Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2000/05/19/debian_allowed_to_exhibit/

Debian allowed to exhibit at UK's Linux Expo 2000

Organiser makes room for non-profit organisations

By Tony Smith

Posted in On-Prem, 19th May 2000 15:07 GMT

Non-profit Linux distributor Debian will be attending the UK Linux Expo 2000 show next month after all.

Expo organiser IT Events last month was forced to admit that Debian could not exhibit at the show because it wouldn't give the distributor a free stand. But as a non-profit operation - like rather a lot of the key Linux development projects - how could it buy stand space?

With no answer in sight, it looked like Debian would have to stay away - despite IT Events' claims in Expo marketing and promotional material that the show would feature all the key Linux distributors.

IT Events has now broken the impasse by offering Debian and other organisations space at a special rate that takes into account their non-profit making status, according to UK Debian representative Philip Hands.

A special .ORG stand will feature not only Debian but the Linux Professional Institute, the UK Unix Users Group, the London Linux User Group and Linux International. Debian's stand fee was donated equally by Alcove, IBM, Perforce Software and Wrox Press, said Hands.

Hands commended IT Events' approach: "Jonathan Heastie [the show's organiser] has really made an effort," he said.

Linux Expo 2000 takes place on 1 and 2 June at London's Olympia exhibition centre. More details can be found at the show's Web site. ®