I got sidetracked by other obligations recently and am just now getting a website up for this. I could really use some help from anyone willing to pitch in and help me put all the pieces together.
For anyone interested, here is the proposal I received from the hotel next to the San Antonio Convention Center:
http://www.bitcoinconvention2012.com/Bitcoin%20Proposal%202012%20-%20Grand%20Hyatt.pdfI plan on booking about 80,000 feet of exhibit space at the Convention Center and two good size meeting rooms with the intention of holding alternating panels and discussion sessions. After some consideration, I think having the events on Saturday and Sunday only would be best.
Please provide me with some feedback and, if you want to help,
let me know!
Why such a large amount of exhibition space? A lot of Bitcoin enterprises are service based and even those that sell good aren't going to be exhibiting heavy machinery. You need to think about how much having lots of unused space is going to affect the cost to potential exhibitors.
Going for the wow factor can cause conferences to fail because they're too expensive for exhibitors and potential attendees. If you want to get as many exhibitors and attendees as possible then you need to offer a great programme at an affordable price rather than a sexy venue. Early conferences for anything often don't attract a great many attendees and you'll discourage quite a lot if you choose a venue which puts the price of admission high.
When choosing venues, also check for hidden costs such as separate event insurance which you or the vendors might be required to obtain.
It may sound like a lot of space but exhibits don't need to display heavy machinery to take up their fair share of it. Each exhibitor will most likely have
at least a tabletop display, requiring a 6' by 3' foot table, a couple of chairs, and enough surrounding space to make it easy for attendees to view and maneuver around it. I imagine many will also have large posters/backdrops, monitors, materials to hand out, etc. The space I have on hold is Exhibit Hall B, the smallest exhibit hall in the convention center, BTW:
http://www.bitcoinconvention2012.com/2011%20Street%20Level.pdfMy number one goal while organizing this event is to have the cost of this event covered by sponsors, vendor fees, donations, and merchandise sales, allowing attendees to enjoy it free of charge. Make no mistake, I realize this will be an expensive undertaking but I am fairly confident bitcoin businesses will see the advantages of the exposure this could potentially generate and will make it a priority to have a presence there.
