[GTALUG] Prompting the return of In-Person events.

[Evan Leibovitch]

Hi Scott,

The only real obstacle to in-person meetings right now is a suitable venue.

The two previous options that we used now require passcards at the door and
would be extremely inconvenient.
The Toronto Public Library is fine for occasional one-off events but is
disinclined to book a year's worth of regular meetings.

If anyone here has access to a suitable room that we could use on a regular
basis that would be fantastic.
We have received one offer of meeting space in midtown; however its
Tuesdays are taken so we would have to change our day of the week if we
wanted that location.

If anyone here has offers of or even ideas for possible venues that would
easily make regular meetings doable again.

- Evan



On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at 11:51 AM Scott Sullivan via talk <talk at gtalug.org>
wrote:

> TL;DR
>
> I'd like to get a temperature of the room for other folks appetite for
> the return of in person meetings / events.
> Pleases chime in so that leadership can see what demand may exist that
> is being unmet.
>
> ---
>
> What are the barriers to returning to in-person?
>
> How as a community can we help to make this happen?
>
> Is this something the community still desires?
>
> Are there supplemental events that can happen outside of the main
> talk-oriented meeting, like a pub afternoon / night?
>
>
> GTALUG has endured for nearly four decades now, I was privileged to be
> part of that leadership for half of it. Stepping away in the years
> before pandemic, and returning only for a year in the wake of Chris's
> passing to help the board.
>
> For me, the value of GTALUG was the long tail of social interactions
> that came out of the in-person meetings and events. Little side bars on
> niche subjects, getting to talk with fellow folks about their choices of
> software, hardware or latest gadgets. Get into all the details and
> reaffirmations of friends and colleagues.  Join a group meal ahead of
> the meetings, and staying late at a pub afterward. All activities that
> can't happen in a conference call. There were also the special events,
> like Linux in the Park. Meetups at conventions and trade shows, or even
> running a booth where it made sense.
>
> The pandemic changed a lot. Old venues have locked down, and plenty of
> folks have legitimate reasons to remain cautious. But what hasn't
> changed is the desire and need for that in-person experience and
> affirmation of community. I've been speaking with Alan, Gord, Evan and
> others about this void that hasn't been closed yet. I'm aware it's a
> topic of discussion at the leadership level. So to the questions above,
> let's bring this out where we as a community can come together to ask
> and answer.
>
> --
> Scott Sullivan
>
> ---
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>


-- 
Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada
@evanleibovitch / @el56
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