linux.conf.au 2015 will be held in Auckland, but how did we get here?
Friday, 17th January 2014.
Let’s go back to Canberra, LCA2013. At some point, Arjen Lentz shoulder-tapped me and asked when we were going to bid to host OSDC in Auckland? I thought for a moment and decided – what the hell! Steve and I had discussed the possibility of hosting OSDC and using the experience as a ‘training ground’ for a linux.conf.au bid in the past – it seemed that now is the time.
Conversations were held and a general plan was formed. An informal meeting for those considering bidding to host LCA was happening that afternoon, so I went along to listen to the voices of experience. That didn’t deter me one bit, and when we got home from Canberra the bid processes for LCA 2015 in Auckland began.
You’ll be aware by now that we were successful in our bid to host OSDC 2013 in Auckland, and we had a great 3-day event at The Langham (highly recommended!).
In the meantime, a bid for LCA 2015 in Auckland was constructed with the assistance of the Auckland Conference Bureau. The two Joshes came to Auckland for a site visit in July and we felt confident in our bid. I did ask, however, that they wouldn’t tell us the outcome one way or another until after OSDC so that I could concentrate in the conference and not let the cat out of the bag!
When I discovered that they had postponed the vote until during OSDC I was touched. I felt that if Linux Australia could show us that much respect at this level of involvement then I most certainly wanted to host a conference for them!
On the evening that OSDC finished Steve and I were informed that we had won the bid to host LCA 2015! Thrilled doesn’t come close to how I felt – a little terrified as well.
Tentative emails went out, and meetings were arranged, all with the understanding that we were now in the Fight Club, and the first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club. We have the beginnings of a great team – OSDC was very useful for figuring out how we work together. We have the venues, a structure for the conference and events planned already. We even had the promotional material that you received at the closing of LCA Perth.
So now it’s Auckland’s turn. I have a great team, immense excitement in Auckland from local companies already, and we will be working together to put on a great conference in Auckland for you.
12-16 January 2015 – see you here! – Cherie Ellis