[EuroPython] saving money with accomodation / mobile phones

[Thomas Waldmann]

Hi,

I have followed the slightly heated discussion about conference prices
and earlybird.

I don't think I can contribute much to that discussion (except noting
that I usually bought lite ticket for cheaper in the past), but I wanted
to be constructive and ask / suggest something else that could
contribute to keep total costs lower than with other solutions:

Accommodation
=============

I found it quite nice that in Florence (and also at other locations
before that), they made a deal with one hotel (in that case: the
conference hotel) to offer relatively low prices for the conference
participants and that room sharing was realized with no coordination
effort from the participant's side.

Now, in Berlin, we will be at the BCC, so the venue is not a hotel - but
maybe someone from the organisers knows a hotel nearby and could make a
good deal with them?

I know Berlin mostly from the CCC events (like 28c3 in 2011) and they
used to make some good deal with the A&O Hostels in Berlin, so that
cost-sensitive participants can get a hostel bed (in a shared room) +
breakfast for about 20 EUR per person per day.

They usually just reserved some "kontingent" and got a code for that
which is valid until some specific date. Then, until that date, every
participant could just book with them directly and individually,
referring to that code to get the special price.

A&O Hostel is simple accomodation, don't expect any luxury. You'll get a
bed (shared room with N other beds, N = 2,4,6) with a bathroom.
Breakfast is all-you-can eat buffet style (also rather simple, but OK).

Important requirement to make such a thing work: IF you do it, announce
it early, before everybody already booked individually.

Note: A&O is just an example (I was there personally and repeatedly), of
course there are also other hostels / hotels, which I do not know.

The CCC organizers also used to rent(?) some gym so everybody who wants
to sleep with his sleeping bag on a gym floor plus have a shower there
in the morning, can get that for only 5 EUR per night.

OTOH, XXc3 is a bigger event and might address a slightly different kind
of participants, so I am not sure how this can be done best for EP.

Guess if someone could do a quick poll how much everybody would like to
pay for accomodation (and accept the comfort level related to that
price), you could get some hard data.

(Smart)Phone SIM
================

I am not sure how the situation will be in the summer (heard about some
EU thing that should lower prices!?), but in case that is not in effect
then, maybe there could be also some deal with a mobile carrier.

We all know the ripoff that mobile carriers do when you are not in your
home country, esp. when it comes to data transfer. Often doing only the
slightest thing will cost you as much as you usually pay for a whole month.

I am not sure how to approach some carrier best with this, but maybe
someone else knows (or even works for one).

Just as an idea: some people might arrive early or leave late, esp. if
they come from far away (so they can have a look at berlin without
missing a conf day), so maybe include some days before/after if it
doesn't raise the price significantly.

Also same hint as above: IF you do it, announce it early, so people
don't run and get it on their own.

Cheers,

Thomas