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  * Jose M Calhariz, Simão Martins, Rita Severo, Samuel Bernardo   * Jose M Calhariz, Prof. Joao Nuno Oliveira e Silva, Simão Martins, Rita Severo, Samuel Bernardo, Ana Fragoso.
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  * Simão has participated in Sinfo [http://www.sinfo.org/] as an organiser, and Rita has organised another conference (details to follow)   * Simão has participated in [[http://www.sinfo.org/|Sinfo]] as an organiser, and Rita has organised another conference (details to follow)
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  * Jose, Simão, and Rita work at the IST, in the IT department.   * Jose, Prof. Joao, Simão, Rita and Ana work at the IST, in the IT department.
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   * TBD    * Haven't planned exactly what spaces will be used for what, yet. But we're looking at spaces across 3 buildings.
     * Central: The main building, at the top of the hill.
       * Salão Nobre (the biggest room we are looking at)
       * 5 Lecture Theatres (not accessible). Seat ~100.
       * 5(?) Classrooms. Seat 50-80.
       * Coffee Bar.
     * Civil: Next door to Central, slightly behind it. Open 24hrs.
       * 3-5(?) Study rooms. Seat 50-80.
       * 3-5(?) Lecture Theatres. Not entirely accessible, but possible to get a wheelchair into the front.
       * Cafe, with outside seating.
     * North Tower: Near Central and Civil.
       * 3(?) Lecture Theatres. The ones in the basement are apparently somewhat accessible.
       * (?) Study rooms.
       * Restaurant.
     * Student's Union: A few buildings, down the hill.
       * Canteen - where we'll likely serve meals.
       * Cafe & Bar.
       * Outside Cafe & Bar.

Lisbon 2020 Bid

Local team

  • Please name the main local team

    • Jose M Calhariz, Prof. Joao Nuno Oliveira e Silva, Simão Martins, Rita Severo, Samuel Bernardo, Ana Fragoso.
  • Of these people, which have been present at a previous ?DebConfs and which have participated as organizers and/or volunteers (the line might be quite blurry at times) of a previous DebConf?

    • Jose has participated in several previous ?DebConfs as an attendee.

  • Briefly describe their involvement in Debian and the Free Software world.

    • Jose is a Debian Developer.
    • Simão is a Free Software contributor.
  • Who has previous experience in organizing events? What events?

    • Simão has participated in Sinfo as an organiser, and Rita has organised another conference (details to follow)

  • Who of your team is contributing to DebConfN-1? In which teams?

    • We expect Jose to get involved.
  • Are any local team members linked (professionally/financially/personally) with any of the organisations who will provide services (e.g. venue/food/accommodation) to DebConf? (Any links can be good or bad, but they should be stated publicly.)

    • Jose, Prof. Joao, Simão, Rita and Ana work at the IST, in the IT department.

Choice of city / town / whatever

  • Are you suggesting a city, a town, a village, a spa in the middle of nowhere?
    • Lisbon.
    • How many people live there?
      • 1 million.
    • How easy/convenient is it to get computer hardware and electronic components?
      • It's a European capital, there are lots of options.
      • Electronics shops.
        • Yes.
      • Computer hardware stores.
        • Yes.
      • Supermarkets, etc.
        • There are 3 or 4 near the venue.
      • Delivery from online shopping services like Amazon, ?MediaMarkt? How long does delivery take?

        • There are local services with same-day pick-up or next-day delivery. Amazon deliveries from the UK take a couple of days.
    • How easy is it for handicapped people to move around?
      • The metro is somewhat accessible. Not all stations are accessible.
      • The city is hilly. IST is at the top of a hill.
  • Which is the nearest airport?

    • LIS - Lisbon International Airport.
    • Are there any cheap airlines flying to the chosen city (or nearby)?

      • Ryanair and easyjet, amongst others.
    • How long does the trip from the airport to the venue take?

      • 30 minutes away by metro.
      • 15 minutes by taxi.
  • How friendly is your country towards foreigners?

    • Very friendly.
    • Visas: Which/how many countries' citizens require getting a visa? How hard (bureaucratic, probable) is it to get it?

      • Part of the Schengen Area.

      • Are there any import regulations, which might affect DebConf? (e.g. a limit to number of laptops / cheese / wine you can bring in; hard regulations for money transfers; etc.)

        • Part of the EU. Euro rules apply.
    • Language: Do most people speak English? How hard is it for a foreigner to find their way around?
      • Not everyone speaks English, but people are friendly and will figure out communication.
      • Getting around is fairly easy.
    • Smoking: What are the local regulations about smoking?
      • Outside only, for public buildings. Some pubs permit smoking inside.

Conference Facilities

  • How much does it cost to rent these facilities?

    • TBD
  • How far away are the locations from each other? (auditoriums, hacklabs, restaurant, sleeping quarters, front desk, orga spaces)

    • Haven't planned exactly what spaces will be used for what, yet. But we're looking at spaces across 3 buildings.
      • Central: The main building, at the top of the hill.
        • Salão Nobre (the biggest room we are looking at)
        • 5 Lecture Theatres (not accessible). Seat ~100.
        • 5(?) Classrooms. Seat 50-80.
        • Coffee Bar.
      • Civil: Next door to Central, slightly behind it. Open 24hrs.
        • 3-5(?) Study rooms. Seat 50-80.
        • 3-5(?) Lecture Theatres. Not entirely accessible, but possible to get a wheelchair into the front.
        • Cafe, with outside seating.
      • North Tower: Near Central and Civil.
        • 3(?) Lecture Theatres. The ones in the basement are apparently somewhat accessible.
        • (?) Study rooms.
        • Restaurant.
      • Student's Union: A few buildings, down the hill.
        • Canteen - where we'll likely serve meals.
        • Cafe & Bar.

        • Outside Cafe & Bar.

    • What kind of places are available suitable for hacklabs, workshops, ?BoFs and talks? Usually DebConf needs 2 videoed presentation talk rooms, 1 videoed BoF room, several (>=3) smaller BoF rooms, and a few (>= 2) hack labs.

      • Hacklabs: Study rooms (basically student hack labs) in Civil. 50-80 people.
      • ?BoFs: Classrooms in Central. 50-80

      • Talks:
        • Salão Nobre 100-300
        • Auditoria (not accessible). 100
        • Classrooms in Central. 50-80
    • How many people fit in each of them?
    • How flexible are the spaces?

      • Can smaller auditoria be merged into a bigger one?

      • Salão Nobre has 2 side rooms that can be merged into it.
      • Are tables/chairs fixed, or can we arrange them to fit more people/give more room to the people that we need?
        • Class rooms and study rooms are not fixed.
        • The raked auditoria have fixed wooden benches, with folding desks.
        • Salão Nobre has no fixed furniture.
    • Is the venue accessible? Note: There are more accessibility issues to bear in mind than just mobility. Is the area safe for people with any kind of disability? (There are sight and hearing-impaired people, too.) Bonus: What people is it not good for?

      • Not entirely. Salão Nobre is flat. The raked auditoria have steps into them. The classrooms and study rooms are flat.
      • Is there access to all areas with ramps and/or elevators? (Note: carrying somebody over some steps is not usually an acceptable option.)
        • There are some elevators, but not ramps everywhere.
        • Central:
          • 1 elevator, and 1 accessible entrace (at the back).
          • There are stair lifts on a few internal stairs, but not into the auditoria.
          • Accessible toilets on ground floor.
      • Are there people with experience in accessibility at the venue? Are we in contact with them?

        • TBD. NAPE is a student orientation group that we hope can help.
  • Are plans / blueprints with exact distances available to us (to be kept confidential on request)?
    • The venue has offered to send us building plans.
  • What kind of audio equipment is already present in the talk rooms?

    • None.
    • Wireless or stationary mics?

    • clip-on kind of mics or hand-held mics?

    • How many of them?

    • Can the video team take control of the audio equipment in the room?

  • Will the hacklabs be allowed to stay open 24x7? What time schedule do they offer?
    • Yes (to be confirmed).
  • What kind of security will be there?

    • University Security guards (outsourced).
  • Are there any limitations regarding the consumptions of food / alcohol? Where do these limitations apply?

    • Alcohol is sold on campus, at restaurants and bars (e.g. the Students' Union).
    • TBD re food in classrooms. Probably not permitted.
    • How far is it to the nearest convenience stores / all-night restaurants?

      • Several supermarkets, 5 minutes walk away.
      • 15 minutes walk to an all night restaurant. Galeto.
  • Please provide pictures of the venue and accommodation.

Food

  • How much are the meals per person per day?

    • TBD. €5-7 lunch at the campus restaurant.
  • Where will food be served? Is this near the talk rooms / the hacklabs?
    • Probably in the Students' Union, a few buildings away.
  • What kind of food will be served?

    • TBD. We are currently exploring various catering options based near the venue.
    • In what fashion? (table service, limited buffet, open buffet, etc.)

      • TBD.
  • Would food for vegetarian / vegan / lactose-intolerant / gluten-sensitive / religious (of any denomination) people be available?
    • TBD.
    • How many meals do we need to order to get those kind of "special" meals?

      • TBD.
    • Will it cost extra to get those special meals?

      • TBD.
    • Will the special meals come from a separate caterer?

      • TBD.
  • In a two week period, how much variety in food can be provided?

    • TBD.

Socialising

  • What areas are available nearby for attendees to hack, socially? (e.g. bars, outside tables, swimming pools, coffee shops)
    • The Students' Union has multiple bars and cafes.
    • The campus has several other cafes and bars.
    • There are many other restaurants and bars, nearby.
  • What hours will they be open?
    • TBD.
  • Is there conference WiFi coverage in these areas?

    • On campus, yes.
    • Off-campus, most places provide some WiFi, on their own terms.

Network connectivity

  • Is the area already wired with regular network infrastructure? (much preferably: 1Gbps)

    • Yes. Possibly some 100Mbps in some places, but we can get Gigabit into all the talk rooms.
  • How much does it cost and how difficult is it to get a big internet connection? (100 Mbps at least)

    • This will be provided for free. The university has a 10Gbps uplink.
  • How much work does it imply to cover the area with WiFi?

    • We may need some extra coverage in main talk rooms, and outside areas.
  • What can be done if an area isn't well covered? Are there spare APs?
    • In the past, a local Cisco supplier has sponsored temporary APs, we should get this company on board as a sponsor, to give us some spare hardware to work with.
  • If we use someone else's infrastructure, how flexible are they, regarding routing / firewall / IP ranges / public access / WiFi SSIDs / other stuff?

    • We are discussing getting a temporarily allocated IP range that will allow us to handle our own routing etc.
    • Do we have restrictions on allowed ports?

      • There is a requirement that outgoing port 25 and some other ports (TBD) be firewalled. Exceptions are possible.
    • Are we traffic-shaped? Or can we set a traffic shaper if we need so?

      • No
    • Can we get a dedicated SSID for DebConf with static auth? Rather than per-user credentials.

      • Probably. Each building has its own network administration, so there would be work to do, per building.
  • Would it be possible to set up the core network before DebCamp? (a day or two, earlier would be nicer, in order to handle problems gracefully. Additional weeks for wireless.)

    • Probably. Although the university will be closed for the first two weeks of August. So, this would need to be done before it closed.
  • Do we have a point of contact, who understands our needs?

    • TBD. We have members of the IT department on the conference team.

Special rooms

Server Room:

  • Size
    • ~30 racks. There should be at least half a rack available.
  • Have they/do they need air conditioning?
    • Yes.
  • What network connectivity is available?
    • 2x10Gbps per rack. More soon.
  • What electrical load can they handle?

    • 2x15A circuits per rack. TBD closer to the time.
  • Lockable? Who has access?
    • Only IT staff (we have some on the team). Out-out-band access recommended.

Video Room:

  • Size
    • Probably a ~50 person class room.
  • Have they/do they need air conditioning?
    • No.
  • What network connectivity is available?
    • 2x1Gbps
  • What electrical load can they handle?

    • 2x15A circuits
  • Lockable? Who has access?
    • Yes. We can get a key.

Front Desk:

  • Where are are we expecting to host the front desk? How close is it to other spaces?
    • Probably a ~50 person class room.
  • Is it lockable?
    • Yes. We can get a key.

Orga Room:

  • Is there a small (10 person) room that the orga team can use for meetings and storage?
    • Probably a ~50 person class room.

Meeting Room:

  • Is there a small (10 person) room that can be used for private meetings? (e.g. sensitive issues)
    • Probably a Study Room or class room in another building.

Accommodation

  • How much does it cost per person per night?

    • TBD. €50?
  • Is the place where people are going to sleep near the conference facilities?

    • TBD. There are hotels nearby.
  • Is it able to handle an uncertainty in the attendee count, until a month before the conference?

    • TBD.
  • Is it able to handle the change in attendance from ~20 on the first night to the expected maximum towards the end of the conference?

    • TBD.
  • Is it able to handle foreigners who can't speak the local languages? (i.e. do the people at the accommodation speak English?)
    • Yes, TBD.
  • Is accommodation check-in separate to DebConf check-in?

    • Yes.
  • Can couples (and families) be accommodated together?

    • Yes.
  • How many room keys would be available?

    • TBD.
  • Are there other hotels around?
    • Yes, lots of hotels in close walking distance.
  • Are there rooms ready for handicapped people? How many?
    • TBD.

Child Care

  • Will there be any child care available?
    • TBD. The university has a child care centre.
  • Where will it be located?
    • A couple of buildings away from Central.
  • What will it cost?
    • TBD.
  • What age ranges will be supported?
    • TBD.
  • During what hours will it be offered?
    • TBD.

Fun and Free time

  • What leisure activities are recommended?
    • Visiting Lisbon. The venue is near the centre of Lisbon, and there are lots of touristy activities.
  • List some possible Day Trips.
    • Are the proposed locations ready to receive people with disabilities?
    • Visiting Sintra (a town in the mountains, with castles etc.)
    • Beach (some are dangerous). Some are accessible.
  • How expensive would they be?
    • Cheap. Train fare to Sintra.
  • Will transport need to be organised?
    • Yes.

Local Sponsors

  • Do you have a list of prospective sponsors that might be interested in helping the conference? (By providing venues, money, hardware, connectivity, etc.)

    • TBD.
  • Have you spoken to these organisations yet, to find out if they might sponsor, and what conditions and deadlines they have? (Note that many large organisations which provide funding for events need to be approached a long time in advance.)
    • No.
  • Do you have promises/pledges from any of these sponsors already?
    • No.

Timing

  • When (and why) would be the best time to host DebConf at your location?

    • Two options:
      1. 15-29 July - end of exams, some students doing extra exams in the week of 15th
      2. 17-30 August - after the summer shut-down
  • What is your backup plan if your preferred venue isn't available at that time?
    • There are other universities in the area. There is also a second campus.
  • Is there a provisional reservation in place for a particular date? When does the provisional reservation expire?
    • Not yet.