On Wed, 14 Feb 2007, Craig White wrote:

> I would agree that it would be nice to have a local event but having
> done this type of thing many years ago (approx 1986), I remember what a
> lot of work it was and it requires some up front vendor participation to
> generate the necessary seeding funds to get the facilities, print
> brochures, etc. My thinking is that if PLUG were to try to do this, they
> should seek participation with all BSD and similar pro-open source
> groups and probably hold it during the summer where we could get a hotel
> that would be more eager for an under funded event.
> 
> It occurred to me that SCALE had gotten too large for an all volunteer
> effort and probably should have a professional management company manage
> the show in the future and I asked one of the guys there who said that
> there was no way that would happen.

I have assisted a little with the LinuxFest Northwest held in Bellingham 
every spring. I think they have held it about eight times and on a few 
occassions had over 1000 and 1200 attendees.

http://www.linuxfestnorthwest.org/news.html

Here's an article I wrote previously published at "linuxandmain" --
http://www.reedmedia.net/~reed/writing/lfnw-2003-wrapup.html

(I also wrote press releases for the event for a few years that were used 
by area newspapers and a radio station. I invited newspapers to attend the 
event and they wrote about it. I also organized several booths and 
organized and also gave several lectures there over a few years.)

The thing that is interesting is that it is all volunteer (other than 
concession/food and janitorial and I think security services). (Volunteers 
also do major clean up so extra janitors aren't required.)

The LinuxFest NW event is free.

A small college gets great marketing and publicity by donating rooms at 
their school.

Volunteers from over seven user groups assist a little. While the 
Bellingham Linux User Group does that major work.

I have rented hotel meeting rooms for classes and the costs for a large 
event are outrageous. Doing the low-cost, grass-roots way is probably the 
best way to go.

Read the links above from the "news.html" page.

  Jeremy C. Reed
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