OpenOffice Conference 2012

Introduction

The Apache OpenOffice project has the opportunity to propose and manage a 'conference within a conference' as proposed on May 8th. [1]
On the apachecon-discuss list there is a more extensive discussion covering the broader ApacheCON EU topic. [2]

For the overall ApacheCON there is space for about 500 people. There are over three levels of meeting space in the Arena. One level can hold either 300 in one track, or 3*100 tracks, the other either 200 or 2*100.

Audiences may gather on multiple levels, and share a common stage/screen for viewing. This would be ideal for keynotes and larger sessions.

I made a proposal for an 'OpenOffice Conference' on the apachecon-dicuss list..within the ApacheCON EU overall conference, or a 'Conference-within-a-Conference' concept. [3]

Today, June 20th, I responded to an invitation on the Apachecon-discuss list to submit a proposal for our 'track', as 'Conference-within-a-Conference'. [4]  You can see the results of my submission and others collected in a Google Doc here.[5]

Please take a look at this proposal. It is just that a 'proposal' intended to get out planning process more fully engaged. Everything I submitted is open to edit/change/add/delete etc. You will see that I self-nominated to be Chair and asked Juergen Schmidt if he would be the 'backup chair', or Co-Chair. We are placeholders in these roles for now subject to the community's approval.

Many of us have attended past OpenOffice.org conferences and have a good understanding of what worked well, and what did not. Since this opportunity depends on this project community stepping up, we must act efficiently and make this happen. Given that many of us will be taking our summer holidays (in the Northern Hemisphere anyway!), please engage in this planning process now.

1 http://s.apache.org/Lj6
2 http://s.apache.org/3R9
3 http://s.apache.org/pZE
4 http://s.apache.org/F1u
5 http://s.apache.org/nz
6 http://s.apache.org/7P3
7 http://s.apache.org/HtA

Venue

SAP is hosting the ApacheCON EU at their Rhein-Neckar-Arnena in Sinsheim 



This is a HUGE facility, as you can see. 

Proposed Sessions

We may be better served to consider two 'tracks' within our overall OpenOffice programme. This proposal presents what a Technical and User track might look like. Obviously the content for each track will depend entirely on responses to the CFP that are selected.

CFP

The ApacheCon Europe team has opened the CFP process via the http://apachecon.eu site. Deadlines for submissions is now August 13, 2012. 

Proposals may be submitted via the new ApacheCon web site:http://www.apachecon.eu/cfp/

ConComm has contracted with Open Bastion for managing the ApacheCON North America event. They may become involved in the EU event as well, and/or share a common system for managing the CFP process. It's not clear at this time.

Open Issues

Budget

It has been confirmed that the SPI funds have been received by Fundraising@. These funds are earmarked for the OpenOffice project. They may be applied to support the needs of this event, including TAC funding for a limited number of applicants. For example, we could decide to produce custom Apache OpenOffice T-shirts; banners; signage; refreshments for a breakout / hacking room, etc.

We will need to develop a budget and a procedure for disbursement that meets the approval of the PPMC.

CFP Jury

Engage with the ApacheCON team and volunteer to jury the submissions. As soon as the ConComm team opens up the CFP system, we'll be able to have a number of volunteers review and select the best submissions. As of August 1st this has not happened, but is expected soon.

Coordinate with Complementary Projects?

In my submission I suggested that there be an effort to coordinate and schedule sessions in such a way as to encourage cross-project 'pollination'.  In this fashion, OpenOffice becomes better integrated in the overall ApacheCON content flow. We may also help volunteer to aggregate sessions along the lines of 'Document & Content Technologies'. For example:

Document & Content Stores

• Chemistry
• Jackrabbit
• CMS

Tools

• ODF Toolkit
• POI
• Tika
• PDFbox

Social Frameworks

• Rave
• Wookie
• Shindig
• OpenMeetings

Thoughts?

Call to Action

We need an active group of volunteers to engage on ApacheCON Europe and his proposal to build and run a 'Conference-within-a-Conference'. 

Volunteers must be committed to the effort it will require to make this happen. These are some of the people who have expressed an active interest to become directly involved.

The following community members have 'raised their hand', so to speak. I am volunteering to chair the effort with Juergen as Co-chair, subject to the community's approval.

Let's continue to use this wiki to shape the plan.