[WSIS CS-Plenary] Possible problem with Audiovisual services in Tunis

[William Drake]

Hi Jean-Louis,

No doubt you are right, although it's impossible to know how definitive the information provided to my colleague by the secretariat really is.  Jacqueline Morris tells me that the Gender Caucus has organized equipment from an alternate supplier, so maybe there are ways around this.  And of course, one could try McTim's approach and just bring the technology and hope that 'security' people don't intervene.

The A/V situation is of course part of a larger pattern with parallel event logistics.  In contrast with the Geneva summit, until recently all there's been is a indecipherable Excel sheet listing of events.  Now there's an ITU-provided page, http://www.itu.int/wsis/tunis/events/links.html but it only shows a tiny percentage of the events and is just an alphabetical list.  Nothing of course on the Tunisian web site.  And I've never been able to get answers from the secretariat about the correct listing of the CPSR/WGIG event on IG (it's listed only as CPSR), or on the set-up that will be provided.  So I guess we'll just show up and assume that there will be enough seats for panelists, a podium, microphones etc, and if not make do, with the source of the problems being obvious to all.

Best,

Bill




-----Original Message-----
From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org]On Behalf Of Jean-Louis FULLSACK
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 2:08 AM
To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
Subject: Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Possible problem with Audiovisual services in Tunis


  Hello Bill

  I think that is organized by the WSIS Team to demonstrate in reality that ICT is job providing and economy fueling, as the Plan of Action mentions it ! Poor NGOs ...!

  Jean-Louis Fullsack





    > Message du 10/11/05 08:38
    > De : "William Drake" 
    > A : "AaBD" 
    > Copie à : 
    > Objet : [WSIS CS-Plenary] Possible problem with Audiovisual services in Tunis
    > 
    > 
    Hello,

    This may be of concern to people organizing parallel events in Tunis.  If you were assuming that the conference host would provide microphones, a computer, projector, and screen to display Power Point presentations or whatever, you might need to think again.  After several rounds of communication with the authorities, a colleague who's organizing the ICT4Peace event was informed that all A/V requests are being handled by one private French contractor called GL Events which charges rather hefty fees.  For a two hour session, ICT4P was quoted as follows:

    Audiovisual Engineer, at Overtime Rate (i.e. a person to turn on the projector for you and then sit there)
    200 euros

    Projector, 2 hours
    600 euros

    Screen
    100 euros

    So that's 900 euros for two hours.  USAID is organizing a four hour event, and was quoted 1,800 euros.

    Does anyone have different information?

    Thanks,

    Bill


    *******************************************************
    > William J. Drake  wdrake at ictsd.ch
    > President, Computer Professionals for 
    >    Social Responsibility www.cpsr.org 
    > Senior Associate, International Centre for Trade
    >    and Sustainable Development www.ictsd.org 
    >    Geneva, Switzerland 
    > http://mitpress.mit.edu/IRGP-series
    > http://www.cpsr.org/board/drake 

    Morality is the best of all devices for leading 

    mankind by the nose.---Nietzsche
    > *******************************************************


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