2016-04-07 Meeting notes

Owned by Bill Branan
Jun 16, 2017

Date

Attendees

 

Discussion

 

Budget Review

The group reviewed draft budget cost spreadsheet that Steve prepared: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14JF444JYXuUv3nLbyWfp54Tti72_DX8zIIRDGakWleY/edit?usp=sharing

 

Costs not in the spreadsheet that need to be taken into consideration:

  • Signage
  • Poster printing

 

Signage

  • Northeastern can absorb the cost of providing signage for the conference
  • Posters will have to be on easels as tape cannot be used on the walls at the BPL.  Northeastern will look into the possibility of providing foam core for signage.
  • Tufts will check to see if they have easels to lend for the conference – BPL may also have poster stands

 

Poster Printing

  • Northeastern cannot absorb the cost for printing posters.  There is a campus print shop – Patrick will look into getting a price for printing posters.  He will also contact Fedex - they may be able to give us a good price.  The estimate is that 50 posters that will need to be produced
  • The Guastavino (?) Room at BPL will be used for the poster session.  It’s about 3,000 square feet.  There are columns down the middle.  The poster can be placed around the perimeter of the room.  It should accommodate the entire group. It was also suggested that we could do 2 rounds of posters if space was an issue. 

 

Other budget item discussion

The carryover from Hydra Connect 2015 is not available for our use. It was put in the Hydra Central Fund

 

  • There is central funding that Hydra will need on an ongoing basis.  The Steering and Power Steering committee agreed that there should be a profit figure attached to events that would feed into the Central Fund. They were looking for HydraConnect to generate around $2,000.00 (RG: not what I said! Rather than looking for, "were thinking HC might generate". Just an aspiration, not a requirement!)

 

  • In the budget, the catering costs does not include the dinner. 

 

  • We still need to verify the cost of the t-shirts.  Lynne McCrae (sp?) will organize the T-Shirts.  We can get a price from him. 

 

  • There is flexibility in charging the registration fee.  We need to get costs together and then decide what to charge.  $100.00 is not the cap. 

 

Conference Dinner – spreadsheet is located here:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TpwLoyQ06G-K_48NRAAZUo-SDo4t3EuYxoZKXDALM9w/edit#gid=1793826990

 

  • Best option looks like District Hall.  It is on the Water Front by the ICA – closer to BPL. Accessible via the Silver line.  It’s also a short walk from South Station.   Their costs for facility rentals range – about $75.00 per person at the high end.  This covers “heavy” appetizers. Dinner would be an extra $2,000 plus table rental fees.  Number would be capped at 150.

 

  • Other option is the Waterworks museum at Cleveland Circle.  The group thought this venue too far from the BPL

 

  • We are still waiting to hear from the Sheraton.  Adrienne will work on getting firmer numbers on District Hall and will try to get info from the Sheraton.

 

  • Assuming that we are able to get the cost of dinner around $80.00 we would like to include dinner in the cost of the registration.  At that price point, the event would be more like a reception with heavy appetizers.  To have a dinner would cost about $15.00 more but the number would be capped at around 150.00.

 

  • Another options would be to have an appetizer receptions at the poster session – Cost would be $79.00 per person.  Note:  This is what someone said on the call, but if you actually cost out the proposal sent, it comes out to over $108.00 per person.

 

Point of information:  Last year 138 of 197 attendees attended the dinner.

 

We will try to get final numbers on the various options and make a decision at the next meeting. 

 

Other discussion

We are still aiming to get registration open by late May.  The target date is May 20.  Open Repositories is June 13 so HydraConnect can be advertised at that meeting

 

Planning committee has officially started. The first meeting is Tuesday April 19. The meeting details will begin to be planned out. 

 

Action Items

  • Patrick will look into costs for printing posters at Northeastern and Fedex
  • BPL will have a meeting to determine how much signage will be needed
  • Adrienne will get more details on dining options
  • Steven will send the contact info for the Sheraton to Adrienne.
  • Tufts will look into obtaining easels – Update:  Tufts is able to secure 60 easels.

 

Next Conference Call: April 28 at 11am.  That will give us 3 weeks to resolve any open issues.