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<div style="color:darkred;text-align:center;font-size:2.5em;">[[File:Wikimania 2013 banner skyline 2.png]]</div>
*For the public Wikimania 2014 site, see http://wikimanialondon.org/
 
*For the bid, see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2014_bids/London
 
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=== In a nutshell ===
*'''Country:''' {{w|United Kingdom}}
*'''City:''' {{w|London}}
*'''Venue:''' {{w|London Olympic Village|Olympic Village}}
*'''Proposed dates:''' 31st July - 4th August
*'''Planned attendance:''' Any Wikimedian!
*'''Contact:''' {{w|User:Panyd|Panyd}} or [mailto:wikimania2013@gmail.com email us]
</div>
[[File:London collage.jpg|260px|right]]
[[File:Olympic village during construction (London Stratford, June 2011).jpg|thumb|250px|right|The London Olympic village in June 2011 (while under construction).]]
 
== Introduction ==
=== Our city ===
'''London''' is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the [[Wikipedia:European Union|European Union]] by most measures.<ref>According to the [[wikipedia:Eurostat|European Statistical Agency]], London is the largest [[wikipedia:Larger Urban Zones|Larger Urban Zone]].</ref> Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, [[wikipedia:History of London|its history]] going back to its founding by the [[wikipedia:Roman Empire|Romans]], who called it ''[[wikipedia:Roman London|Londinium]]''.<ref>[http://classic-web.archive.org/web/20080622181424/http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Permanent/RomanLondon.htm Roman London]</ref>  London's ancient core, the [[wikipedia:City of London|City of London]], largely retains its square-mile [[wikipedia:mediaeval|mediaeval]] boundaries.
 
<!--Paragraph 2: Notable 'firsts' and strengths:-->
London is a leading [[wikipedia:global city|global city]], with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence.<ref>[http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/research/project/6/pdf/GPCI2009_English.pdf Global Power City Index 2009]</ref> It is the world's largest financial centre alongside [[wikipedia:New York City|New York City]]<ref>[http://www.zyen.com/GFCI/GFCI%209.pdf Global Financial Centres 9]</ref><ref>[http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/15/economic-growth-gdp-biz-cx_jz_0715powercities.html World's Most Economically Powerful Cities]</ref><ref>[http://www.mastercard.com/us/company/en/insights/pdfs/2008/MCWW_WCoC-Report_2008.pdf Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index 2008]</ref> and has the [[wikipedia:List of cities by GDP|fifth-largest city GDP in the world]] (and the largest in Europe).<ref>[http://www.ukmediacentre.pwc.com/Media-Library/Global-city-GDP-rankings-2008-2025-61a.aspx Global city GDP rankings 2008–2025]</ref> It has the most international visitors of any city in the world<ref>[http://blog.euromonitor.com/2011/01/euromonitor-internationals-top-city-destinations-ranking.html Euromonitor International's Top City Destination Ranking (2011 update)]</ref> and [[wikipedia:London Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow]] is the [[wikipedia:World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic|world's busiest airport]].<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110223-710213.html Delta Expects New Slots To Foster Growth At Heathrow Airport]</ref> London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe.<ref>[http://www.london.gov.uk/media/press_releases_mayoral/number-international-students-london-continues-grow Number of international students in London continues to grow]</ref> In [[wikipedia:2012 Summer Olympics|2012]] London will become the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.<ref>[http://www.olympic.org/media?calendartab=1&articleid=52922 IOC elects London as the Host City of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012]</ref>
 
=== Our community ===
The United Kingdom is home to one of the largest Wikimedia communities in the world. The local chapter, Wikimedia UK, which has recently been granted registered charity status, is one of the larger and more experienced Wikimedia chapters. The chapter has supported a wide array of events in the United Kingdom, and has a strong track record of productive collaborations with cultural institutions such as Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums, as well as in broader outreach and educational projects.
 
In 2011, Wikimedia UK has supported events at the [[Wikipedia:British Museum|British Museum]] and the [[Wikipedia:British Library|British Library]] in London, and a collaboration with the [[Wikipedia:Victoria and Albert Museum|Victoria and Albert Museum]] is in the works. Outside the capital, events have also been held in Coventry, Derby, Manchester, and Liverpool. The chapter has an ambitious schedule of events lined up for 2012 and beyond, including smaller conferences and an OTRS workshop in addition to more GLAM and outreach events.
 
The Wikimedia community is most active in and around London. The community is tight-knit, and the regular London meetups often attract a good turnout, including Wikipedians from a wide array of on-wiki and off-wiki backgrounds. These meetups are among the most regular and the longest-running Wikimedia meetups in the world (our [[meta:Meetup/London/50|fiftieth]] was in October 2011) and are an excellent venue for discussing grand ideas like this one. The [[meta:Meetup/London/51|fifty-first London meetup]], held in November 2011, was attended by Sue Gardner and several other members of Foundation staff, after which Sue went on to give a talk at Imperial College London.
 
The United Kingdom has yet to hold a Wikimania, although a bid was previously submitted for Oxford. We would like to make Wikimania 2013 the biggest and the best Wikimania ever, and when considering the agreements and support outlined on this page, London is uniquely placed to make it happen.
 
=== Our team ===
*{{w|User:Panyd}} - Hello! I am an administrator on the English Wikipedia.
*{{w|User:Marek69}} - I am an editor on the English Wikipedia. I have attended Wikimania in 2010 and 2011.
*{{w|User:HJ Mitchell}} aka Harry Mitchell
*{{w|User:ErrantX}}
*{{w|User:EdSaperia}} - I have many years of event experience, useful London contacts and resources, and lots of free time!
*{{w|User:Mike Peel}}
*{{w|User:Chase me ladies, I'm the Cavalry}} - where not constrained by conflicts of interest
 
== Our Vision ==
Our vision is to put Wikimania on the map. Approach people in the street and ask them about Wikipedia, they'll tell you that it's a website they frequently use. If you're lucky, they'll tell you that anyone can edit and if you're ''very'' lucky you might even meet an editor. But what do people know about the heart of the project; the community? What does the public know about the people who strive to keep the encyclopedia the world loves and uses working and to the highest possible standard, day in and out? Chances are; nothing.
 
With Wikimania London we hope to change this. With an ambitious program which looks to have the highest attendance rate yet (1,000 Wikimedians) as well as heavy outreach to the GLAM and technology sectors: with enviable speakers and a day for the public, with the most ambitious Wikimania program yet, we hope to change the way people view Wikimania from hereonin.
 
 
== Conference ==
=== Venue ===
Our sponsors want us to be the first event held in the Olympic Village after the 2012 London Olympics.
*[http://www.london2012.com/athletes-village Olympic Village website]
<DIV ALIGN="CENTER"><gallery style="-moz-border-radius: 0.5em; text-align:center;" horizontal-align="center;" align="center"; >
 
</gallery></DIV>
 
=== Special events ===
==== Parties ====
Wikimania traditionally hosts two parties, one for attendees (capacity of 450-500) and one for sponsors and VIPs (capacity 100). We would like to hold a third event for chapter heads to discuss issues relevant to them.
*Attendees party(ies) propositions
:''(location, how to get there, what's cool and relaxed about it)''
*Sponsor party(ies) proposition
:''(location, how to get there, what's chic and high profile about it)''
*Chapter Head dinner proposition
:''(location, how to get there, what's chic and high profile about it)''
 
== Logistics ==
=== Accomodation ===
==== Olympic Village ====
==== Hotels ====
The Olympic village has many hotels on site with 17,320 beds in total. There are a wide variety of buildings from luxury to budget.
*[http://www.london2012.com/accommodation Olympic Village accommodation]
*[http://www.milesfaster.co.uk/places/london-olympic-hotels.htm Hotels near Olympic Village site]
*[http://www.visitbritain.com/en/Accommodation/ Visit Britain.com]
 
==== Hostels ====
 
=== Getting to the United Kingdom ===
[[File:CityHallLondon2007.JPG|right|180px]]
<blockquote>''International travel to the United Kingdom is extensive. Access to the UK is provided by 30 international airports providing travel to 200 destinations, 8 ports with international passenger ferry services to Europe, and a rail link to mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel.''</blockquote>
 
==== Train (via Belgium and France) ====
 
Eurostar high-speed trains run between London (St Pancras International), Ebbsfleet and Ashford through the Channel Tunnel to Paris (Gare du Nord), Lille and Brussels. During the summer an additional weekly train operates to Avignon and during the winter a weekly service runs a ski service direct to the French Alps. Through tickets and connections are available in Lille, Paris and Brussels from many European cities to most large UK cities.
 
Journey times average two hours fifteen minutes to and from Paris, and one hour fifty minutes to Brussels. A second class return from Paris to London costs between €85 and €230. While it can be cheaper to fly from London to Paris using a low-cost airline, bear in mind that the journeys to the airports can be expensive and time-consuming.
 
==== Ferry ====
Ferries run from Calais to Dover on a regular basis and a return ticket costs around £40. Journey times average at around an hour and a half. However, there are many other ports in the UK as well and travellers can access British ports from at least seven surrounding countries. Due to the relatively small size of Britain, it is not unfeasible for someone to make the journey from their country to London within 24 hours.
 
It may be cheaper to fly on a low-budget airline but for the sightseer there are a variety of ways to travel into the country.
 
==== Air ====
*{{w|London Heathrow Airport}} - The busiest airport in the United Kingdom and one of the busiest in the world (depending on measure). LHR serves a vast array of destinations, including long-haul services to Asia, North America, Oceania, the Middle East. For more information on destinations that can be reached from LHR, please see [[wikipedia:Heathrow_Airport#Airlines_and_destinations|Heathrow Airport: airlines and destinations]]. The airport is on the edge of Greater London and can be reached by the fast {{w|Heathrow Express}} service, the semi-fast {{w|Heathrow Connect}} or the slower but cheaper London Underground.
*{{w|London Gatwick Airport}} - 30 miles outside of London, Gatwick serves fewer destinations but still has an extremely regular train service into Central London, with a mix of {{w|Crossrail}} services which call at several stations in London (including [[wikipedia:London Bridge railway station|London Bridge]], where attendees can change to the Jubilee Line of the London Underground for the final leg to Stratford); local services to {{w|London Victoria}}; and express services, which also terminate at Victoria. For a list of destinations served by Gatwick, please see [[wikipedia:London_Gatwick_Airport#Airlines_and_destinations|Gatwick Airport: airlines and destinations]]
*{{w|London City Airport}} - The smallest of London's three main airports, but the closest to the conference area, requiring only a short DLR journey to Canning Town, from where Stratford is two stops north on the Jubilee Line. London City Airport's destinations can be found at [[wikipedia:London_City_Airport#Airlines_and_destinations|City Airport: airlines and destinations]]
*{{w|London Luton Airport}} - Budget airline hub to the north of London; mostly serves destinations in Europe. Regular train service to London St Pancras.
*{{w|London Stansted Airport}} - Also a budget airline hub, also predominantly serves Europe. Direct rail connection to Stratford.
 
====Travel costs====
:With many budget airlines and flag carriers flying in to London, flights are relatively cheap from most of the world.
[[File:City of London skyline from London City Hall - Oct 2008.jpg|thumb|right|280px|The [[Wikipedia:City of London|City of London]] is one of the world's largest [[Wikipedia:financial centres|financial centres]] alongside New York City.]]
{| style="width: 650px; font-size: 90%;"
|-
|style="width: 33%; vertical-align: top;"|
:{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
|-
!From !! Costs
|-
|colspan="2"|'''''Europe'''''
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-nl.png]] Amsterdam|| £64
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-gr.png]] Athens|| £128
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-ie.png]] Dublin|| £33
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-de.png]] Frankfurt|| £56
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-tr.png]] Istanbul|| £82
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-pt.png]] Lisbon|| £70
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-es.png]] Madrid|| £72
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-ru.png]] Moscow|| £139
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-no.png]] Oslo|| £59
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-fr.png]] Paris|| £49
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-it.png]] Rome|| £87
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-at.png]] Vienna|| £59
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-pl.png]] Warsaw|| £79
|}
|style="width: 33%; vertical-align: top;"|
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
|-
! From !! Costs
|-
|colspan="2"|'''''North America'''''
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-us.png]] Chicago|| £507 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-us.png]] Houston|| £556
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-us.png]] Los Angeles|| £550 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-mx.png]] Mexico City|| £732 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-us.png]] Miami|| £411
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-us.png]] New York|| £431
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-us.png]] San Francisco|| £540
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-ca.png]] Toronto|| £466
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-ca.png]] Vancouver|| £625
|-
|colspan="2"|'''''South America'''''
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-co.png]] Bogotá || £813 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-ar.png]] Buenos Aires || £683 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-ve.png]] Caracas || £685 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-br.png]] Rio de Janeiro|| £550 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-cl.png]] Santiago || £853 (indirect)
|}
|style="width: 33%; vertical-align: top;"|
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
|-
!From !!  Costs
|-
|colspan="2"|'''''Oceania'''''
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-au.png]] Melbourne || £849 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-au.png]] Sydney|| £805 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-nz.png]] Auckland|| £798 (indirect)
|-
|colspan="2"|'''''Africa'''''
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-eg.png]] Cairo|| £298
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-za.png]] Johannesburg|| £372 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-ke.png]] Nairobi || £380 (indirect)
|-
|colspan="2"|'''''Asia'''''
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-th.png]] Bangkok|| £533 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-in.png]] Delhi|| £403 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-hk.png]] Hong Kong|| £538 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-id.png]] Jakarta|| £564 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-kr.png]] Seoul|| £593 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-sg.png]] Singapore|| £499 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-tw.png]] Taipei|| £773 (indirect)
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-il.png]] Tel Aviv|| £189
|-
|[[File:Icons-flag-jp.png]] Tokyo|| £598 (indirect)
|}
|}
 
 
The prices listed include all taxes and duties and are for a return flight to London leaving the city on Wednesday 11th July 2012, and returning Monday 16th July 2012 <ref>The equivalent week to the 2013 bid</ref><ref>Taken from a variety of price comparison websites including [http://www.skyscanner.net/ fly.co.uk] and [http://www.skyscanner.net/ skyscanner.net] on 18 November 2011</ref>
 
=== Visa issues ===
 
[[Image:EU visa lists.png|thumb|400px|right|<center>'''EU (Schengen) visa lists''' <!--{{legend|#0000ff|EU member states}}{{legend|#7f7fff|Special visa-free provisions (Schengen treaty, OCT or other)}}{{legend|#00ff00|Visa-free access to the EU for 90 days - annex II countries}}{{legend|#ff0000|Visa required to enter the EU - annex I countries}} {{legend|gray|Visa-status unknown}}-->
<br/><span style="color:blue">EU member states</span><br/><span style="color:#7f7fff">Special visa-free provisions (Schengen treaty, OCT or other)</span><br/><span style="color:#0f0">Visa-free access to the EU for 90 days - annex II countries</span><br/><span style="color:red">Visa required to enter the EU - annex I countries</span><br/><span style="color:dark grey">Visa-status unknown</span></center>]]
 
The United Kingdom is a member country of the [[wikipedia:European Union|European Union]]. This means that all citizens of EU member states with a valid travel document (passport or European ID card) are allowed to travel freely within the European Union (including the UK) for up to 3 months. Citizens of other states may need [[wikipedia:Schengen_area|Schengen]] visa, see the map for quick reference.
 
Given the high throughput of air traffic, the UK is a highly accessible country with those travelling from within the EU, North America, Japan, South Africa, Australasia or most of Latin America not requiring a visa to visit the UK.
 
Many people from other regions will also be able to visit the UK without a visa. To determine whether you will need a visa to visit the UK, go to [http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk www.ukvisas.gov.uk]. The nature of any visa required will depend on your nationality and your current country of residence. The typical cost for a VISA for a short visit to the UK is '''£76'''.<ref>[http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/fees/ UK Border Agency fees]</ref>  Wikimedia UK may be able to act as a sponsor for those that require one in order to get a visa.
 
 
All the countries below have visa-free access to the EU for at least 90 days.
 
[[File:30 St Mary Axe from Leadenhall Street.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Wikipedia:30 St Mary Axe|30 St Mary Axe]], also known as the ''Gherkin'']]
{| style="vertical-align: top; font-size: 95%;"
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| width="15%"|
: [[Image:Icons-flag-ad.png]] [[wikipedia:Andorra|Andorra]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-ar.png]] [[wikipedia:Argentina|Argentina]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-au.png]] [[wikipedia:Australia|Australia]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-at.png]] [[wikipedia:Austria|Austria]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-bs.png]] [[wikipedia:Bahamas|Bahamas]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-be.png]] [[wikipedia:Belgium|Belgium]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-br.png]] [[wikipedia:Brazil|Brazil]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-bg.png]] [[wikipedia:Bulgaria|Bulgaria]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-ca.png]] [[wikipedia:Canada|Canada]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-cl.png]] [[wikipedia:Chile|Chile]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-cr.png]] [[wikipedia:Costa Rica|Costa Rica]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-hr.png]] [[wikipedia:Croatia|Croatia]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-cy.png]] [[wikipedia:Cyprus|Cyprus]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-cz.png]] [[wikipedia:Czech Republic|Czech Republic]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-dk.png]] [[wikipedia:Denmark|Denmark]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-sv.png]] [[wikipedia:El Salvador|El Salvador]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-ee.png]] [[wikipedia:Estonia|Estonia]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-fi.png]] [[wikipedia:Finland|Finland]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-fr.png]] [[wikipedia:France|France]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-de.png]] [[wikipedia:Germany|Germany]]*
| width="15%"|
: [[Image:Icons-flag-gr.png]] [[wikipedia:Greece|Greece]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-gt.png]] [[wikipedia:Guatemala|Guatemala]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-hn.png]] [[wikipedia:Honduras|Honduras]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-hu.png]] [[wikipedia:Hungary|Hungary]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-ie.png]] [[wikipedia:Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-il.png]] [[wikipedia:Israel|Israel]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-it.png]] [[wikipedia:Italy|Italy]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-jp.png]] [[wikipedia:Japan|Japan]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-lv.png]] [[wikipedia:Latvia|Latvia]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-li.png]] [[wikipedia:Liechtenstein|Liechtenstein]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-lt.png]] [[wikipedia:Lithuania|Lithuania]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-lu.png]] [[wikipedia:Luxembourg|Luxembourg]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-mk.png]] [[wikipedia:Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-my.png]] [[wikipedia:Malaysia|Malaysia]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-mt.png]] [[wikipedia:Malta|Malta]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-mx.png]] [[wikipedia:Mexico|Mexico]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-mc.png]] [[wikipedia:Monaco|Monaco]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-nl.png]] [[wikipedia:Netherlands|Netherlands]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-nz.png]] [[wikipedia:New Zealand|New Zealand]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-ni.png]] [[wikipedia:Nicaragua|Nicaragua]]
| width="15%"|
: [[Image:Icons-flag-no.png]] [[wikipedia:Norway|Norway]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-pa.png]] [[wikipedia:Panama|Panama]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-py.png]] [[wikipedia:Paraguay|Paraguay]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-pl.png]] [[wikipedia:Poland|Poland]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-pt.png]] [[wikipedia:Portugal|Portugal]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-ro.png]] [[wikipedia:Romania|Romania]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-sm.png]] [[wikipedia:San Marino|San Marino]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-sg.png]] [[wikipedia:Singapore|Singapore]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-sk.png]] [[wikipedia:Slovakia|Slovakia]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-si.png]] [[wikipedia:Slovenia|Slovenia]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-kr.png]] [[wikipedia:South Korea|Republic of Korea]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-es.png]] [[wikipedia:Spain|Spain]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-se.png]] [[wikipedia:Sweden|Sweden]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-ch.png]] [[wikipedia:Switzerland|Switzerland]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-gb.png]] [[wikipedia:United Kingdom|United Kingdom]]*
: [[Image:Icons-flag-us.png]] [[wikipedia:United States|United States]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-uy.png]] [[wikipedia:Uruguay|Uruguay]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-va.png]] [[wikipedia:Vatican City|Vatican City State]]
: [[Image:Icons-flag-ve.png]] [[wikipedia:Venezuela|Venezuela]]
|}
'''*''' - [[wikipedia:European Union|European Union]] member states
 
=== Getting to London ===
[[File:Buckingham Palace, London - April 2009.jpg|260px|right|thumb|[[wikipedia:Buckingham Palace|Buckingham Palace]]]]
==== Bus ====
*{{w|National Express}} operate coach services from {{w|Victoria Coach Station}} and other points to destinations across the UK. The company operates direct services to Stratford station from Cambridge and Stansted Airport.
*Stratford station is a major bus hub, and is served by routes 25, 69, 86, 104, 108, 158, 238, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 425, 473, 678, D8, N8 and N86.
*London Bus routes 97 and 339 stop in Stratford itself but not at the station.
 
==== Tube ====
*Heathrow Airport has a direct connection to the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground, which is considerably slower but considerably cheaper than the Heathrow Express (see [[#Train|below]]). Passengers will need to change to the Central Line at Holborn, which will take them to Stratford.
*All but one of Central London's rail termini have a direct connection to the London Underground. Different stations are on different lines, but all lines intersect, and Stratford can be reached from every inner-London Tube station without needing to change more than once.
*Although not part of the London Underground network, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and London Overground are both marked on the Tube Map and both serve Stratford Regional station.
*The Tube Map provides a colour-coded schematic of the London Underground, London Overground, and DLR networks. Copies are available for free at every Tube station and most Tourist Information Centres in London, as well as on the [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf Transport for London website].
==== Train ====
*Stratford has two railway stations, [[wikipedia:Stratford International|Stratford International]] and [[w:Stratford railway station|Stratford Regional]] (known as such to prevent confusion between the international station 400 yards away and with Stratford-upon-Avon, but officially designated "Straford"). Stratford International is served by high-speed services from [[wikipedia:London St Pancras|London St Pancras]] (journey time ~10 minutes) and from towns to the south-east of London; ironically it does not currently have an international train service at present, but the government are discussing the possibility of Eurostar services between ST Pancras and Belgium/France stopping at Stratford International after the 2012 Olympics. Services operate from Stratford Regional into Central London and parts of Essex and the Home Counties including an hourly direct service to Stansted Airport. Stratford is also served by London Overground services towards Clapham Junction, London Underground Services on the Central Line as well as serving as the terminus of the London Underground Jubilee Line and the Docklands Light Railway (both of which provide slower but cheaper methods of getting into Central London). 
*Central London has 13 terminal stations. Most passengers travelling by rail from within the UK will arrive at one of these and would be advised to change to the London Underground to complete their journey.
*Heathrow and Gatwick airports both have dedicated express train services that run non-stop into [[wikipedia:London Paddington|Paddington]] and [[wikipedia:London Victoria|Victoria]] respectively, where passengers can change to the London Underground for the final leg to Stratford.
*Eurostar operates high-speed services from Paris and Brussels to London St Pancras.
 
==== Taxi ====
A more expensive option than public transport, especially for those travelling from the airports. There are companies that specialise in private hire between airports and Central London which may be cheaper, but these usually require pre-booking.
 
== Financial ==
[[File:Canary-wharf-one.jpg||260px|right|thumb|[[wikipedia:Canary Wharf|Canary Wharf]] is a major business and financial centre]]
=== Budget ===
{{/Budget}}
 
=== Sponsorship ===
==== Sponsorship Levels ====
==== Confirmed Sponsors ====
{{w|Tech City}}
==== Potential Sponsors ====
Visa, Google, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Mozilla, Nominet, BT or Telefonica
 
== Miscellaneous ==
=== Tourism opportunities ===
London is one of the greenest and most scenic major cities in the world. Famous landmarks in Central London include (in no particular order) St Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Nelson's Column/Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the London Eye and "the Gherkin". Open-top buses operate sight-seeing tours constantly, especially during the summer, and organising one as a breakout event for Wikimania should be no trouble. More specialised tours include boat trips on the River Thames and buses that can operate as boats ("{{w|duck tour}}s").
 
Wikimeda UK already has good relations with several cultural institutions in London, including the British Museum, and so a cultural event for those interested in GLAM could easily be arranged.
 
=== Currency ===
 
:The '''pound sterling''' ([[w:en:ISO 4217|ISO 4217]]: '''GBP'''), known locally as the '''pound''' (''£'') is the currency of the United Kingdom, divided into one hundred pence (''p'').
 
:Currency exchange desks are available at all London airports, as well as at the [[Wikipedia:Post Office|Post Office]] and most banks and travel agents.  Australian Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euros, Japanese Yen, Polish Złoty, Swedish Krona and United States Dollars are all widely exchanged; other currencies are usually exchangeable at the airports.
 
:{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=3 | Exchange rates as of 18 November 2011 ([http://www.x-rates.com/d/GBP/table.html x-rates.com])
|-
! Currency
! Equivalent of GB£1
! Equivalent in GB£
|-
| [[Image:Icons-flag-au.png]] Australian Dollar
| 1.56
| 0.63
|-
| [[Image:Icons-flag-ca.png]] Canadian Dollar
| 1.61
| 0.71
|-
| [[Image:Icons-flag-eu.png]] Euro
| 1.17
| 0.85
|-
| [[Image:Icons-flag-jp.png]] Japanese Yen
| 121.49
| 0.0082
|-
| [[Image:Icons-flag-se.png]] Swedish Krona
| 10.74
| 0.082
|-
| [[Image:Icons-flag-us.png]] United States Dollar   
| 1.57
| 0.63
|}
 
=== Climate ===
London has a temperate [[wikipedia:oceanic climate|oceanic climate]], and interestingly receives less precipitation (with 601 mm in a year), than [[wikipedia:Rome|Rome]] at 834 mm, [[wikipedia:Bordeaux|Bordeaux]] at 923 mm, [[wikipedia:Toulouse|Toulouse]] at 668 mm, and [[wikipedia:Naples|Naples]] at 1,006 mm per year.<ref>[http://www.worldweather.org/176/c00604.htm Weather Information for Naples]</ref><ref>[http://www.meteoam.it/modules.php?name=viewClinoFile&station=289&name_station=Napoli%20Capodichino Visualizzazione tabella CLINO della stazione / CLINO Averages Listed for the station Napoli Capodichino]</ref><ref>[http://www.theweathernetwork.com The Weather Network] 18 November 2011</ref><ref>[http://france.meteofrance.com/france/climat_france?CLIMAT_PORTLET.path=climatstationn%2F31069001 Prévisions météo de Météo-France – Climat en France] 18 November 2011</ref><ref>[http://www.worldweather.org/062/c01058.htm  World Weather Information Service – Toulouse] 18 November 2011</ref>  Summers are warm and sometimes hot, the heat being boosted by the "Urban Heat Island Effect" making the centre of London at times 5 degrees Celsius warmer than the suburbs and outskirts. London's summer average is a comfortable 24 degrees Celsius.
 
=== Telecommunications ===
 
[[File:London 360 from St Paul's Cathedral - Sept 2007.jpg|1400px|<center>[[Panorama of London]], taken from the Golden Gallery of [[St Paul's Cathedral]]</center>]]
 
== Timeline ==
*Rough draft budget - December 2011
*Venue Viewing - December 2011
*Creation of Budget, Bid documents, venue selection, approaching potential sponsors etc - Now-January 2012
*Start working on bid page and forming wikimedia volunteer bid team - Yesterday - We have {{w|User:EdSaperia}}, {{w|User:Panyd}}, {{w|User:HJ Mitchell}}, {{w|User:Marek69}} and {{w|User:ErrantX}} working on this
*Bidding officially opens - January 2011
*Bidding closes and winner announced - May 2012
*Conference - July/August 2013
 
==Self-evaluation==
 
*'''Strengths of the proposed location'''
# '''London itself has excellent transport connections to the entire world by air, and by road and rail to the rest of the UK and to Continental Europe; the venue can be reached in less than an hour from all three of London's main airports'''
# '''The Olympic Village is a brand new, high-profile development with excellent facilities which are more than capable of holding the number of people we need'''
# '''The UK is the country which contributes the third most edits to Wikipedia as a whole''' ([[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Edits by project and country of origin|some rough statistics]]), making its editors the most active from a country which has not yet hosted Wikimania.
 
*'''Weaknesses of the proposed location''' ...and how to overcome those weaknesses
# '''Expense'''- London can be expensive city at the best of times.
#: '''Proposed solution''' - Attempt to have whatever we can subsidised by our sponsors. This may mean donations in kind rather than monetary donations.
# '''Most attendees will have to change trains or change to the London Underground to complete their journey'''
#: Lay on coaches from major transport hubs like Heathrow? Negotiate with Transport for London about placing signs at Tube stations where people will change (for example at Holborn, for those taking the Tube from Heathrow)? Email attendees a Tube Map and/or directions from their point of arrival in the UK to the station? Have staff/volunteers in highly visible, Wikimania-branded clothing on hand at airports/major public transport interchanges to provide directions and assistance to attendees (or to collect groups of people and take them to the venue)?
# '''The ticketing system for British public transport system (especially the trains) is baffling, even to those who use it regularly'''
#: Give attendees the option, when registering online, to request their tickets in advance? Have staff/volunteers on hand to give out pre-booked tickets and/or assist attendees in purchasing tickets on the day? Dedicated tickets/Oyster cards for attendees (would require discussion with TfL and possibly the government)? 
# '''WiFi'''&mdash;the WiFi in place at the Olympic Village will not have been designed with hundreds of Wikipedians in mind
#:Given that this has been an issue at every previous Wikimania, we should look at hiring a company to temporarily provide enhanced WiFi.
 
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

Latest revision as of 18:54, 1 May 2013

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