> Those are the figures quoted to me by Linda.
>
> Linda Bushby
> Venues Administrator
> The Arts Centre of Christchurch
> Te Pokapū Toi o Ōtautahi
> PO Box 845, CHRISTCHURCH
> www.artscentre.org.nz
> ddi:     03 363 2839   fax:      363 2834
> email:  linda at artscentre.org.nz
>
> BTW the pencil booking is in the name of "Richard Stallman Talk - Don 
> Gould/Rik Tindall" if you don't want it you are able to cancel or change it.
>
>   
>> We should probably do some (paid) postering and a Press ad / community 
>> notices etc. These will all mention the Great Hall / AC, so we can offer 
>> them that promoted profile. 
>>     
>
> Ok.  Who's going to fund that?  What size do you see these posters as being?
>   

A3 & A4 most likely - contact Phantom Billstickers to get a quote and best

poster specs if you like. B&W would be fine.


> What will the press cost?
>   

c$4oo per ad - probably not this time around.

> We should mock something up that will go with our application?
>   

True :)

>> Also, we should flesh out the modern 
>> education contribution of free/open software in your letter, to tie in 
>> with the AC legacy/theme. (viz Rutherford, Bickerton etc.) Actually, 
>> there is a science / skills deficit in NZ, that our community 
>> voluntarily tries to help address. So GNU's a Good Thing (tm) - fitting 
>> for an olde university location.
>>     
>
> Sorry I don't really understand what you mean.
>
> I think we need to inspire AC to sponsor the event, we need to take care 
> not to try to convert the masses in one publication.
>   

No worries. Will explain.

>> Great work Don. I suggest that we hone this app over the weekend, so it 
>> can go in on Monday - if we can't help Don finish the edit today.
>>     
>
> You're welcome.
>
> Please feel free to present a redraft.
>
> I suggest that I have included way to many words.
>   

Not bad at all mate.

> I think we should also make personal contact with Mark.  I'd make no 
> assumption that anyone would get the gravity of having RMS here just by 
> reading a presentation.
>
> Cheers Don
>   

Agreed.

Cheers, Rik