[Sig2006] Siggraph outline

[Ton Roosendaal]

Hi,

Welcome partners! For now only Dave Neary (Gnome) and Gert Svensson  
(Uni-verse) are on the list. Everyone who will actively help organizing  
is welcome here too.

In the next days I'll work on a scenario doc with more details and  
todos. Here's what I know for now;

**** Budget

- Gnome has committed to sponsor 4k USD (not euro, right! :).
- Uni-verse (excluding Blender) committed to sponsor 4k EUR.
- Blender will finance an additional 16k EUR, with extension if  
required.
- Micheal Tiemann from RedHat personally sponsors 20k USD, this might  
be replaced with official RedHat sponsorship. Until that's clear  
Michael prefers to be not mentioned in public.

Roughly my target is to get the entire booth construction (excluding  
computers or AV) arranged for 20k USD. The floorspace rental was 7800  
USD, and been paid by Blender already.
Computer rental can easily go up to 5k, large screens and projectors  
another 5-8k.

More details follow... all depends on additional sponsorship. I target  
at getting free computers during the show. At least 6, preferably 10 or  
more.

**** Booth concept

- "The Open Source Pavillion" will be the main visual headline, also on  
websites, siggraph floorplan, press contacts, etc. That's the best way  
for people to be able to meet us or talk about what we do.

- Main target: show that free and open source Digital Media software  
can be used to cover the entire production pipeline for CG content  
creation in general, and for 3D movie production specifically.

- The booth itself will divided in three main parts:

1) Three bar-level demo desks (with 2 bar stools) with sufficient space  
to put 2 screens on. A desk has a back going up at least 2.5 meters  
holding a printed display. Each partner gets a desk, and should fill in  
the large print an with own message. The partners are also supposed to  
man this desk continuously with people giving demos. That will be own  
responsibility for each partner to organize.
2) A general area with a small desk with demo system, audio system and  
large projection screen. Here we can do public tutorials, show  
presentation movies, etc. I also like to find a way to make this area a  
cosy "hangout". It can have a couple of more bar-level tables (also as  
a central reception desk) with computers people can make freely use of.  
Maybe some chairs, or additional barstools... have to check on this.
3) Depending budget and possibilities... but I like to create some  
central "tower", with large printed "Open Source Pavillion" and the  
names of partners and sponsors. It should also display giant prints of  
computer graphics. This tower will also hold two large plasma screens  
continuously showing movies and presentations. It has to become the  
central eyecatcher.
In the bottom of the tower we can create storage room.

Option to look at: a fourth main demo desk for Open Source tools that  
don't have budget to partner with us. Inkscape and Aqsis are  
interested. I'm sure we can find several, and it would be a nice way to  
complete our total offering.

For booth construction I hope I can get "Box Truss", a sort of  
scaffolding system used to construct stages. Works good as framework to  
insert prints in too.

In general I want to create a very informal and cosy hangout feeling.  
My past experience is that people like it when there's a place they can  
just sit down or hangout a while.

(I have a sponsor for printed high quality displays btw).

- All demo systems on the booth will have RedHat fedora installed  
(sponsor requirement :)


**** Siggraph stuff

- We can get up to 36 "Exhibitor badges", this grants access to  
Siggraph close to "Conference Select level", equalling a value of 300  
USD or so.
- We are also eligible of 4 "Full Conference" passes. We can use this  
to reward some of the volunteers with. Even when not officially  
allowed, it can also be used by more people, so they can attend the  
course or panel they like to.
- We can get 150 free "Exhibit only" badges. Registration for this  
happens online. I'll pass on information about this later on.


**** Extras

- Free CD/DVD handout
I really would love to see someone creating a great & complete  
collection of all current open source CG software products. All based  
on binary distributions (Windows, OSX, Linux) allowing quick install  
and use. Add to that tutorial videos, documentation, movie clips, and  
so on... and you get just a cool thing to have. :)
Printing a 4 Gig DVD-rom will cost max 1 dollar per copy, if we do  
3000. We should do more...

- Official booth crew T-shirts
Always works very well :), also when you're outside of the booth, go to  
lunch, in hotels or in parties in the evening. I want to challenge  
designers to make a very cool tee, holding at least the partner names,  
"Open Source Pavillion" and maybe a cool slogan. We could print it on  
three distinct colors, one for each partner.

- T-shirts to sell or give away
Resembling the official crew wear, we can have a tee for sale too.  
Friendly priced (10 usd).

- Slogan proposal
I'm still very fond of the slogan we used last year; "My own software"  
is a positive and proud statement for our users to feel connected to.  
Also nicely contradicts to the overload of commercial applications  
presenting at Siggraph. On the shirt that can be printed large, with a  
smaller text "Open Source Pavillion, Siggraph 2006" or so.


**** Todos

- Contact people you know for free computers on the tradeshow!

- Public announcement; I'll do a proposal for it tomorrow. Includes  
call for volunteers and for people to subscribe for a free exhibit  
ticket

- collect volunteers who would love to demo for 1, 2 or 3 days. We also  
need top artists who can do tutorials on the large screen.

Ok... that's it for now. Please send feedback, tomorrow more!

-Ton-


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--
Ton Roosendaal  Blender Foundation ton at blender.org  
http://www.blender.org