2009/08/17 KFA DC meeting notes

[Nikolas Coukouma]

Meeting on 2009/08/17
=====================

Meta
----
Attended by:
* Nikolas Coukouma

SoHo Tea and Coffee
2150 P St NW, Washington, DC 20037
2009/08/17 7-9pm ET

Scheduling
~~~~~~~~~~
Realistically, how soon can we do this? I think we need to allow about
two months.

We also need to enumerate what events we want to avoid conflicting
with, looking,
say, 6+ months ahead. Note that there's need to worry about evening-only events,
only things that happen during the day.
* 9/16-21 2009 (Dark Odyssey: Summer Camp)
* 9/19 2009 (Chesapeake Polyamory Network: Poly Women's Potluck
Brunch, probably monthly)
* 9/24-27 2009 (Fires of Venus)
* 10/17 2009 (Baltimore Bootblack Skill Share)
* 10/30-11/2 2009 (Black Rose: event)
* 2/26-28 2010 (Dark Odyssey: Winter Fire)

Groups/sites checked with in forming the above list:
* Chesapeake Polyamory Network
* Black Rose
* Dark Odyssey
* Whole DC
* Master/slave Conference
* FetLife's "events near me"

Other groups to check?

Venues
~~~~~~
* American University (DC, Tenleytown)
Estimated $750 rental, plus $500-1000 event insurance, so $1500-ish?.
Need to have student group involved (e.g. http://american.edu/ocl/glbta/ )
Wifi?
* Crowne Plaza Hotel (Silver Spring)
Estimated $1200 total (rental, insurance? wifi?)
* George Washington University
Estimated $975 w/ student group (e.g. http://www.alliedinpride.org/ ),
$1275 without. insurance? wifi?
* Boston University's Center for Digital Imaging Arts
No contact or estimate, but they have hosted BarCamp DC and are near
Foggy Bottom metro.
http://www.cdiabu.com/overview/washington-campus.php
* Others possible, but little info and or contact.

I don't think we generally need event insurance, but it may be a requirement of
the venue. A quick poke at http://www.nasep.org/insurance-apply-now.jsp quotes
about $210 for a seemingly basic policy (e.g. $1mil coverage, plus $50k medical)

Financials
~~~~~~~~~~
The spreadsheet shows pledges totaling $950. Paul is currently holding the
vast majority of that ($850).

I've edited the donate button on the wiki page, so it now points to my account.
I also sent an e-mail to Paul (off-list) inquiring about transferring the money
he's holding to me, perhaps.

I also sent an e-mail to Whole DC, asking if they're interested in donating.

Recommendations for others to approach would be great. I estimate we have about
70% of the funding we need ($950 out of $1350), which is basically just for
the venue.

Based on my experience at KFA NYC 2, I think projectors are not just
unnecessary,
but also negative; there were none there. I suspect that they'd discourage
people from presenting (expectation of prepared slides) and eat precious time
(as people try to get their slides to project).

Promotion
~~~~~~~~~
I think it would be a good idea to design and print some simple and small
fliers and/or postcards to get the word out. I also consider this to be
low priority until we get a venue scheduled.

Future Meetings
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was the only one to attend today (working about 7-9pm), but I plan to
continue showing up on Mondays, 7pm, at SoHo Tea and Coffee
(2150 P St NW, near DuPont Circle). If nothing else, it gives me some scheduled
time to work on KFA DC. Hopefully others will come in the future.

[Nikolas Coukouma]

Some follow-ups....

On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 10:38 PM, Nikolas Coukouma<at...@atrus.org> wrote:
> Venues
> ~~~~~~
Amy, Chris, Maymay: do any of you have numbers and/or names of people
you contacted before? I'm aware of the Google Page listing locations
(associated with this Google Group), but I'm wondering if there were
more specific contacts details.

> * American University (DC, Tenleytown)

I spoke to someone and they informed me that they only rent rooms,
even on weekends, during the summer months, May(?)-August. I was going
to ask about getting a third-party to insure us, but that seems moot
in light of the time restriction.
Number called: 202-885-3370

> * Crowne Plaza Hotel (Silver Spring)

Called and left a voicemail asking for quotes, requirements, etc.

I recall hearing something about hotels requiring that people reserve
rooms (of the sleeping variety); that would be a no-go, I think, but I
guess we'll see. Their page mentions "complimentary" wireless access,
but I don't recall being able to use it during Sex 2.0?
http://www.cpdcsilverspring.com/
Number called: +1 301-589-0800, was transferred after inquiring about
renting conference rooms

> * George Washington University
I tried to call, but just got a busy signal. So, I sent a basic e-mail
inquiry to Karin Lehn <caf...@gwu.edu> (name and e-mail mentioned on
the web page).
Number called: 202-994-9222
http://cafritz.gwu.edu/

> * Boston University's Center for Digital Imaging Arts
>  No contact or estimate, but they have hosted BarCamp DC and are near
>  Foggy Bottom metro.
>  http://www.cdiabu.com/overview/washington-campus.php

I called and was told that I should talk to Bill Chenaille; there was
some trouble leaving a voice mail for him, so the person I spoke to
Kiana Coleman asked me to -mail my request to here
(kcol...@cdiabu.com); I just sent an e-mail to her.
Number called: 202-625-1110

> Financials
> ~~~~~~~~~~
> The spreadsheet shows pledges totaling $950. Paul is currently holding the
> vast majority of that ($850).

I've created a new sheet that fits my needs/thoughts better:
http://bit.ly/w56Qw

Cheers,
-Nikolas

[Heliotrope]

Hey all,
I've got very little to say about KFA DC at this point... I'm out of
the area, out of the loop and enveloped by KFABOS. BUT: I wanted to
give Nikolas a very public, very loud KUDOS for the work he's been
doing, and for the clarity and organization with which he's been doing
it.
KUDOS AND THANKS! This should be an inspiration to unorganizers
everywhere.
Best,
Emma

[maymay]

On Aug 19, 2009, at 3:56 PM, Nikolas Coukouma wrote:

> Some follow-ups....
>
> On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 10:38 PM, Nikolas Coukouma<at...@atrus.org>
> wrote:
>> Venues
>> ~~~~~~
> Amy, Chris, Maymay: do any of you have numbers and/or names of people
> you contacted before? I'm aware of the Google Page listing locations
> (associated with this Google Group), but I'm wondering if there were
> more specific contacts details.

>> * American University (DC, Tenleytown)
> I spoke to someone and they informed me that they only rent rooms,
> even on weekends, during the summer months, May(?)-August. I was going
> to ask about getting a third-party to insure us, but that seems moot
> in light of the time restriction.
> Number called: 202-885-3370

I have the names and numbers of direct contacts within American
University's event coordination department. I know Amy and Chris have
these, too, but I'll send you them off-list today…if you still want
them? It sounds like AU is no longer a venue option if they are not
going to rent rooms once the school year begins.

>> * Crowne Plaza Hotel (Silver Spring)
> Called and left a voicemail asking for quotes, requirements, etc.
>
> I recall hearing something about hotels requiring that people reserve
> rooms (of the sleeping variety); that would be a no-go, I think, but I
> guess we'll see. Their page mentions "complimentary" wireless access,
> but I don't recall being able to use it during Sex 2.0?
> http://www.cpdcsilverspring.com/
> Number called: +1 301-589-0800, was transferred after inquiring about
> renting conference rooms

I don't recall being able to use the hotel's Wi-Fi at Sex 2.0 either….
There was some Wi-Fi that I used but I don't remember what it was. Of
course, we could always continue providing our own Wi-Fi hotspots as
we did for KFANYC and KFANYC2.

Another venue option I heard great things about but I didn't see
listed in your email was WholeDC[0]. I emailed Holly a long time ago
but never heard a response back. Holly is even signed up on the KFADC
page on the wiki[1], so perhaps it's worth another shot to get in
touch with that venue option?

>> Financials
>> ~~~~~~~~~~
>> The spreadsheet shows pledges totaling $950. Paul is currently
>> holding the
>> vast majority of that ($850).
>
> I've created a new sheet that fits my needs/thoughts better:
> http://bit.ly/w56Qw
>
> Cheers,
> -Nikolas

Cool. To avoid confusion, and as per Paul's earlier request[2], I'm
going to switch out the link on the KFADC page to point to your
spreadsheet, Nikolas.

-maymay
Blog: http://maybemaimed.com
Community: http://KinkForAll.org
Volunteering: http://ConversioVirium.org/author/maymay

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

[0] http://wholedc.com
[1] http://kinkforall.pbworks.com/KinkForAllBoston
[2] http://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/b072a08facaeb9a6#msg_2d3bb03d5f1c6d92

[Nikolas Coukouma]

More venue follow-ups:

On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 6:56 PM, Nikolas Coukouma<at...@atrus.org> wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 10:38 PM, Nikolas Coukouma<at...@atrus.org> wrote:
>> Venues
>> ~~~~~~

...

>> * Crowne Plaza Hotel (Silver Spring)
> Called and left a voicemail asking for quotes, requirements, etc.

Spoke to Melvin Hazer (301 563 3729). He quoted $350 per room, or
$1281 for three after fees and taxes (works out to $427 per room). I
suspect I got a lower quote than Chris because I probably mentioned a
smaller number of people or something?

I specifically asked about wifi and he said that the hotel has
complimentary wifi throughout (same as webpage); maybe things have
changed since Sex 2.0?

Availability is good; he seemed to think we could get in most weekends.

>> * George Washington University
> I tried to call, but just got a busy signal. So, I sent a basic e-mail

> inquiry ...
Got a reply from Kirsten Spittel (phone listed as 202.994.7470),
mostly re:student group sponsorship; we'd need to benefit a group more
than our organization, and they'd need to be on-board at the time we
place the reservation. Also, apparently student involvement is a
requirement; I stated that we don't currently have GW students
registered but they'd be welcome to attend.

My other questions weren't answered, so I restated them with some
details I forgot the first time.

>> * Boston University's Center for Digital Imaging Arts
>>  No contact or estimate, but they have hosted BarCamp DC and are near
>>  Foggy Bottom metro.
>>  http://www.cdiabu.com/overview/washington-campus.php
> I called and was told that I should talk to Bill Chenaille; there was
> some trouble leaving a voice mail for him, so the person I spoke to
> Kiana Coleman asked me to -mail my request to here

I exchanged a couple e-mails with Bill Chenaille
(bchen...@cdiabu.com , 202-625-1110). Apparently their rooms are in
use by students for the period I inquired about (mid-October through
November).

Cheers,
-Nikolas

[Chris !]

Hey Y'all,

Sorry I have been AWOL!  I just wanted to chime in about KFA DC and explain where it was most recently left, prior to this resurgence in interest.

A month or so ago, there was some question as to how much interest there was in having a KFA DC event occur.  Paul, Amy, and I had been leading the effort to find a location, get materials together, and raise money.  To be honest, all of us got a bit tired of it (or, perhaps more accurately, got involved in other things that seemed more fruitful).  Ultimately, we had decided that it might not make sense to put together an event that required such a large outlay of energy and money, when we weren't sure about the existence of an audience.

So, we came up with an alternative, which we have been working on a bit, called Open Kink.

The motivation for this event, which would be separate but similar to KFA DC, was as follows:  We had the opportunity to use a large, private home (kindly offered by Paul) to host the events for free.  This could occur on up to a monthly basis during the afternoon before Paul holds his monthly play party (it takes a while to clear the place out, so that is the most practical arrangement).  Overall, we thought that the structure of the event would be fairly similar to KFA events.  However, there would be changes that we felt would make it sufficiently different from KFA that it would be more appropriate to give it a different name.  Here are the differences:

1) Being at a private location prior to a play party means that it may not be perceived as an entirely independent and neutral event.

2) For similar reasons, it probably will take on more of a BDSM focus and may not be as appealing to other communities.

3) The location is not particularly metro accessible.

4) We have discussed altering the privacy rules... but nothing is settled.

I should say that all three of us think that, all things being equal, the KFA structure and approach is better.  However, given the resources that we had at this point, holding the event as described seemed to accomplish most of our goals (the primary goal being, of course, having something actually happen).  We are all happy with the idea of a KFA DC event still occurring, and I know that I would be happy to work on it within the limits of the time I currently have available.  

Now, here are a couple of options for how to move forward:

1)  Continue to push forward with KFA DC, given that it is the preferred option.

2)  Focus on getting an Open Kink event up an running (which seems more feasible), and then hope that it will create a critical mass that transition into more of a KFA style unorganization.

3)  Work on both at the same time independently.

I don't think that anyone involved here in DC is hugely passionate one way or the other, so don't worry about voicing your opinions (although hopefully do so with the recognition that you should put your money where your mouth is).  As of the last time that I spoke with Paul and Amy, the three of us felt that taking the Open Kink approach was preferable because it was a feasible compromise that seemed to bring us closest to our goals.

Cool cool... that is generally what has been going on (albeit as somewhat glacial speeds ;)  Feel free to chime in!

Take care, y'all!

Chris

---

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[Heliotrope]

Hi all, 

As mentioned, I'm not a big part of the KFA DC planning or community (although I would definitely try to hop a bus down there if it happened). I just wanted to speak up and say it's great that you guys (Chris, Paul and Amy) are trying to make sure something works, even if the strictures of the KFA model are proving difficult. That said, I'm very heavily in favor of the KFA model as it stands, and although it will take more time and effort, I'd love to see a realio-trulio KFA DC when there's the time - especially because I want to see as much mixing of communities, from Academic to LGBT, Poly to Pet-Play, as possible, and it sounds like that's not something Open Kink will be able to provide as much. So here's a heartfelt vote for Option 3: Continue to work on each project independently. 

Glad to see that things are moving! 

All the best, 

Emma

[maymay]

Hi Chris,

I think it's nothing short of wonderful that KinkForAll was able to inspire you to create something you like. Congratulations and good luck. :) I'll be interested to watch how your new thing develops. Where can I (and others) keep a look out for it? If you'll allow me the technical jargon for a moment, it sounds like what you've done is fork[0] KinkForAll, and again, I think that's wonderful.

On Aug 22, 2009, at 9:41 AM, Chris ! wrote:

So, we came up with an alternative, which we have been working on a bit, called Open Kink.

[…]

here are a couple of options for how to move forward:

[…]

3)  Work on both at the same time independently.

Why have only 1 kind of sexuality unconference when we can have 2? :) I don't think KinkForAll's existence should prevent other formats whose priorities are different from the emphasis KinkForAll places on things like accessibility and inter-community congregation.

+1 from me on option 3, work on both at the same time independently.

Cheers,

-maymay

Blog: http://maybemaimed.com

Community: http://KinkForAll.org

Volunteering: http://ConversioVirium.org/author/maymay

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fork_(software_development)

[Nikolas Coukouma]

On Sat, Aug 22, 2009 at 12:41 PM, Chris !<boko...@hotmail.com> wrote:
...

> So, we came up with an alternative, which we have been working on a bit,
> called Open Kink.

...

I just wanted to say that I support this idea :)

I worry a bit about the name, since the differences you've listed seem
to amount to "less 'for all'/open, more BDSM than kink-in-general". On
the other hand, I don't have a better suggestion.

I intend to keep working on organizing a KinkForAll for Washington DC,
particularly since I think I'm pretty close to having a venue secured;
I'll be posting notes about this shortly.

Cheers,
-Nikolas