[GNUz] [RMS] The Great Hall Sponsorship Application

[Don Gould]

Ok, so I get this right...

Rik, you don't want the Great Hall now but would like one of the smaller 
rooms.

I can see you're fairly busy.

Would you like me to make contact with Nigel and let everyone know how I 
get on or would you prefer to do it?

Cheers Don

Rik Tindall wrote:
> 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
> 
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