Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2009-07-20/Wikimania 2009



The preliminary program has been released for Wikimania 2009, the annual international conference for users and contributors to the Wikimedia projects. Wikimania this year will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from August 26 to 28. This is the fifth Wikimania conference, and the first in South America. The conference is organized by Wikimedia Argentina as well as Wikimedia volunteers and the Wikimedia Foundation.

The program features academic, community, and technology sessions in several tracks. The keynote speakers are Richard Stallman and Jimmy Wales. The conference will be bilingual, with sessions in both Spanish and English. The conference will feature lightning talks and community panels, including a Wikimania Foundation Board panel. Parties and tango lessons have also been promised, along with an introductory barbeque before the conference gets underway.

The conference will be held at the Centro Cultural General San Martín, a cultural center in downtown Buenos Aires.

Registration is now open. Before July 30, it will cost US$45; after July 30 it will cost $60. The fee includes all three days of the conference, including lunch. Accommodation is available at the Bauen Hotel, near the conference venue, at a special rate of $25/night (if booked before July 30) or $30 a night (after July 30).

To keep up with Wikimania news, subscribe to the wikimania-l mailing list or watch for updates on the Wikimania site.