ISDC Conference 2011

Creator: Spacefelix Status: Procuring MOU with HAL5 Born On: 19:30, 12 December 2010 (CST) Last Updated: 00:53, 09 April 2011 (CDT)

Overview

The local chapter of the National Space Society, HAL5 is hosting the 2011 International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in Huntsville's Von Braun Center, May 18-22.

This is a HUGE conference that attracts the international space community from big players and professionals in space exploration to space enthusiasts; astronauts, scientists, entrepreneurs, government officials, activists and citizens of this planet who look forward to the opening of the "final frontier" to discover the future of space exploration.

Yohan Lo, the local HAL5 president and ISDC organizer, is looking to make a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU, services in exchange for a presentation space) with Makers Local 256. He has asked us to assist them with setting up and operating a break area at their conference in May from Wednesday the 18th to Sunday the 22nd. In exchange, we will get a non-profit presentation table/booth for free. We can present the hackerspace and what we do to a larger technical community and to a good majority of Huntsville's technical talent.

We must decide what we can provide to ISDC for the duration of the conference and write that into the contract. They are expecting a draft contract by 3/15/11 and a signed commitment by 4/1/11.

We need volunteers to run the presentation and break areas as well as Maker projects to present. This is akin to other presentations we have done, open house, LAN Party shows, etc..

Calendar

• March 15, 2011: Soft Due Date for Makers Local 256 and HAL5 to come to an agreement.
• April 15, 2011: Hard Due Date and Signature Deadline for Makers Local 256-HAL5 MOU for ISDC.
• May 18, 2011 - May 22, 2011: ISDC Conference, Huntsville, AL, Von Braun Center & Embassy Suite Hotel and Spa. http://isdc.nss.org/2011/

To Do

• Gather volunteers, projects and gear for presentation and ISDC support. - In Progress
• Contact Yohan Lo for more information. Spacefelix is POC. - Have gathered information for an initial draft of the contract as of 3/15/11.
• Do our research on reducing the cost to Makers Local 256 as much as possible and getting as many amenities as we can. Formalize deal with HAL5. - Contract set, will answer on 4/15/11.

Current Terms

For the duration of ISDC 2011 in May from Wednesday the 18th to Sunday the 22nd:

• Makers Local 256 provides to ISDC at no cost:
  • Internet Cafe:
    • 4 to 6 Secure computers with internet access.
    • Private areas.
    • Printing service.
  • Lounge
    • Places for patrons to plug in laptops and convene.
  • Personnel to support the Internet Cafe and Lounge.
• ISDC Provides to Makers Local 256 at no cost:
  • Presentation Area in the VBC East Hall:
    • A Presentation Space (10'x10' to 20'x20') and possibly a 6' Presentation Table for free (vs Non-Profit organization fee of $250 for a table, $350 for a booth and no electricity provided, hookup costs extra, from ISDC 2011 Sponsorship and Supporter Package).
    • Electricity will be provided via Break Area.
    • WiFi provided by VBC. <- Can hook up ethernet, but it will cost us.
    • If Presentation Table provided, we can get it by the Internet Cafe/Lounge.
    • All furnishings for Internet Cafe, Lounge and our Presentation Space
  • Four Exhibitor Badges granting free access to the conference. We can share them amongst ourselves when we take breaks. There will need to be a minimum number of people running the booth.
• Times of the Conference:
  • May 18 - Setup day for exhibitors
  • May 19-21 - 8 am to 6 pm
  • May 22 - 8 am - 12 pm
  • May 22 - after 12 pm, tear down

Volunteers

Presentations

This will be like a shop open house, so present whatever projects you like:

• Spacefelix - HSIS

NOTE: Presentations will have to share space with services; ISDC is currently expecting Makers Local 256 to operate the services in the space granted in the contract terms.

Hardware

Briefcase PC 1	brimstone
Briefcase PC 2	brimstone
Laptop	spacefelix
Kiosk?	Can we carry its weight over to ISDC?
Computer 5
Computer 6

• Security Wire
• Color Printer/Scanner/Etc. - spacefelix

Shift Table

Need volunteers to run Internet Cafe and Lounge. Schedule is broken down into two-hour shifts:

• For May 18th, Wednesday - Setup Day

8-10am	<Your Name Here>
10-12pm
12-2pm
2-4pm
4-6pm

• May 19th, Thursday - Exhibitions Open

8-10am	<Your Name Here>
10-12pm
12-2pm
2-4pm
4-6pm

• May 20th, Friday - Exhibitions Open

8-10am	Alii
10-12pm	Alii
12-2pm	Alii (If no one else volunteers)
2-4pm	Alii (If no one else volunteers)
4-6pm	Omegix

• May 21th, Saturday - Exhibitions Open

8-10am	<Your Name Here>
10-12pm	Omegix
12-2pm
2-4pm
4-6pm

• May 22nd, Sunday - Exhibitions Open

8-10am	<Your Name Here>
10-12pm

• May 22nd, Sunday - Post-Noon Breakdown

12pm	<Your Name Here>

Fundraising Opportunities

• Donors & Sponsors - As there will be publicity with potential donors and sponsors at this conference, it would be handy to have a couple copies of our sponsorship letter handy and literature to hand to the right people.
• Selling Concessions - Can we sell concessions and make some money off the event? <- No, VBC has monopoly on all concessions.
• Getting a Corporate Sponsorship to purchase ethernet for the Internet Cafe/Lounge. - We could ask for more than we pay for and get a profit. The only caution is to maintain our non-profit status by not going over our yearly profit margin limit.
• Successfully and satisfactorily supporting HAL5 (an educational organization) in our MOU - We can use this as future leverage when asking for corporate sponsorships and grants (see Makers Local 256 Business Plan).

Can We Make This More Cost-Effective For Makers Local 256?

• As we are a 501(c)3 charitable organization, are we able to reduce our costs further with HAL5?
  • Yes, per page 3 of the 'Sponsorship and Supporter Package', Non-Profit organizations (501(c)3) qualify for $250 for a 6' table and $350 for a 10'x10' booth.
• Do we count as an educational organization? If so, can that status be used to the aim above?
  • No, per the 'Sponsorship and Supporter Package', Academic Organizations pay $325 for for a 6' table and $400 for a 10'x10' booth.