DebConf17/Bids/Cambridge

Kings College Chapel (CC-BY-SA 2.0 [1])

Musings for DebConf17 - Cambridge bid

Status

Cambridge is not hosting Debconf17, nobody is yet, the process hasn't even started. This is not yet an official bid for the hosting of DebConf17. We are not that organised - yet. This is an attempt to collect enough people together to put in a serious bid to host DebConf17 in Cambridge, UK.

Cambridge

Cambridge is one of the most famous university towns in the world. It lies in the East of England, part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The town centre is small enough to be convenient; the academic community is prolific and it is a hub for technical and research companies and organisations. The city is built as a ford of the River Cam, but has long expanded beyond the original city walls.

We expect a Cambridge Debconf to be held during the Summer months, so the weather should be warm and pleasant. Undergraduates will likely be away for the holidays, so it will be less busy than during term time.

There are plenty of things to do and see around the city and a short distance away; plenty of ancient University buildings, evensong in the chapels, a museum of computing, punting on the river, the grounds of Wimpole Hall, and of course Cambridge University's famous library.

Developer community

A considerable number of Debian Developers, Maintainers and Contributors live in or around the Cambridge, and it has been home to four past Project Leaders (and the incumbent, at the time of writing). There are regular social events and locals tend to know each other well, forming a strong team.

Transport

For international visitors Cambridge is easily reached by direct train from London King's Cross or Liverpool Street, and in fact from most of mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel and St Pancras station. Flight passengers have a choice of Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW) and Stansted (STN) airports and then an onward train by the same route; Birmingham and East Midlands airports are also an option. Stansted is the closest and served by a number of budget airlines. If you're really lucky or a private pilot, it's possible to fly right into the city.

Direct coach services from London and around the country are also available; look for 'National Express' services.

Cambridge rail station has a town centre location and is either in walking distance (allow 15-30 minutes, depending on your pace) from the venues or taxis are available right outside. There is a strong cycling culture if you would prefer to bring a bicycle; a helmet is not compulsory but strongly recommended in the narrower streets.

Immigration and Customs

Visas

Visa requirements depend on the country of origin. The UK government publishes a wizard to advise whether a visa is normally required.

Of particular note, visitors from some countries - including the United States - do not require a formal visa, but do need to present 'supporting documents' at the point of entry.

The UK government considers attendance at a conference to be a work activity, and this must be declared at the time of application. However, it is the same 'Standard Visitor Visa' as for a tourist.

(Travellers with certain criminal convictions or who have fallen out with the secretary of state will not be permitted entry, but we hopefully don't have any of those.)

Customs

UK customs are very strict for visitors from outside the EU, and less so for European visitors. You must declare any imported goods even if they are for your own use or to give away as gifts. There is a list of banned and restricted items (unfortunately, this includes dairy products from outside the EU, but wine is fine).

Gov.UK carries a full guide.

Culture

Food and drink

Cambridge is home to a high concentration of pubs, restaurants and entertainment venues. There is an inevitable bias to the traditional English pub environment, but there is plenty of choice around. Attendees are advised to practise queuing before they arrive, lest the locals tut and frown at their technique.

Accessibility

The UK has strong accessibility law which is well regarded by the vast majority of institutions. Lifts, ramps and other amenities are commonplace, particularly in public buildings.

Security

Cambridge is very safe city, even by British standards. There are no problems with wandering about the city alone or at night. As with most places, leaving valuable possessions on display unattended is asking for trouble.

Power

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The only recognised power outlet is the BS1363 plug and outlet - three square pins form connections to phase, neutral and earth, with a cartridge fuse (common 3A or 13A). Outlets matching this description are rated to max. 13A at 230V, 50Hz.

Bathroom installations may commonly have shaver outlets in either 120V, 230V or switchable configuration.

(Visitors may occasionally see BS546 outlets with smaller, rounded pins - these are designed for lighting circuits and rated to max. 5A at 230V. They are specialist and not suitable for your laptop.)

Travel adaptors are widely available.

Team

Sign up to volunteer to help organise DebConf17 in Cambridge or to volunteer your services if we are successful in the bid to host here...

Name/nick	Location (town)	Debian/DebConf experience	Comments
Steve McIntyre (Sledge)
Jo McIntyre (Randombird)
Andy Simpkins (RattusRattus) (+1.5)
Neil Williams (codehelp)
Neil McGovern (Maulkin)
Daniel Silverstone (Kinnison)
Vincent Sanders (kyllikki)
Javi Merino (vicho)
Lars Wirzenius (liw)
Leif Lindholm (unixsmurf)
Mark Hymers (mhy)
Lucy Wayland (Aardvark)
David Leggett (Serbitar)

Tasks

Pre-bid tasks

These are tasks that need to have been completed prior to bidding to host DebConf. Please add to the task list, volunteer to carry out a task, and report back when it is completed...

Pre-bid tasks

Task	Owner	Status
Identify Venue	Sledge & RattusRattus	started
Identify Accommodation	RattusRattus	started

Post-bid tasks

The majority of tasks however will need to be done after our stupidity has been recognised by being rewarded with the responsibility of organising the 2017 DebConf in Cambridge (and all the hard work and late nights that it will entail) Tasks can be split up into 6 categories:

• Before August 2017
• Setup
• Debcamp
• Debconf
• Teardown
• Aftermath