Conference Committee

The Conference Committee is the official committee of OSGeo responsible for operating the annual FOSS4G conferences.
= Noteworthy Documents = 
* FOSS4G Handbook (provides guidance to future FOSS4G and related events, based upon the collective wisdom gained during prior events)
* Conference Committee email list
* OSGeo Conference Committee main page (includes RFP, proposals, and archived files from past conferences)
* Past conference reports are detailed at Past FOSS4G Reports
* Conference website management
* Motion to form Conference Committee
* Conference Committee Budget 2017 (draft)
= Goals =
The conference committee have the responsibility to:
* Run the selection process and voting for the global FOSS4G
* Vote on conference related proposals submitted to the committee
* Retain the collected wisdom for FOSS4G and related events
* Advise the board, Local Organising Committees (LOC), and related events organisors, ideally referencing the FOSS4G Handbook
* Ensure OSGeo foundation principles are applied to global FOSS4G conferences
* Manage the FOSS4G Travel Grant Programme for FOSS4G and regional events
See also: 2016 priorities are summarised in Conference Committee 2016 Priorities
=Housekeeping Procedures=
The Conference Committee uses the following procedures to make decisions.
==Decisions==
consideration for new selection methods
# Anyone may contribute to conference committee discussions. All votes will be noted, but only conference committee member votes count toward decisions.
# Voting will use convention of:
#* +1 : For
#* +0: Mildly for
#* 0: Indifferent
#* -0: Mildly against
#* -1 : Strongly against. This is expected to be accompanied by a reason and alternative proposal.
# Everyday topics will be decided by an open vote of all members in a clearly designated separate mail thread over a minimum of 2 business days with a minimum participation of 3 votes.
# For major decisions, such as conference venue selection, a minimum of one week shall be allocated to try and ensure at least 50% voter participation.
# The committee aims for consensus, and will specifically attempt to address all -1 votes, but will revert to a majority vote where necessary.
# The result will be clearly declared afterwards.
# Secret voting, when required, will use an online voting service or use an email to an independent teller appointed by CC Chair.
==FOSS4G Selection==
# All Letters of Intent and subsequent proposals will be posted to the list for open comment by all. 
# The selection of the winning proposal is by secret vote of conference committee members.
# The OSGeo Board will be requested to ratify the conference committee’s recommendation.
# Any committee member who has a potential conflict of interest is expected to withdraw from voting. A member of the committee who is part of a bidding team, intends to become part of the LOC or is employed by a company playing an active part in a bid should exclude themselves from voting in the selection process. In the event of a disagreement regarding a potential conflict of interest the committee chair has the authority to make a decision.
=== Changes in RfP Document for 2021 ===
* At least at the letters-of-intent stage there should always be a voting option of "None of the above". Otherwise there's no point in having a vote if there's only one letter, also this allows for the (unlikely) event of all letters being rubbish.
* Bids should be scored based on various pre-defined criterion. Current voting by the committee seems to include a "where I want to go on holiday" component which has no place in a process like this. This is in keeping with the "openness" goal of OSGeo as compared to the current Star Chamber-like voting.
* Further to the above, a list of objective mandatory criterion can be specified as required. I.e. "Venue must be able to host X people", "must be at least Y tracks", "Must be accessible via both local and national public transport", etc.
==FOSS4G Travel Grant Programme==
The FOSS4G TGP was started in 2017 with funding from the OSGeo Board and a crowd funding initiative. The Conference Committee is tasked with managing this grant programme for the Global FOSS4G and for any Regional FOSS4G's that request assistance
* 2017 
* 2018
=== Setting up a FOSS4G TGP ===
Some guidance notes are available in the FOSS4G Travel Grant Programme Cookbook
==Membership==
# To ensure voting control for key decisions remains with experienced people, the committee aims for more than 50% of members to be chairs (or vice chairs) of past FOSS4G global events. The chair of the most recent FOSS4G event will automatically be invited to become a member but still requires a motion and vote.
# The conference committee aims to retain a chair or vice-chair from the 5 most recent global FOSS4G conferences.
# The remaining membership, less than 50% of members, is open, ideally attracting chairs or LOC members from past Global or Regional FOSS4G or related conferences.
# Each year, prior to releasing the Global FOSS4G RfP, the membership list shall be re-visited.
## Existing members shall be asked whether they wish to continue on the committee. If a member doesn't respond, after a number of attempts to contact them, they shall be retired.
## Interested people may be suggested, or request to be voted onto the conference committee.
## If less than 50% of membership would be past global FOSS4G chair/vice chairs, then non global FOSS4G chair/vice chair positions shall be up for re-election.
## Election of conference committee members is by secret vote by the existing conference committee and board members who are not already members of the conference committee. Voters will vote Yes/No/Abstain for each candidate. Voters may select "Yes" for up to the number of positions available.
# Votes will be secret either using an online voting system or by email to a designated teller who is not a voter. The mechanism will be selected by the committee chair.
== Current Members == 
# Peter Batty - member since 2011 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2011)
# David Bitner (chair of the 2013 FOSS4GNA)
# Maria Brovelli - member since March 2016 (Chair FOSS4G Europe 2015)
# Vasile Craciunescu - Co-Chair - member since July 2013 (chair of FOSS4G Central and Eastern Europe 2013)
# David Fawcett (Programme Team FOSS4GNA 2013)
# Gavin Fleming - (chair of Global FOSS4G 2008)
# Darrell Fuhriman (chair of Global FOSS4G 2014)
# Claude Philipona - (chair of Global FOSS4G 2006)
# Venkatesh Raghavan - member since Oct. 2006 (Chair FOSS4G-2004, FOSS4G-Asia 2014) 
# Paul Ramsey - Chair of global FOSS4G 2007 
# Sanghee Shin - member since 2015 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2015)
# Guido Stein - member since February 2018 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2017)
# Michael Terner - member since February 2018 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2017)
# Msilikale Msilanga - Co-Chair - member since September 2018 (co-chair of Global FOSS4G 2018)
# Mark Iliffe - member since September 2018 (co-chair of Global FOSS4G 2018)
# María Arias de Reyna Domínguez - member since November 2021 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2021)
# Luca Delucchi - member since October 2022 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2022)
* Motion for co-chairs
== Past Members ==
# Lorenzo Becchi
# Allan Doyle
# Olivier Ertz
# Alain Grignon
# Luc Maurer
# Daniel Rappo
# Dave Patton
# Rafael Medeiros Sperb
# Arnulf Christl
# Markus Neteler
# Steve Lime
# Frank Warmerdam
# Dave McIlhagga (resigned August 2016)
# Jeroen Ticheler (resigned September 2016)
# Thierry Badard (resigned September 2016)
# Helena Mitasova (resigned September 2016)
# Cameron Shorter - member from 2009 to Oct 2017 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2009)
# Jachym Cepicky - (resigned August 2019)
# Till Adams - resigned October 2022 / member since September 2016 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2016)
# Steven Feldman - resigned October 2022 / member since October 2013 (chair of Global FOSS4G 2013)
# Eli Adam - resigned October 2022 / member since January 2015 (1 of 4 co-chairs of Global FOSS4G 2014)
= Meetings =
* Meetings occur in IRC in the #foss4g channel (on irc.freenode.net) or by other means organized on the email list. Meetings are infrequent.
* As of 2016 the Conference Committee Meetings page was not being maintained any more.
=2025 Pages=
* 2025 RFP schedule
=2024 Pages=
* 2024 RFP schedule
=2023 Pages=
* 2023 RFP schedule
=2022 Pages=
* 2022 RFP schedule
=2021 Pages=
* 2021 RFP schedue
=2020 Pages=
* 2020 RFP schedue
=2019 Pages=
* 2019 RFP schedule
=2018 Pages=
* 2018 RFP schedule
* Conference Committee Face to Face meeting in Bonn, 2016
= 2017 Pages =
* 2017 RFP schedule
* 2017 Travel Grant Programme
= 2016 Pages =
* 2016 RFP schedule
= 2015 Pages =
* FOSS4G 2015 Bid Process
= 2014 Pages =
* FOSS4G 2014 Bid Process
* FOSS4G 2014
* FOSS4G Europe 2014
= 2013 Pages =
* Main page: FOSS4G_2013
* 2013 Proposal
* Reflections on the event by the LOC (includes lessons learnt and supersedes the old Lessons Learned page): FOSS4G2013_Reflections_by_the_LOC
= 2012 Pages =
Main page: FOSS4G 2012
* RFP (OpenOffice, pdf)
* budget template (OpenOffice)
* Important dates:
** Letters of Intent (Stage 1) due: 2011-06-30 (23:00 UTC)
** Stage 1 question period: 2011-06-30 to 2011-07-07
** Stage 1 decision: 2011-07-07
** Proposals (Stage 2) due: 2011-08-01 (23:00 UTC)
** Stage 2 question period: 2011-08-01 to 2011-08-05
** Final decision: 2011-08-05
= 2011 Pages = 
* RFP and Letters of Intent
* 2011 Bid Process
* Initial thoughts on 2011 required changes
= 2010 Pages = 
* RFP and Proposals
* Bid Questions
* Voting Process
= 2009 Pages = 
* FOSS4G 2009 Governance
* All FOSS4G 2009 pages.
= 2008 Pages =
* RFP and Proposals
* Voting Process
* FOSS4G 2008 Governance
* FOSS4GLOC matters
* Workshop and lab evaluations
= 2007 Pages =
* Pages in category "FOSS4G2007"
* FOSS4G2007 - wiki page
* http://www.foss4g2007.org/ - Conference Site 
* Proposals and RFP
* requirements Wiki page
* Naming results
* Victoria 2007 Proposal
* FOSS4G 2007 Governance
* FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned
= 2006 Pages =
* Pages in category "FOSS4G2006"
* http://www.foss4g2006.org/ - Conference Site
* FOSS4G2006 information
= Event Policy Pages =
* OSGeo Event policy (in review)
* Board notes regarding event policy
* OSGeo Code of Conduct
Category:FOSS4G
Category:Committees
Category:Conference Committee