Summit 2011 Attendee Funding

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Background

During the previous Summit, OWASP was fortunate enough to be able to fund all OWASP leaders to attend the Summit. Unfortunately, the budget for the 2011 Summit is not as large as the previous budget. As a result, the Summit Committee is making the following compromise with our attendees: we will provide the venue meeting rooms, the A/V equipment, and the venue supporting staff in order to enable attendees to work effectively; attendees just have to pay for travel and accommodations for themselves.

We have aggressively negotiated with multiple venues in order to find the best possible pricing for attendee accommodations. As you know, the Summit is not a conference - it is an opportunity to bring together the community to "get stuff done". OWASP is not making any revenue from the Summit - we are charging essentially at cost prices for the accommodations and food. There is only a small deviation simply due to villa room configuration, as we expect to have some villas that are not filled to capacity.

Summit Operational Budget

The Summit Operational Budget is $50k. The venue costs currently account for 40% of the Summit budget, with the possibility of an additional 10% increase in order to procure another meeting room should it become necessary. Another 20% of the Summit budget is being held as a cash flow reserve to cover things like exchange/wire fees, unexpected venue expenses, incidentals, and other miscellaneous expenses. The final 20% of the Summit budget will be used for operational expenses.

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Summit Sponsorship Fund

The Summit Sponsorship Fund is estimated to have $50k of funding available. This fund is administered by the OWASP Board. As one of the primary goals of the Summit is for OWASP leadership to meet to set the agenda for 2011, the Board prioritized funding for the following parties:

1. OWASP Staff
2. Board Members
3. Active Global Committee Members (as determined by the Board in consultation with the respective elected Committee Chairs)

The remainder of the budget will be used by the Board to fund as many attendees as possible. The Board has decided to use a ranking system to select the individuals who will receive the funds currently available, as well as any funds that the Summit may receive through corporate sponsorships or other budget allocations. To learn more about the ranking system, see Dinis Cruz's email to Summit sponsorship applicants on 5 January 2011.

The first round of sponsorships using the ranking system was decided and awarded on 10 January 2011.

The second round of sponsorships using the ranking system was decided and awarded on 18 January 2011.

Unfortunately, the Board will not be able to fund everyone that wants to attend. If you are able to obtain funding through your employer, please do so. The Summit Committee has prepared a number of letters that you can give your employer - we can even mail signed copies of the letter directly to your employer on request!

Funding Request Application Process

Please remember that funding for attendees is extremely limited this year. If you are able to obtain funding through your employer, please do so. We have prepared a number of letters that you can give your employer - we can even mail signed copies of the letter directly to your employer on request!

If you need funding to support your attendance to the Summit, please take the following steps:

1. Add your name to the list of attendees that need funding support by entering your name on the Attendee page. To add your name to the Attendee page, go to the page and find the first blank line without a name. Click on the "Edit" link as show below and add your details. Make sure to include your email address in the Attendee form or we won't be able to contact you!
   
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2. Contact Sarah Baso or Dinis Cruz to find out the current status of funds available as well as if (and when) the Board will be selecting the next round of sponsorships for the Summit.
3. Fill out this application to ask for sponsorship by your local Chapter or a Project that you contribute to or lead and send it to Sarah Baso

You must follow these directions to be considered for funding. Funding is extremely limited and preference will be given to people that follow instructions.

*NOTE CHANGE* As of 18 January, 2011 we have maxed out all the funds we have available for attendees (from OWASP foundation funds and from the chapters themselves), if more funding is received via corporate or individual donations from now until the time of the Summit we will contact those listed on the Summit attendees seeking funds list.

Logistical Guidelines and Expectations for OWASP-Sponsored Attendees

• OWASP funded attendees are assumed to be arriving either Monday, February 7th or Tuesday, February 8th and departing on Friday, February 11th. Note that based on availability of flights, this may result in the attendee missing part of the Summit on Tuesday or Friday.
• OWASP funded attendees can expect to have the following items included in their sponsorship:

1. Flights to/from the Summit (see restrictions on ticketing below),
2. Transportation to/from the airport,
3. Shared Accommodations for 3 or 4 nights in Villa-style suites each containing two or three bedrooms. The bedrooms will contain multiple beds and attendees will be expected to share rooms with other attendees. One of the bedrooms may have one double bed, in which case one of the two people assigned to that room will be asked to sleep on the sofa. Each villa has a common area living room and kitchenette which can be used to socialize and collaborate.
4. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Coffee Breaks during the days of the Summit (Tuesday, February 7th through Friday, February 11th)

• OWASP's Expectations for Sponsored Attendees:
  • Will be asked to participate in OWASP outreach activities with JavaRanch
  • Will be expected to act as a leader or secretary of one or more working sessions
  • Since some of the villas will require an occupant to sleep on the sofa, we expect that sponsored attendees will volunteer for this "duty" so that no attendees that pay their own way have to sleep on the sofa.
• Due to the limited funds we have available this year for sponsoring attendees, OWASP will only pay the amount of the cheapest flights to/from the Summit. Therefore, while it may be somewhat inconvenient to attendee to have a non-direct flight, fly on a non-preferred airline, or come a day early/stay a day late, we are asking you to be respectful of this guideline when booking your flight. If you prefer a different (more expensive flight), we ask that you cover the cost difference yourself. See details below.

Ticket Combination Guidelines

Depending on how long the sponsored attendee is staying, OWASP will pay for the appropriate ticket combination.

• For an attendee staying 3 nights, OWASP will sponsor the Participant Ticket + 3-Nights Shared Accommodation.
• For an attendee staying 4 nights, OWASP will sponsor the Participant Ticket + 4-Nights Shared Accommodation.
• Any remaining amount based on the chosen ticket combination, including costs of companions, will be charged to the attendee.

Airfare Guidelines

*NOTE CHANGE*

• As of 10 January, 2011 responsibility for booking flights to the Summit has migrated from Diplomata to Sarah Baso. All OWASP sponsored attendees need to contact Sarah Baso for flight arrangements.
• Sarah will search for the cheapest flight from the attendee’s home airport to Lisbon arriving Monday (February 7th) or Tuesday (February 8th) and departing Friday (February 11th). The cheapest available flight serves as the baseline for the attendee’s airfare.
• Sarah will then search for flights that depart on Saturday or Sunday. If flights available on Saturday or Sunday are significantly cheaper than the baseline airfare, the attendee may be asked to stay additional nights based on the Friday/Saturday Night Guidelines. If the attendee would like to choose a different flight, the attendee must pay the difference.

Friday Night Guidelines

If the difference in cost between the Saturday flight and the baseline flight is significantly greater than the cost of one night’s accommodation at Campo Real, then the attendee will be asked to depart on Saturday’s flight. In these instances, Friday night’s accommodations at Campo Real will be paid for by OWASP for the sponsored attendee. If the sponsored attendee has a companion, the extra charge for the companion will be €50 EUR (which the attendee or companion will have to pay for themselves). If the attendee would prefer to depart on Friday, the attendee must pay the difference in airfare.

Saturday Night Guidelines

If the difference in cost between the Sunday flight and the baseline flight is significantly greater than the cost of two night’s accommodation at Campo Real, then the attendee will be asked to depart on Sunday’s flight. In these instances, Friday and Saturday night’s accommodations at Campo Real will be paid for by OWASP for the sponsored attendee. If the sponsored attendee has a companion, the extra charge for the companion will be €100 EUR (which the attendee or companion will have to pay themselves). If the attendee would prefer to depart on Friday, the attendee must pay the difference in airfare.

Early Arrival Guidelines

The same rules/guidelines used for booking and paying for flights departing on Saturday or Sunday should be used for flights arriving a day or two early. If the cost difference to arrive on either Saturday or Sunday (instead of the baseline flight), is significantly greater than the cost of one or two nights accommodation at Campo Real, then the attendee will be asked to arrive on Saturday or Sunday. In these instances, Saturday and Sunday nights’ accommodations for the sponsored attendee will be paid for by OWASP. If the sponsored attendee has a companion, the extra charge for the companion will be €50 EUR per night (which the attendee or companion will have to pay themselves). If the attendee would prefer to depart on Friday, the attendee must pay the difference in airfare. If the attendee would prefer to arrive on a different day, the attendee must pay the difference in airfare.