Editing OctConf 2018

== 2018 Meeting Notes ==

We are maintaining a list of notes for the 2018 meeting here: [[OctConf_2018_Notes]].

== Meeting ==

We are happy to announce the upcoming Octave Conference 2018 to be held at [http://home.cern CERN], near Geneva, Switzerland, from March 12th until March 15th. 

The Local Organising Committee is happy and proud that CERN will host this event for at least two reasons: 
* Octave is a fundamental tool of analysis and research for hundreds of CERN scientists
* Octave and CERN share and promote the same values of openness, cooperation, diversity, quality and commitment.

The two-day plus two-half-day event will be an opportunity for sharing experiences, planning the future of Octave and promoting its use among the scientific community and beyond.

Our [[OctConf_2018#Scientific_committee | scientific committee]] is working out the details of the programme, which will include: a presentation by Octave's creator and main maintainer John W. Eaton in the CERN Main Auditorium (Monday afternoon), several interesting talks about applications of Octave to various scientific domains, code sprints, and a session to promote the open-source supported by public institutions as a model for free and successful development. The call for contributions and abstract will be open soon.

The key members of the Octave development team will participate in the conference, both from oversea and from Europe. You can find updated information on the programme in this Wiki page and we are filling the [https://indico.cern.ch/event/626097/ Indico] timetable.

== Key info ==

=== Dates ===

The conference will take place on Week 11, from March 12th until March 15th 2018.

=== Location ===

Octconf 2018 will take place at [http://home.cern/ CERN] (European Center for Nuclear Research).

=== Registration ===

The conference is free to attend but registration is required.  Please use the CERN conference manager [https://indico.cern.ch/event/626097/ Indico] to register.

=== Style ===

The conference will be based around workshops, unconference, and code sprints, with a plenary speaker on the first three days.

== Committees ==
=== Scientific committee ===
'''Duties''': Recruit invited speakers, finalize the programme schedule, review and select presentations, review and select posters, chairing during conference. 

'''Members''':

* [[User:Carandraug|Carnë Draug]]
* Carlo de Falco
* [[User:jwe|John W. Eaton]]
* [[User:JordiGH|Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso]]
* [[User:KaKiLa|Juan Pablo Carbajal]]
* Rafael Vázquez


Use the [mailto:maintainers@octave.org maintainers mailing list] to communicate with these people.

=== Hosting committtee ===
'''Duties''': Arrange and reserve rooms, catering, social event,  and other logistics for the conference.

'''Members''':

* Andrea Latina
* John Evans
* Melissa Gaillard

== Suggestions for Sessions ==

Approximately half of each day will be devoted to presentations. The remainder will be used for informal discussions, code sprints, etc.

Please propose session topics in the schedule below.  The actual time slot you pick is not important--we can re-arrange the schedule later--but we need to know what topics are of interest.

During the daytime: CERN offers many areas where people can socialize and/or discuss, informally. For instance, the CERN main restaurant is open until 23:00 (11:00 PM).

    <table class="tg" border="1" width="800" style="text-align: center">
      <tr>
        <th width="110">Time</th>
        <th width="220">Monday 12.03<br/>(Opening)</th>
        <th width="220">Tuesday 13.03<br/>(Tutorials)</th>
        <th width="250">Wednesday 14.03<br/>(Unconference)</th>
        <th width="220">Thursday 15.03<br/>(Closing)</th>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td><br/><br/>Morning<br/><br/></td>
        <td bgcolor= #ffb3b3></td>
        <td style="text-align: left"> Hands-on activities:
          <ul>
            <li>Merge [[Summer_of_Code#GSoC_2017|GSoC_2017]] project [https://gsocspecfun.blogspot.de/ Make Specfuns special again] by Michele Ginesi</li>
          </ul>
        </td>
        <td style="text-align: left">
          <ul>
            <li> Diogo Castro: "SWAN at CERN" </li>
            <li> Prepare Octave 4.2.2 bugfix release </li>
          </ul> 
       </td>
        <td> [[OctConf 2019]] planning and Closing </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td><br/><br/>Noon<br/><br/> </td>
        <td> First meeting <br/> and Lunch </td>
        <td> Plenary talk <br/> and Lunch </td>
        <td> Plenary talk <br/> and Lunch </td>
        <td> Farewell lunch</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td><br/><br/>Afternoon<br/><br/></td>
        <td style="text-align: left"> Talks:
          <ul>
            <li> Jwe: [https://indico.cern.ch/event/626097/contributions/2902420/attachments/1615292/2566811/2018-03-12-octave.pdf "What is Octave 2018?"] </li>
            <li> Michele Ginesi: [https://gsocspecfun.blogspot.de/ "Make Specfuns special again"] ([[Summer_of_Code#GSoC_2017|GSoC_2017]] project) </li>
          </ul> Creating and discussing [[OctConf_2018_Notes]].
        </td>
        <td> Hands on Tutorials </td>
        <td> Visit to CERN </td>
        <td bgcolor=#ffb3b3 rowspan=3></td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td><br/><br/>Evening<br/><br/></td>
        <td> </td>
        <td> Social event </td>
        <td></td>
      </tr>
    </table>

== Accommodation ==

The conference will take place in the CERN's main site (Meyrin). You can try your luck and search for an accommodation in one of the [http://smb-dep.web.cern.ch/en/CERN_Housing CERN Hostels].

Should the CERN hostels be full, or should you prefer to stay in Geneva, we advise you to consult your favourite on-line booking portal (www.booking.com, www.tripadvisor.com, www.trivago.com, www.expedia.com etc.) and to contact the hotel directly in order to identify the lowest tariff available for CERN users and collaborators (preferential tariffs may apply in some cases).

Hotels in the vicinity of "Gare Cornavin" (Geneva's main railway station), or along "Route de Meyrin", are particularly recommended. Tram number 18 links Gare Cornavin to CERN in 20' (see [http://www.tpg.ch/ timetable on the TPG's webpage]). 

Notice that, by staying in hotel, youth hostel or at a campsite, you are entitled to receive a personal and non transferable Geneva Transport Card for free, which will allow you to use the whole public transportation system of Geneva for the length of your stay for free. This includes buses, trams, trains, and yellow taxi-boats - Mouettes. Just ask for it upon arrival on the reception.

=== Travelling ===
The information below is taken from [http://visit.cern/exhibitions/how-get-cern CERN instructions].
Please check that link for further details.

[http://visit.cern/sites/visits.web.cern.ch/files/files/exhibitions/access-map.pdf How to get to CERN infographics]

    CERN Reception - Meyrin

    CERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research
    385 route de Meyrin
    CH-1217 Meyrin - Geneva
    Switzerland

* GPS Coordinates
Latitude: 46.2314284

Longitude: 6.0539718


==== By train ====
Coming from the Geneva railway station at Cornavin

Tram - Take the number 18 tram to "CERN" which is the final stop at the CERN entrance.

Ticket costs 3 CHF full-fare / 2 CHF reduced-fare (Ticket "Tout Genève" on the ticket machine). 

See the [http://www.tpg.ch/ TPG] web site for full details.

==== By plane ====
Coming from the Geneva International Airport at Cointrin

Taxi - approximately 35CHF.

Bus - First take a public transport ticket from the machine you will find at the exit to the baggage collection hall, just before customs control. Then:

Option 1: Take bus Y direction "CERN" and get off at the CERN stop opposite the large Globe and the CERN site.

Option 2: Take bus 23, 28 or 57 and get off at the stop "Blandonnet" and then catch the Tram number 18, final stop "CERN".

See the [http://www.tpg.ch/ TPG] web site for full details.

==== By car ====

* From Switzerland

Follow signs for "Aéroport", "Lyon" and "Meyrin".

Once you are in Meyrin, follow signs for "St. Genis" (which is just beyond the border, in France). 

Before reaching St Genis, the CERN site is on your left on "Route de Meyrin", just before you reach the border.

* From France (département of Ain)

Follow signs for "Gex" or "St. Genis". 
When you reach the border, CERN is on your right immediately after passing through customs.

See [http://visit.cern/exhibitions/how-get-cern-car Parking] for parking information.

== Tips and tricks ==
* A normal lunch at CERN costs about 15 CHF, inclusive of one coffee and one delicious dessert.
* You can pay with CHF and EUR in CERN (the drawback is always CHF) and most of stores and restaurants in Geneva
* The AC power plugs you'll find at CERN are SEV_1011 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#Swiss_SEV_1011). You can borrow one at the hostel reception.
* As guest you can only enter and exit the main CERN area through entrance B
* A bus ride from the airport to CERN is free of charge, if you take a ticket at the vending machine in the baggage claim area.  Should you miss that vending machine, a ticket will cost you 3.00 CHF. https://genevalunch.com/guides/travel/the-cheerful-traveler-geneva-airport-public-transport/

== See also ==

* [https://indico.cern.ch/event/626097/ Indico CERN event page]

== Previous OctConf ==
[[OctConf 2017]]

== Next OctConf ==
[[OctConf 2019]]

[[Category:OctConf]]
[[Category:2018]]