KinkForAll Washington, DC 3 needs a space!

April 30th is much too soon without even a tentative venue. I
recommend picking a date in something like July or September; there
are pros and cons to a summer date. I think September is the earliest
to get the advantage of students being back.

I recall all of the schools I contacted having similar policies: cheap
usage for student groups and conference services for outsiders. I'd
expect departments to have better access to classroom space, but I'm
not actually sure.

Wherever you end up, make sure you ask about whether you need to get
event insurance.

Yeah. What Nikolas said.

This is not always necessary at universities *if* we can get a sponsoring organizing from within the University. Queer/Gay-Straight Alliances are really helpful in this regard. In Boston, the Women's Resource Center, a similar university-affiliated group, was outstanding for this very reason (among others too numerous to mention).[0]

I say go for it. KFADC1 was held in Rockland (although ultimately not without bureaucrats twisting our arms about it).[1]

Obviously, I think for "KinkForAll Washington, DC" somewhere central in DC proper would be better, but as long as you've got a venue that works for KinkForAll,[2] I would encourage going with whatever's available.

Another option is to just call it something else: maybe it's time for the first KinkForAll Maryland?

If someone (you?) *can* create a student organization that would sponsor KFADC3, maybe because you've got university affiliations, go for it. That seems like a very effective application of do-ocracy.[3]

If not, and if the best venue options seem to be university classrooms, then getting an existing student organization to sponsor has historically been the most effective option. Most KinkForAll unconferences were put on this way, including both in Providence,[4][5] thanks to the membership of Brown University's Sexual Health, Education and Empowerment Council.[6]

Of course, other venue options like LGBT centers or public facilities like government buildings, libraries, and so on may also be good options to look into that don't have to be sponsored by student groups. That's how both KinkForAll unconferences in New York City[7][8] and the one in San Francisco happened,[9] for instance.

Cheers,
-maymay
Blog: http://maybemaimed.com
Talk show: http://KinkOnTap.com
Community: http://KinkForAll.org

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

[0] https://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/d90859b29f491e1d/9f36c0b1b52d7d78
[1] http://maybemaimed.com/2009/11/23/sexual-adultism-at-kinkforall-washington-dc/
[2] http://wiki.KinkForAll.org/Venue
[3] http://www.communitywiki.org/en/DoOcracy
[4] https://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/2a12839168cd7cde/9a3a25a8c00bc39e#msg_03bec0069cf50cf6
[5] https://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/ab6c75a03d126d9d
[6] http://brownsheec.wordpress.com/
[7] https://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/56a7eee2ad157da5#msg_d7c6a58cb3ce07d4
[8] https://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/bab8349767579029
[9] https://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/70b923131da86bbd