As you are all aware, the OpenStack Conference and Design Summit Sponsored by Citrix is April 26- 29, 2011 in Santa Clara, CA. You may also be aware that we have reached the registration limit which has created a large waiting list. I wanted to provide more information on the decisions that have led to this current situation as well as provide details on how I am handling the situation for the people currently on the waiting list.
EVENT PLANNING
When planning for this event, we decided to host in Santa Clara, CA as the majority of attendees at the San Antonio Fall 2010 OpenStack Design Summit were from the Silicon Valley area. I also anticipated growth in the number of attendees from 150 in San Antonio to a much larger number in California and originally planned for 500 attendees; however, the facilities, costs, and planning required to support a 500 person event was beyond the current capabilities of the community so I reduced the number to 350 which better aligned with the facilities available and was within the cost structure that the community could support. I also felt that a 133% increase in attendance would meet the needs of the community at its current growth rate; especially with the focus on active developers in the community attending the 3 day Design Summit. It is a testament to not only the active community members but also the overall project recognition within the industry that we are seeing substantial demand for this community event and I anticipate and will plan for larger events in the future to meet the demand.
UPDATE – I have spoken with the hotel and we are able to accommodate 40 more attendees than planned so the new registration maximum will be 390 instead of 350.
REGISTRATION PROCESS
The registration system was designed to openly register anyone interested in attending the event up to 325 attendees at which time the system started a waiting list. I posted the maximum attendance information on all registration posts such as http://www.openstack.org/blog/2011/02/openstack-conference-design-summit-update/ to ensure that community members were aware that a limit existed. The final 25 65 slots are being filled based on the following process that I believe meets the needs of the community; especially with the emphasis on active developers:
- Active developers on project with priority to developers who have submitted code
- Ensure that all participating organizations have at least 1 attendee representing the company
- International attendees with previously booked airfare
I plan to shut off the registration system from accepting any more wait listed participants tomorrow at Noon CST to obtain a final list for selection based on the 3 criteria elements listed above. I will be contacting all accepted names on the waiting list tomorrow afternoon as well as people not accepted to notify them of their status. With people putting travel plans on hold, it is critical to finalize this process quickly so people can make any necessary arrangements.
Finally, all OpenStack Conference presentations will be videotaped by a professional video firm with videos and associated slides being posted at least 1 week after the event. Design Summit meetings will have active EtherPads for each session that people can monitor should they want to know more about a given blueprint or feature for the Diablo release. I am also going to post a daily blog from the event and will encourage community members to do likewise; twitter will also be active during the event and you can follow the #openstack hash tag.
To all the wait-listed unable to attend this event, I offer my apology that I was unable to offer you a slot and will plan accordingly for our 2012 community events to have flexible sizing to accommodate your attendance. Please also take advantage of the many global events that OpenStack participates in (see Events Page) as well as the regional community events I am working on for 2011 in Europe and Asia; more information on those coming soon.
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