Wikimania 2010/Bids/Amsterdam

Wikimania 2010 candidate cities:
Amsterdam - Gdańsk - Oxford

The Dutch team is currently developing the content of this bid page and your help is more than welcome! Feel free to make improvements or add content. If you want to participate more actively with our bid, please contact MarkW (Mwpnl) or Effeietsanders through email, user page or Freenode IRC (#wikimania-nl^connect).

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Wikimedia Nederland is happy to present you with the Amsterdam bid for Wikimania 2010. Ever since Frankfurt and Rotterdam competed for the very first Wikimania in 2005, the conference has traveled all over the world and will return to Europe in 2010. Wikimedia Nederland is dedicated to organize Wikimania in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We see Wikimania as an ambitious but relaxed conference that should offer everything to meet and hang out with fellow Wikimedians.

Also, Wikimania is an opportunity to inform and educate the general public about the good work Wikimedia and other open projects (such as Open Streetmap) are doing and how others can contribute to them. Free knowledge has always been an important pillar of Wikimania, and 2010 will be no exception.

To get the most out of Wikimania, we realize that a certain atmosphere is required to let the community enjoy the conference to its full extent. During our selection process we've constantly kept this atmosphere in mind while visiting and selecting our final conference venue, accommodations and party location. We feel that the choices we made reflect our feelings about and our vision on Wikimania. In this bid we present an offer to organize Wikimania in the well known city center of Amsterdam, in the charming Tuschinski Theater.

• Country:The Netherlands
• City proposed: Amsterdam
• Proposed dates: Friday 23rd July to Sunday 25th July 2010, the Hacking Days would therefore be Wednesday July 21st and Thursday 22nd
• Contact persons: the Core team: Effeietsanders, MarkW (or "WarkM"), Catrope (or "Roan Kattouw") and Ciell - wikimania-core at lists.vrijemedia.org

About Amsterdam

Houses in Amsterdam

Relaxing in the summer sun at the Westerpark

Nieuwmarkt with De Waag

Begijnhof

The Keizersgracht by night

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, and its largest city. The city is known for its historic port, the Rijksmuseum, its red-light district (de Wallen), its many 'coffee shops', and its many canals, along with the 90 islands and over 1500 bridges in the city, which have led to Amsterdam being called the "Venice of the North". Amsterdam has two universities: the Vrije Universiteit ("Free University") and the University of Amsterdam. Since the Dutch Golden Age (17th century), Amsterdam has been one of the most important ports in the world, with innovative developments in trade, and became the leading center for finance and diamonds.

The city, founded in the late 12th century as a small fishing village, has grown to become the largest city in the Netherlands with a population of about 1 million inhabitants with at least 172 different nationalities. Its name is derived from Amstel dam, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel where the Dam Square is today.

Amsterdam and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of 1 million to about 1.5 million people, depending on definition, and are part of the Randstad conurbation. The Randstad (literally "Rim City") is a conurbation in the Western part of the Netherlands. It consists of the four largest Dutch cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) plus their surrounding areas. With its 7.5 million inhabitants (almost half of the population of the Netherlands; when other conurbations connected to this area are also taken into consideration, it would have a population a little over 10 million, almost two-thirds of the entire Dutch population) it is one of the largest conurbations in Europe.

The Netherlands in general (and Amsterdam in particular) is a transport hub into Europe, and has an extensive transport infrastructure. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is the third largest airport for international travelers in Europe. Amsterdam draws 4.2 million tourists annually.

Amsterdam has a very lively music scene and is internationally renowned for its jazz and improvised music (Bimhuis), contemporary music (Muziekgebouw aan het IJ) as well as classical music (Concertgebouw), but also world music (Tropenmuseum) and diverse pop, rock and other contemporary young music (the old church Paradiso, the soccer stadium Amsterdam Arena and the Heineken Music Hall for instance).

Cityscape

The center of Amsterdam is built crescent-shaped around the Amsterdam Central railway station. Damrak is the main street, leading to the Dam square. Damrak then continues as Rokin street. The 8,500 historic monuments in the city center make Amsterdam's well-preserved beauty hard to miss, even for those without a particular interest in architecture. Among those monuments are the Anne Frank House, the Beurs van Berlage, the Royal Theatre Carré, several buildings at the Herengracht and the Keizersgracht, and the Royal Palace. A web of picturesque canals determines the main layout of the center. This set of concentric waterways is called the Grachtengordel ("Girdle of Canals") and was dug during the Dutch Golden Age, as part of a carefully planned city expansion. To the east of Damrak, one can find the oldest part of the city: De Wallen. This part of the city is famous for containing the red light district.

Atmosphere

Amsterdam is a city of many faces, due to its international background. Already from a historic perspective, the city is known for its acceptance and open mind towards foreigners and foreign cultures. This is reflected by the approximately 172 different nationalities living in the city: Amsterdam is a highly multicultural and diverse place.

The city is known for its liberal character and welcoming attitude towards visitors. Tourists generally find that just about everyone they encounter, including bus and tram drivers, speaks reasonable to fluent English. Amsterdam is popular with visitors and the city is well organized to meet their needs. Information regarding tourist attractions and public transportation is widely available in English, as are menus in bars and restaurants. Places of worship are available for all major religions.

Amsterdam is often called the "gay capital of Europe" and is a popular destination for gay and lesbian travelers. The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize gay marriage and is perhaps the most progressive country when it comes to equal rights for gays and lesbians in general. Gay night life is lively in Amsterdam and festivals are numerous. The spectacular Amsterdam Gay Pride, in the first weekend of August, is considered to be one of the best in the world and attracts over half a million people. Highlight of the Pride is the colorful canal parade, in which celebrities and government officials take part as well.

The Netherlands in general and Amsterdam in particular is a crossroads of many initiatives in the Open Culture. The local government works hard on becoming more active in the area of open standards and on implementing open source in their own systems with projects such as "Nederland Open In Verbinding" (Netherlands Open In Connection) and Open Amsterdam. At the same time NGOs are being founded in Amsterdam to work on a freer world, for instance Kennisland and Digitale Pioniers.

With conferences such as the State of the Map 2009 (Open Streetmaps annual conference), the Open Source Conference, the Holland Open Source Conference and the World Congress on Information Technology 2010, Wikimania would not be alone in its kind. These show clearly that there is sufficient interest from the public and sponsors to organize Wikimania 2010 in Amsterdam.

With a high internet penetration, Wikimedia, and Wikipedia in particular, has been relatively successful in The Netherlands. Dutch is traditionally one of the top 10 language editions of Wikipedia, while it's barely in the top 50 of the world's most spoken languages. Other open projects have proved to be successful in the Netherlands as well: the open film project Blender is based in the Netherlands and the Open Streetmap project has a complete map of the Netherlands. These open projects make the potential for Wikimania in the Netherlands even higher, since it offers more possibilities for cooperation and outreach.

Tourism

The famous Amsterdam canals

Amsterdam

For more information about tourism opportunities in and around Amsterdam, visit Wikimania 2010/Bids/Amsterdam/Tourism.

Culture & Tourism

Amsterdam has been a touristic hotspot for many years already. Attracting almost 5 million visitors in 2007, the city has proved that it has a lot to offer for its visitors. For attendees, Wikimania is an opportunity to visit the capital of the Netherlands with its welcoming attitude and many cultural interests. Amsterdam has many tourism opportunities. Its long history, and especially the heritage the city has from the golden Age, makes Amsterdam a great place to visit, with lots of architectural highlights and of course its canals.

Amsterdam houses many museums, focused around the Museum Square in the city center. The Rijksmuseum, which hosts probably the largest collection of Golden Age paintings, among which Rembrandt's famous Night Watch, the Van Gogh Museum, designed by Gerrit Rietveld, with the largest collection Van Goghs in the world, along with a large collection of other impressionist artists like Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Manet, and the Stedelijk Museum, which has a large collection of modern art and Avant Garde.

There are many other museums spread out all through the city center, like the Anne Frank House, the technology museum NEMO with interactive exhibitions, the archaeological Allard Pierson Museum, the Shipping Museum, with a replica of a Dutch East India Company ship, the tropical museum, dedicated to cultural anthropology, the Jewish museum, the Sex Museum Venustempel, the Amsterdam Dungeon, and many others. Apart from that, there is a large number of art galleries all over town, making Amsterdam one of the most important artistic centers in the region.

Amsterdam has over 6,800 officially recognized historical monuments, ranging from the 15th to the 19th century. When sightseeing Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Mobile Guide is a great help, with routes to and information about almost 200 interesting locations easily accessible on your cellphone.

If you plan on enjoying the city of Amsterdam during Wikimania, it a good idea to buy the I Amsterdam Card. With the I Amsterdam Card you get free access to lots of museums, free public transportation in Amsterdam (bus, tram, metro), a free canal boat tour, and many discounts for attractions and restaurants.

Museums etc.	Prices
Rijksmuseum, featuring Rembrandt's Night Watch)	€ 11,-
Van Gogh Museum	€ 12,50
Sex Museum Venustempel	€ 3,-
Allard Pierson Museum	€ 6,50
Artis Zoo	€ 18,50

July and August are the best months to visit Amsterdam. While the temperatures are pleasant, many events are organized both for the locals and for people who come to Amsterdam especially for the event. Some examples are the Amsterdam Gay Pride (attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the country), De Parade (theater and modern performing arts) and Sail Amsterdam. While you are in Amsterdam, this might be a good reason to extend your stay a little and make it a real vacation.

A cursory glance at the Netherlands

Location of The Netherlands in Europe

The Netherlands is a modern country located in Northwestern Europe. It is connected to Germany in the East and Belgium in the South, and facing the North Sea in the West and North. The Netherlands is one of the main transportation and distribution countries in the world, located at an intersection of air, sea and rail connections. The country is famous for its abundance of water, and its international economical focus. More traditionally, the Netherlands is known for its bikes, tulips, cheese, clogs and windmills. The country has been an open society with a long standing tradition of tolerance and is known for its liberal policies toward various lifestyles.

The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 27% of its area and 60% of its population located below sea level. Significant areas have been gained through land reclamation and are preserved through an elaborate system of polders and dikes. Most of the country is very flat, with the exception of foothills of the Ardennes in the far south–east and several low-hill ranges in the central parts created by ice age glaciers.

The country has an international outlook. The Netherlands is a melting-pot of different cultures: of the 16.5 million inhabitants, over 3.2 million are of non-Dutch origin. The Netherlands is a founding member of the European Union (EU), NATO, the OECD, and has signed the Kyoto protocol. The country is host to five international courts, including the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Are you a lover of art, renaissance or modern? Are you interested in science? Do you like to walk through picturesque cities or do you love the countryside? How about staying at the beach? The region where Wikimania may take place has all of this.

More information about the Netherlands can of course be found on Wikipedia (de, en, es, fr, it, ja, nl, pl, pt, ru, sv etc).

Local transportation

Bicycle parking lot in Amsterdam

Tram in Amsterdam

A scheme of the Amsterdam tram + subway

The typical Dutch way of transportation in Amsterdam is by bike. In the Netherlands practically everybody owns one, so it should not surprise you to see them everywhere. Bikes are for rent, but be sure to rent a big chain with a lock as well.

The Netherlands in general and Amsterdam in particular has an extensive network of metro lines, trams and buses, for less adventurous people. Some time in 2009, the Public Transportation Smart Card (OV-chipkaart) will replace all tickets, passes and the common 'strippenkaart'. This card will be valid for travel by tram, train, bus, ferry and metro. It is already available at kiosks, cigar shops and supermarkets.

The proposed conference venue, Tuschinski, is well-accessible by public transport. It's surrounded by several tram and bus stops and located near a metro station, all giving direct access to other parts of the city. Besides that, thanks to the fact that the venue is situated centrally in the city center, all relevant locations are within walking distance.

Taxis are available throughout the city and a canal taxi can make your ride just a bit more special.

The whole country, especially in the Randstad area, is connected by a wide network of rail roads, with a great connection to Amsterdam. This gives tourists the opportunity to explore the rest of the country with ease. A trip to e.g. the government seat in The Hague, the precious city of Delft or the home of the stroopwafels Gouda would take less than an hour by train.

	Prices from
Local bus fare	~ € 1
Rent a bike	~ € 10 a day
Taxi Schiphol to Amsterdam (downtown)	~ € 37
Taxi	~ € 5 + € 2 / km
Canal Bus	~ € 16 (day pass)
Canal boat (tour)	~ € 8

Practical

Climate

In July it is summer in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has a moderate sea climate and enjoys pleasantly warm summers with an average temperature of around 22°C (72°F) in July and August. The summer period brings the Dutch cities to life, with various open air festivals taking place and many cafés moving their seating outdoors. Although an occasional shower can occur, July and August are the sunniest months of the year, with an average of 200+ hours of sunshine. Light summer clothes with a rain jacket for the occasional rainy day should suffice for visitors.

A rainbow in the Dutch landscape

Weather averages from KNMI De Bilt
Month	July	August
Daily high temperature	22.1°C (72°F)	22.3°C (72°F)
Daily low temperature	12.5°C (55°F)	12.0°C (54°F)
Total precipitation	70.0 mm (2.75")	58.2 mm (2.3")
Days with rainfall	19 (5% of the time)	19 (4% of the time)
Sunshine	208 hours	201 hours

Money

The currency used in the Netherlands is the euro (€). Most hotels, upmarket restaurants and many large stores accept all major international credit cards. However, cash is still a very common way to pay for daily expenses and you'll find plenty of ATMs around. They usually accept cash withdrawals from credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard/Eurocard, as well as cash cards that use the Cirrus network.

Costs

Cost of living in the Netherlands is generally comparable with that in other Northern European countries. Although prices can be slightly higher in Amsterdam, the city is still much less expensive than London or Paris. With a wide choice of top-end hotels and restaurants, as well as upmarket shopping opportunities, it's not hard to spend a small fortune in Amsterdam. However, there is a wide array of low and mid-range places to choose from if you're on a budget. If you're staying for a couple of days, it's worthwhile to check out the available discount passes (they can save loads on admission fees and public transport costs). The local Wikimania team will help you and provide useful information.

Exchange rates as of 1 march 2009 ([1])
Currency	Equivalent of €1
United States dollar	1.27
British pound	0.88
Australian dollar	1.98
Canadian dollar	1.61
Japanese yen	123.46

Cost of living

Supermarket	Prices from	Bar / common restaurant	Prices from
Bread	€ 0.89	3-course meal	€ 22.50
Milk (1 liter)	€ 0.50	Hamburger (McDonald's)	€ 1
Coca Cola (1 liter)	€ 1.25	Beer (0,25 liter)	€ 2
Beer (0,3 liter bottle)	€ 0.45	Cup of coffee/tea	€ 2
Candy bar	€ 0.60	Sandwich	€ 2.50
Package of stroopwafels	€ 1.50	Dutch raw herring (with fresh chopped onions, of course)	€ 1.50

Cannabis coffeeshops

Neon sign at a Coffee Shop in Amsterdam

Coffeeshops in the Netherlands are not like the ones in the English-speaking part of the world. With a "coffeeshop" the Dutch do not mean Starbucks: the name is used to refer to the little shops where the sale and usage of cannabis is regulated. All over Amsterdam, and in the rest of the Netherlands as well, you will find these shops. The presence of these shops illustrates the uniquely liberal soft drug policy in the Netherlands.

Contrary to popular belief, the use of soft drugs is not legal in the Netherlands. However, for personal use and possession of small amounts of cannabis there is a non-enforce policy. This policy of tolerance is strictly limited to personal use and sales by registered coffeeshops. Importing or exporting cannabis, possession of larger amounts as well as the use of all other kinds of drugs is as illegal in the Netherlands as it is anywhere else in the world. The local team will provide more detailed information on the subject for participants who are interested in the course of organizing the conference.

The bid

As noted before, the Dutch Wikimania team considers Wikimania to be more then "just" an ordinary conference. An important part of Wikimania is meeting fellow Wikimedians and others in an informal setting, relieved with interesting lectures and workshops. The other part we consider important for Wikimania is providing a platform to exchange thoughts about free content in the broadest sense of the word.

Accommodating such a special event requires a special location. We had to find a location with an intimate atmosphere that would bring the participants of Wikimania closer and at the same time stimulates the knowledge experience transfer. We chose the Tuschinski Theater, located in the dazzling heart of Amsterdam. The atmosphere in Tuschinski can be described as motivating, surprising and even extravagant, exactly the atmosphere we were looking for.

Having such a special conference location, would make one expect nothing less from our party location. And indeed: We found a party location that forms a perfect match with Tuschinski. Strand West, our party location, has a modern, vibrant surrounding that contrasts with the early 20s setting of Tuschinski. At the same time, Strand West offers a similar laid-back environment that we thought typical of Tuschinski.

This laid-back environment continues in the way we organize Wikimania. We want to ensure our visitors to enjoy their stay in Amsterdam, but we also want them not to worry about their accommodation during their stay. Therefore we contacted several third parties to investigate the possibilities of Wikimania offering selected accommodations. Eventually we selected two parties to help us accommodate all attendees. Of course all attendees are free to choose a different accommodation of their choice. We ensured two options, in different price ranges. By doing so, we hope to meet to most of the attendees' wishes.

Conference venue: Tuschinski Theater

Located in the center of Amsterdam you will find one of the most cherished buildings of the city: the Tuschinski Theater. It was built in the 1920s and is one of Amsterdam's most perfect examples of Jugendstil and Art Deco combined with the Amsterdam School in architecture. Although mainly in use now as a release cinema and movie theater, Tuschinski was built as a performing arts theater with a stage, theater orchestra and a live organ to accompany the silent movies of that time. Throughout the years, big names such as Maurice Chevalier, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Edith Piaf, Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Domino and Dionne Warwick have performed in Tuschinski.

Renovated between 1998 and 2002, the whole building breathes the old style of the days. The exterior's main components, the two big towers with blue roofs that rise above the rooftops of the surrounding buildings and the overwhelming entry are influenced by the Art Deco scene. The interior is decorated with all kinds of colors and the thick woolen carpets, with patterns originating from the 1930's. Glass ceilings with ever changing lights complement the different rooms, giving the whole building a special atmosphere. While the decoration might be overwhelming at first, it is most certainly one that perfectly suits a community event like Wikimania.

The Tuschinski Theater has the capacity to accommodate up to 800 people and is divided into three wings, which contain two different auditoriums each. This means we have a total of six auditoriums at our disposal. Apart from the six auditoriums, we'll have a total of 4 large corridors available, all suitable to accommodate approximately 20 to 40 people for workshops and other meetings in different settings. For meetings with an alternative setting we arranged use of the VIP-room at the top of the theater, which enables us to accommodate another 60 people in one room.

The main auditorium has two balconies and can facilitate 787 people. The other five have room for 191, 135, 135, 130 and 105 people. Except for hall 2, all halls are wheelchair-accessible through elevators and there are facilities for the hearing impaired by means of an Audio Induction Loop System. All auditoriums will be equipped with video projectors, surround sound and microphones for the full usage of our speakers. Since it is a movie theater, wide screens are available in every auditorium. Throughout the theater, and on all three days, there will be open, free, wireless internet, able to connect all guests. The theater has a climate control system by means of air conditioning.

Lunch will be served on all three days by a third party caterer: Van Dam catering service. Van Dam will make sure a decent warm and cold buffet will be served at everyone's convenience.

Although Tuschinski was originally a theater, it has hosted conferences, congresses and other events in the past (e.g. "The Web and Beyond", "The Next Web Conference" and Europe's Fourth Information Architecture Summit). These past conferences prove that the Tuschinski staff is more than able to organize and host these kinds of big happenings. The cinema auditoriums with their modern equipment and high quality seats proved to be perfectly suited to accommodate lectures and other types of sessions. The whole theater will be at our full disposal for all three days.

• 
  Main auditorium
• 
  Main auditorium
• 
  Main foyer, entrance
• 
  Ceiling of the main foyer
• 
  Bird view of the main foyer
• 
  Lounge on the ground floor
• 
  Workshop room / VIP-room on the first floor
• 
  Lounge on the second floor

Floor plan

With kind courtesy to the Tuschinski theatre, below are the floor plans of the ground floor, first floor and second floor.

All the yellow areas indicate auditoria, the blue areas are accessible to the community. The red areas are organisational spaces.

Situation around the venue

A rough impression of the geographical situation of the venue and accommodations can be found on this map. As can be seen, the NH hotels are in the immediate neighborhood of the venue. The Stayokay hostel is somewhat farther situated, but still within walking distance and also well-connected to Tuschinski by public transport. Both are within the city center, with good access to shops, restaurants, cafés, bars and touristic spots.

Accommodation site

To accommodate all our guests, the Dutch organizational team has contacted several parties, to ensure their capacity and willingness to cooperate. Eventually an internationally operating hotel chain (NH Hotels) and one of Amsterdam's Stayokay Youth Hostels were chosen because they could offer the most flexibility to our attendees by means of flexibility, price and quality.

Moreover, Tuschinski is located in the heart of Amsterdam, offering plenty of opportunities for guests to stay at their own convenience in a hotel of their own choice. The center of Amsterdam has no fewer than 350 hotels, varying from luxurious five-star hotels to youth hostels. The area around Tuschinski alone has over 10 hotels.

The two main options we intend to offer to our guests are:

NH Hotels

The NH Carlton hotel

Several four-star NH Hotels are located at a 2 minute walk from Tuschinski. All NH hotels have free wireless internet available and rooms are equipped with a lockable bathroom and separate beds (twins).

NH Hotels offer their main hotel – the Carlton Hotel – which has 70 twin rooms available, suited for 140 people. If more than 140 people want to spend their nights in a four-star accommodation, we can offer a total of 360 beds (180 rooms) in the three other (4 star) hotels. More beds are available in single and double rooms. The hotels can also offer additional organizational spaces for the organization. A quoted price (to be considered as a maximum) per person per night in a twin room is € 65 including breakfast and wireless internet.

Stayokay

Located right next to the urban park "Vondelpark", the Stayokay hostel offers travelers everything they need during their stay in Amsterdam. Stayokay Vondelpark offers a total of 700 beds in rooms suitable for 4 to 6 people. All rooms are equipped with a private shower and toilet (both lockable) and a small kitchen. The building has its own wireless internet connection, and offers a few lounges and bar where Wikimaniacs can hang out and meet each other.

On top of being located at the Vondelpark, the hostel is just a 5-minute walk away from the cultural and touristic center of Amsterdam, offering clubs, restaurants, cafés, bars, coffee shops and many other options to go on a stroll. Stayokay Vondelpark is a 15-minute walk from the Tuschinski Theater and can be reached by four different tram lines (3/4 stops), of which three lead to Tuschinski.

Prices for Stayokay in July 2009 are around €30 per person per night based on 4-6 person rooms, including breakfast and free wireless internet.

Social Space

During the day, the Tuschinski theater provides two main lounges where attendees can meet, talk, relax or work on their own. Both can be used as community places and are ideally suited for this purpose. The whole building is at our disposal during the conference, offering sufficient social spaces during the day.

Attendees who want to meet someplace else, could also meet on the adjacent Rembrandt square, offering several nightclubs and direct tram connections to other parts of the city, including Leidse square. Leidse square offers restaurants, cafés and has a vibrant day- and nightlife. During the evening, people can (if not attracted to the nightlife) meet in the lobby of the accommodation suites and hang out there, or move to discover the far more exciting various nightlife options that Amsterdam has to offer. If necessary we can also rent another, larger, lobby in the Carlton hotel and/or Stayokay hostel, to ensure space and privacy for our attendees who don't fancy a night in the city.

Party

Fireworks

Amsterdam has always been known as the city that never sleeps. Over 1200 bars and cafés, around 36 clubs and another 1250 restaurants prove this every day. The city accommodates all tastes and budgets and has a vibrant night life.

Party opportunities are numerous and are not limited to the large selection of traditional party venues. Whether it's a prestigious floating party on a large party ship on Amsterdam's waterfront, or a casual party in its laid back public Vondelpark – next to one of our accommodations - there is plenty of room for creativity.

While there are numerous options to organize social activities, we chose a special location to host the Wikimania General Party. The trendy city beach club "Strand West" will host an exclusive, evening-long (19.00 - 02.00h) party for over 350 attendees at the first (or second) conference day to kick-start Wikimania Amsterdam. Strand West is the perfect location for a relaxed and informal but also trendy and modern party.

A beach barbecue at Strand West will be the start of a pleasant evening which is aimed at getting to know the community and attendees of Wikimania better. The club offers sufficient diversity to let everybody enjoy his or her evening in their own way.

Hacking days

Hacking days during Wikimania 2005

In 2005, 2006 and 2007, the Wikimania Hacking Days were organized to be before the main conference. The Amsterdam team considers the Hacking Days as value-added to Wikimania, and is planning to bring back the Hacking Days the two days directly preceding Wikimania (Wednesday July 21st and Thursday 22nd). The team is dedicated to give the developers a productive and fun environment to exchange knowledge and to experience and work together on improvements. On Wednesday, a relatively small group of core developers would get together to discuss and write code. This part would be invitation-only. Thursday will be open to anyone interested, with room for demonstrations of features and projects in addition to informal discussions and coding. Based on the popularity of the Berlin meet-up, the team believes that there's enough critical mass of developers in Europe to make it likely that this pre-event will become a success.

In Amsterdam, there are plenty of venue options for this size. A venue for the Hacking Days has therefore not been selected yet, but will certainly have free wireless internet for all attendees and plenty of sockets to charge laptops. When selecting a venue, the team will look for a community room for about 80 people, with a projector for demonstrations and talks. Having one larger community room instead of multiple smaller rooms encourages attendees to collaborate and exchange ideas openly, rather than in isolated subgroups.

The presented layout of the Hacking Days is definitely not final, and will be open for improvement. The team will welcome further input from the developers, especially considering it "their" party. Several members of the local team will attend the meet-up in Berlin in early April, and will use their experiences and the feedback there to improve and work out the plans for the Amsterdam Hacking Days.The team believes that this will benefit the organization of the Hacking Days, but also the fact that a number of developers are active in the team will help to make sure that the Hacking Days are communicated well to the developers.

Budget

Description Notes Amount € $ Expenses Venue tuschinski Venue 28.000 * 35.560 Technical facilities 1 22.000 * 27.940 Wireless internet 17.000 21.590 Catering (lunch) 37.500 * 47.625 Catering (tea and coffee during the day) 2 14.500 * 18.145 119.000 151.130 Keynotes, speakers and staff Conveyance keynotes 10.000 12.700 Accommodation (keynote) speakers 8 6.000 7.620 Overnight sleeping Wikimania 2010 staff 5.000 6.350 21.000 26.670 Hacking days location 7 7.000 8.890 Accommodation 7 3.000 3.810 catering 7 5.000 6.350 15.000 19.050 Scholarships 4/5 50.000 63.500 social activities General party Strand West 20.000 * 25.400 Other social activities 2 20.000 25.400 40.000 50.800 Other Promotional and organisational costs 2/5 15.000 19.050 Video / Broadcasting 2/5 7.5000 9.525 Employment 6/7 5.000 6.350 Insurance 2/7 10.000 12.700 Allowance unforeseen expenses 7 30.000 38.100 67.500 85.725 Total Expenses 312.500 396.875 Revenues Revenues from operations (entry fees) 7 20.000 25.400 Confirmed sponsorships 20.000 25.400 Total Revenues 40.000 50.800 Amount to be raised To be raised 272.500 346.075

Notes 1. Including external fees for outsourced work 2. we received a quotation, but the amount is expected to be lower in our final quotation 3. omitted 4. Approximately 1000 euro for each applicant (50) 5. Expected to be sponsored in-kind 6. in the case we hire assistance for the organisation 7. Estimated, no quotation yet 8. For 15 keynotes The budget is based on quotations and estimates in Euros, since this is the most stable currency for this bid. All Euro-amounts are then converted to U.S. Dollars by using an exchange rate of 1 euro = 1.27 dollars. (exchange rate on March 1, 2009).

Extended notes to the budget

The Dutch team decided to set up a quite conservative budget, using as much quoted prices as possible. When quotations were not yet available, realistic (but often high) amounts have been used to ensure that we will not under-budget. All the amounts not marked with an asterisk (*) are estimates lacking quotations. We expect all estimates to drop significantly over time while more quotations arrive and have high expectations for most expenses being covered by in-kind sponsoring and additional financial sponsorships.

Sponsoring

The organizations we have (informally) contacted so far stress that they are very excited to participate. Even small organizations, which do not have enough resources to sponsor Wikimania financially, have already shown interest in supplying in-kind sponsorships. At this moment, we are deepening these contacts to figure out how to outline these offers.

Dutch, national, organizations have always shown interest in projects that enable them to pair up with good causes that are known in the Netherlands and abroad. Wikimania (and Wikipedia) of course belongs to that category of projects, especially with one in three inhabitants of the Netherlands using the encyclopedia daily. The effect of this notability is being reinforced by our Board of Recommendation, showing that other organizations trust the Dutch team in bringing Wikimania to a favorable conclusion.

As proof of this, one partner has pledged a significant amount of money to the organization of Wikimania. Another organization has already made an informal, but realistic, allusion pledging to provide for another significant amount of money. This proves that our efforts to find sponsors are paying off and will lead to us being able to balance the budget.

Support

			Wikimédia France	Wikimedia Deutschland
Letter of Support by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences	Letter of Support by the Free Knowledge Institute	Letter of Support by Creative Commons Netherlands	Letter of Support by Wikimédia France	Letter of Support by Wikimedia Deutschland

Wikimedia Nederland expressed the wish to find supporters and partners amongst like-minded and established organizations in the Netherlands and abroad. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Free Knowledge Institute, Creative Commons Nederland, Wikimédia France and Wikimedia Deutschland all support the bid of Wikimedia Nederland for Wikimania 2010 in Amsterdam. Wikimedia Nederland is very grateful for the expressed support and trust by these well-known institutions. From the municipality of Amsterdam, full support has also been given.

Board of recommendation

In addition to the letters of support, Wikimedia Nederland has set up a board of recommendation consisting of people with an established reputation willing to support the bid with their name. The board of recommendation will be used mainly for persuading companies to sponsor or support the event. At the moment, both Toine Maes, executive director of the Kennisnet Foundation, and Robbert Dijkgraaf, president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences are installed as members of this board. We're also very glad the Rector Magnificus of Amsterdam's VU University, prof.dr. Lex Bouter, agreed to take seat in our Board of recommendation. Wikimedia Nederland will expand the board further when it is ensured that Wikimania will be organized in Amsterdam.

Getting to Amsterdam

Located on the West coast of Europe, the Netherlands is easy to reach by air, by land and by water. Schiphol, one of the world's three busiest airports by international passenger traffic, is conveniently located at just 20 minutes from the Amsterdam city center. The small size of the country places the other large cities (Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) all at distances of just 30 to 60 minutes by train. The Netherlands is well-connected to all major European train and bus routes, offering interesting alternatives to flying.

By air

Schiphol Airport

Amsterdam city center

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a major airport with almost 50 million passengers per year and has many direct connections to cities all over the world. The airport is modern, maintains a high quality (voted best airport in Europe by Business Traveler) and is very well-connected to the public transportation system with an intercity train station directly underneath the main hall. Besides Amsterdam Airport, the city of Amsterdam is very well connected to other airports in Europe, which makes the possibilities for a cheaper flight numerous.

Within the Netherlands, Rotterdam Airport and Eindhoven Airport serve a few price fighters (cheap carriers) flying within Europe, and Brussels Airport is only a three-hour train ride from the Amsterdam city center. Paris and Frankfurt, other main air hubs, are also at a decent distance at 4:45 and 3:45 hours respectively.

All prices are for round trip flights from city of departure to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, unless otherwise noted ("(E)" indicating Eindhoven). Flights include a weekend in August 2009 as data for 2010 are unavailable as of yet. August 2009 is considered a similar period as July 2010 price-wise. Taxes are included. Euro to dollar exchange rate as of mid-February 2009.

Please note that it is most likely that prices for Dutch air ports will drop, since Dutch government recently decided to remove a category of flight tax.

From Costs Europe Frankfurt €85 Lisbon €217 London €70 Madrid €81 (E) Moscow €391 Paris €164 Rome €84 (E) Vienna €125 Warsaw €154

From Costs $ Costs € North America New York $872 €681 San Francisco $1014 €799 Toronto $866 €677 Central America San Salvador $1627 €1271 Panama City $1302 €1017 South America Rio de Janeiro $1212 €952 Paramaribo $1301 €1017

From Costs $ Costs € Oceania Sydney $1324 €1050 Auckland $1520 €1186 Africa Cairo $544 €425 Johannesburg $818 €639 Nairobi $1119 €875 Asia Delhi $717 €560 Hong Kong $1158 €905 Jakarta $1206 €957 Seoul $1023 €799 Taipei $1271 €993

Several local airports, within 2 hours' travel from the Amsterdam city center offer considerably cheaper international flights. Among these are Eindhoven Airport (amongst others France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey) and Rotterdam Airport (a.o. Denmark, England, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland). Brussels Airport (a.o. Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain) is a 3-hour drive from Amsterdam. These airports have buses to stations with good train connections to Amsterdam.

From the airport to Amsterdam

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the Netherlands' main airport, easily accessible from anywhere in the world. The airport is located Southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in larger Amsterdam. The Amsterdam city center is directly accessible by train, with trains departing every few minutes. Trains between Schiphol and Amsterdam run 24/7, albeit less frequently at night.

From your airport to Amsterdam Central Station	Fare	Travel time
Schiphol (train, single fare)	€ 3.90	20 min.
Eindhoven Airport (bus+train, single fare)	~ € 20	1 hr. 45 min.
Rotterdam Airport (bus+train, single fare)	~ € 15	1 hr. 30 min.
Brussels Airport / Brussel Zaventem (train, single fare)	€ 19	3 hrs.

By car

The Netherlands has an extensive network of high-quality motorways which ensures good road access from both Belgium and Germany, as well as between cities. With hardly any peak hours in summer and no border controls, traveling by car can be a convenient alternative for Wikimania participants from surrounding European countries. A few examples of travel times to Amsterdam:

• Brussels - 2 1/4 hours (211 km)
• Frankfurt - 4 hours (440 km)
• Paris - 5 hours (503 km)
• London - 6 hours (334 mi/534 km) (through the Channel Tunnel)
• Berlin - 6 1/4 hours (656 km)
• Bern - 7 3/4 hours (840 km)
• Copenhagen - 8 hours (789 km) (with the Rødby-Puttgarden ferry)
• Prague - 8 1/4 hours (878 km)

To avoid parking fees in the city center, consider parking at Park & Ride, which is considerably cheaper.

By train

Dutch bilevel train

Amsterdam Central Station

The Netherlands has direct train connections to many major destinations in Germany, Belgium and France, with multiple border crossing options and of course no border controls. Direct trains also run to the United Kingdom (through the Channel Tunnel) and Switzerland. With one or two changes in neighboring countries most other major Western European destinations are connected, making the train an easy, budget-friendly and environmentally responsible way of travel (both for people living there as for those who find cheap flights to the adjacent airports).

Booking well in advance will provide some serious discounts. Young people (<25) and anyone who is planning on exploring a couple of other European destinations before or after Wikimania, should check out the Interrail Global Pass, which allows several days of travel in no less than 30 (!) countries - all on 1 ticket.

From Costs (round trip) from Duration Paris (Thalys) € 50 4 hours Brussels (Thalys) € 38 2 3/4 hours London (Eurostar, Thalys) € 99 5 3/4 hours Berlin (CityNightLine) € 58 6 hours Frankfurt (ICE) € 78 4 hours Cologne (ICE) € 38 2 1/2 hours

For more train destinations and prices, see the website for international train services of the Dutch Railways and DB BAHN TravelService.

By ferry

Prices are indicative and are based on a single journey with a car and 2 people

• Newcastle - IJmuiden (16 1/2 hours, GBP 129) DFDS Seaways
• Hull - Rotterdam (10 hours, GBP 107) P&O Ferries
• Harwich - Hoek van Holland (GBP 60) Stena Line

Visa information

     Countries for which visa requirements have been waived      Countries for which visa procedures have been eased and visa costs have been significantly reduced

The Netherlands is a member country of the European Union and part of the Schengen Area, allowing citizens of most European countries to freely enter the country, provided that they have a valid passport or ID card. Visa requirements have been waived for a total of at least 55 countries, also including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and a large part of Latin-America Standard visa costs are the equivalent of €60 (approx. US$ 80) in the local currency of the country where the application is submitted. However, visa facilitation agreements have been signed with several eastern European countries, including Russia, Serbia, Ukraine and others, making visa procedures significantly easier, faster and cheaper, with visa fees at €35.

The local team will provide letters of invitation and support to participants who require a visa. Experience in this field is available within Wikimedia Nederland and partner organizations. Note that a normal Dutch Schengen visa allows participants to explore other European Schengen countries before or after Wikimania, without the need for additional visa.

More detailed information can be found at the website of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Team

This bid was initiated by the Dutch chapter, but the local team has grown to include several other Wikimedians. A large number of Wikimedians from the Dutch community have expressed their interest and support for the initiative. At least 8 members of the local team have attended Wikimania before, most of them more than once. The local team therefore has a clear view of what Wikimania is, and what Wikimedians expect from it. Beside the personal experiences and qualities of the team members, the Dutch chapter organizes its own annual conference which will have its fifth edition in 2009. Despite the smaller scale of this annual conference (with around 100 participants in the past two years), it has provided the chapter with experience in the field of organizational matters and fundraising. Not only does this mean that there are several people of the chapter involved in the very organization, the chapter also has a framework of volunteers which can support the team.

The Dutch team has quite an explicit view on Wikimania and the way it can be organized in Amsterdam. Early in the bidding process, the question "what type of event do we want?" came up and had to be answered. Although Wikimania has been professionalizing more and more in the past few years, the Dutch team is of the opinion that this should not happen at the cost of the ambiance of Wikimania. In the past, many of the Wikimania attendees have indicated that the main reasons to attend to Wikimania are social ones. This thought has been taken into consideration with every decision that had to be made in the bidding process.

This comes into focus most clearly in the choice of the venue. Tuschinski is a venue that embodies the ambiance we were looking for. It is not a standard conference venue, but with its location and style it gives that extra touch that amplifies the atmosphere which Wikimania should breathe. Together with the chosen city, Amsterdam, this will definitely be a recipe for a successful event. By bringing the Hacking Days back again, an idea that was born early in the process as well, the team thinks they can deliver on a popular demand that comes from the in-core part of the community.

The team already covers most expertises required to throw a successful event. Besides, a few partner organizations have committed to help out with the organization of Wikimania in several ways. Areas such as technical, financial and PR are well-covered with multiple volunteers and partners if necessary. Options such as an internship by a student in the event organization field seem to be very well possible. Language will be no problem with the Amsterdam bidding team. The Dutch usually have well-developed language skills and are at least able to speak moderately fluent English; on the other hand, the Dutch aren't native speakers and are well-aware of the difficulties other non-native speakers can come across.

Core Team

Clogs

>I'll help coordinate the organisation<

• Effeietsanders 03:27, 23 January 2009 (UTC)
• MarkW /Mwpnl 14:53, 24 January 2009 (UTC)
• Catrope Roan Kattouw 09:38, 28 January 2009 (UTC)
• Ciell 22:34, 25 January 2009 (UTC)

Local Team

>I'll help with all sorts of stuff<

1. Fruggo 15:35, 28 January 2009 (UTC)
2. Forrestjunky 05:44, 29 January 2009 (UTC)
3. aleichem 11:14, 29 January 2009 (UTC)
4. Lolsimon 11:58, 29 January 2009 (UTC)
5. ken123 20:07, 30 January 2009 (UTC)
6. JorritH 00:42, 3 February 2009 (UTC) (UTC)
7. Mark Bergsma 17:18, 12 February 2009 (UTC)
8. Paul B 23:52, 12 February 2009 (UTC)
9. Valhallasw 19:50, 16 February 2009 (UTC)
10. Henna 14:03, 17 February 2009 (UTC)
11. GerardM 20:52, 17 February 2009 (UTC) - particularly with organising "hacker days".
12. User:Kim Bruning. Yet More Work. Joy. ;-)
13. Jeroen 15:44, 20 February 2009 (UTC)
14. --Ziko 20:19, 21 February 2009 (UTC)
15. Martijn Hoekstra 20:58, 10 March 2009 (UTC)
16. Art Unbound 22:29, 21 February 2009 (UTC)
17. MarcoSwart - particularly public affairs

Supporters

The flowergardens of the Keukenhof

>I support this bid!<

1. .Koen 10:08, 29 January 2009 (UTC)
2. Siebrand 13:18, 29 January 2009 (UTC) (may want to get more involved some day)
3. Laaknor 23:14, 29 January 2009 (UTC)
4. Niels 23:15, 29 January 2009 (UTC)
5. Erwin(85) 19:53, 30 January 2009 (UTC)
6. Bijltjespad 10:54, 1 February 2009 (UTC) Good idea to have this in Amsterdam
7. Rubietje88 13:16, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
8. Dedalus 13:49, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
9. oscar 14:02, 1 February 2009 (UTC) since the very idea (although not copyrighted at the time) of a Wikimania was in fact born in the Netherlands (ask Jimbo!), it is about time it went there as well ;-)
10. Basvb 15:57, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
11. BassWave 18:44, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
12. Erik1980 19:22, 1 February 2009 (UTC) Although my name may move up to the local team one day... Just let me know if you need an event security professional ;)
13. Multichill 20:56, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
14. Husky 22:40, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
15. Dolledre 23:39, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
16. Woudloper 23:42, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
17. Sumurai8 20:08, 10 February 2009 (UTC)
18. Dung005 15:11, 11 February 2009 (UTC)
19. Wutsje 16:36, 11 February 2009 (UTC)
20. Akoopal 16:37, 11 February 2009 (UTC)
21. Freaky Fries 20:03, 11 February 2009 (UTC) Association_of_Stroopwafel_Addicts - Buying still-hot-stroopwafels every weekend ;-)
22. Groucho NL 19:04, 11 February 2009 (UTC)
23. Meursault2004 01:29, 15 February 2009 (UTC)
24. Galwaygirl 16:49, 16 February 2009 (UTC)
25. Chris 18:10, 16 February 2009 (UTC)
26. Emmelie 18:13, 16 February 2009 (UTC)
27. Abigor talk 18:13, 16 February 2009 (UTC)
28. Josq 18:54, 16 February 2009 (UTC)
29. Laudaka 21:50, 16 February 2009 (UTC)
30. Cbrown1023 talk 22:16, 16 February 2009 (UTC)
31. TahR78 20:18, 17 February 2009 (UTC)
32. J+ 21:35, 17 February 2009 (UTC)
33. IIVQ 17:51, 20 February 2009 (UTC)
34. Balko 21:15, 21 February 2009 (UTC)
35. Greenday2 21:51, 21 February 2009 (UTC)
36. Warddr 23:16, 21 February 2009 (UTC)
37. Vituzzu 15:59, 22 February 2009 (UTC)
38. Quistnix 16:49, 22 February 2009 (UTC)
39. Austroungarika (talk) 13:30, 23 February 2009 (UTC)
40. --Melos 13:57, 23 February 2009 (UTC)
41. Chaemera 15:34, 23 February 2009 (UTC)
42. Fransvannes 13:02, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
43. Migdejong 14:45, 25 February 2009 (UTC) Amsterdam is the place to be!
44. Andre Engels 08:23, 27 February 2009 (UTC)
45. Guido den Broeder 15:31, 27 February 2009 (UTC)
46. Mardetanha ^talk 00:23, 1 March 2009 (UTC)
47. Serenity.id 15:40, 8 March 2009 (UTC) (have faith in the core team ;-) - go, go, go!)
48. Martijn Hoekstra 20:59, 10 March 2009 (UTC) Joy!
49. --Bernard 10:22, 11 March 2009 (UTC)
50. ArjanH 13:11, 12 March 2009 (UTC)
51. Waerth 12:36, 23 March 2009 (UTC) - Same as Oscar .... Wikimania should come home!
52. --ThurnerRupert 23:26, 24 March 2009 (UTC) - effietsanders said "to give michael more free time in oxford" .... could not resist ;)
53. -- Bryan (talk|commons) 13:54, 26 March 2009 (UTC) - effe forced me! But I'd love to have Wikimania somewhere close.
54. --Kanonkas 14:59, 26 March 2009 (UTC)
55. --brion 23:51, 26 March 2009 (UTC) woo Amsterdam!
56. MoiraMoira 16:15, 27 March 2009 (UTC)
57. Romaine 21:31, 28 March 2009 (UTC) - it is a wiki-paradise: many many stroopwafels to get all over the country!
58. Lymantria 13:56, 4 April 2009 (UTC)
59. Jan-Bart (just to be clear: I don't vote on the jury, nor do have access to any discussions or mailing list regarding this topic. Therefore I feel free to support this terrific bid!
60. Erik Zachte 23:41, 6 April 2009 (UTC) The choice of the Tuschinsky Theatre for the main event is very well done. Its athmosphere and ambience are unique. And plenty of space for parallel tracks is also a very good thing.
61. NicDumZ 09:07, 11 April 2009 (UTC) The team was already learning and collecting ideas in Alexandria. What else? =)
62. Canp 11:22, 25 April 2009 (UTC)
63. Amsterdam baby ! TheDJ 22:13, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

• We are looking for people interested in the idea of organising Wikimania in the Netherlands. Working out this idea requires quite some effort, and a few extra hands are always welcome! Please send an email to meedoen at wikimania2010.nl or come by on IRC on #wikimania-nl^connect and say hi (not a very active channel). The proposal is active, but most activity takes place behind the scenes.

Self-evaluation

10 reasons to bring Wikimania to Amsterdam

We would almost forget Stroopwafels! (Which makes 11)

• Amsterdam is a beautiful city, with a big cultural heritage and is full of historical references.
• Amsterdam is a tourist-friendly, open-minded city with inhabitants who are kind, willing to help and are proud of their city
• Amsterdam has great opportunities for cooperation with like-minded organizations
• Amsterdam offers a wide variety of hotels for guests to choose their own accommodation if they wish
• Amsterdam has great connectivity with a worldwide top 5 airport (with many intercontinental and continental direct connections) and good rail and road connections to the rest of Europe
• The Tuschinski Theater is a most inspiring atmospheric venue
• The direct environment of the locations offers many opportunities for social activities and hanging out
• The bidding team is experienced and aware of general conference organizing, but also has experience from the Wikimania 2008 program committee and can count on help from outside
• The bidding team has already received support from different organizations; amongst them Wikimedia Deutschland and Wikimédia France
• Wikimedia Nederland is an active and experienced chapter, which has a strong vision on Wikimania 2010

Main challenges of the bid

Budget

The total costs in the bid may seem high at first, but we would like to stress that this is caused by our conservative approach creating the budget and will be partially counterbalanced by the added opportunities for sponsorships and subsidies. One should also realize that although the costs may be high, our result will be high as well: by reaching out we can offer a conference that is sublime in every aspect.

No location yet for the Hacking Days

The Hacking Days have not yet been fully defined. The local team plans to learn a great deal from the developers meet-up in Berlin and request input from the developers. The many venue locations in the city of Amsterdam didn't require us to pick a location just yet, since it would highly dependent on the wishes of the developers.

The distance between the hostel and the venue

The local team found two good accommodation sites: the NH Hotels and the Stayokay Hostel. This way, we can offer the highest grade of flexibility possible to the attendees with relation to their accommodation. At the same time, we're ensuring sufficient critical mass on the accommodation sites. The walk to the hostel might seem somewhat longer, but a walk of only 15 minutes that leads the attendees through the old city center is not that long, and is even pleasant. For those who prefer a quick ride, public transport between Tuschinski and the hostel is nearby, easily accessible and with a high utilization. Besides that, for those who prefer an extremely close accommodation: the NH Hotels are only on a 2 minute distance from the venue.