XDC2012: Nürnberg, Germany

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The 2012 X.Org Developer Conference (XDC2012) is to be held from September 19th thru 21st 2012 in Nürnberg (Nuremberg), Germany. The event will be hosted by SUSE at their company headquarters in Nuernberg. Please join us to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first X11 release (15 September 1987, but we'll round a bit) during this conference, we are looking forward to seeing you. An after-conference weekend event will be organized to honor this date (check below).

Venue

The conference will be held in the main conference room at the SUSE headquarters at Maxfeldstrasse 5.

The conference room is easy to find: it is directly accessible from the outside. If you are coming from Pirckheimerstrasse turn into Maxfeldstrasse and walk uphill along the blue building on the right until you get to a free area on your right. From there you can enter the conference room directly. You will find a sign at the door.

Please note: for security reasons the door is locked. The door will be open in the morning before the conference and after lunch. If you need to get in at other times and you find the door locked you will find my mobile number on a sign at the door. Please call me so I can let you in. As attendee you will get a conference badge, please carry the badge with you at all times when you are inside the building.

Program

There are two ways to submit a presentation for this event:

There is a Call for Papers. The deadline for submission is August, 15, 2012.
For more informal presentations you may add your talk to the program page. The deadline for submission here is September 14, 2012.

For more information please also check here. A schedule will be available shortly.

Videos

Recorded videos of the session are available from YouTube.

Registration

If you want to attend XDC2012 please add your name to the attendees page. Additionally please subscribe to the X.org events mailing list where we will post regular updates.

Accommodation

There are a number of affordable hotels in Nuernberg (especially since we painstakingly avoided any week with a major trade show), many close to the conference venue.

We have a recommended conference hotel as we are in the process of negotiating a special conference rate. This hotel should not only offer you good rates it is also at a convenient 5 minute walking distance from the conference venue. There is a separate hotel page.

Travel

Nuernberg can be reached:

By plane. The Nuernberg Airport is close to the city and can be reached by local transportation in just a few minutes. Nuernberg airport is serviced from some international locations, still expect to travel via Franfurt or Munich. If possible you should avoid Munich at that time as Octoberfest will start directly following the event. If you fly via Frankfurt, you have the choice between flying on to Nuernberg or taking the train and enjoying a bit of the countryside: An railroad station is located right at the airport (Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf.) where you can board a high speed train going to Nuernberg at least every hour. The train offers more comfort and leg room than coach class on airplanes and also provides electrical power outlets.
By train. Nuernberg is located conveniently on a major high speed train line (ICE) running to Munich (1 hour), Frankfurt (2h), Cologne, Berlin and several other major cities. It can also be reached conveniently by train from anywhere else in Europe, too. You can search for connections and purchase tickets (English website) on-line with any major credit card. The train station is just a few subway stops away from the conference venue and preferred hotel. The train station in Nuernberg is Nürnberg Hbf, and the train station at the Frankfurt airport is Frankfurt(M)Flughafen
By car. The conference hotel offers guest parking (for an additional charge). Those of you who do plan to take the car will figure out the rest ;-)

Local transportation

Nuernberg has an excellent public transportation system: Most locations in Nuernberg can easily be reached by public transportation.

Tickets are available from vending machines at any stop (see also our hints on using public transportation). The conference venue and hotel can be reached on subway line 3. Please also check out our tips on public transportation.

It is unlikely that you will need any public transportation during the time of the conference, though, as the venue is conveniently located just north of the inner city. The inner city can conveniently be accessed by foot: it is only roughly 1km from east to west and 1.5km from north to south. For lines please check here.

Local Dining

The conference venue is right outside the old city wall, thus in close walking distance from the city center. There are many restaurants close-by as well as towards the city center. Just walk down the street or ask for recommendations on site.

Also check out the Nuernberg Tourist Information.

Remote Participation

For those who cannot make it to the conference we are planning to record the sessions. We may even have a live stream, also participation via IRC should be available.

Travel Sponsoring

If you are not on a corporate budget but have something to present, please contact the X.Org Foundation Board of Directors board@foundation.x.org for travel sponsorship.

Miscellaneous

Germany uses Type E/F hybrid plugs (CEE7/7) and Euro plugs at 230V/50Hz. People should remember to bring their own adapters.

The currency is Euro (EUR), language is German. Hotel and restaurant staff should speak some English, since Nuernberg is a tourist town many restaurants have English menus available.

Major credit cards (AMEX, Visa and M**asterCard) are accepted at most hotels and restaurants. Some pubs and beer gardens may require cash.

After Conference Events

If you can spare the weekend after the conference - hang around with us to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first release of X11 and join us for a beer hiking trip thru the 'Fraenkische Schweiz' on Saturday. On Sunday, a visit to the Nazi Party Rally Grounds will take place.

In nearby Munich, from 22 September to 7 October is Oktoberfest. Michael Larabel is able to provide tours of München / the wiesn (with either a historical and/or beer focus) at any point after the first Saturday (22nd).

Further Inquiries

If you have any questions regarding the event please feel free to contact me at egbert.eich@gmail.com.

Thanks

The organizers want to thank:

the 'SUSE Linux Products GmbH' which provided the venue as well as funds for coffee breaks.
'Phoronix' for the beer.

Our Helpers

Omar Gomez Rey for setting up the conference room
Oliver Fecher for organizing the conference room
Salvatorica Serra for organizing the catering
Iwona Maher for infrastructure support
Christian Deckelmann for setting up the network
Jürgen Weigert for video recording
Gerhard Schlotter for helping out keeping the room open and getting some last minute printing done.

Links