Wikimania 2008/Auckland

This is a work in progress. Feel free to improve

City details

• Country: New Zealand
• City proposed: Auckland
• Proposed dates: Friday through Sunday
• Contact person(s): TheFearow

Conference venue

• SkyCity Conventions in SkyCity Auckland (official website)
• They offer a combination of rooms, with each floor containing 4 medium rooms, 2 small rooms, and four medium/large rooms plus a thin but long hallway in between, and these rooms have (re)movable walls in between.
• They have two floors like the above, plus a bottom floor with atrium etc available for signins, registration, etc.
• You may book only certain rooms, or combinations of certain rooms
• They offer accomidation at the adjoining SkyCity Hotel, which has an above-road walkway to the facilities on level 5.
• It is right next door to the Sky Tower, a popular tourist spot, and the tallest building in New Zealand.
• They offer catering

1. Main hall: On each floor, a combination of four rooms+wide hallway in the main area, which has (re)movable walls.
2. Seminar rooms: Four medium rooms on each floor
3. Lounge facilities: Two business suites on each floor (small)
4. Other rooms (organisation, staff, speakers, interviews/press, storage): Kitchens, large cargo lifts (enough to lift vehicles), Some of the business suite could be used for this

• No current communication

• Technical facilities
  • Existing technical installations

    High speed broadband

    Customisable networks

    Conference microphone system

    Video conferencing

    Data projection

    Motorised screens

    Lighting, stage, and sound

    High-end sound systems

    Intelligent stage lighting

    Permanent Curtain Track

    Rigging for trussing and banners

    Substantial patching for audio, visual, and IT needs

    Experienced technicians and event managers

    Control rooms

  • Wireless Network implementation

They have customisable networks and high-speed broadband, and the hotel provides broadband as well.

Accommodation

• Location of main accommodation facilities

Directly over the road, via a skybridge between level 5 of the facilities and the hotel complex

• Room details and price range

4+ Star Hotel, 344 rooms. Rooftop swimming pools, gym, etc. Grand hotel also available across road if full, 5 star. All part of the SkyCity complex, including casinos, cafes, restaurants, etc website

• Catering (one meal a day, breakfast is a plus)

In-conference catering available, with a choice of menus etc, can also be customised or done in-house. Choice of cafes and restaurants available in SkyCity complex. Meals available as part of meal plans at hotel.

• contacts with accommodation partner(s)

No current contact

Party opportunities

Wikimania traditionally hosts two parties, one for attendees (capacity of 250-350) and one for sponsors and VIPs (capacity 40-60).

• Attendees party propositions

Either same location several days before, in the main room, or one of the adjoining facilities

• Sponsor party proposition

Smaller side room, with capacity of around 80-100 people

Transportation and visa

• Estimation of travel costs from all continents:

  Around NZ$1000 to get to US or Australia

• Visa requirements: fairly lax, see w:Immigration New Zealand#Visa_and_Permit_Exemptions
• Distance from international airport(s)and how do we get to the location:

  From Auckland International Airport (AKL), there are bus routes into the center of town, only one/two blocks from Queen St. to center

Local sponsorship opportunities

Possibility of local sponsorships

• Contacts

To find

Local team

• Matt (TheFearow), can help set up. I can offer networking, lighting, etc design and setup. I know the location as have previously been there on a Microsoft conference

Self-evaluation

• Weaknesses of the proposed location ...and how to overcome those weaknesses

1. Weakness 1

   Solution 1

2. Weakness 2

   Solution 2

• Strengths of the proposed location

1. Strength 1
2. Strength 2