auDA AGM Details

[PaulS]

Just doing a little checking - was it explicitly stated that the auDA crew stayed at the Emirates Palace, or simply dined there?
Given a number of Simon's snaps were at the Jumeirah, perhaps they stayed there. It is at the pricier end of the spectrum but, more worryingly, was 15km or 25 minutes from the venue.

At the same time, there were ICANN hotel rates starting at $170, $260, 320 a night (for 3,4 and 5*) all within walking distance of the venue. I cant tell you how important that is when breakfast meetings may start at 7:30, or you need to dump your gear before an evening function or even just want to avoid walking far in a suit in 30+ degree heat! Sure, they may have been booked out, but that is why you get in early (and we always used to).

With that in mind, if I was still doing the ICANN rounds, I would be looking at the meeting site for Puerto Rico NOW.
Puerto Rico Convention Centre is the venue but hotels are yet to be announced. That doesnt matter. ICANN NEVER gets super-discounted group rates and as soon as the hotels are posted, attendees swamp on rooms quicker than scalpers on Ed Sheeran concert tix.
The Sheraton is a 5 minute walk away but already about $400US a night.
There are plenty of other hotels in the vicinity though and, given the damage from Hurricane Maria, my humble advice would be for auDA to get on to a deal sooner rather than later.

 

[Cheyne]

The main conference hotel, which was the Hyatt Capital Gate, was around $1,200AUD per night per room. This was booked around 2-3 weeks after the announcement and I nearly fell off my chair. I've stayed in a penthouse suite in Las Vegas and it didn't cost me $1,200 per night!

There were other hotels but I have personally never been to Abu Dhabi and Craig has also never been there so I wanted to ensure that he stayed as close to the conference as possible.

 

[PaulS]

Thanks for the clarification Cheyne
And thats a fair enough business call on your part too. You can only suck it up, roll your eyes and pay what you have to.
But I guarantee that if I was faced with that scenario for auDA, I would have moved heaven and earth to find an alternative.

Funny story - I arrived at the Dublin ICANN meeting a day early and found our hotel was miles away and was severely substandard. Somebody tried to break into my room the first night and an auDA Director arrived to find his room was completely trashed. Air-con and heating didnt work either. So I packed up, went to one of the event hotels 300m from the venue and managed to secure 5 rooms there on very short notice. Under $300. And they were supposedly "booked out". There's always a way! (I'll make a great EA one day!)

 

[snoopy]

Just want to point out that time is slipping away for proxy forms, they are due 4 days before the AGM, so 11 days left.

I have got mine in as I think it is best to get in early is case of any issue with the form, there is often a last minute flurry with minor errors on forms and desperate attempts to contact people.

Also I prefer to do the proxy even if going in case of any issues,

5pm AEDT on Thursday 23 November 2017

 

[DomainNames]

I wasn't originally going to comment, but given this thread has blown up like a North Korean missile on the launchpad, I feel the need to set the record straight in a few areas.

1. I cant and wont comment on Chris Disspain's travel expenses. I wasn't party to that information and all we can do is wait and see if auDA finally decides to release the report into this (instead of perpetuating rumours and starting gossip).
2. For the most part, the auDA delegation at ICANN was me and Chris. His travel over the last few years was subsidised by ICANN. So for the price of 1.5 attendees, we were covering 101 sessions. Many other ccTLDs brought far larger groups. InternetNZ always had 3 c-level officers plus staff. Nominet always had 4 or 5 people. This meant we were spread considerably thinner than others.
3. However, we were able to leverage the personal participation of former auDA Directors who were funded by the ALAC (Cheryl Landon-Orr) and SSAC (Julie Hammer) and other trusted colleagues. Free contacts, free insight and free coverage of the many concurrent sessions. You are welcome.
   
4. If you have never been to an ICANN meeting, please refrain from blithely referring to them as junkets. I never once went on a junket. Flew in as late as possible, usually starting preliminary meetings hours after landing, working 16-17 hour days, Chairing Working Groups and flying out as soon as we were done.
5. This was particularly fun in environments where we did not even consider inviting Directors. Security vehicles in Dakar, instructions not to slightly open taxi windows in Durban and escorts with automatic weapons to guide us 200 metres to a meeting in Nairobi. Yes. Junket.
6. Director attendance was not a given, but invited where the venue was accessible (e.g. Singapore). There was a plan to this - new Directors had priority and we tried to have each attend one meeting during their two-year term. The reason was simple - to give Directors personal experience of what goes on at a typical meeting and an understanding of why international engagement is critical.
7. We didn't let Directors just go and wander around. I always briefed them on key sessions and alternatives before the start of the week, facilitated introductions and usually organised a multi-lateral meeting for them with Board Directors / Governors / Councillors of other ccTLDs including NZ, Norway, Denmark, UK, Canada etc. It was a dedicated time for THEM to talk about issues of mutual interest.
8. Having only the CEO attend is concerning. What sort of engagement model will they follow? Rolling their sleeves up in the ccNSO, on Working Groups and Committees, such as the CEOs of CIRA or InternetNZ? Or swanning around in one-on-one meetings on the periphery and attending the few gala events? Trust me, there is one way you earn credibility and respect in ICANN. Work hard.
9. I always reported back to the Board and this was supplemented by the commentary of attending Directors. This was captured in CEO Reports, periodic blogs and the Annual Report. If members wanted more information and proof of RoI, I would have gladly obliged.
10. Business-class travel is a given. Get over it. I travelled for the Federal Govt before joining auDA and the rules were the same - over 8 hours travel and you get business. Mel to Abu Dhabi is easy, but not so fun when it is Canberra-Sydney-Dallas-Miami-San Juan and your luggage takes 2 extra days to arrive. Trust me, the recently-witnessed naive celebration of largesse wears off pretty quickly, particularly when you work or sleep most of the way.
11. Expensive hotels? Sometimes. ICANN has a habit of picking Conference Centres in the middle of nowhere. So you MUST get in to the host hotel. This was affordable in Hyderabad but dearer in places such as Marrakech. But we always got Jacki on the job of booking hotels the day the host venue was announced, often over-booking and offering spare rooms to international counteparts. Call it hotel-room diplomacy. By the way, my best stay was a 3* in the old city of Cartegena, Colombia.

In summary, despite the aspersions and accusations, I can guarantee that auDA's engagement at ICANN and other fora was strategic, targetted and meaningful. It was in our Strategic and Operational Plans. I cannot offer that same guarantee at the moment, particularly having personally witnessed exploitation such as the past-Chair posting online pics of reading new books poolside while I was beavering away at my 6th meeting of the day.

Rant over - feel free to take a lanyard on the way out. I have plenty to spare.
View attachment 668

When I look at that pile of lanyards my head does the calculations of the incredible cost!

1. Where can people read the trip reports from all people auDA ( funded by .au domainname registrant consumers) and Government ( funded by taxpayers) have sent over the years?

2. The ICANN junkets are very well talked about globally. Sure some people work at them but many do not give the true ROI justifying their attendance paid for by their organisations.

3. Have a read here https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/au_historical_financial_irregula
and here
https://www.google.com.au/search?sa...0....0...1..64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.30nMIfDBniM


http://www.domainmondo.com/2014/04/netmundial-2014-icann-party-time.html

"NETmundial 2014, ICANN Party Time!

Despite all the hype, NETmundial 2014 was a disappointment. The non-binding final text you can find here (pdf). But for ICANN, its insiders, staff, and lobbyists, it was just another expensive junket and excuse to party and waste money: "....The internet organisations, while they claim otherwise, are flush with cash. And ICANN is the plumpest cash cushion of them all, sitting on tens of millions of dollars. While drinking my 23 real beer, I was interrupted by what sounded like a loud and unnecessary PA system in the restaurant below. Sure enough, there was ICANN chairman Steve Crocker bellowing into a microphone. The organisation had bought out so much of the restaurant that it allowed ICANN to install its own sound system so its chairman could be heard over the noise of other people eating and talking to their friends and family. The cost would have been enormous, the value tiny. But when you have millions of dollars... Now there are those who can afford to fly around the world and stay in luxury hotels - and there are internet companies who depend on the status quo. And then there are the others, most of whom end up being funded by the very organisations they are supposed to keep in check. Committee members (lots of committees), fellowships, applicants. They get their flights, hotel rooms and food paid for. Even a daily stipend, payable in cash. But if you're not on the gravy train, well... You can come of course, but expect the bills to mount up. And don't expect special treatment. We don't know you. You could be anyone. When people leave the well-funded, er, internet network, you don't see them. They pop up a year or two later, after they have found a new position within the accepted hierarchy and the bills are covered. You can follow events online of course. Read the transcripts, watch the video. Welcome to the multi-spectator-model...." -- Kieren McCarthy, The Register

Of course if you are on the ICANN gravy train, there's always the next junket to look forward to -- ICANN 50 in London in June! "

​