-- KartikSheth - 2010-08-26

Logistics PLANNING for ALMA Early Science Workshop (Requirements for the meeting space):

DATES:

-- We would like to use the OMNI as the location for the workshop on Feb 7 and 8, and perhaps extending to Feb 9. Initially reserve all three days, but be aware we may shrink to only 2 days. This will depend on the number interested in the 3rd day, if less than 30 participants we will likely have the final (3rd) day in the NRAO auditorium, so please go ahead and reserve that as well.

IMPORTANT: Due to ALMA Project rules - we may NOT be able to announce this workshop until the middle or end of November. So can the Omni hold the rooms for us without a public announcement?

-- Because of difficulty with announcing the meeting yet, but need to get going with arrangements we need to very carefully understand, how long OMNI will hold initial reservation without a signed contract, and then what exactly is the deadline for deciding on the 3rd day (Feb. 9).

MEETING ROOM REQUIREMENTS:

Here are some of the requirements we must ensure are met for the planning of this meeting:

-- Location must be able to have room with desk space for upto 200 participants.

-- On day 1, we want the participants in 1 room but on the afternoon of day 2, we may want to split them into smaller rooms for hands on work.

-- Folks will be using their own laptops during interactive sessions, lots of power strips will be needed.

-- The main hall must have a projector, good connectivity to the internet, good audio system / acoustics.

-- Two microphones should be set up in the center aisles for questions where people who have questions will come up and ask them.

-- Location must have a good informal interaction area for coffee/tea breaks

COSTS:

-- The workshop will be fully self-funded and therefore the total cost ceiling must NOT exceed $150 per participant. Total costs include any meals included in the registration, food served at break, meeting hall costs and wireless access in the main meeting room

-- We should aim for a cost of $100 per participant to allow for some flexibility in expenses.

-- Thus for a workshop of a 100 people, total costs should be at $10,000 and not exceed $15,000.

-- I have been in contact with Melissa Martin and Deborah Loch w/ Omni - their contact info is as follows:

Melissa Martin, Sales Manager, Omni Cville, 434-817-6639, mmartin@omnihotels.com

Deborah Loch, Global Sales Manager, 402-952-6595, dloch@omnihotels.com

-- They have made a proposal for $4K minimum for food for 2 days (i.e. $2K per day) + block of rooms in return for free use of space

-- For WiFi - they put me in touch with an external contractor who came up with costs of ~$7.5K for both days to provide Wifi services for up to 200 people, projector + screen and power strips etc.

PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS

-- Each participant must come prepared having installed and working ALMA tools (AOT, CASA) on their computers.

-- Participants will have already tried out the tools with a quick example we ask them to try on their machines before they come.

-- Participants will book the hotel rooms by the date agreed upon between NRAO and the Omni. After that accomodation cannot be guaranteed.

Topic revision: r4 - 2010-11-15, KartikSheth
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