Bristol Wikimania Bid

In a nutshell

• Country: United Kingdom
• City: Bristol
• Venue: University of Bristol
• Proposed dates: August (overlapping by a single day with the annual International Bristol Balloon Festival - 9-12 August 2012 date not set for 2013 - cool to have a Wikipedia branded balloon flying around the city, would it not be?)
• Planned attendance: Any Wikimedian!
• Contact: Steve Virgin

Our Vision

It is quite simply to make Wikimania a brand known across the world.

This aim will, in part, be built on creating a series of events involving A List speakers, co-organised with sponsors Bristol Festival of Ideas. We'll enlist the BBC Anchor Project to record these events and to make these events available to the world on a public domain licence - they did so recently for the Jimmy Wales talk in Bristol's Victoria Rooms as part of the 10th birthday celebrations of Wikipedia, and they will do so again. The same partners will strive to live web cast as many sessions as possible and to assist Wikimedia UK in maximising global involvement in the Wikimania event.

We’re proposing an ambitious program involving up to 1,000 Wikimedians from all over the world. We want to include students from the city's two universities in engaging with the Wikipedians who have created a remarkable global community that is changing the world and that anyone can join.

Wikimedian community

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

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 British Museum and the British Library in London, and a collaboration with the 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 Avon Gorge, home to several unique plant species.

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 fiftieth was in October 2011) and are an excellent venue for discussing grand ideas like this one. The 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.

A creative and cultural city

Bristol is one of the pre-eminent European centres of creative and cultural industry and talent with a growing global profile. The region's creative industries are estimated to be worth £3 Billion pounds to the UK's economy.

The creative industries in Bristol employ around 9,000 people, making up for 12% of all businesses in the city. Bristol is home to 1,350 creative businesses, including the multiple oscar-winning Aardman Animations (the creators of Wallace and Grommet), as well as the BBC's Natural History Unit, Endemol West and many other independent film and production companies. Bristol is the world capital of the wildlife and environmental film industry - responsible for 25% of this sector's global output, hosting of the international 'Wildscreen' Festival every 2 years, and employment of around 1,500 people.

Aardman Founder Nick Park with Wallace and Gromit characters

Another leading event is the 'Encounters Short Film Festival' that is held annually at the Watershed, the UK's first and most highly regarded media centre. The Bristol Design Festival, an annual celebration of creativity, design and innovation, is now also a hugely popular occasion. Apart from its film, broadcast and digital media companies, the city is justly famous for its varied and vibrant music scene - from the Bristol Bach Choir to the more subterranean 'Bristol Sound' in the form of Portishead, Roni Size and Massive Attack.

Bristol also boasts a strength in other creative sectors unmatched by most other European regional cities - design and architecture, books and publishing, visual arts, theatre and performing arts, including a profusion of festivals and carnivals throughout the year, comedy clubs, street theatre and Europe's leading circus school. Creative quarters such as the Jamaica Street Studios, Knowle West Media Centre, Mivart Studios, Paintworks, Pervasive Media Studio, Spike Island and the Tobacco Factory are examples of Bristol's vibrant creative community, contributing to its accolade of 'Second Media City' in recent years.

Economy and industry

Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge.

As a major seaport, Bristol has a long history of trading commodities, originally wool cloth exports and imports of fish, wine, grain and dairy produce later tobacco, tropical fruits and plantation goods; major imports now are motor vehicles, grain, timber, fresh produce and petroleum products. Deals were originally struck on a personal basis in the former trading area around The Exchange in Corn Street, and in particular, over bronze trading tables, known as The Nails. This is often given as the origin of the expression "cash on the nail", meaning immediate payment, however it is likely that the expression was in use before the nails were erected

The Nails in Corn Street, over which trading deals were made

As well as Bristol's nautical connections, the city's economy is reliant on the aerospace industry, defence, the media, information technology and financial services sectors, and tourism. The former Ministry of Defence Procurement Executive, later the Defence Procurement Agency, and now Defence Equipment & Support, moved to a purpose-built headquarters at Abbey Wood, Filton in 1995. The site employs some 7,000 to 8,000 staff and is responsible for procuring and supporting much of the MoD's defence equipment.

In 2004 Bristol's GDP was £9.439 billion, and the combined GDP of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and North Somerset was £44.098 billion. The GDP per head was £23,962 (US$47,738, €35,124) making the city more affluent than the UK as a whole, at 40% above the national average. This makes it the third-highest per-capita GDP of any English city, after London and Nottingham, and the fifth highest GDP per capita of any city in the United Kingdom, behind London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Nottingham. In March 2007, Bristol's unemployment rate was 4.8%, compared with 4.0% for the south west and 5.5% for England.

Although Bristol's economy is no longer reliant upon the Port of Bristol, which was relocated gradually to the mouth of the Avon to new docks at Avonmouth (1870s)and Royal Portbury Dock (1977) as the size of shipping increased, the city is the largest importer of cars to the UK. Since the port was leased in 1991, £330 million has been invested and the annual tonnage throughput has increased from 3.9 million long tons (4 million tonnes) to 11.8 million long tons (12 million tonnes). The tobacco trade and cigarette manufacturing have now ceased, but imports of wines and spirits by Averys continue.

The financial services sector employs 59,000 in the city,and the high-tech sector is important, with 50 micro-electronics and silicon design companies, which employ around 5,000 people, including the Hewlett-Packard national research laboratories, which opened in 1983. Bristol is the UK's seventh most popular destination for foreign tourists, and the city receives nine million visitors each year.

In the 20th century, Bristol's manufacturing activities expanded to include aircraft production at Filton, by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and aero-engine manufacture by Bristol Aero Engines (later Rolls-Royce) at Patchway. The aeroplane company became famous for the World War I Bristol F.2 Fighter and Second World War Bristol Blenheim and Beaufighter aircraft. In the 1950s it became one of the country's major manufacturers of civil aircraft, with the Bristol Freighter and Bristol Britannia and the huge Bristol Brabazon airliner. The Bristol Aeroplane Company diversified into car manufacturing in the 1940s, producing hand-built luxury cars at their factory in Filton, under the name Bristol Cars, which became independent from the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1960. The city also gave its name to the Bristol make of buses, manufactured in the city from 1908 to 1983, first by the local bus operating company, Bristol Omnibus Company, and from 1955 by Bristol Commercial Vehicles.

The last ever flight of any Concorde, 26 November 2003. The aircraft is seen a few minutes before landing on the Filton runway from which it first flew in 1969.

In the 1960s Filton played a key role in the Anglo-French Concorde supersonic airliner project. The Bristol Aeroplane Company became part of the British partner, the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Concorde components were manufactured in British and French factories and shipped to the two final assembly plants, in Toulouse and Filton. The French manufactured the centre fuselage and centre wing and the British the nose, rear fuselage, fin and wingtips, while the Rolls-Royce Olympus engine's manufacture was split between Rolls-Royce plc (Filton) and SNECMA (Paris). The British Concorde prototype made its maiden flight from Filton to RAF Fairford on 9 April 1969, five weeks after the French test flight.

In 2003 British Airways and Air France decided to cease flying the aircraft and to retire them to locations (mostly museums) around the world. On 26 November 2003 Concorde 216 made the final Concorde flight, returning to Filton airfield to be kept there permanently as the centrepiece of a projected air museum. This museum will include the existing Bristol Aero Collection, which includes a Bristol Britannia aircraft.

The aerospace industry remains a major segment of the local economy. The major aerospace companies in Bristol now are BAE Systems, (formed by merger between Marconi Electronic Systems and British Aerospace); the latter being formed by a merger of BAC, Hawker Siddeley and Scottish Aviation), Airbus and Rolls-Royce are all based at Filton, and aerospace engineering is a prominent research area at the nearby University of the West of England. Another important aviation company in the city is Cameron Balloons, who manufacture hot air balloon. Each August the city is host to the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, one of Europe's largest hot air balloon events.

A new £500 million shopping centre called Cabot Circus opened in 2008 amidst claims from developers and politicians that Bristol would become one of England's top ten retail destinations. Bristol was selected as one of the world's top ten cities for 2009 by international travel publishers Dorling Kindersley in their Eyewitness series of guides for young adults. In 2011 it was announced that the Temple Quarter near Bristol Temple Meads railway station will become an enterprise zone.

Climate

Situated in the south of the country, Bristol is one of the warmest cities in the UK, with a mean annual temperature of 10.2–12 °C. It is also amongst the sunniest, with 1,541–1,885 hours sunshine per year. The city is partially sheltered by the Mendip Hills, but exposed to the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel. Rainfall increases toward's the south of the area, with annual totals north of the Avon River in the 600 range, up to the 900 range South of it. Rain falls all year round, but autumn and winter are the wettest seasons.

The Atlantic strongly influences Bristol's weather, maintaining average temperatures above freezing throughout the year, although cold spells in winter often bring frosts. Snow can fall at any time from mid-November through to mid-April, but it is a rare occurrence. Summers are drier and quite warm with variable amounts of sunshine, rain and cloud. Spring is unsettled and changeable, and has brought spells of winter snow as well as summer sunshine. The nearest weather station's to Bristol for which long term climate data are Long Ashton (about 5 miles South West of the city centre) and Bristol Weather Station (Within the city centre). However, data collection at these locations ceased in 2002 and 2001 respectively, and Filton Airfield is now the closest Weather Station. The temperature range at Long Ashton for the period 1959-2002 has spanned from during July 1976, down to in January 1982. Monthly Temperature extremes at Filton (since 2002) exceeding those recorded at Long Ashton include during April 2003,during July 2006 and the lowest temperature to be recorded in recent years at Filton was during December 2010.

Our community

As of June 2009 the City of Bristol was made up of 433,100 according to ONS statististics.

Our team

Would be drawn from volunteers locally, nationally and internationally - would include people from open source groups alliances such as Bristol Wireless, BRRISM, Pervasive Media Studios, University of Bristol, University of Western England, local Wikipedians....

Name	Areas of responsibility	Experience/Comments
Panyd	Bid coordinator	Hello! I am an administrator on the English Wikipedia.
Marek69		I am an editor on the English Wikipedia. I have attended Wikimania in 2010 and 2011.
Harry Mitchell
User:ErrantX

Conference Venue

The proposed event will be based around the University of Bristol Campus - with breakout events across the centre of the city at other possible venues (see suggested list). In 2011, Wikimedia UK hosted TWO large events in the city at the Victoria Rooms (University of Bristol - which was attended by 750 people + live webcasted to 3,500) + in the city's main cathedral itself earlier that morning (550 attended). Both events occured during a single morning of January 13, 2011 - so the viability of organising large events involving hundreds of people in the city has already been tested and worked successfully

Secondary or possible break out venues

• Victoria Rooms - University of Bristol

Victoria Rooms University of Bristol

The Victoria Rooms, a familiar Bristol landmark, first opened its doors to the public in May 1842, and for many years served as the most important and lively cultural centre in the West of England. Charles Dickens delighted a large audience with a selection of readings on its stage. Although principally used as a centre for music making for the Department of Music, due to its versatile auditorium, elegant recital room and vast complex of teaching and practice spaces and recording studio, it has been a conference and event centre, hosting Jimmy Wales' only public speaking engagement during the 10th birthday of Wikipedia in January 2011.

• Bristol Cathedral

The west front of Bristol Cathedral

A church has probably stood on this site for over a thousand years but it came to prominence in 1148 when Robert Fitzhardinge founded the Abbey of St. Augustine. The Chapter House and Abbey Gatehouse remain clearly to be seen: other remains are within Bristol Cathedral Choir School. The eastern end of the Cathedral, especially in the Choir, gives Bristol Cathedral a unique place in the development of British and European Architecture. The Nave, Choir and Aisles are all the same height, creating the appearance of a large hall. Bristol Cathedral is the major example of a 'Hall Church' in Great Britain and one of the finest anywhere in the world. In 1539 the Abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII's commissioners and the nave, which was then being rebuilt, was destroyed. The rather battered building then became the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in 1542. In 1868 plans were drawn up to rebuild the Nave to its medieval design. The Architect, G.E.Street, found the original pillar bases, so the dimensions are much the same as those of the abbey church. J. L. Pearson added the two towers at the West End and further reordered the interior. Jimmy Wales hosted a school assembly for Bristol Cathedral Choir School in the Cathedral during the morning of January 13th 2011, when he spoke in the city as part of Wikipedia's 10th birthday celebrations.

• St Georges

St Georges Brandon Hill

St George's is a church in the Clifton area of Bristol. It was built between 1821 and 1823 by Robert Smirke (architect)in a Greek Revival style. St George's was a "Waterloo church"— and the only one in Bristol to receive government money from the first grant under the Church Building Act of 1818. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building. In 1976 St George's Music Trust was formed and in succeeding years they established the church as a major concert venue. The main body of the church seats an audience of 562 and the crypt has been transformed into a bar and recording studios which are regularly used by the BBC.

• The Watershed

Watershed night

Watershed opened in June 1982 as the United Kingdom's first dedicated media centre. Based in former warehouses on the Bristol Harbour|harbourside at Bristol, it hosts three Movie theaters|cinemas, a café/Bar, events/conferencing spaces, and office spaces for administrative and creative staff. It occupies the former V and W sheds on Canon's Road at Saint Augustine's Reach, and underwent a major refurbishment in 2005. The building also hosts UWE eMedia Business Enterprises. Most of Watershed's facilities are situated on the second floor of two of the transit sheds. The conference spaces and cinemas are used by many public and private sector organisations and charities. Watershed employs the equivalent of over seventy full-time staff and has an annual turnover of approximately £3.8 million. As well as its own commercial income (through Watershed Trading), Watershed Arts Trust is funded by national and regional arts funders. It is run by Managing Director Dick Penny who first joined in 1991. A 2010 report for the International Futures Forum describes the Watershed as "a creative ecosystem, operating in many different and overlapping economies," which is "pushing the creative boundary" by fostering both the invention and consolidation of new work.

• Colston Hall

Colston Hall

The Colston Hall is a concert hall and grade II listed building situated on Colston Street, Bristol, England. A popular venue catering for a variety of different entertainers, it seats approximately 2,075 and provides licensed bars, a café and restaurant. The venue is owned by Bristol City Council, but from April 2011 it will be run by the independent Bristol Music Trust.

Sponsor/VIP Parties

Wikimania traditionally hosts two parties, one for attendees (capacity of 250-350) and one for sponsors and VIPs (capacity 40-60).

• 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)

Logistics

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.

Getting to Bristol

By car Bristol is easily accessible from both the M5 and M4 motorways. The journey time from west London to Bristol along the M4 is just under two hours. From the M4, exit at junction 19 (signpost to Bristol) and follow the M32 into the city centre. From the M5, exit at junction 18 and follow the A4 Portway (signpost Bristol Airport) into the city centre

By Train

Bristol Temple Meads is the main railway station, situated approximately 15 minutes' walk from the City Centre. The 8 and 9 bus services run frequently between Bristol Temple Meads Station and the city centre, Broadmead and Cabot Circus. CrossCountry trains operate between Bristol Temple Meads and Birmingham, the North East, Edinburgh and Penzance. First Great Western run regular services to Bristol from London Paddington, Reading, Swindon, Bath, Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth, Cardiff, Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Bristol Parkway station is situated to the north of the city and can be accessed via bus service no. 73, which runs regularly between Bristol Parkway and the city centre. CrossCountry trains run services to Bristol Parkway from Penzance, Birmingham, the North East and Scotland. First Great Western also run services to, through and from Bristol Parkway. There is a direct connection to London Paddington station from both Templemeads and Parkway stations, journey time is approximately 1hr 40mins. Paddington is connected to Heathrow Airport via the Heathrow Express train line, which takes around 30 minutes and travels both directions several times an hour.

Bus or coach

Bristol Bus Station is situated on Marlborough Street, near Broadmead shopping centre. National Express coach services operate from the bus station to cities across the UK, including direct bus services to London Heathrow (approximately 2 hours) and Gatwick airport (approximately 3 1/2 hours). London Flyer coaches run between Bristol and London, and Megabus operates from Bristol to London and Wales (Cwmbran).

By air

Bristol Airport is situated just 8 miles south of central Bristol, and is easily accessed via the A38. Direct flights operate to Bristol Airport from across the UK and Europe, and regular routes operate from North America via Dublin. Bristol International Flyer express coach service offers a convenient way to get to the airport, with regular coaches running from Bristol city centre bus and train stations to the airport throughout the day. The journey takes around 30 minutes and tickets are available from the driver or at the airport intself.

By Park & Ride

Park & Ride offers a comfortable and easy way of travelling to Bristol without the stress of navigating your way through the central roads and car parks. All Park & Ride services provide convenient access to attractions, leisure and shopping developments in the centre of Bristol. Find out more about the following Bristol Park & Ride services at www.travelbristol.org/parkandride

Accomodation

Hostels

Taxi

Financial

Budget

Bristol Wikimania Bid/Budget

Sponsorship

Sponsorship Levels

Gold

Silver

Bronze

A discussion should take place on the distinction and differences between each level from a donor & Wikimedia perspective....following on from any WMF guidance

There should be a second level of sponsorship level...could be described as 'Supporting' and would be aimed at groups or organisations helping through 'in-kind' donations of venues, food or employee time

Confirmed Sponsors

All of the groups and organisations currently listed below under Potential Sponsors have been approached to see whether they would be willing to assist in a bid for Wikimania in the city. They have all said 'yes' - but obviously need more detailed discussions before they can move from Potential Sponsor to Confirmed Sponsor status

Potential Sponsors

Already expressed an interest in supporting a bid

• ''Bristol City Council
• HP Labs (Bristol)
• Bristol Festival of Ideas
• University of Bristol
• The Watershed
• Invest in Bristol
• Bristol Natural History Consortium
• BBC Bristol
• BBC Anchor Project''

Likely to be supportive of bid not yet informally contacted

• University of Western England
• Science City Bristol
• Bristol Museums (5) includes MShed
• Aardman Animations (Wallace & Grommit)
• Sustrans (sustainable cycling charity)
• Soil Association
• Bristol Cathedral Choir School
• Bristol Metropolitan Academy
• Bristol Wireless
• Bristol Girl Geeks
• ARKIVE/Wildscreen
• Bristol Old Vic Theatre
• Averys

Position unknown yet to be informally contacted

• Foyle's bookshop
• Imperial Tobacco
• BAE Systems
• Ministry of Defence Procurement
• Airbus
• Rolls Royce
• Bristol International Balloon Festival

Tourism opportunities

SS Great Britain

The ship is located in the heart of the city centre near the harbour, the ship was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Steamship Company's transatlantic crossing|transatlantic service between Bristol and New York. While other ships had previously been built of iron or equipped with a screw propeller, Great Britain was the first to combine both these features in a large ocean-going ship. She was the first iron steamer to cross the Atlantic, which she did in 1845, in the then-record time of 14 days (one day faster than the previous record holder, the SS Great Western. When launched in 1843, Great Britain was by far the largest vessel afloat. However, her protracted construction and high cost had left her owners in a difficult financial position, and they were forced out of business in 1846 after the ship was stranded by a navigational error. Sold for marine salvage and repaired, Great Britain carried thousands of immigrants to Australia until converted to sail in 1881. Three years later, the vessel was retired to the Falkland Islands where she was used as a warehouse, quarantine ship and hulk ship until scuttling in 1937. In 1970, Great Britain was returned to the Bristol dry dock where she was first built. Now listed as part of the National Historic Fleet, Core Collection, the vessel is an award-winning visitor attraction and museum ship in Bristol Harbour, with between 150,000–170,000 visitors annually.

Bristol Zoo

The zoo was opened in 1836 by the Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society, Bristol Zoo is the world's oldest provincial zoo. It is a Victorian walled zoo located between Clifton Down and Clifton College, near Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge; it covers a small area by modern standards, but with a considerable number of species. In the 1960s the zoo came to national prominence by appearing in the UK television series, Animal Magic (TV series), hosted by the comic animal 'communicator', Johnny Morris. Morris would play keeper and voice all the animals there.

Clifton Suspension Bridge

The idea of building a bridge across the Avon Gorge originated in 1753 originally for a stone bridge with later plans for a cast iron structure. An attempt to build Brunel's design in 1831 was stopped by the Bristol Riots, and the revised version of his designs was built after his death, being completed in 1864. Although similar in size, the bridge towers are not identical in design, the Clifton tower having side cut-outs, the Leigh tower more pointed arches atop a red sandstone clad abutment. Roller mounted "saddles" at the top of each tower allow movement of the three independent wrought iron chains on each side when loads pass over the bridge. The bridge deck is suspended by eighty-one matching vertical wrought-iron rods. The bridge is a distinctive landmark, used as a symbol of Bristol on postcards, promotional materials, and informational web sites. It has also been used as a backdrop to several films and television programmes.

'Roman City' of Bath

Bath is a city situated west of London and 13 milessouth-east of Bristol. The population of the city is 83,992. It was granted city status by Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1590, and was made a county borough in 1889 which gave it independence from its county, Somerset. The city became part of Avon when that non-metropolitan county was created in 1974. Since 1996, when Avon was abolished, Bath has been the principal centre of the [unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset.

The city was first established as a spa with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis ("the waters of Sulis") by the Romans in AD 43, although verbal tradition suggests that Bath was known before then. They built Roman Baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley of the River Avon around hot springs. Much later, it became popular as a spa town during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone.

The City of Bath was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The city has a variety of theatres, museums, and other cultural and sporting venues, which have helped to make it a major centre for tourism, with over one million staying visitors and 3.8 million day visitors to the city each year. The city has two universities and several schools and colleges. There is a large service sector, and growing information and communication technologies and creative industries, providing employment for the population of Bath and the surrounding area.

Getting to the United Kingdom

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.

Visa issues

EU (Schengen) visa lists
EU member states
Special visa-free provisions (Schengen treaty, OCT or other)
Visa-free access to the EU for 90 days - annex II countries
Visa required to enter the EU - annex I countries
Visa-status unknown

The United Kingdom is a member country of the 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 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 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. 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.

Andorra Argentina Australia Austria* Bahamas Belgium* Brazil Bulgaria* Canada Chile Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus* Czech Republic* Denmark* El Salvador Estonia* Finland* France* Germany*

Greece* Guatemala Honduras Hungary* Ireland* Israel Italy* Japan Latvia* Liechtenstein Lithuania* Luxembourg* Macedonia Malaysia Malta* Mexico Monaco Netherlands* New Zealand Nicaragua

Norway Panama Paraguay Poland* Portugal* Romania* San Marino Singapore Slovakia* Slovenia* Republic of Korea Spain* Sweden* Switzerland United Kingdom* United States Uruguay Vatican City State Venezuela

* - European Union member states

Currency

The pound sterling (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 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.

Exchange rates as of 18 November 2011 (x-rates.com)
Currency	Equivalent of GB£1	Equivalent in GB£
Australian Dollar	1.56	0.63
Canadian Dollar	1.61	0.71
Euro	1.17	0.85
Japanese Yen	121.49	0.0082
Swedish Krona	10.74	0.082
United States Dollar	1.57	0.63

Telecommunications

• All university of Bristol halls of residences have wi-fi access. An informal agreement between Wikimedia UK and the University of Bristol for a number of passwords for attendees would be needed in advance of the conference.
• The team running the event need to be aware that this small but important point needs to be agreed with attendees in advance

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 User:EdSaperia, User:Panyd, User:HJ Mitchell, User:Marek69 and User:ErrantX working on this
• Bidding officially opens - January 2011
• Bidding closes and winner announced - May 2012
• Conference - July/August 2013