Community Event Planning by Christie Koehler

Hosting in-person events is a great way to develop and grow your local Python community. If you’ve ever thought about hosting a code sprint, hackathon, (un)conference or workshop, this talk is for you. I’ll present quick overview of what you need to know to get started planning a successful event.

Transcript

1. Community
   Event Planning
   Christie Koehler
   PyCon US 2013, Santa Clara, CA
   

   View Slide

2. Objective
   Enable you to jumpstart your event planning.
   

   View Slide

3. Introductions
   

   View Slide

4. Who am I?
   

   View Slide

5. Who are you?
   

   View Slide

6. Why do we have events?
   

   View Slide

7. To share knowledge
   

   View Slide

8. To get stuff done
   

   View Slide

9. To play
   

   View Slide

10. To build community
    

    View Slide

11. Event types
    

    View Slide

12. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

13. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

14. Articulate your goals
    ● Clear goals help you assess progress
    ● Make sure there is a measurable aspect to
    your goals:
    ○ Workshop: Increase user group participation
    of women by 15% over a 3 month span
    ○ Hackathon: On-board 10 new contributors
    ○ Conference: Have 250 attendees, with an
    average attendee rating of 4/5
    ○ Code Sprint: Close 20% of open bugs and
    implement 3 priority 1 features
    

    View Slide

15. Know your audience!
    ● Every decision about your event is informed
    by your audience.
    ● Consider the demographics you have/want:
    ○ age
    ○ gender
    ○ social and/or economic status
    ○ education and employment level
    ○ family situation
    ○ existing skillset
    ○ occupation
    ● Provide community guidelines
    

    View Slide

16. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

17. Recruit Your Team
    ● It starts with you
    ● Add an enthusiastic collaborator
    ● Start with your existing
    community
    ● 5-8 dedicated people can
    produce events larger than you
    think...
    ● With motivated on-site volunteers
    

    View Slide

18. Roles to consider
    ● leadership role(s)
    ● logistics: venue, A/V, catering, wifi, etc.
    ● content
    ● outreach
    ● registration
    ● fundraising and sponsorship
    ● activity planning
    

    View Slide

19. Tips for good teamwork
    ● Don't over specialize
    ● Assign leads
    ● Avoid single points of failure
    ● Communicate early and often
    ● Document, document, document!
    ● Follow an open planning process
    

    View Slide

20. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

21. When and Where
    ● Type of event will dictate venue.
    ● Get creative in your venue search:
    schools, company offices, churches,
    libraries, pubs, community centers,
    museums.
    ● Ask about vendor lock-in.
    ● Verify accessibility.
    ● Get insurance.
    

    View Slide

22. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

23. Create budget & timeline
    Budget
    ● Even the smallest events need some money
    ● Create a budget (a simple one is okay)
    ● Track what you actually spend.
    Timeline
    ● Make a list of planning milestones
    ● Deadlines are good tools
    ● Don't be afraid to adjust as needed
    

    View Slide

24. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

25. Raise Funds
    ● 4 Ways:
    ○ Contributions from individuals
    ○ Contributions from companies
    ○ Registrations fees
    ○ Grants
    ● Know how you're going to accept payments
    ● If you collect funds personally, you may be
    liable for taxes
    ● Consider fiscal sponsorship
    

    View Slide

26. Fundraising Tips
    ● Start with your local community
    ● Be clear about what people get for their
    money
    ● Make it easy for them to give it to you
    ● Take care of them when they do
    ● Stay away from word "donation"
    ● Prioritize community
    ● The first time is the hardest
    ● If you don't ask, no one can say yes!
    

    View Slide

27. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

28. Spread the word
    ● Marketing is not a dirty word; people
    need to find out about your event
    somehow.
    ● Grassroots marketing need not be
    expensive, but it does take some
    effort and planning.
    

    View Slide

29. 4 easy steps
    1. Write an invitation
    2. Cross-post everywhere
    3. Get the whole team involved
    4. Ask for help from willing partners
    5. Do 1-4 over and over again.
    

    View Slide

30. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

31. Commit Attendees
    ● Attendees are a must-have for events
    ● Sell tickets or collect RSVPs
    ● Why?
    ○ allows you to plan resources accordingly
    ○ allows you to raise money earlier
    ○ allows you to communicate with attendees
    ● Just as important for free events
    

    View Slide

32. Registration Options
    ● webform (google docs, wufoo)
    ● eventbrite, eventbee, brown paper tickets
    ● CMS plugins
    ● registration service
    

    View Slide

33. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

34. Logistics
    ● Venue
    ● Power
    ● Network infrastructure
    ● Audio / visual needs
    ● Catering
    ● Participant and activity needs
    

    View Slide

35. Content
    ● Event type determines how much effort
    you have to put into content.
    ● Speaker-driven: consider volume, subject
    and quality of content
    ● Unconference: diverse, enthusiastic
    audience, coaching
    ● Hackathon: facilitating teams, ensuring
    everyone has what they need to work
    ● Workshop: curriculum and instructors
    

    View Slide

36. Activities
    ● Mix in different kinds of activities
    ● Be sure to enable hallway track or
    hackerspace
    ● High and low energy; loud and quiet
    ● Be inclusive
    

    View Slide

37. Day of preparations
    ● materials and transportation list
    ● schedule run-down
    ● on-site volunteers
    ● signage
    ● swag
    ● greeting
    ● registration
    

    View Slide

38. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

39. Feedback & Thank Yous
    ● Send thank yous
    ○ to sponsors, volunteers, participants, speakers
    ○ make them personal and relevant
    ● Gather feedback
    ○ during event
    ○ after event
    ○ from your planning team (retrospective)
    

    View Slide

40. Planning Steps
    ● Articulate goals
    ● Recruit your team
    ● Determine when and where
    ● Create a budget and timeline
    ● Raise funds
    ● Spread the word
    ● Commit attendees
    ● Plan logistics & develop content
    ● Gather feedback & say thank you
    ● Take a break and then do it again!
    

    View Slide

41. Questions!
    

    View Slide

42. Thank you!
    Christie Koehler
    christiekoehler@gmail.com
    @christiekoehler
    Submit a talk proposal to
    Open Source Bridge!
    opensoucebridge.org
    CFP closes 3/23
    

    View Slide

43. Photo Credits
    Slide 1, 2, 12, 13, 16, 20, 22, 24, 27, 30, 33, 38: http://www.
    flickr.com/photos/scottloftesness/8438803599/
    Slide 3: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/akrockefeller/7208427782/
    Slide 4: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oreillyconf/7586672244/
    Slide 5: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/cesar_pinera/6891099866/
    Slide 6: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/40052117@N03/6891670282/
    Slide 7: http://www.flickr.com/photos/reidab/7537536444/
    Slide 8: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/allhandsvolunteers/6775775328/
    Slide 9: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kkseema/2042946052/
    Slide 10: http://www.flickr.com/photos/reidab/7678214980/
    Slide 11: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crdot/7827425552/
    Slide 14: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/43052603@N00/3780675624/
    Slide 15: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/thomashawk/155918164/
    Slide 17: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/ittybittiesforyou/2299598686/
    Slide 18: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sigusr0/2352351336/
    Slide 19: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ant1_g/6913508663/
    Slide 21: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/brandon_brubaker/2231224887
    Slide 23: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/mezzoblue/8404839166/
    Slide 25, 26: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/ejpphoto/2382053839/
    Slide 28, 29: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/floeschie/4345518893/
    Slide 31, 32: http://www.flickr.
    com/photos/planetschwa/1392652671/
    Slide 34: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecstaticist/4434864256/
    Slide 39: http://www.flickr.com/photos/__olga__/2822660113/
    Slide 41: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oberazzi/318947873/
    Slide 42: http://www.flickr.com/photos/manachar/3127739124/
    

    View Slide