FUDCon Lawrence 2013

FUDCon is the Fedora Users and Developers Conference, a major free software event held in various regions around the world, usually annually per region. FUDCon is a combination of sessions, talks, workshops, and hackfests.
FUDCon is always free to attend for anyone in the world.

Lawrence - January 18 through January 20, 2013



Location

Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Lawrence has a rich history, filled with civil war stories, art, music, academics, and information technology advances. Lawrence is a college town, so it's pedestrian friendly. The college campus is a short walk from downtown Lawrence. Downtown offers a variety of restaurants, from world-famous bar-b-que to vegetarian and vegan offerings. You'll find live music every night downtown, fun local pubs and breweries, and plenty of shopping.

Venue
University of Kansas, Eaton and Learned Halls
  • Okayed by School of Engineering Dean;
  • Pending University Events Committee approval;

Further useful (Geek Cred) information:

  • Birthplace of the Django Project
  • Birthplace of Sys Admin Magazine, C/C++ User's Journal, Ubuntu User Magazine, Admin Magazine
  • Birthplace of Google Earth and its original Center of the Universe
  • Home of Linux New Media USA LLC
  • The Day After was shot here
  • Carnival of Souls (1962 independent horror movie) shot here
  • Author of Sams Teach Yourself TCP/IP in 24 Hours, 5th Edition", Joe Casad, lives here
  • "Linux in a Nutshell" author Stephen Figgins lives here
  • Jacob Kaplan-Moss, President of the Django Software Foundation, lives here
  • Home of Atipa Technologies
  • Frank Wiles, author of Instant Perl Modules, lives here
  • Gantry::Conf was written in Lawrence
  • IdentiGEN, a provider of DNA-based solutions to the agri-food industry, has its US office here (its only other office world-wide is in Dublin)
  • Greg DiVilbiss, COO of Saavi Accountability (accounting software), lives in Lawrence

Other History:

  • Lawrence was known as the "Free State Capital" during the Civil War
  • Location of Quantrill's Raid
  • Dr. James Naismith, inventor of basketball, was the University of Kansas' first basketball coach
  • Poet Langston Hughes grew up here
  • Beat writer William Burroughs called Lawrence home and lived here until he died
  • Punk rock music lovers will have heard of The Outhouse
  • Home of the world-famous Free State Brewing Company: "In 1989 the Free State Brewery in Lawrence opened its doors as the first licensed brewery in Kansas since 1881"
  • Printpop.com started in Lawrence



Airports and their distance from lodging and venue

If you arrive to Lawrence by airplane, you are going to land at one of the following airports:

Bus routes of Lawrence Transit System / KU on Wheels are available in Lawrence and through the KU campus.

Transportation

From everywhere to KCI

Some basic pricing of flights as of Tue Mar 13 2012. Round trip, Thu Jan 17 / Mon Jan 20, 1 person, prices in USD, 1-stop unless otherwise noted. Data from KAYAK (therefore does not include Southwest Airlines).
  • RDU: $327-$353
  • BOS: nonstop on Delta $218, others $249-$419
  • SJC: $485-$569
  • PHX: nonstop on US Airways $379, others $292-$444
  • IAD: nonstop on United $305, others $261-423
  • ORD: nonstops $235-$244
  • LAX: nonstops $378-$464, others $379-$499
  • PRG: $1102 and up
  • VIE: $1043 and up

From KCI to Lawrence

Airport shuttles that go to Lawrence:
  • GTI shuttle between KCI and Lawrence
  • KCI RoadRunner shuttle between KCI and Lawrence
In theory you can get from KCI to Lawrence using a mixture of public transit and possibly Amtrak. Google suggests it will take anywhere between 4 and 5 hours. This is not recommended.

Packing

Everybody:

  • Appropriately warm clothing it will possibly snow in Kansas in January
  • Laptop with 802.11b/g wireless
  • Extension cord
  • Ethernet cable (for hotel and/or hackfest)
  • Optional: Bring a Fedora Friend Finder (power strip)
  • Credit card (VISA or MasterCard) or small amount of cash
  • Your presentation slides or anything needed for the hackfest

International visitors:

If staying at the hotel:

Hotels

SpringHill Suites

One Riverfront Plaza, Lawrence, Kansas
  • Approx $124 USD/night
  • Reference to actual streets: 6th and New Hampshire (one block from Mass St)
  • Three blocks north of bus stop for routes 10 and 11 (unsure if they will actually run during FUDCon dates or how often as routing has not been finalized for the 2012-2013 academic year)

The Oread

1200 Oread Avenue, Lawrence, Kansas
  • Anywhere from $220-$340 USD/night
  • Just north of the Kansas Union and other buildings on east campus
  • Walking distance to KU engineering buildings (15-minute walk)
  • Very small, probably can't very many people there

Best Western

2309 Iowa Street, Lawrence, Kansas, 66046
  • Aprpox $86-$96 USD/night
  • Close to 23rd St Brewery but not much else (campus is 8 blocks north)