[H-GEN] LCA Bid Venue Update

[Russell Stuart]

QUT has given a firm 'yes we are prepared host LCA 2009'.   
There are two of things with QUT that are less than 
ideal, however.  They are:

1.  The largest room they have on the campus takes 500 odd.  
    We expect to have around the 900 mark (+/- 100), so 
    that is not enough for keynote speeches.  Alternatives
    being tossed around are:

    - Hold the keynotes somewhere else, eg the Conference
      Centre.  This is about 20 minutes walk across the
      river.  I did consider city cats, but I am not sure
      they could come close to moving 1k people in 20
      minutes.

    - Video linkup between several rooms.

    - Hold them outside.  QUT has done this before, and
      has spaces that hold 2000.  But you are subject to
      the vagaries of the weather.

2. Accommodation.  Currently QUT is proposing to provide
   cheap accommodation at UQ's colleges.  The colleges
   are apparently happy to do this.  QUT has contacts in
   the council, and expect to be able to arrange public
   transport between UQ and QUT.  This price of this
   would be bundled in with the accommodation, and is
   expected to be less than $10 for the week per person.

The emails we have exchanged to far are up on the wiki
in the Venues section:
  http://www.stuart.id.au/lcawiki/Venue
There are more details in those emails.

I have proposed to meet Mark (the head of school) next week 
to sort out some finer points, but I am currently having 
second thoughts the timing.  It comes down to the fact the 
I have not allowed enough time for Humbug members to comment 
on the arrangement, let alone to investigate alternative 
proposals.  This isn't my show, its Humbug's and Humbug
has to come to a consensus.

Be that as it may I don't want to stuff Mark around, so
if we can proceed now so much the better.  So, if you
would like me to hold off meeting with Mark until after
the next Humbug meeting (Saturday week), then say so
on this list.  But please, if you want to delay it say
why so everyone is aware of all the issues.

--
Regards,
Russell

PS.  Will those people I have CC'ed get on the Humbug
general mailing list (if you haven't done so already), 
and let me know when you have done so I can stop CC'ing
you.  Pointers to the list are on the StartHere page of
the wiki.