KeyCon 2017!! --> OVER

[XMIT]

I would probably spend much of the day running demos since you need to be a member to use the machines.

FWIW, I'm not sure if I can commit to attending yet, but I'm a TS member as well, and wouldn't mind demoing. I'm mainly a metal guy, but have done the SBUs on all of the wood equipment at the SF shop, as well as several others.

Fantastic. SBUs (safety and basic use classes, for non Techshop members) sometimes transfer across locations. If this ends up happening let's chat more seriously about you running some demos. That would be amazing, and free me up to actually chat with some people.

The Austin - Round Rock Techshop is really big, and all on one floor, compared to SF.

[Joey Quinn]

there should be live-streaming option so people from other countries are able to join virtually

The 2015 Keycon had an Instagram page and I think some of the presentations were streamed. I'm sure something similar will happen for this one (assuming it's larger than the 2016 "Keycon"  ) )

[el_mechacontext]

Chicago would be awesome because it'd be easy for me to get there, but honestly the longer I live here the more I want to leave, so...Southern California?

[keytohopiness]

I vote for Flint.  Super cheap lodging, and a lot of people would get to experience the feeling of possibly being gunned down in an alley for the first time!

I'm bringing bottled water.   )

[absyrd]

Quite a few of you bringing up Philly. This is the only way I'd have a chance at hanging with y'all.

[dgneo]

Quite a few of you bringing up Philly. This is the only way I'd have a chance at hanging with y'all.

[Joey Quinn]

Quite a few of you bringing up Philly. This is the only way I'd have a chance at hanging with y'all.

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[Sneaky Potato]

Definitely not going to happen, but if you guys wanna do Vegas... come onnnnn downnnnnnn

[rarar]

MIDWEST! I'd vote for Minnesota/Wisconsin but I doubt that would happen. Chicago is the only logical choice.

[HoffmanMyster]

Austin would a great option - I need to get back there.    And it sounds like we'd have a host/venue/etc, which of course is one of the most critical components. 

[baechooboi]

+1 for Philly.

[att1cus]

I live and work in Villanova, PA right outside Philly, and I work for Villanova university.

I'm volunteering my time and resources as an organizer if you guys need one. 

I can host a keycon right here at Villanova.  We have large spaces equipped with internet and streaming technologies for broadcasting classes and lectures, which we could use to live stream this event.  It's also very easy to get to Villanova and has lots of parking that I'm sure I could arrange for us.  I also live about 2 minutes from the university if we should need anything from my place.  I can provide lodging for a few others at my place as well, if needed.

EDIT: There's also affordable lodging nearby.

I'd seriously love to host - let me know

[ghostjuggernaut]

I live and work in Villanova, PA right outside Philly, and I work for Villanova university.

I'm volunteering my time and resources as an organizer if you guys need one. 

I can host a keycon right here at Villanova.  We have large spaces equipped with internet and streaming technologies for broadcasting classes and lectures, which we could use to live stream this event.  It's also very easy to get to Villanova and has lots of parking that I'm sure I could arrange for us.  I also live about 2 minutes from the university if we should need anything from my place.  I can provide lodging for a few others at my place as well, if needed.

EDIT: There's also affordable lodging nearby.

I'd seriously love to host - let me know

Id be down for PA.  Philly is only around 2 hours from my hometown, so it would be super convenient.

[HoffmanMyster]

I live and work in Villanova, PA right outside Philly, and I work for Villanova university.

I'm volunteering my time and resources as an organizer if you guys need one. 

I can host a keycon right here at Villanova.  We have large spaces equipped with internet and streaming technologies for broadcasting classes and lectures, which we could use to live stream this event.  It's also very easy to get to Villanova and has lots of parking that I'm sure I could arrange for us.  I also live about 2 minutes from the university if we should need anything from my place.  I can provide lodging for a few others at my place as well, if needed.

EDIT: There's also affordable lodging nearby.

I'd seriously love to host - let me know

I can get behind this too; been meaning to get out to Philly at some point. 

[XMIT]

I'm honored that youre seriously considering Austin and I would be delighted to host. That being said we should pick a place that is best for everyone, here or elsewhere.

[Joey Quinn]

We should start a city poll soon, try to have a location picked by mid february so keycon this year doesn't fizzle out like it did last year.

[ghostjuggernaut]

We should start a city poll soon, try to have a location picked by mid february so keycon this year doesn't fizzle out like it did last year.

Well so far we have a proposed organizer for philly and Austin.

If we don't see anymore options, I'll make a poll next week and we can go from there. I agree though, if this is going to happen we need to choose a location soon.

[Dernubenfrieken]

We should start a city poll soon, try to have a location picked by mid february so keycon this year doesn't fizzle out like it did last year.

Well so far we have a proposed organizer for philly and Austin.

If we don't see anymore options, I'll make a poll next week and we can go from there. I agree though, if this is going to happen we need to choose a location soon.

It might make sense for those people to come up with a short pitch, something like a short description of the city and prospective locations/attractions/etc, a long with a list of hosts/planners, to accompany the poll so people know what they're voting on.

[Joey Quinn]

That's a great idea, a small sales pitch for each of the city options.

[XMIT]

Sounds great to me. I'd be happy to put something together for Austin.

[Halverson]

Sounds great to me. I'd be happy to put something together for Austin.

Austin has the MondoTees gallery, I've only wanted to go there for years!

[jKaw]

I live and work in Villanova, PA right outside Philly, and I work for Villanova university.

I'm volunteering my time and resources as an organizer if you guys need one. 

I can host a keycon right here at Villanova.  We have large spaces equipped with internet and streaming technologies for broadcasting classes and lectures, which we could use to live stream this event.  It's also very easy to get to Villanova and has lots of parking that I'm sure I could arrange for us.  I also live about 2 minutes from the university if we should need anything from my place.  I can provide lodging for a few others at my place as well, if needed.

EDIT: There's also affordable lodging nearby.

I second this. I actually live right on the border of Philly and it's suburbs. I would be down to donate some time in helping out as much as I can. I used to be a restaurant manager / trainer for two of the biggest franchises of Dunkin Donuts in the Philly area, so I can see if I could get some kind of discount / donation. Now I operate my own mom and pop donut shop, but nothing of the DD volume, but my own boss right? Haha.


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[Air tree]

Does Austin have a decent homeless shelter? Maybe I can sleep there with my keyboards and artisans while the meetup is happening.

[Halverson]

Does Austin have a decent homeless shelter? Maybe I can sleep there with my keyboards and artisans while the meetup is happening.

Or crash with other people visiting?

[Air tree]

Does Austin have a decent homeless shelter? Maybe I can sleep there with my keyboards and artisans while the meetup is happening.

Or crash with other people visiting?

I'm sure there are some fellow keyboard enthusiasts at the shelter.   

[att1cus]

Can we get a rough estimate of how many people usually show up?  With that I can pick one or a few specific locations on Villanova's campus and send details along.

[XMIT]

Does Austin have a decent homeless shelter? Maybe I can sleep there with my keyboards and artisans while the meetup is happening.

Or crash with other people visiting?

I'm sure there are some fellow keyboard enthusiasts at the shelter.   

Yeah, there is one downtown. But - hotels are about $50-$60 a night up by me and maybe $100 a night within walking distance of the TechShop venue. Also there are good number of local keyboard enthusiasts, the Texas Mechanical Keyboard group on Facebook. Some of them are active on /r/MechanicalKeyboards or perhaps here.

If we do end up hosting things here I'll try to get folks to offer up hosting as able.

[IBMPCDOS5]

I vote on Chicago. I wanna experience KeyCon for the first time.

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[att1cus]

I'll try to put together a pitch now that I know how many people to account for.  Stay tuned, folks.

[fendent]

Oooooh boy! Philly sounds good to me.

[Joey Quinn]

Should we set a date for the city poll to go up?

I'd say we should try to have the poll up by the end of this coming weekend and then leave it open for 2ish weeks so we can have a city selected by the end of February. In the past keycon has been in May so that would give everyone 2ish months to set up travel plans (assuming we want Keycon to take place in May again).

[fendent]

I'll try to put together a pitch now that I know how many people to account for.  Stay tuned, folks.

Is Loyola on SEPTA? Would be nice for some place on the metro for people flying in.

[att1cus]

I'll try to put together a pitch now that I know how many people to account for.  Stay tuned, folks.

Is Loyola on SEPTA? Would be nice for some place on the metro for people flying in.

I dont think SEPTA, but I'm sure they're on Amtrak, which does go straight to philly.

[XMIT]

Can't promise that I'll be able to make a KeyCon in Philly in May due to some other prior engagements. I guess I'll just have to make a strong case for Austin. )

[att1cus]

Reasons for keycon 2017 in Philly:

Facilities:
I work for Villanova university in Villanova, PA.  My job at VU is to help record and stream classes and events out to external students and interested parties, so I can stream this event live assuming we’re in an equipped room.  If we’re not in an equipped room, we can simply use a laptop and USB webcam to stream the event live on twitch.  As an employee, I can reserve classrooms on campus at any time, so long as they have not already been booked.  The facilities have AC/heat, wifi and Ethernet access, projectors with audio access, and plenty of rest rooms.  Campus also houses several dining halls for dining options during convention hours.  Parking at campus is free and convenient for transporting things to/from your car to the room(s) we choose.  I can even reserve other individual classrooms in case we are interested in doing break-out workshops (I.E. soldering 101). 

Transit: printed guides will be provided if you need them
Driving:
The campus has its own exit off of I-476, which has a close connection to I-95.  Commuting there will be very easy with GPS if you decide to drive.  As mentioned above, there will be plenty of free parking.

Trains:
Villanova has their own train station on the Paoli/Thorndale regional rail line, provided by SEPTA. 30th street station in Philly is an Amtrak and SEPTA station, and is a major hub for interstate trains as well as the local regional rail trains.  Commuters can take an Amtrak train to 30th street station in Philly and then ride the regional rail train from there directly to Villanova’s campus.

Flights:
The philly international airport is directly on I-95 for anyone who wants to fly in and rent a car.  There is also a regional rail train that will take you directly to 30th street station in center city philly, where you can switch to the paoli/thorndale regional trail train and ride directly to campus.
 
Lodging:
There are several area hotels surrounding Villanova university, as well as plenty of hotels in the city.  I live about .5 miles from the campus, and can host 1 or 2 guests at my place.
 
Food:
Several on-campus dining halls and tons of options for eating around campus.  Restaurants for every palette: Chinese, Japanese, pizza/hoagies/steaks, wings, middle eastern, vegan, etc.  Also many, many restaurant options in the city and at KOP mall. 

Bars:
Lots of bars in walking distance to the campus.
 
Attractions:
Several museums in Philadelphia, including a display at UPenn on ENIAC – the first computer ever made.  King of Prussia mall is also close by, and is one of the largest malls in the country, with tons of restaurants and higher-end retailers, plus an awesome movie theater.  Their site has all their details: http://www.simon.com/mall/king-of-prussia . There are also many local historic sites, such as Valley Forge park in close proximity.  There’s also pro sporting events and music in the city if you are interested in those types of events while here. 

[fendent]

Reasons for keycon 2017 in Philly:

Facilities:
I work for Villanova university in Villanova, PA.  My job at VU is to help record and stream classes and events out to external students and interested parties, so I can stream this event live assuming we’re in an equipped room.  If we’re not in an equipped room, we can simply use a laptop and USB webcam to stream the event live on twitch.  As an employee, I can reserve classrooms on campus at any time, so long as they have not already been booked.  The facilities have AC/heat, wifi and Ethernet access, projectors with audio access, and plenty of rest rooms.  Campus also houses several dining halls for dining options during convention hours.  Parking at campus is free and convenient for transporting things to/from your car to the room(s) we choose.  I can even reserve other individual classrooms in case we are interested in doing break-out workshops (I.E. soldering 101). 

Transit: printed guides will be provided if you need them
Driving:
The campus has its own exit off of I-476, which has a close connection to I-95.  Commuting there will be very easy with GPS if you decide to drive.  As mentioned above, there will be plenty of free parking.

Trains:
Villanova has their own train station on the Paoli/Thorndale regional rail line, provided by SEPTA. 30th street station in Philly is an Amtrak and SEPTA station, and is a major hub for interstate trains as well as the local regional rail trains.  Commuters can take an Amtrak train to 30th street station in Philly and then ride the regional rail train from there directly to Villanova’s campus.

Flights:
The philly international airport is directly on I-95 for anyone who wants to fly in and rent a car.  There is also a regional rail train that will take you directly to 30th street station in center city philly, where you can switch to the paoli/thorndale regional trail train and ride directly to campus.
 
Lodging:
There are several area hotels surrounding Villanova university, as well as plenty of hotels in the city.  I live about .5 miles from the campus, and can host 1 or 2 guests at my place.
 
Food:
Several on-campus dining halls and tons of options for eating around campus.  Restaurants for every palette: Chinese, Japanese, pizza/hoagies/steaks, wings, middle eastern, vegan, etc.  Also many, many restaurant options in the city and at KOP mall. 

Bars:
Lots of bars in walking distance to the campus.
 
Attractions:
Several museums in Philadelphia, including a display at UPenn on ENIAC – the first computer ever made.  King of Prussia mall is also close by, and is one of the largest malls in the country, with tons of restaurants and higher-end retailers, plus an awesome movie theater.  Their site has all their details: http://www.simon.com/mall/king-of-prussia . There are also many local historic sites, such as Valley Forge park in close proximity.  There’s also pro sporting events and music in the city if you are interested in those types of events while here.

Why this looks like a lovely option! This "Philadelphia" sounds right charming!

[Floody]

Reasons for keycon 2017 in Philly:

Facilities:
I work for Villanova university in Villanova, PA.  My job at VU is to help record and stream classes and events out to external students and interested parties, so I can stream this event live assuming we’re in an equipped room.  If we’re not in an equipped room, we can simply use a laptop and USB webcam to stream the event live on twitch.  As an employee, I can reserve classrooms on campus at any time, so long as they have not already been booked.  The facilities have AC/heat, wifi and Ethernet access, projectors with audio access, and plenty of rest rooms.  Campus also houses several dining halls for dining options during convention hours.  Parking at campus is free and convenient for transporting things to/from your car to the room(s) we choose.  I can even reserve other individual classrooms in case we are interested in doing break-out workshops (I.E. soldering 101). 

Transit: printed guides will be provided if you need them
Driving:
The campus has its own exit off of I-476, which has a close connection to I-95.  Commuting there will be very easy with GPS if you decide to drive.  As mentioned above, there will be plenty of free parking.

Trains:
Villanova has their own train station on the Paoli/Thorndale regional rail line, provided by SEPTA. 30th street station in Philly is an Amtrak and SEPTA station, and is a major hub for interstate trains as well as the local regional rail trains.  Commuters can take an Amtrak train to 30th street station in Philly and then ride the regional rail train from there directly to Villanova’s campus.

Flights:
The philly international airport is directly on I-95 for anyone who wants to fly in and rent a car.  There is also a regional rail train that will take you directly to 30th street station in center city philly, where you can switch to the paoli/thorndale regional trail train and ride directly to campus.
 
Lodging:
There are several area hotels surrounding Villanova university, as well as plenty of hotels in the city.  I live about .5 miles from the campus, and can host 1 or 2 guests at my place.
 
Food:
Several on-campus dining halls and tons of options for eating around campus.  Restaurants for every palette: Chinese, Japanese, pizza/hoagies/steaks, wings, middle eastern, vegan, etc.  Also many, many restaurant options in the city and at KOP mall. 

Bars:
Lots of bars in walking distance to the campus.
 
Attractions:
Several museums in Philadelphia, including a display at UPenn on ENIAC – the first computer ever made.  King of Prussia mall is also close by, and is one of the largest malls in the country, with tons of restaurants and higher-end retailers, plus an awesome movie theater.  Their site has all their details: http://www.simon.com/mall/king-of-prussia . There are also many local historic sites, such as Valley Forge park in close proximity.  There’s also pro sporting events and music in the city if you are interested in those types of events while here.

What a pitch! Sounds like a good site for those trying to get a lot out of the trip.

[XMIT]

I'll put together a better pitch later but, by comparison, Austin will be warmer, have better BBQ, have more access to heavy machining facilities at TechShop, and maybe a little cheaper for lodging. But it also won't be as friendly for walking. Downtown is super friendly for walking, but the airport and the venue are not that close and will require cabs or ride shares to get around.

It seems like folks are more excited about the Philly option and that's fine but again I probably won't be able to make it up depending on the date.

[Halverson]

I'll put together a better pitch later but, by comparison, Austin will be warmer, have better BBQ, have more access to heavy machining facilities at TechShop, and maybe a little cheaper for lodging. But it also won't be as friendly for walking. Downtown is super friendly for walking, but the airport and the venue are not that close and will require cabs or ride shares to get around.

It seems like folks are more excited about the Philly option and that's fine but again I probably won't be able to make it up depending on the date.

Don't forget Austin has tons of awesome art related stuff!!

[att1cus]

For the artsy people, Philly's got that on lock down - more public art than any other American city: http://www.visitphilly.com/music-art/

[Booper]

Should we set a date for the city poll to go up?

I'd say we should try to have the poll up by the end of this coming weekend and then leave it open for 2ish weeks so we can have a city selected by the end of February. In the past keycon has been in May so that would give everyone 2ish months to set up travel plans (assuming we want Keycon to take place in May again).

+1

[fendent]

Let's get this city poll off the groooound

[att1cus]

Should we set a date for the city poll to go up?

I'd say we should try to have the poll up by the end of this coming weekend and then leave it open for 2ish weeks so we can have a city selected by the end of February. In the past keycon has been in May so that would give everyone 2ish months to set up travel plans (assuming we want Keycon to take place in May again).

+1

+1

[HoffmanMyster]

Alright.  City poll.

So far I'm seeing committed organizers for two cities: Austin and Philly.  I'll get the poll added very Soon^TM, just as soon as we confirm that there are no other people interested in organizing.  I know some other cities have garnered some non-negligible interest, but we need an organizer for this to get off the ground.  Did I miss any other viable options?

[Dominathan]

I'd be willing to host in SF, if people would want to do it here (I know the Massdrop HQ keyboard meetup is also here).  My apartment building has a rentable space that could definitely work well.  Plus, I'm right next to BART.

[jal]

I'd be willing to host in SF, if people would want to do it here (I know the Massdrop HQ keyboard meetup is also here).  My apartment building has a rentable space that could definitely work well.  Plus, I'm right next to BART.

Heck, I'd help with that, too, and could offer similar access to Techshop demos as has been discussed for Austin.

But given people have complained about the potential costs for doing this in the DC area, I'm pretty sure it is a nonstarter, given that we're in a neck-and-neck race with Manhattan for Most Expensive City. Also, we're pretty much as far left as you can go on the map, meaning worse flights for everyone <waves> over there.

That said, if for some reason folks wanted to do it, I'd love that and could throw effort and some resources at it.

[Flyersfan1]

 I would absolutely be down to help att1cus in any way possible to organize should Philadelphia be seriously considered for this!

[el_mechacontext]

Currently in Chicago, but there is a chance I may move permanently to San Diego by the time KeyCon happens lol. Whichever city I'm in, I'm down to help! I have connections at the Chicago Public Library, so if there is any need for a large room, there are several branches I could probably book way in advance.


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[XMIT]

Flight times is a good point. Austin is about in the middle of the continental US. The longest domestic flight I've taken from here is about 4 hours to Seattle. By that metric Chicago would also be a good choice. It sounds like Philly can offer a good venue and of course SF has an incredible local community but both are far for some folks.

[HoffmanMyster]

Poll is up!  Get those votes in.