[advocacy-discuss] A guide for communityu event organisers - draft

[Damian Wojslaw]

A guide for communityu event organisers. Draft.

1. Have a written plan. Goals, milestones, resources. Check it and 
update often. Generally keep in touch and in synch.
2. Keep an eye on your resources. These are: people that help you, 
sponsors, speakers, event site, money, hardware and your time.
3. Delegate reposnsibilites. Unless you've got much free time on your 
hand, you probably won't be able to maintain all the loose ends.
4. Keep an eye on people you gave responsibilites to. If they screw up - 
you are the one to blame.
5. Know your target. You won't speak of Sun Clusters to administrators 
of small one block LANs. You won't show IPS command line in detail to 
debian/redhat/gentoo users. But you should show them zfs smbshare and 
sharemgr. :)
6. Know your local customs regarding community events. In Poland no one 
expects to eat three course meal and a hotel room, but T-Shirts and 
Internet access are the must. :)
7. Have written deals with sponsors, site host, food providers and such 
few months before the event.
8. Keep an eye on everyting.
9. Inform people about your event. Post it on blogs, put posters, ask 
your online and real life friends to invite people. You need listeners.
10. Have some "spare" speakers. People who know that they may not 
present their speach, but should be available in emergency. One will 
probably arise.
11. Keep an eye on everything.
12. Keep people posted on progress.

Any more ideas?

-- 
Damian Wojslaw
http://pl.opensolaris.org/ | SCA OS0073
http://www.opensolaris.org/os/community/on/
http://opensolaris.org/os/project/szc-osug/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/trochej