I really like the idea of booking lots of rooms at an inexpensive hotel.
The ideal would be a bunch of small rooms with one or two beds (for the grumpy old folks), and a few big rooms with hostel-style bunks (for the 20-somethings).

I can only speak for myself, but I suspect I'm speaking for many more when I say this: it doesn't have to be the Ritz, but I don't want to walk down a public hallway to have a shower and I don't want to sleep in a room with 6 other guys. On the other hand, I could probably share a room with someone (I've gotten to know a few of the other community members now).

(EDIT: Oh, and the hotel should have Wi-Fi )

There's got to be some reasonable places that meet those criteria. And they should have rooms available in October.

I also think getting sponsorship worked out as soon as possible is good for everyone. It keeps costs down, lets people plan and arrange their schedule, and gives everyone a chance to apply.

The other question I have is: some people will be flying from other continents for this. Is it really only going to be two or three days long? Is there any way to connect this with another event to make the long flights more "worth it"?