Good morning
FOSS4G starts in 55 days! The pace is really hotting up (as is the British weather).
I plan to send out a (nearly) weekly mail updating you on details as we run (or even sprint) up to the conference.
If I am repeating reminders that you have already received, it is because I don’t want anyone to miss out on opportunities etc.
Volunteering
We want to make this “the best FOSS4G ever” – will you help us?
FOSS4G is going to be colossal, over 200 sessions and workshops, unconferences, birds of a feather, entertainment etc across 5 days and nights, to make that run smoothly we need your help. We need volunteers to help with all sorts of tasks, you only have to volunteer for a couple of hours. In particular we are looking for people who are willing to “chair a session” – you don’t need any prior experience, just a willingness to introduce 2 or 3 speakers, facilitate the questions at the end of each presentation and keep the speakers to time – easy!
Whatever your skill or interest in helping, please have a look at http://2013.foss4g.org/volunteering-at-foss4g/ and sign up, then you can add the snazzy “I’m volunteering at FOSS4G” badge to your mail signature and we will give you a mention in the programme book and a special gift.
Geohack
The geohack is an opportunity to hang out in our awesome GeoCamp and hack with open source tools and open data in response to a series of environmental and humanitarian themed challenges such as http://2013.foss4g.org/geohack/challenges/smart-cities/. The geohack is free to attend on Tuesday and Wednesday sign up at http://hackathonfoss4g2013-es2005.eventbrite.com/ so why not get to Nottingham early even if you aren’t attending the workshops and do a bit of geohacking? Big thanks to the Met Office for sponsoring the geohack.
Opening up the Map
Have you made a map in the last year that you are particularly proud of? Did you use open source software or open data? If the answer to those questions is yes then you should be entering your map in our Opening up the Map exhibition (you might even win a prize). If you have a pdf version or a web link to a live app then it will take you less than 5 minutes to submit your map at http://2013.foss4g.org/programme/opening-up-the-map/ and your map will be on display throughout the conference venue and in a special area in the GeoCamp
Extra Stuff
If you have booked a full conference place, it includes attendance at the Gala Night Party on Thursday, there are a couple of other entertainment options for you to consider:
- The Ice Breaker evening on Wednesday evening will be a fun and informal evening with a special guest speaker (you won’t want to miss him or her) and activity to get you in the mood for the best FOSS4G ever (if I don’t say so who will?) – this is a great opportunity to meet some new people before the hurly burly starts on Thursday morning.
- If you are not leaving until Sunday, we didn’t want to leave you high and dry on Saturday night, so we have a gentle night’s entertainment and food for you which will help to wind down from the “best FOSS4G ever” (are you getting the idea?) – what else are you going to do on a Saturday night in Nottingham?
You can still book these events by logging back into your registration via http://2013.foss4g.org/registration/
Accommodation
Accommodation is not included in any delegate passes. You need to book your accommodation either through our registration system (you can log into your booking if you already have one and add an room booking) or you need to book accommodation directly.
We have a few hotel rooms left – for peak nights we are down to single figures against our block booking. Remember the Orchard Hotel is one minute from the conference centre where all the action will be going on late into the night. The lower cost university rooms are also booking up very quickly, so please don’t leave booking accommodation too late.
Promoting FOSS4G
Can you help us to promote FOSS4G to the widest possible audience? You have your own networks of customers, colleagues etc, please publicise your attendance and support for FOSS4G and encourage them to attend the event. Maybe you could tell them that they shouldn’t miss out on “the best FOSS4G ever” 
That’s it for this week, until the next update
Cheers
Steven
