Just making sure this hit the list. :)

--g

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 22:04:45 -0400 From: Chris Tyler chris@tylers.info To: Greg Dekoenigsberg gdk@redhat.com Cc: fedora-ambassadors-list@redhat.com Subject: Re: [Ambassadors] Calling all North American ambassadors!

On Fri, 2008-05-23 at 16:35 -0400, Greg Dekoenigsberg wrote:

On Fri, 23 May 2008, Karlie Robinson wrote:

...

Greg Dekoenigsberg wrote:

...

Re: Ontario -- is this Seneca's show, or a different one?

I don't think so. I'm pretty sure it's a newer event (as in maybe last year was #1) - http://onlinux.ca/

I'm just wondering what everyone was thinking scheduling their Fests and Cons within days of one another?

THEY'RE THE SAME DAY!

/me boggles.

Mr. Tyler, can you shed some light on this state of affairs?

--g

The short story:

FSOSS is 7 years old, and last year had 325 attendees, 42 talks, 10 workshops, and no booths, scheduled over two weekdays. Our attendees came from across North America (obviously, with a concentration on the GTA). This year's event is scheduled for Thu Oct 23 and Fri Oct 24.

OnLinux (modelled after the Ohio Linux Fest) is 1 year old, and last year had ~25 talks and lots of booths, scheduled over one weekend day. I don't remember how many attendees they said they had. This year's event is scheduled for Sat Oct 25.

OnLinux popped up on our radar a few weeks before their event (which was one week before ours). We introduced ourselves in advance and cross-linked our websites, and afterwards had a teleconference to sort out what we should be doing. We're constrained schedule-wise by facilities (we use the Seneca@York campus during reading week), and they have different scheduling issues. After some discussion, we decided that we're probably attracting different audiences -- FSOSS is more likely to reach those using OS in their work, as well as students. OnLinux is more accessible to those who are involved with Linux on a personal-interest level, LUGs, and so forth.

OnLinux found that the best date for this year was immediately after FSOSS, and we don't really think that's a conflict. In fact, it may work for some out-of-town speakers to present at both events. And with 5 million people in the area, there are plenty of attendees to go around.

-Chris

(Greg: this might not post to f-a-l, please forward if appropriate)