[SwarmFest2004] swarmfest04 -- Budget estimates and related issues

[Rick Riolo]

Hi all,

Thanks for serving on the swarmfest 2004 organizing committee.
I'd like to get the organizing seriously moving forward, so we
could get a CFP out by early Decemeber.

Just a reminder:
The SwarmFest will be basically the same format as last year,
since people seemed to be happy with that. The dates
  Sunday 9 May:  tutorial in the afternoon
                 poster session/reception in the evening
  Mon 10 May: keynote, talks,
              box lunch provided
              dinner provided
  Tue 11 May: talks until 3, then wrap up by 4.

I was just looking and in 2003 there were 25 talks (!!),
many 30 min, some 20, some 15.  That is a really
busy schedule.  Did people think that was too busy?

I also gather there was no published proceedings...is that right?
We might consider self-publishing a paperbound "proceedings"
via our local Kinko's.  We did that for a "Fest" for John Holland
a few years ago, and it worked out pretty well.  We had
copies for all participants and a few extras to distribute.

Last year there were about 80 attendees, but at least 25 were
local to Notre Dame.  I don't know if we can get that
many from UM.  In 2002 there were about 46 attendees. So who knows...
At any rate, here is some estimated costs based on 60 attendees
(we can scale for more/less as needed):

        Meeting Rooms:   $ 650
Cont Breakfast/breaks:    1600
            Box Lunch:     750
               Dinner:    1500
                Mixer:    1200
Tutorial Refreshments:     250
                        ------
                         $5950

The tutorial will be in the CSCS lab, so it will be free.
(Thanks to Paul and Glen.)

My estimate for a keynote (based on others we have had recently):
  $500 hon., $1300 exp = $1800
                        ------
                         $7700

Its possible we can get some rooms for free.
Unfortunately, many units at UM has started charging for use
of their rooms.  We might be able to get free use of some rooms
if we can get a faculty person to "sponsor" us.  We won't know
about this until the first of the year.

My understanding is that last years income was about $8800
for 83 total attendees (it looks like about 24 were "complementary").
(We're looking at the stuff Jim sent to count up from
that what the income was registration fees of different amounts.)

So...

Do any of you have thoughts about:
- the general plan to follow the 2003 overall format
- specifically offering a reception, one lunch, one dinner
- The above estimated costs
- An estimate of attendence: can we expect as many as last year? Fewer?
- Is the cost structure used last year right?
   (see 
http://www.nd.edu/~swarm03/SWARM_registration_form/swarm_registration_form.htm )

*** Note Well ***
CSCS will not be able to put in large amounts of $ as Notre Dame did last
year.   We can provide organizational work, materials, etc.
So...we (CSCS) have to have some commitment from SDG that
if revenue is substantially below income, that SDG will use
its funds to make the difference.
(CSCS could cover a few hundred dollars, if it was that's all it was,
but UM has taken 2 $ reduction-in-State-support in this fiscal year in
support (6%, now 3% more!) and that has been passed on to CSCS, so things
are very very tight here, alas.)

Should I send a message to the SDG to ask for a vote on that?
*******************

Thanks for your help organizing things.

Please send any other ideas/suggestions you have,
on specifics or on organizing things in general.
(Recall I have posted notes from past years, and jim's helpful
check list on the swiki for swarmfest2004.)

I will shortly send a message about keynote speaker candidates.
Once we nail down a keynote, and the general format of
the SwarmFest, I think i can then draft the CFP, run it past you folks,
then post on our public website (already started at
http://www.cscs.umich.edu/swarmfest04/ ) and mail it out
to various lists.

thanks!
 - r


Rick Riolo                           address@hidden
Center for the Study of Complex Systems (CSCS)
4477 Randall Lab
University of Michigan         Ann Arbor MI 48109-1120
Phone: 734 763 3323                  Fax: 734 763 9267
http://cscs.umich.edu/~rlr