At 12:13 16.09.2004 +0200, Guy Leduc wrote:
Dear Otto,
Do we have data about WCC 2004 in Toulouse? Was it a success? Total attendance? Attendance per sub-event?
Best regards, Guy
Dear all, here are some data which I got as a paricitpant of I3E:
Total attendance of the WCC between 1000 and 1100, including about 300-350 students 9 co-located conferences plus workshops, topical days, visits.
So far I know, only 2 or maybe 3 of the 12 tutorials announced were held because of little attendance.
I3E had only 50 participants registered and due to the many parallel events, the attendance was mostly session chair, authors plus about 10-20 others--- a real catastrophe. One more such an approach and we can say good bye to I3E.
Some other conferences had a little bit more attendance, as for example the PRO'VE conference. However, I heard from participants, that they had around 110 submission of which they accepted more than 60 papers organised in parallel tracks (that just to give you an estimate about quality criteria and acceptance rates of IFIP to be observed)
Some more: The week after WCC there was the DEXA2004 conference in Zaragoza and one of the co-located events was the eGov2004 conference on eGovernment organised by Roland Traunmüller (mostly) and supported by WG8.5
WG8.5 had a WG meeting which I attended as a guest. I was very much surprised about how this WG handles IFIP related subjects: Example: WG8.5 chair (A.Groenlund) has been sent as TC8 member to the I3E steering committee but he is not very much interested in supporting I3E and says: 'the high priority events for WG8.5 are DEXA and HICSS (!!!Hawaii!!!)' --- both NON-IFIP conferences(!). The best what I could get is week support and 'tolerance'! There were other suggestions of organising other events under the flag of IFIP (TC8, WG8.5), such as the IJURIS conference. There was the general opinion in the WG: 'not to have too many IFIP events'.
I was rather upset about what was going on there - but I was only a tolerated guest. Else I would have asked, why they still call them an IFIP WG.
After all this bad news, I should say that with the Polish organiser of the I3E2005, I have a very good feeling and am confident, that I3E will get again up to 200-300 participants. TC11 is supporting I3E, e.g. by Vice chair Ranneberg.
I also should say about the WCC2004 organisation: Very professional, very good image and promotion of the WCC and of Toulouse. But did not reach the 1500 expected participants and distributing 1000 people over 9 conferences and other events and tours and Toulouse (slogan: get to know the ESPRITde Toulouse) was desastrous for the co-located conferences.
That's my personal view.
Best regards, Volker
(Comments welcome)