State Of The Map U.S. 2010/BIDS/Atlanta
Date
The dates for the proposed 2010 State of the Map Conference in Atlanta, Georgia are mid-June and mid-July, 2010.
Location
Atlanta, Georgia!
How to Get There
Air
Atlanta is serviced by 1 major airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. HJAIA is a hub for Delta Airlines and Airtran Airways. It is also serviced by most major airlines. Estimated cost of round trip airfare from Travelocity.com.
San Francisco to Atlanta= $400.00
Denver to Atlanta= $350.00
San Diego to Atlanta= $380.00
Dallas to Atlanta= $305.00
Chicago to Atlanta= $270.00
Washington DC to Atlanta= $215.00
New York City to Atlanta= $200.00
Train:
Amtrak and MARTA (Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority). Atlanta is easy and safe to navigate using only public transportation.
Bus and Car:
Atlanta is intersected by 3 major interstates, I20, I75 and I85. It is serviced by a number of national bus lines, including Greyhound. Within the city limits, Atlanta has bus transportation through MARTA.
Taxis are also plentiful in Atlanta. The fixed fare to get from the airport to the city center is $24.00. Most POI's important to conference goes can be reached via taxi for under $10.00.
Accommodations
With walking distance of the GWCC are hotels of all price ranges and quality levels. Below are a few price estimations for hotels less than 5 blocks from the conference site. Please note that these prices are based on double occupancy and are subject to change. The average price of a mid-range hotel is $130 per night.
Holiday Inn Conference Center: $99.00
Residence Inn by Marriott: $119.00
Atlanta Marriott Downtown: $120.00
Hilton Atlanta: $151.00
Ritz Carlton Atlanta $179.00
Lower priced lodging can be found outside of the I285 loop. These hotels are priced on average between $50.00 and $100 per night. Attendees staying outside the loop can easily reach the conference center via MARTA.
Blocks of rooms can be reserved at all of the above mentioned hotels for conference attendees.
The Venue
The Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC)[1]
The GWCC is the city of Atlanta's premier conference and convention center. It can accommodate a conference of any size and is fully equipped with wifi, meeting rooms of all sizes and space large enough for a general assembly. The facility has onsite IT staff to quickly handle technical issues and event coordinators to assist with logistics before and during the event.
There is ample space for beverage stations, in-between session networking, receptions (with or without cash bar) and catered luncheons. There are two Starbucks coffee shops and a food court located within the complex and dozens of restaurants of all price ranges within a few blocks of the GWCC.
The GWCC is located in the heart of downtown Atlanta; within walking distance of the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, CNN World HQ, Centennial Olympic Park, the Atlanta Underground and many historic landmarks.
Potential Local Audience
The potential audience for a SOTM in Atlanta is huge. The last major mapping event held in Atlanta had attendance over 175 people. Because of the active local community and success hosting mapping events in the past, an OSM conference held in Atlanta will draw a lot of attention regionally and nationally.
In addition to the local mapping community. Potential audiences are:
1. GA Tech and Georgia State University (and other local universities) students and professors
2. Members of the Technology Association of Georgia
3. Members of Georgia URISA
4. The Atlanta iPhone Developers Meetup Group
5. The GISCC members
6. The GeoTech Center
7. AT&T Mobile HQ
8. Numerous small GIS firms
9. Georgia 4-H
10. GA Public Librarians
11. State and county GIS managers and workers
12. OSS Atlanta
Local Support
Support for OSM is high in Atlanta. Currently numerous student organizations, academic institutions, government agencies, hobbyist groups, non-profit and professional organizations and small business partner with OSM during events and support open geodata.
The current Atlanta community consists of approximately 40 regular mappers.
You can learn more about the Georgia OSM community at [2]
If you are a member of Georgia's OpenStreetMap Community, please list your name below:
Cost
The GWCC has hosted an OSM event in the past and is excited about the opportunity to host our conference in 2010. They understand the spirit of the organization and appreciate the funding constraints we face. While space for the conference cannot be offered at not cost, they have agreed to offer OSM a deep discount. Wifi prices are also reduced for OSM.
The current estimated cost per person including wifi access and snacks (if no outside sponsorship is solicited to help cover costs) is between $25-$35. This includes furnished meeting/presentation rooms, registration and reception areas, wifi, session refreshments, event set-up/cleanup and hourly janitorial services. Should an outside organization decide to donate wifi, snacks or contribute to room rental fees, the price can be brought down significantly.