[AUUG-Talk]: AUUG2007 speakers [Why AUUG Conf. was once so successful]

[Adrian Close]

On Fri, 9 Feb 2007, steve jenkin wrote:

Great mail Steve - thanks for your input.  :)

> Sorry to go off-topic. I've never seen anyone discuss why AUUG

I hope that's sarcastic - I think you're very much on-topic.  :)

>    -> This one effect, and the lack of active marketing to 'Gen. New'
> are why AUUG has been the "usual suspects"

We really have missed out here, yes.  But I also wonder if AUUG's ethos 
just isn't interesting to these people, coming as we do from a Unix hacker 
heritage (although there are obviously some of those still out there). 
Anyway, that's no excuse not to try - we've been bad at marketing of late 
(lack of effort, probably due to lack of knowledge of where to direct it).

Ideas?  In any case, we're going to make a better go of this for this year.

>    -> Corollary: Early AUUG conf. were accessible to individuals [cheap
> enough]. LCA still is.

We've had the student/unemployed conf rate for years, but very few takers 
(perhaps just due to a lack of appropriate marketing). Perhaps we should 
offer a hobbyist rate too, although we have to change the conference 
format if we're serious about accepting that in large numbers, because the 
budget is fairly bare-bones for the current mode of conference operation.

However, I suspect the problem is not so much the conference cost as the 
ability for people to take a week (or even a day or two) out from their 
normal work activities.  I personally have taken annual leave to attend 
most of the conferences (not painting myself as a martyr, just a data 
point).

>    Many (all?) conferences were put together by a small, well connected 
> band. Just pleading for papers (and later whining about it) doesn't work.

All, I'd say.  Some things just show up.  Pleading gets you some of the 
way.  Asking works too in many cases (and the AUUG name/shadow has 
definitely helped here).  I suspect we have contacts that can at least get 
us an introduction to most if not all of the people we'd like to have at 
the conference.

So, as you say, I think it's content, content, content, plus some astute 
marketing and solid organisation/smooth running that makes for a great 
conference.  We can do that.

Thanks,

Adrian.

P.S.  Thanks to the list for the suggestions.  Keep 'em coming.  More 
conference themes if you have them.  Otherwise I'll be forced to think of 
something.  ;)