International Space Apps Challenge Event Planning Guide

A planning guide for organizations planning an International Space Apps Challenge event in their cities.

Transcript

1. Event  Planning  Guide  
2. This event planning guide has been developed for those interested in planning an International Space Apps Challenge event in their city. Purpose   2  
3. The International Space Apps Challenge is an international codeathon-style event that will take place over a 48 hour period in cities on all seven continents on the weekend of 21-22 April 2012. The event embraces collaborative problem solving with a goal of producing solutions to global challenges. http://spaceappschallenge.org About   3  
4. The International Space Apps Challenge will demonstrate that government data – in this case publicly available data – coupled with innovative developers and discipline expertise from around the world, can produce solutions to critical needs applicable around the world. Vision   4  
5. On September 20, 2011, President Obama, together with other heads of state, endorsed the principles of the Open Government Partnership – a new multilateral initiative to promote transparency, participation and collaboration between governments and citizens. Since then, 52 countries have joined the global partnership. NASA is working with other organizations around the world on the International Space Apps Challenge as part of the United States’ domestic commitment to the Open Government Partnership. http://www.opengovpartnership.org   Background   5  
6. Codeathons are technology development marathons that draw on the talents and initiative of bright minded volunteers – developers, engineers, technologists, designers, and anyone with a passion and desire to have an immediate impact on the world. They are focused on collaborative problem solving with a goal of developing real solutions to global challenges by the end of the event. What is a Codeathon?   6  
7. At NASA, we like to think of Apollo 13 as our first “app challenge”. During that historic mission we were faced with a challenge that needed to be solved, limited resources, and limited time – an unexpected group of people came together in an unexpected way to solve an unexpected challenge. Our goal is to keep that spirit alive in the International Space Apps Challenge! Challenges are grouped in four broad categories: 1. Software Development 3. Citizen Science Platforms! 2. Open Hardware 4. Data Visualization! It’s not just about smart phone applications! During the International Space Apps Challenge teams will utilize publicly available data to design innovative solutions to a pre-determined series of global challenges focused on space exploration and social needs. The First Space App Challenge   7  
8. Events are confirmed in 25 locations on all 7 continents, and in space, including: Event Locations   8   −  San Francisco, Miami, Boulder and New York City, United States −  Vancouver and Montreal, Canada −  Tokyo, Japan −  Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra, Australia −  Jakarta, Indonesia −  Exeter and Oxford, United Kingdom −  Nairobi, Kenya −  Sao Paulo, Brazil −  Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic −  Lausanne, Switzerland −  McMurdo Station, Antarctica −  International Space Station −  Santiago, Chile −  Istanbul, Turkey −  Stuttgart, Germany −  Bangalore, India −  Dublin, Ireland −  Tel Aviv, Israel
9. Event Hosting Recommendations   For a successful event ask yourself the following questions ahead of time: 1.  Do I have a venue available for the 48 hours of the event? 2.  Have I reached out to the right people to participate in the event? 3.  Do I need anyone to help run event logistics? 4.  Is there enough bandwidth available at the event for all participants? 5.  Is there food in the vicinity for the participants and volunteers? Additionally, let us know you’re hosting an event by 1.  Registering at http://spaceappschallenge.org, and 2.  Participating in the global calls leading up to the event. 9  
10. Venue Suggestions   The best venues… −  Are available all day Saturday and all day Sunday −  Have capacity for holding all attendees in one large room for briefings, presentations, and awards ceremonies −  Allow for 24 hour access so participants can work overnight on Saturday, if they want −  Have smaller breakout rooms or areas where groups can work together −  Are easily accessible via public transportation (if available in your location) −  Allow for reasonable access to building (no high security buildings) −  Allow participants to bring in food −  Have tables and chairs for small group gathering and brainstorming −  Have bathrooms available −  Have a place to throw out garbage (an outside dumpster) Some good venue options include community centers, conference centers/rooms, and university campuses. 10  
11. Connectivity Guidelines   Things for hosts to consider… −  Access to electricity/plugs for all the attendees −  Bandwidth sufficient for all attendees to actively use the Internet simultaneously −  Plenty of IP addresses available for your attendees (e.g., you could consider how many to make available for each attendee) −  Wi-Fi availability (and the need for any passwords) −  Capacity for video/web streaming −  Capacity for live online connection with other International Space Apps Challenge sites 11  
12. Pre-Event Coordination   Beginning in March 2012, NASA will coordinate biweekly global calls with leads from around the world. We will provide the status of all locations, answer questions, and connect you with other event planners. You will receive information on how to participate in the calls after you register your event online. 12  
13. Outreach to Participants   Remember that the International Space Apps Challenge is looking for more than just coders and developers! Seek out anyone passionate about space exploration and social need to support the event. You could market the event via some of the following channels: −  Go meet with people! Attend tech and non-tech meetups. −  Post on mailing lists with a technical audience at least 4 weeks before the event . −  Post on local university mailing lists. −  Blog about it on your own and other technical blogs. −  Post on event planning sites. −  Tweet about it on Twitter – hashtag #spaceapps. −  Personally invite your friends that you think will have a great time. −  Help people market the event to their friends. Tell them what to tell their friends. Encourage people to "own" the event, they should understand what it is, and be able to encourage their friends to come. Make the time and place very clear. Use resources available at www.spaceappschallenge.org a starting point. 13  
14. Outreach to Partners   Each host is responsible for their own partner outreach efforts. You may want to consider inviting local organizations to be a part of the International Space Apps Challenge. # You could also think about reaching out to software and technology companies, telecommunications companies, NGOs, civil society organizations, government offices, universities, etc. 14  
15. Outreach to Volunteers   Each event lead is also responsible for arranging needed personnel. Think about who you will need to run the event itself such as: −  Registration support −  People to help manage logistics like food and trash −  Clean-up after the event −  People available to answer questions Remember that these are just suggestions. Consider the appropriate number of volunteers for your event. 15  
16. Outreach to Media   Here are some suggestions about managing media outreach for the event. ! Press Releases Sample press releases will be circulated to local lead teams at least four weeks before the Challenge. You may share those press releases with your local media outlets (press, TV, and online media) and invite them to cover the event. You may need to translate the press release into your local language. Please contact elizabeth.sabet@secondmuse.org for any questions regarding PR materials. ! Websites! Link to the International Space Apps Challenge from your website. ! Blogging/Tweeting Reach out to local, national, and international tech blogs that you read and ask them to post about the Challenge. Include a link to the website and registration page. Post on your own organization’s blog and Twitter stream about the Challenge, and ask your local partners to do the same. Include a link to the website/registration page http:// spaceappschallenge.org. For all tweets use #spaceapps. 16  
17. Social Media Engagement   Here are some suggestions about managing social media engagement for the event. ! Use of Social Media In addition to using blog posts and Twitter as a platform to spread the word about the International Space Apps Challenge, you may choose to engage in conversation using social media as much as possible regarding your event. Two-way dialogue is an effective and rewarding method of engaging participants and the interested public alike, and its prolific use will make the International Space Apps Challenge a richer experience worldwide. Twitter As mentioned, the #spaceapps hashtag is the convention for the worldwide event, but you may consider using #spaceapps_[location] as a standard in order to communicate logistical updates that only apply to your location (e.g., bagels and coffee just arrived on the first floor! #spaceapps_sf). We recommend including this secondary hashtag in all local electronic communications and printed material. 17  
18. Prizes   At the conclusion of the event submit solutions to http://spaceappschallenge.org to be considered for judging. Local event leads may provide judging and awards for your location. Leads may consider awarding other prizes at your location for best solutions on a specific challenge, most creative solution, most social impact etc. Global awards will be announced one week after the event and will be awarded for each category of challenges – software development, open hardware, citizen science platforms, and open hardware. 18  
19. Registration   Registration links will be posted on http://spaceappschallenge.org for registering your event if you are a lead and for registering as an individual participant Once your event is registered, we recommend distributing the link for your location in all of your outreach and PR materials to encourage participants to sign up for your location. Event leads will be given the attendee names and email addresses for their location. Our experience suggests that 50 – 60% of people who RSVP will actually attend, and some will appear the day of the Challenge who have not signed up. This may vary per event. You are welcome to register additional people on the spot if you believe you will have the capacity to accommodate them. If you expect to be over capacity, you may want to give priority to those who signed up in advance. 19  
20. Registration, continued   You may want to consider setting up a registration desk at the entrance to the room and having someone available to: −  Direct attendees to check in if they have RSVP'd by checking their name on a list. −  Give out the name tag stickers/have attendees fill them out. −  Direct the attendees to where they can sit/put their stuff, etc. −  Answer any questions they may have. −  Provide a computer (with Internet) so attendees can register if they haven’t RSVP’d. 20  
21. Sample Event Agenda   Saturday, April 21! 9:00 a.m. Registration 10:00 a.m. Schedule and logistics announcements 10:30 a.m. Subject Matter Expert briefing 11:00 a.m. Begin developing 12:30 p.m. Lunch break 1:30 p.m. Developing continued 4:30 p.m. Optional progress briefing, more developing 6:30 p.m. Dinner break 8:00 p.m. More developing Saturday, April 22! 10:00 a.m. Logistics briefing & updates 10:15 a.m. Begin developing 12:00 p.m. Submission Deadline 12:00 p.m. Lunch break 1:30 p.m. Presentations 3:00 p.m. Judges Voting 3:30 p.m. Awards 4:00 p.m. Post event social 21  
22. Supplies   Let your attendees know to bring their own laptops if they have them. We recommend you also consider having spare supplies available where possible. For example, you may want to consider having: −  Power strips −  Extension cords −  Projector/Screen (or blank wall) −  Microphone/Podium −  USB drives −  Tables/chairs (if not provided at venue) −  Name tag stickers −  Laptop/printer (for registration and other general purposes) −  Office supplies: Pens, pencils, highlighters, stapler, paper −  Whiteboard/Blackboard/Large Paper −  Dry erase pens/chalk/markers 22  
23. Event Documentation Suggestions   Twitter: Encourage participants and partners to tweet about their involvement using #spaceapps. Blogging: Write three blogs to be posted to the spaceappschallenge.org blog. E-mail your blogs to opengov@nasa.gov to have them posted to the website. 1.  Before the event: How is your planning going? What are the details? Do you have any special guests? Provide any/all of this detail! 2.  During the event: We’d love status updates! How are the projects coming? Did you have any great moments? 3.  After the event: How did it go? What were the results? Who were the winners? Encourage participants and partners to blog about their involvement in the Challenge. Let them know that we will be highlighting some of their blog posts on http:// www.spaceappschallenge.org. 23  
24. Timeline Recommendations   Five to Eight Weeks until the International Space Apps Challenge q  Confirm your venue and that there is appropriate capacity and bandwidth. Send the information to elizabeth.sabet@secondmuse.org. q  Begin outreach to developers to encourage registration and attendance. q  Post on your organization’s blog about your involvement in the Challenge and link to the http:// spaceappschallenge.org website and registration. q  Reach out to local tech bloggers and ask them to post about the Challenge. q  Reach out to local subject matter experts for problem definitions. (Once the deadline is past for submitting challenges, event organizers can still e-mail opengov@nasa.gov if they would like to add a new challenge.) q  Think about any security requirements at your host location (e.g., need for ID to get in) . 24  
25. Timeline Recommendations, continued   Four Weeks until the International Space Apps Challenge q  Begin mainstream PR—send press releases to local media. Extend invitations to reception for press, where appropriate. q  Share details with elizabeth.sabet@secondmuse.org for inclusion on the website. q  Secure a local organizer, developer, or subject matter expert to act as the emcee for the event. Three Weeks until the International Space Apps Challenge q  Invite your judges to participate and distribute judging criteria. q  Confirm the speakers for Friday night reception, if applicable. q  Decide on prizes for winning developers, if applicable.# 25  
26. Timeline Recommendations, continued   Two Weeks until the International Space Apps Challenge! q  Confirm necessary A/V support. q  Arrange for prizes for winning hackers. q  Determine which subject matter experts, if any, will be present at the Challenge to present their problem statements in person. One Week until the International Space Apps Challenge! q  Send out a confirmation email to all those registered for your location with start and end time of Challenge, location address, any security information and reception details (if applicable). q  Confirm bandwidth availability (sufficient IP addresses, passwords, access points, etc.). q  Purchase any additional items needed (markers, paper, power strips, name tags, etc.). 26  
27. Timeline Recommendations, continued   One Day until the International Space Apps Challenge! q  Download registration spreadsheet to use at check in. q  Confirm that space and A/V equipment have been properly set-up. q  Put up signage in appropriate locations. 27  
28. Design Guidelines   28  
29. Design Guidelines, continued     29  
30. Branding Examples   Poster Design Challenge Category Images 30  
31. Branding Examples, continued   Sticker and Patch Design 31   T-Shirt Designs NASA and SecondMuse are not allowed to fund T- shirts for this event, but designs are available online if local organizations desire to print T-shirts for the event they are hosting.
32. Contact Information   If you have questions about planning your International Space Apps Challenge, contact us at: Elizabeth Sabet SecondMuse Operations Lead, International Space Apps Challenge elizabeth.sabet@secondmuse.com Kristen Painting NASA Project Manager, International Space Apps Challenge kristen.m.painting@nasa.gov Nicholas Skytland NASA Program Manager, Open Government Initiative nicholas.g.skytland@nasa.gov Website# http://spaceappschallenge.org (to launch on 1 March 2012) 32  
33. Event  Planning  Guide