Wikimania bid

Wikimania is Wikimedia's annual conference. It takes place in a different location each year, so far in our summer. In 2010 it was in Gdansk, in 2011 was in Haifa and in 2012 in Washington DC. There are currently 9 bids to host Wikimania in 2013.

Typically it involves circa 500 people from all over the world, with about five simultaneous sets of meetings (tracks) a huge amount of logistics more Wifi than any venue has yet successfully provided, a couple of parties, a creche and maybe even a cultural event.

It is entirely possible that the UK could bid to host Wikimania in 2014 or a subsequent year. A bid would require an enthusiastic team of volunteers (it would also require board backing, budget, location and various other details but this is the first hurdle).

2014 bid team

Organisers

Please sign below if you would be interested in working to make a UK bid for Wikimania 2014. Any bid needs an organising committee that will make it happen.

1. Extensive experience in sales and relationship management with some in medium-to-small events management. I want to be your gal. Panyd 20:54, 19 October 2011 (UTC)
2. Bugger it; I'm in. I can do logistics and paperwork and other stuff. I've no directly relevant experience, but I want to make this happen. HJ Mitchell | Penny for your thoughts? 23:20, 19 October 2011 (UTC)
3. Steve Virgin - Yes in theory - I have explained what I can offer a possible Bid team below based on previous track record of organising events of this scale for very little cost
4. Tom; experience - organisation & logistics. sysadmin & programming work. Know a few people who might be able to do audio/visual (or at least hook us up). Take your pick :) --ErrantX 13:11, 20 October 2011 (UTC)

Volunteers

Please sign below if you have specialist skills or knowledge that you are willing to contribute that will help make this happen.

1. Attendee of 2009 and 2010, attending in 2011 happy to convene a couple of sessions in 2014 and to be a sounding board for the bid team as to what worked or didn't work in the Wikimanias I've been to. WereSpielChequers 19:30, 27 July 2011 (UTC)
2. Couldn't attend this year, but will in 2012. Decent experience organising teams & bids (it seems to be all I do any more :() --ErrantX 19:43, 27 July 2011 (UTC)
3. Attended 2010, was involved in the 2010 Oxford bid, have been involved in organising a variety of sized conferences (including currently on the LOC for a 500+ person astronomy meeting). Mike Peel 20:29, 27 July 2011 (UTC)
4. I'm a maybe, would've been "oh yes" had it been a 2013 bid - plans are still up in the air as to which part of the world I'll be residing in as of 2014. Hong Kong is bidding 2013. Will help out if UK wins 2014. I attended W'mania 2010 and 2011. Deryck Chan 03:45, 28 July 2011 (UTC), edited 18:45, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
5. Can I be a maybe as well. Never attended Wikimania, but I have been involved in local organising committees and scientific programme committees for a range of national & international conferences.Rodw 07:46, 28 July 2011 (UTC)
6. Yet to attend a Wikimania, hope to attend 2012 though (despite being an impoverished student). Nonetheless, happy to help with the grunt/prose writing/formatting/IT-related tasks. Jarry1250 14:55, 31 July 2011 (UTC)
7. Attended Wikimania 2011 which I followed from early on. I do also have some experience with contacting organisations and organising things as part of my degree. CT Cooper · talk 22:43, 9 August 2011 (UTC)
8. I organised the Annual Wikimedia Chapter Fund Raising Conference May 2010 (in Bristol) backed by Bristol Festival of Ideas, Bristol City Council, HP Labs) - then during the 8 week run up to our 10th Birthday in January earlier this year, I organised two events for WMUK in Bristol (same morning) - one Jimmy Wales talking at the University of Bristol Victoria Rooms (Jan 13) 750 people in roome, 3500 watched through live streaming - also earlier that morning I got the Cathedral and Jimmy Wales ran the morning assembly for Bristol Cathedral Choir School (500 people). the May 2010 Fundrasing Conference cost nothing (all costs met by sponsors). the Jimmy Wales 10th Birthday event cost a few hundred pounds (train fares and coffees and sandwiches for the 20+ Twitterers and Bloggers that worked from the Watershed to promote the event) - all other costs were met by sponsors across the city.

In the organisation of these two events, I have established strong contacts with businesses, council officials, venue owners etc - so much so that the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Bristol has submitted a reference letter of support to WMUK to help us with our charitable status application with the charities commission. So too has a top official at Bristol City Council and the Watershed (a possible break out venue - should we win). The head of communications at Bristol City Council said he'd be interested in backing a 2014 bid, as do our referees, as do Invest in Bristol, Tourism Bristol - should we proceed.

The problem we all have is - do we want to do it outside London (yes/no). I can provide a strong lead and many of the components needed to construct a bid fairly easily, but I cannot do this outside of the south west as I don't have the contact network there. If it was not in Bristol everything would have to start again from scratch. So the costs would be more along the lines that I have been told by a leading W'pedian (upwards of 1m pounds).

I am prepared to head this up (for now) if it stays in the south west as part and parcel of my role on the Board of WMUK. I have a business to run and commitments, so cannot promise support outside of a bid for the south west. I am, though, in the ideal position of having done something similar for WMUK (twice), I know the venues well, I'd be able to easily get sponsorship, I could get a city vibrantly supporting it with (possibly a dedicated staff member of their own). I also organised the WMUK AGM in Bristol last April - this time we had a budget and the costs were paid by the Chapter no sponsors were involved - this means there have been 3 major events in Bristol - so the city is used to seeing and supporting us.

A discussion is needed to resolve whether Bristol is a suitable candidate.

I completely agree, we should have at least a dedicated day where those who have proposals should be able to put them forward with full details (such as your impressive track record above) available to all interested parties; as well as give those who disagree with a Bristol bid the opportunity to put forward what they have so far and how they think they will realistically achieve a bid for 2014 in their selected location. In my opinion if we wished to moved forward for a speedy resolution we should answer the questions: A) Who is an interested party? and B) How and when will each party present to them in a way that gives everyone an opportunity to speak?

I would advocate a meeting in person with interested parties to discuss. I would also advocate that an interested party is anyone involved in WMUK and the people who are listed above. I would normally advocate a geonotice but we all know how well that went! Panyd 13:04, 20 October 2011 (UTC)

I agree with that... perhaps we could hijack a Wikimeet (although it might be better done in an actual office space). My initial thoughts are that what we need to do is some form of mini internal bid process to decide on the locations. So allow a couple of months for people to develop a basic idea (and potentially write a page up on the details) and then have a meeting for presentation & discussion. Nothing serious - just a way for us to put together an idea of the kind of package each location could give us. --ErrantX 13:25, 20 October 2011 (UTC)

Proposed Venues

Location	Airport destinations/Name of airport	Direct train services to	Local transport	Partner organisations (eg. GLAM)	Header text	Header text	Header text	Header text	Header text
London	Global/6 airports	UK & Europe	Excellent 24 hour service, including hire bikes	en:British Museum, en:British Library, en:Imperial College, en:Victoria & Albert Museum, en:National Maritime Museum	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Bristol	W. Europe/en:Bristol Airport	Bus service, excellent cycle network	en:University of Bristol, en:ARKIVE	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Oxford	Private/en:London Oxford Airport	Bus service, bike-friendly city: see also en:Oxford Tube	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Nottingham	Private/en:Nottingham Airport		Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Manchester	Eastern US/Europe/India/en:Manchester Airport	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
York	Europe/Egypt/en:Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Cardiff	Western Europe/Greece/en:Cardiff Airport	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Edinborough	Europe/en:Edinburgh Airport	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Glasgow	Europe/Eastern US/Egypt/en:Glasgow International Airport	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Belfast	Western Europe/Florida/en:Belfast International Airport	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Brighton	None	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Birmingham	Europe/Egypt/Pakistan/Turkmenistan/en:Birmingham Airport, England	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Derby	Europe/Orlando/Egypt/en:East Midlands Airport	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Exeter	Western Europe/Egypt/en:Exeter International Airport	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Liverpool	Europe/en:Liverpool John Lennon Airport	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example

This is a list of potential venues which could be used for a UK Wikimania:

• London - Does quite severely need serious consideration and comment if it's still in the running. Please consider volunteering to comment
• Bristol - Wonderfully scenic and cultural - airport to south of city flies mainly to Europe, few trans continental air links - does have two high speed rail lines into city from Padidngton (conencts with Heathrow Express). Very tech-centric area - home to UWE, University of Bristol (WMUK has partnered), ARKIVE (WMUK has partnered), Ardman Animations,(MD attended and met Jimmy Wales at his talk in jan '11 in city), close links to National Trust (HQ in Swindon), Sustrans... the city as a track record of backing large scale WMUK events in city (May 2010 + January 2011 + April 2011 (WMUK AGM) & would have two unversity campus sites in walking distance of ny venue during event
• Oxford - Culturally lovely, but we might get shunned by the "educational elite".
• Nottingham
• Manchester - V friendly council, V friendly university, excellent conference facilities. Bit of a distance from London, but has good rail links, and an international airport that flies to the US.
• York -
• Cardiff - very few Welsh Wikipedians, but would get good PR in the local area, getting more Wikipedians from that area.
• Edinburgh - few Scottish Wikipedians, but would get good PR in the local area, getting more Wikipedians from that area.
• Glasgow
• Belfast
• Brighton - historically used for political conferences. Beachfront location. Bit of a jaunt to get to.
• Coventry/Birmingham - National Exhibition Centre, international airport, excellent rail links. Central location, but can be a bit industrial.
• Derby - International airport nearby, decent rail links. Birthplace of QRpedia. Conference facilities unknown. (who cares, it gets my vote Victuallers 16:07, 20 October 2011 (UTC))
• Exeter - possibly too remote.

Bid choice, needs location and person to do it

"Someone should organise a Wikimania bid" is an idea that everyone could agree on. I'm hoping we might even have a high vote if its in the U.K. (on this page at least). "I want to help with a Wikimania bid" is great and we need lots of those. However I'm looking for people who say "I can lead a Wikimania bid".

Why is our registered office in Nottingham? Why was there a Wikipedian in residence in Derby? Because people live there. One guy in Israel got a standing ovation because he had worked for a year on creating Wikimania in Haifa (Israels 3rd biggest city with no airport and very strict security on the one that you could use). I don't think anyone thinks we could have a successful event run by someone who we just handed a cheque to organise it. I'm not sure that "Someone should run a Wikimania event in Edinburgh (say)" is very useful, because we need someone who will. If you send a large cheque then I'll do it, but we are not offering a large cheque. We need someone who says "I will organise this event" much more than we need to discuss the location, I think. I flew all the way acoss Europe to get to Haifa, the fact that I travelled for an hour or two on the train meant that I saw the country. If it had been in Tel Aviv then I wouldnt have seen very much of Israel at all.... I wouldn't have minded though because I actually went for Wikimania and it was well organised, my sheets were clean and there was beer.

I suggest that unless we have two people who both want to lead this then I'm not sure there is much to debate. If there is only one and no one wants to help then regrettably its a very easy decision. Ideally we want one lead, one place and lots keen to help that person and take over if (s)he is ill. Anything else would fail to win backing from the chapters even it it was made into a bid. Victuallers 16:07, 20 October 2011 (UTC)