[DUG-TO] Drupalcamp 2009 budget, planning, sponsor gauntlet is thrown

[Julian Egelstaff]

Hello everyone,

As the dog days of summer approach, some serious Drupalcamp 2009 
decisions need to be made.  I'm throwing all the information open to the 
group in the spirit of open source.  It has been an interesting exercise 
for me pulling these details together so far, it hasn't led exactly 
where I thought.  I'm very keen to hear what everyone thinks.

Bottom line is, we need sponsors.  I'm laying down the gauntlet right 
now for 19 other people to join me and Freeform Solutions in committing 
$500 to Drupalcamp 2009.  If that happens, we've got an event.  If that 
doesn't happen, well, someone better start hounding other potential 
sponsors who aren't on this mailing list, or start making some 
alternative plans.

On to the details....

** Jobs

I am happy to continue being the contact person for MaRS, since I've 
been talking to them so far, and also for the MaRS-approved caterers, 
since I have been talking to them too (more on that below).  But there 
are three other important tasks which some other people must step 
forward for, or else this event cannot take place.  They are:

1.  Following up with potential/committed sponsors, finding more, 
driving this process through to completion

2.  T-shirts (I assume we want them as part of the event, but I guess 
that is optional...though without offering sponsors a chance to put 
their logos on the t-shirt, all we have to offer is the event website, 
although that lives forever in search results and so is maybe more 
important than the shirt)

3.  Social event one night (I assume we want this too, we have had one 
before at the Centre for Social Innovation, but I guess it's optional too)

All those things need some planning and attention starting now, or else 
this event cannot proceed.

** Budget

We need a sanity check on the budget.  I have done a budget with all the 
factors I know of, and what I think are not unrealistic targets for 
sponsorships:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=rmk8x4Dw2jJe4ebz0mMdBJw

Those among you paying close attention to that document, will note that 
if you increase the number of attendees to 150 per day from 100 per day, 
we need more sponsors, or some other form of revenue.  So besides the 
sponsorship levels, some forecasting of number of attendees is required.

Is 100 per day reasonable?  We really, really need to know.  180 people 
signed up on the website for Drupalcamp last year, but it was a Friday 
and Saturday in May.  This is a Saturday and Sunday in August.  Do we 
have an actual count of people who were there last year on both days?

Also, you may be wondering about some of the costs in the 
budget...here's the story.  MaRS will waive the rental fee for the 
space, but they have two other costs that we cannot get out of.  One is 
for two of their staff who must be present during the event, and the 
other is a surcharge on the catering costs.

We are also restricted to MaRS-approved caterers, which imply some other 
costs.  I talked to the most economical among them and got the attached 
quote.  But as you can see, it includes some labour time that has 
certainly not been part of our catering experience at previous 
Drupalcamps.

This is simply part of what MaRS requires.  Basically, they have certain 
standards for the way they will permit their space to be used.  While 
they'll waive the $5000 per day rental fee for the space, it seems like 
they basically won't allow people to just hang around and do their own 
thing in the space.  MaRS events have catering staff serving food, it's 
just the way it's done.  (We had to get a special exception to only have 
the catering staff on site for half the day.)  And they have MaRS 
technical people on hand in case the projector breaks, they don't want 
anyone else messing with their equipment.  Their place, their rules.  If 
we don't like it, we can "find another place for the event."  (I am 
quoting.)

** Decisions

1.  Do we like this budget?  Is it realistic in terms of number of 
attendees, sponsors, etc?

2.  Who is stepping forward to help with the other aspects of organizing 
this event?

3.  Who will join me in committing right now to sponsor this event?

The sponsorships are the make or break thing...with enough money, we can 
do whatever we want.  Even without the extra MaRS costs for this "free" 
space, past Drupalcamps have still had budgets of many thousands of 
dollars.  So we need sponsors.  Who's in?

--Julian

=============================================================
Julian Egelstaff   (   Technical Architect
647 723-5415 x101   )  Freeform Solutions
=============================================================
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