What is the GUADEC?

GUADEC (pronounced GWAH-DEC) is an acronym for the GNOME Users' And Developers' European Conference. Held annually in cities around Europe, GUADEC is the largest get together of GNOME users, developers, foundation leaders, individuals, governments and businesses in the world.

Presentations are given by software developers, business leaders and users who are involved in Open Source, Free Software and of course, GNOME. These combine with many practical sessions and discussion groups which set the direction of the GNOME project. It also aims to attract new developers and contributers, as well has serve as a meeting point for corporate interests and allow us to showcase some of the latest technologies.

The 8th Edition

In its 8th consecutive year; GUADEC 2007 is being held at the UCE Birmingham Conservatoire, in Birmingham, England, from Sunday 15th July, until Saturday 21st of July 2007.

The week will be split into three phases: the approach weekend; GUADEC itself, and the "after hours" days. During the three days of the main GUADEC event, the talks will be divided in different categories, focusing on the future of GNOME, the preview and demonstration of existing technologies, as well as brainstorming sessions.

About Birmingham

Birmingham is one of the largest of England's core cities, and is generally considered to be the UK's second city. It is served by Birmingham International Airport, which has flights to Europe, North America, the Middle East and South Asia. The West Midlands (the area of England which Birmingham is in) has a long history of technology development, from James Watt's steam engine to Frank Whittle and the jet engine. It is now also leading the UK in the area of Free and Open Source software. Birmingham is home to the country's two leading strategic projects; OpenAdvantage, and the National Open Centre. OpenAdvantage provides the region with a Centre of Excellence in Open Source development, technology, and business, helping over a thousand businesses get involved with a wide range of FOSS technologies ranging from Linux and Samba, to LAMP, Ruby on Rails and Asterisk. The NOC, to be launched on 26th February 2007, will provide the UK with a place to coordinate strategic thinking about open source and open standards in the UK.

The Venue

GUADEC 2007 will be held in The UCE Birmingham Conservatoire, in Birmingham, UK.

The UCE Birmingham Conservatoire is an internationally renowned concert and music study location. Situated at the heart of the city centre, it has a large number of rooms of varying sizes, including the 520-seater Adrian Boult Hall. It also hosts a licensed bar, and a coffee shop.

Situated in Paradise Place, at the cultural heart of Birmingham; it is only a few minutes' walk away from Symphony Hall, five minutes' walk from New Street station and 10 minutes' from Snow Hill.

The UCE Birmingham Conservatoire was founded in 1886 as the Birmingham School of Music, which had been a department of, and stands on the original site of, the Birmingham and Midland Institute, since around 1859. The title 'Birmingham Conservatoire' was adopted in 1989.