> If it is a problem to get university support

Is actually the opposite. I Believe we could get much more involvement and fundings from it here in Brasil! :)

> You don't need to have the developers, you 
> need people who stick together

Sure, Cool... And as I said, it's nice to have some local meetings before an international one... and the goal must be gathering people! Users, whatever... like you described.

> It's better to organise the schedule so that 
> people organised in one thing aren't likely 
> to be interested in the other thing that 
> happens at the same time

hmmm, yeah, the event in Montreal could be much longer if things werent all at the same time... 

We could have here a longer event. If it is "smaller", things could be not simultaneous... one way or another, there should be plenty space and material
 for a Convention here...

Cheers
alexandre torres porres