Welcome to FOSS4G UK 2016!

FOSS4G UK 2016 is brought to you by OSGeo:UK

and as Chair of both the conference and OSGeo:UK

I'd like to welcome everyone to our event

You've got two days of talks and workshops to look forward to

...an unconference, a code sprint, a hackathon (on day 3)

...Early Careers Network lunchtime surgeries

...and a party tonight (if you bought a ticket)

This kind of thing doesn't happen by magic

So I'd like everyone to turn to a neighbour, briefly introduce yourself, and ask the following question...

Are you a sponsor?

If the answer is yes, then thank them profusely, because without them, this event could not happen

Are you a member of the organising team or a volunteer?

If the answer is yes, then thank them equally profusely, because without them, this event could not happen

If they are not an organiser or volunteer, then are they an attendee?

Since the answer is definitely yes, let me thank all of you, without whom there would be no FOSS4G UK

So what is FOSS4G UK all about?

It's about welcoming everyone to the world of Open Source Geospatial

...be that newcomers and beginners

...people wanting to level up

...hard-core geeks and coders

...and people just looking for the right tools to get the job done

Software of any kind, and the community around it, can be intimidating, frustrating, and opaque

So we want to make it that bit easier, and more enjoyable

Either to learn something new,

find the tools you want,

Get involved in the community,

or even to contribute something back

Confession: I'm not a coder

So this is my way of contributing back

and hopefully learning something new!

Some Public Service Announcements

Twitter is an important part of the event

So do tweet and use the #foss4guk hashtag

But remember there's a human behind (almost every) twitter handle

WIFI codes are available, go to reception if you need one

Workshop sign-up sheets are on the doors- check the requirements on the website

The organising committee is here for you if there are any problems of any kind

My phone number is available at reception if you need it

But let's hope it's not needed!

So without further ado or blathering of any kind

I'd like to welcome Jeremy Morley David Henderson from the Ordnance Survey to the stage

and kick off this conference properly!