Its not all hard work at FOSS4G. We have a great line up of evening activities to help you relax, meet new friends and imbibe some lubrication – what kind of a geoconference would this be without some geobeers?
Ice-Breaker
This event on the Wednesday evening will be a great chance for you to meet and mingle with your fellow conference attendees and impress them with your geographic knowledge. Following a sit-down meal in the Auditorium at EMCC, author, TV and radio presenter, and self-confessed “Map Addict”, Mike Parker will entertain with a light-hearted after dinner talk. There will then be a “pub-quiz” with a geographic theme and prizes.
Mike Parker “Map Addict”
Gala Night
For our Thursday night party our headline act is Steve and Helen from Festival of The Spoken Nerd, presenting unashamed geekery from their hit shows such as “Full Frontal Nerdity” and “Technobabble”. Expect comedy, songs, live experiments and audience participation in the GeoCamp tent. Follow them as @fotsn on twitter or catch them live at the Edinburgh Festival in August if you can’t wait!
We’re also pleased to be able to present local pianist and all-round jazz virtuoso Chris Conway and his band to ‘bookend’ the Nerds – they’ll be playing some of Chris’s own compositions as well as jazz standards. Chris is a fantastic musician who is well-known on the local music scene, and he’ll be providing a suitably cool and convivial atmosphere for us to chat, drink, and maybe even dance a little too!
Friday Night Excursion to Nottingham Greyhound Track (not included in conference packages)
On Friday night there is the option of a trip away from campus for an evening at the Nottingham Greyhound Track (including a meal). Alternatively enjoy yourself in the city under your own steam, or relax on the University campus.
Going to the dogs
Thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/sombraala/
On Friday, escape the conference centre for a trip out for a social evening interlaced with the drama of racing. Have dinner and a race card in the restaurant box at the Nottingham Greyhound Stadium (http://www.nottinghamdogs.com). The box is glass fronted and newly refurbished with panoramic views over the racetrack and screens around the box showing the odds, race results and video feed of the races. You can also leave the box to go down to the trackside to watch the races up close. The main race card starts at 7:15pm.
Menus are available online http://www.nottinghamdogs.com/dining.php . You can order from this on the night, no need to specify in advance. The restaurant can cope with different dietary preferences but these should be expressed at the time of booking.
Please book directly with the stadium by phone on +44/0 (115) 910 33 33 and choose option 3 for restaurant bookings. If you’re phoning out of hours please leave a name and contact number and they will ring you back. The cost of the evening is £19.80 per person. There will be a booking fee of £1 per reservation. You’re encouraged to book together in groups if you can as each group can then be sat together, and you only get charged one reservation fee between you.
Alternatives for Friday Night
If you fancy exploring Nottingham on Friday night there are hundreds of bars and restaurants to choose from on the Nottingham Experience site, they also offer an iPhone App which those of you of the Apple persuasion may find useful.
Jeremy and Mark have shared their favourite bars and restaurants to make it easy for you to choose. Some of these places get booked up early so don’t leave it to the last minute
Bring your talents to Saturday Night’s Closing Party
Not everyone will be rushing off after the closing plenaries on Saturday afternoon. On Saturday night we are going to have a chilled evening in the GeoCamp with speciality beer tasting, pizza and improv. We’ve got a microphone, we’ve got a stage, now all we need is you to bring your talents. If you can sing, play a musical instrument, tell a joke, recite your favourite bit of Shakespeare, organise a game or do anything else Mark Iliffe wants you to contact him on [markiliffe at gmail dot com]. You can still book a place at the closing party here
