no breakout reports - many feel they are unnecessary - as long as notes go on wiki or someplace
explicitly state that presentation with (most/least) votes will be on day 3, since so many people plan to leave early -- could affect their planning.
Breakout sessions could be proposed and voted on prior to conference -- ad hoc breakouts didn't provide much interest to some of us.
Social Schedule
Newcomer welcome on first night?
Beer party needs a big enough space
Have a reception in a museum or library, if possible
Maybe some evening groups for music, shows, etc.
Food
If you do the preconferences in the main conference space (vs. in spread-out off-site spots), many people will expect breakfast or at least regular coffee/tea/soft-drink breaks throughout the day (so have them?)
Is it possible to get a hot breakfast with/instead of continental?
Consider Vegetarians / Vegans
Decent lunch menu - not taco or spaghetti :-)
(Note: some attendees really like tacos and/or spaghetti, and think these are excellent lunch choices. YMMV.)
Automated Testing
Two words: Soft pretzels.
Registration
Use EventBrite--it's worth the admin money for the ease of use, and the reports that can be generated
Choose talks before registration
T-shirts
Men's and ladies sizes -- can it be done?
100% cotton is worth it.
How about blind submissions to tee shirt vote? I.e., submitter name not associated with submissions during voting.
How about going blind from some t-shirt submissions? ;-)
Suggestions from dchuds talk
less complacency from overall committee--less burden on local org committee
Advisory committee - made up of representatives from past hosts
Programming committee - don't have voting on talks
do work in the open
build on experience from past conferences
code4lib multicore
multi-track conference
support 500 people
make it more like PyCon
Other ideas
more regional c4l (but drop the "regional" suffix)
keep voting on programming!!!
Name tags should have irc handle as well as name; code{4}lib can be smaller; IRC handle and Name and Institution should be readable at a glance.
Announce scholarship winners the first day so that folks have a chance to meet them
microphones for audience
sign on podium "repeat the question"
mc tells each presenter how to use the mic effectively
Have one projection screen above or beside speaker so possible to view speaker and slides at the same time.
attendee list handouts should have name, institution, irc handle ... (preferably a sorted mapping from irc handle -> names, a sort by firstname, and maybe a sort by last name)