2006:Wikimania/UK bid

This page is for collating and discussing various locations and venues in the UK which could be used for Wikimania 2006 - see Wikimania 2006/Planning. Note: This is not an official bid, yet. :-) Please see the official requirements.

Can we make East London (or Reading) an official bid now? There should be several "local helpers"! LoopZilla 07:45, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Where does the bid go?? Do we link the bid to Wikimania_2006/Planning or Wikimania_2006/Official_requirements_for_potential_host_cities ?? LoopZilla 07:47, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

I'll do that now at Wikimania 2006/London. Cormaggio ^@ 16:45, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Front runners

East London

(See Wikimania 2006/London for official bid)

• Venue: Queen Mary College Mile End Campus (not Westfield)
  • See also Queen Mary Conferences
  • Main theatre-style (size): Seminar rooms, lectures theatres and classrooms to seat up to 800 people
  • Other theatre-style: see below
  • Breakout rooms: many rooms. See [1]
    • Great Hall 800 seats (with fixed seating in balcony) 2,000 pounds per day
    • Drapers Lecture Theatre 214 seats (fixed) 395 pounds per day
    • Laws Room G4 60 seats 185 pounds per day
    • Octagon 200 seats price on application
    • Physics Room 602 40 seats 108 pounds per day
    • Skeel Lecture Theatre 263 seats 395 pounds per day
  • Other rooms
    • 10 rooms with fixed seating and writing surfaces to seat 100 or more
    • 17 rooms to seat 50 to 99 - 185 pounds per day
    • 14 rooms to seat 25 to 49 - 108 pounds per day
    • 37 rooms to seat 13 to 24 - 77 pounds per day
• Technical facilities
  • On-site (AV, etc): standard AV such as overhead projectors. See [2]
    • Wifi Networked? additional costs? Some rooms have wireless but not all. They may have wireless by August 2006 in many more rooms. There is a charge for username and password to connect to the networks.
• Brief description (why?): Everything on one site. Can accommodate up to 1,000 in single and double rooms within a five minute walk of the lecture halls and seminar rooms. Two large lecture halls: 800 and 240 seaters, plus other many rooms. This venue is in regular use for summer schools and language schools, so is all set up and running. LoopZilla 16:22, 8 September 2005 (UTC)

(I'd added the "why" as "why location, so I shall answer) - Site is close to central London, thus access to all the facilities (museums, entertainment, etc) that this world city can provide.

• Transport:
  • Distance from international airport*s*: Near to (which will have frequent DLR service by 2006), tube link (cross-platform change only) to , two tube stops without changing from express train to , direct tube (no change) to cross-platform change to express train to . Stansted is also served by bus services from Stratford which is a short bus ride from the venue.
• Distance from mainline station(s): Links to London mainline stations via London Underground and buses or tube from (no change of lines to Charing Cross, Victoria, Kings Cross or Paddington, single change for all others). services will call at Stratford from 2007.
• Accommodation
  • On-site/off-site/overflow/multiple price ranges: Up to 1,000 places
  • All accommodation is on site: Rooms with breakfast as follows. 300 standard single rooms with bathroom down the hall (25 pounds per night), 80 twin rooms with bathroom (50 pounds per night), 140 single rooms with bathroom (32 pounds per night). These are 2005 rates and subject to VAT.
  • Networked? Not wireless. There is a charge for username and password to connect to the networks.
• Costs
  • Day rate: Hire of Great Hall 2,000 pounds per day, no VAT.
  • Estimated, actual and forward guarantees:
• Pros: Good transport links, one site, self contained.
• Cons: Accommodation costs may be high: bed and breakfast rate is 25 pounds, which is 37 Euros. The big hall is 2,000 pounds per day, which is 3,000 Euros per day.
• Comments: Available 8th to 13th August 2006. Pre conference (hacking days) can be held before those dates, at time of proposal.
  • Wireless and networks: this is a University site, so all connectivity is via JANET. Access is by username and password, for which there is a charge.
  • Possible use of other network servcies: Consume and Informal
• Major hurdles
  • Not available first week in August 2006
  • JANET Terms and Conditions
  • No open wireless networks on site. The connection fee covers both the wireless net and the wirefull (CAT5) connections in the accommodation bedrooms.
• Contact: LoopZilla 13:28, 8 September 2005 (UTC)

Reading

• Venue: University of Reading
  • Main theatre-style (size): 400 seat LT £700/day
  • Other theatre-style: 244 £350/day
  • Breakout rooms: loads, £100/dayish
• Technical facilities
  • Wifi Networked? additional costs? Free wifi, high-speed Internet
• Brief description (why?): OK, Reading isn't the sexiest town in the world, nor does it have a cultural history (beyond Oscar Wilde being imprisoned there!). However it's a pleasant enough town, and the town centre has been extensively rebuilt in the last ten years. The uni is on it's own campus, and is very nice.
• Transport: Excellent
  • Distance from international airport: 40mins from Heathrow, 90mins from Gatwick
  • Distance from mainline station(s): Approx three miles, excellent bus service
• Accommodation
  • On-site/off-site/overflow/multiple price ranges: On-site £25ppn B&B, dinner another £11.50.
  • Networked? additional costs?
• Costs
  • Estimated, actual and forward guarantees
• Pros: Easy to get to
• Cons: It's Reading
• Major hurdles: None.
• Comments: I live here Dan100
• Contact - me Dan100

Manchester

I'm currently in discussions with them - will tell more when I can :-) Dan100

• Venue: University of Manchester (link to Oxford Road conference facilities)
  • Main theatre-style (size): In discussions
  • Other theatre-style
  • Breakout rooms: £141pd inc VAT a pop
• Technical facilities
  • On-site (AV, etc)
    • Wifi Networked - yes, it should be but not sure of specifications. Dedicated top-notch computer faculty on-site. There is internet connection in some rooms and some parts of the fallowfield campus - more details to follow.
    • Additional costs?
• Brief description (why?): Manchester is a funky, friendly city - well, around the city centre and Oxford Road corridor anyway. Multi-cultural: Gay village and Chinatown in the centre and the "Curry Mile" is just down the road from the university. Plenty of interest: for techies, the first stored-program computer was built in Manchester between 1946 and 1948. For industrialists, this is where it started. And for musicheads, well, where to start?
• Transport
  • Distance from international airport: 20mins taxi, bit more by bus, Train to Oxford Road (see below)
  • Distance from mainline station(s): 10 mins walk from Oxford Road Train Station, very well serviced by buses.
• Accommodation
  • On-site/off-site/overflow/multiple price ranges: On-site £36ppn B&B inc VAT
  • Networked? additional costs?
• Costs
  • Day rate: £30ppd
  • Estimated, actual and forward guarantees
• Pros: Seriously nice place. Dead-centre in UK - well connected.
• Cons: Bit pricey. Also just realised there may be construction work going on through next summer.
• Additional comments/info: Apparently the biggest student population in Europe - which may bode well for recruitment etc.
• Major hurdles: Cost. It may well be twice as much as anywhere else
• Contact: channel through me if you wouldn't mind Dan100

Other potential locations

Please use this as a general template

• Venue:
  • Main theatre-style (size):
  • Other theatre-style:
  • Breakout rooms:
  • University lecture theatres
• Technical facilities
  • On-site (AV, etc):
    • Wifi Networked? additional costs?
• Brief description (why?):
• Transport:
  • Distance from international airport:
  • Distance from mainline station(s):
• Accommodation
  • On-site/off-site/overflow/multiple price ranges:
  • Networked? additional costs?
• Costs
  • Day rate:
  • Estimated, actual and forward guarantees:
• Pros:
• Cons:
• Comments:
• Major hurdles:
• Contact:

Manchester (cont.)

• Other venues: YHA (Youth Hostel) is out - 144 beds and conf. rooms are too small. MMU's a non-runner (ask Dan). The Lowry is probably too expensive, as are most hotels. Urbis is too small. There's also the University of Salford - prices. Still looking for/at others. Cormaggio 10:28, 17 August 2005 (UTC)

• Venue: University of Salford
  • Main theatre-style (size): 500, £880pd inc VAT
  • Other theatre-style:200, £530pd inc VAT
  • Breakout rooms: diddly other rooms £117.50pd inc VAT
• Technical facilities
  • On-site (AV, etc):
    • Wifi Networked? additional costs?
• Brief description (why?):
• Transport:
  • Distance from international airport:
  • Distance from mainline station(s):
• Accommodation
  • On-site/off-site/overflow/multiple price ranges: Only 248 rooms. Getting prices soon.
  • Networked? additional costs?
• Costs
  • Day rate:
  • Estimated, actual and forward guarantees:
• Pros:
• Cons: Few rooms on-site
• Comments:
• Major hurdles: Very limited on-site accommodation - only enough for 248. Rest would have to fend for themselves...
• Contact: Dan100, who is getting a quotation sent to him soon

Birmingham

Hopefully they'll start answering their phone soon... Dan100

• Venue: w:University of Birmingham
  • Main theatre-style (size): 400 seats, £587pd inc VAT
  • Other theatre-style: 100-200 seats £400pd inc VAT
  • Breakout rooms: seating 20-50, £111pd inc VAT
• Technical facilities
  • On-site (AV, etc)
    • Wifi Networked? additional costs?
• Brief description (why?)
• Transport
  • Distance from international airport:
  • Distance from mainline station(s):
• Accommodation
  • On-site/off-site/overflow/multiple price ranges: On-site £30.25ppn B&B inc VAT, dinner £13.50pp inc VAT
  • Networked? additional costs?
• Costs
  • Day rate: £30ppd, but this includes "use of main meeting room" (will get clarification)
  • Estimated, actual and forward guarantees
• Pros: Fairly central in UK
• Cons: I don't like Birmingham
• Comments:
• Major hurdle: Proving very hard to get hold of - they only answered their phone once in five tries over 48 hours, only for me to be told no-one was available. Not very impressive.
• Contact - guess...

Cardiff

• Venue: University of Wales, Cardiff
  • 460 seats £1,175pd inc VAT
  • Smaller theatres: None - however two other Schools are within walking distances, offering smaller LTs and other rooms. Really needs a visit to sort out if this is viable or not.
  • Breakout rooms - see above
• Technical facilities
  • On-site (AV, etc) Yes (all unis do, mind you)
    • Wifi Networked? additional costs? don't know :-)
• Brief description (why?):
• Transport:
  • Distance from international airport: Has own airport with at least one low-cost airline iirc (BMI Baby?); about 2.5 hours from Heathrow (HTW->Reading by Railair bus (40min), Reading->Cardiff Great Western Trains (good service))
  • Distance from mainline station(s)
• Accommodation: £23.50 B&B inc VAT
  • On-site:
  • Networked? additional costs?
• Costs
  • Day rate: NONE. This makes Cardiff seriously cheap
  • Estimated, actual and forward guarantees
• Pros: Nice place, interesting, multi-lingual (Welsh/English)
• Cons: Transport isn't bad - but it is out of the way rather
• Comments
• Major hurdles: All other rooms are around ten minutes from the large LT. This pretty much rules it out, I think.
• Contact - channel through me please as I'm already in contact :-)

Interested in helping out

Please list yourself and where you are to enable us to see who we have near the various venues

• Cormaggio - Manchester
• Dan100 - Based in Reading but will help anywhere
• the wub - near Manchester
• James F. (obviously) - London, but will help out wherever.
• Theo - location variable.
• GregRobson – Birmingham
• Thryduulf - Somerset (30 mins from Bristol), but will help out wherever.
• LoopZilla Queen Mary College graduate, former staff member and still living in w:en:East London, England
• - Live in Essex - commute to London, so E. London is easy for me to help out if needed.