[Dahut-pm] YAPC 2011 Bid -- Asheville, NC

[Chris Prather]

Dahut.pm would like to formally submit our bid for the 2011 YAPC::NA.

Thank You
-Chris dahut:inChargeOf "YAPC Bid's"

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# YAPC 2011 Proposal

Asheville, NC - Dahut Perl Mongers

During the Perl Oasis 2010 hackathon a conversation was had that
discussed the failure for excitement about North American YAPC's
(YAPC::NA). It was felt that there was a distinct lack of competition
and desire to show off the local talents and skills, especially compared
to European YAPCs. Various members of Dahut.pm were present at this
meeting and decided to take it upon themselves to try to set a proper
example.

Because Dahut.pm is a Non-Geographical group it was decided to host a
YAPC in a location without it's own Perl Monger group. A search was made
across the width and breadth of North America for a suitable venue.
Eventually settling upon Asheville, North Carolina.

## Proposed Dates

The proposed dates for YAPC 2011 are Monday, June 13 through
Wednesday, June 15, 2009.
These dates however are tentative depending on continued availability
with the venue.

## Expected Size

We have planned for a conference of roughly 300-350 people, this is
similar in size to the 2009 YAPC::NA in Pittsburgh. We're planning on 7
workshop rooms that hold ~50 people each. This would allow us to hold up
to 5 concurrent sessions plus overflow for Birds of a Feather sessions,
and communal rooms.

## Estimated Costs and Income

Food & Beverage Minimum: $9697.50 ($7500 + 20% + 7.75%)
Space: Free with Food and Beverage Minimum
Audio Visual Costs: $4000 ($2500 projectors estimated + $1500 screens etc.)

Estimated Venue Costs: $13,697.50

The Food and Beverage Minimum will be focused mainly on a Conference
Dinner for all attendees with any remaining money going to food services
provided through out the conference.

Current pricing plans are $100.00 per person for attendance. This will
work out to roughly $30,000 in expected revenue from ticket sales. This
will leave a surplus of $16,302.50. This surplus, as well as any monies
from sponsorship money will be use to pay for attendee SWAG such as
conference t-shirts (estimated at ~$20 per person).

Any remaining money will of course be given back to the TPF for future
events and grants.

## Sponsorships

At this time we have not identified any Ashville Local companies to
reach out to for sponsorship. Asheville however is a growing technical
community and upon acceptance of the bid we will be researching and
reaching out to companies in the local community as part of the
marketing of the event.

We have not yet reached out to any national companies either. We have
had support from members of the Pittsburgh YAPC organizing team, and
plan to reach out to them to help with our sponsorship efforts.

## Conference Activities

We are planning to have a Conference Banquet for all attendees. This is
budgeted into our Food and Beverage budget with the hotel, and will be
held on Tuesday night.

There are also plans for a Speaker's Dinner which, depending on
sponsorship response, may be held as a pay-your-own-way event. This is
tentatively being organized as part of the Brews Cruise which is a
walking tour of the micro-breweries and smaller restaurants in downtown
Asheville. Estimated costs are $50.00 per person.

## Readily Accessible Location (Planes, Trains, & Automobiles)

Asheville is served by Asheville Regional Airport in nearby Fletcher,
North Carolina. Asheville has non-stop service to Atlanta, Charlotte,
Chicago, Detroit, Houston, New York City, Newark, and Orlando. It is
located fifteen miles south of downtown Asheville near the town of
Fletcher. Ground transportation and major rental car companies are
available at the airport terminal.

Flights into Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) located
in Greenville, South Carolina, Charlotte Douglas International Airport
(CLT) located in Charlotte, North Carolina, or McGhee Tyson Airport
(TYS) located in Knoxville, Tennessee, are sometimes cheaper than flying
directly to Asheville. Greenville is about a 1.5 hour drive, Charlotte
and Knoxville are both about 2 hour drives.

Asheville is also located at the junction of Interstate 26 and
Interstate 40, with an I-240 connector that passes through downtown.
Mountainous, curvy, and scenic sections of highway are found along the
interstates in all four directions while traveling into Asheville. The
Asheville area is also served by 10 US and state highways. The Blue
Ridge Parkway has four primary accesses in Asheville at US 25, US 70, US
74A & NC 191.

### Public Transportation

Asheville is a small town and designed for walking.

Asheville Transit operates Bus service downtown and a "fare-free" zone
exists covering almost all of the businesses, restaurants and
attractions of downtown. Riders can take any bus in the system within
the Free Zone at no charge.

Outside of the Fare Free zone but fare is $1.00 USD one way.

Transportation is available from the venue to downtown Asheville.

## Facilities

The conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Asheville.

* 34000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities
* 274 well-appointed guest rooms, including 4 suites and 17 King
Executive suites
* Complimentary parking
* Complimentary high-speed wireless internet
* Award-winning restaurant
* Mulligan’s Bar & Grille, featuring sandwiches, snacks and drink specials
* On-site golf, indoor and outdoor tennis, and swimming
* Tennis and Golf Pro Shop
* Fitness center with brand new state of the art equipment
* Concierge and bell services
* Pet Friendly rooms  are available

## Affordable Accommodations

As the venue is a hotel we have worked with them to get the cheapest
room rate available. We have requested a block of rooms at $95.00 per
night and they are willing to allow two people to share a room and split
the costs making the cost for a shared Double/Double $47.50 which is
comparable to the Single Dorm rate at the 2010 YAPC in Columbus.

In addition to the regular rooms, the Crowne Plaza has Vacation Villas
on property that are private suites. We have reserved a block of the 2
Bedroom Villas for people organizing in groups. The cost for these is
$159.00 / night. The 1Br and 2Br Villas also come with sleeper couches
and private kitchens.

Double/Double: $95.00 / night
King: $109.00 / night
King Executive: $129.00 / night

Vacation Villa Studio: $109.00 / night
Vacation Villa 1Br: $129.00 / night
Vacation Villa 2br: $159.00 / night

## Internet Access from Conference Location

The Crowne Plaza has free high speed wireless.

## Internet Access from Accommodations

The Crowne Plaza has free high speed wireless.

## Location

To our knowledge a YAPC has never been held in North Carolina, let alone
in Asheville. Because Asheville lacks a local Monger group the odds are
that a YAPC will not be held there any time soon either.

Additionally, we have an excellent local resource in Manda Palomares,
the Sales Manager at the hotel. She has helped us plan and coordinate
the event through the bidding process. We expect we can have further
support from her and the staff at the Crowne Plaza as coordination
continues to move forward.

## Tourist Activities

Asheville is situated in the middle of the Great Smokey Mountains, and
has *several* options for outdoor activities. For example the Wikitravel
Guide has this to say about Hiking:

>   Some of the most beautiful (and abundant) waterfalls can be reached via
>   the Blue Ridge Parkway. Park your car on any Parkway overlook and there
>   will most likely be a trail nearby. Popular spots include Mount Pisgah
>   (15 miles south on the Parkway), Graveyard Fields (25 miles south on the
>   Parkway), Craggy Gardens (24 miles north on the Parkway), and Mount
>   Mitchell, the eastern United States highest mountain (35 miles/1 hour
>   drive north on the Parkway).

In addition to the out door activities, Asheville is the regional center
for art and culture in western North Carolina. It includes several dozen
museums and galleries, as well as theater and music venues.

Asheville is also home to the Biltmore House. Biltmore House is a French
Renaissance-style mansion, built by George Washington Vanderbilt II
between 1889 and 1895. It is the largest privately-owned home in the
United States, at 175,000 square feet (16,300 m2) and featuring 250
rooms. Still owned by one of Vanderbilt's descendants, it stands today
as one of the most prominent remaining examples of the Gilded Age. In
2007, it was ranked eighth on the List of America's Favorite
Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.

## Quality of Host Committee

The host committee has an established track record of putting together
quality Perl events. The committee leadership has organized the 2009 and
2010 Orlando Perl Workshop "Perl Oasis" as well as help organize the
2008 Frozen Perl Workshop. The committee includes organizers from YAPC
2009 as well as the London Perl Workshop.

We are committed to making an enjoyable event, and have the experience
to make it happen.