2015-06 Call for Expressions of Interest

Call for Expressions of Interest in hosting Connect 2016

 

Hydra Connect #2 was, by general acclaim, the most successful Hydra event to date; it was also the biggest.  HC2 was a four-day event, attracting some 170 attendees; we’d like to think that HC2015 will be even bigger - in a couple of months we'll know.  An event on such a scale takes a lot of organizing and it’s probably never too soon to start!  Accordingly we are already looking to Hydra Connect 2016:

 

The Hydra Steering Group (hydra-steering@googlegroups.com) would like to hear from any institution potentially interested in being the host for Connect 2016 in fall that year.  This will require access to a plenary room capable of holding at least 175 people and to a number of smaller rooms for breakout sessions and workshops capable of holding a similar number unevenly distributed across several activities (so maybe 33% more capacity?) At this stage we are seeking only a brief Expression of Interest; an email which includes at least the following information:

 

  • the name of the institution (or institutions in the case of a joint bid)
  • an email address as a first point of contact
  • the proposed location for the conference venue with a brief paragraph describing the local amenities that would be available to delegates, including its proximity to a reasonably well-served airport
  • a statement of the largest number your venue would comfortably accommodate for Connect 2016 (see above)
  • the proposed dates, or range of dates, available for the event (taking account of known national and international events that may be a conflict for likely attendees – see, for instance,  https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/hydra/Related+Conferences )

 

The Hydra Steering Group has put together a set of guidelines for organising Connect meetings; it will be useful to you, in considering our request, to have a look at them.  In particular you should read carefully the page on "Organising the Event" and that on "Matters financial" -  you can find the guidelines on the wiki at Organising Hydra Connect meetings.  These pages will give you some idea of what facilities we think such a meeting will require and what the financial considerations might be.

If you think you might be able to host HC2016, or if you want more information, or maybe just want to talk through some ideas, please do get in touch with us and we'll be happy to help!  Expressions of Interest should be received by Thursday 25th June 2015.  Steering Group will then work with one or more interested institutions to resolve the location and begin actual planning.  Please send your Expression of Interest and any queries to hydra-steering@googlegroups.com 

Best

 

Richard (on behalf of the Hydra Steering Group)