How to Dis-Organize a Barcamp John F.X. Berns Co-Disorganizer Barcamp Bangkok

Choose Your Weapon Barcamp Big General Hard Takes lots of time Expensive Only 1-2X / year WhateverCamp Smaller Specific topics Not as hard Requires less time Cheap Frequent is OK

Barcamp

Big

General

Hard

Takes lots of time

Expensive

Only 1-2X / year

WhateverCamp

Smaller

Specific topics

Not as hard

Requires less time

Cheap

Frequent is OK

Are You Really Committed? It takes a HUGE amount of time and energy Ask yourself: do you have 100, 200 hours or more that you can commit to the project? Sponsors and attendees deserve the best; are you willing to do the work so they get it? It's really bad form to back out once you announce a date and take sponsor money.

It takes a HUGE amount of time and energy

Ask yourself: do you have 100, 200 hours or more that you can commit to the project?

Sponsors and attendees deserve the best; are you willing to do the work so they get it?

It's really bad form to back out once you announce a date and take sponsor money.

Open, But Controlled Like an Open Source Software Project: Anybody can contribute Contributers gain trust, eventually they can commit Maintainers guide the direction and insure quality Bug reports If, you don't like it, Fork it! Leadership No leaders: bad Too many leaders: also bad

Like an Open Source Software Project:

Anybody can contribute

Contributers gain trust, eventually they can commit

Maintainers guide the direction and insure quality

Bug reports

If, you don't like it, Fork it!

Leadership

No leaders: bad

Too many leaders: also bad

Ideas Are Great; Action Counts Everybody has ideas In the end, it's actions that count Be a good listener Be willing to compromise Be practical Be willing to say ”No!” You should not do everything

Everybody has ideas

In the end, it's actions that count

Be a good listener

Be willing to compromise

Be practical

Be willing to say ”No!”

You should not do everything

Planning? Yes. Planning. Disorganization takes way more planning! Because anything can happen, you have to be prepared for everything. You never know what will happen Plan every detail, adapt to the situation If you have a plan, you will know when things are going bad and you can fix it

Disorganization takes way more planning!

Because anything can happen, you have to be prepared for everything.

You never know what will happen

Plan every detail, adapt to the situation

If you have a plan, you will know when things are going bad and you can fix it

Logistics Anything X 100 is hard; anything X 500 is really hard! Details matter, small things count Personal needs: food, water, bathrooms, soap Supplies, power, trash Getting things there when you need them Moving people

Anything X 100 is hard; anything X 500 is really hard!

Details matter, small things count

Personal needs: food, water, bathrooms, soap

Supplies, power, trash

Getting things there when you need them

Moving people

Printed Stuff What needs printing? Name tags Banners / sponsor banners T-Shirts: nice, but not necessary Topic sheets Printing is not cheap Get prices, make a budget, make choices Plan ahead, printing takes time

What needs printing?

Name tags

Banners / sponsor banners

T-Shirts: nice, but not necessary

Topic sheets

Printing is not cheap

Get prices, make a budget, make choices

Plan ahead, printing takes time

Money Matters More people = More Expenses Things can get expensive fast 400 people X 25 Baht = 10,000 Baht Don't touch money if you don't have to Have sponsors pay direct Make sure things are paid in advance Reciepts? Barcamp B200,000+ WhateverCamp, B10,000 to B50,00

More people = More Expenses

Things can get expensive fast

400 people X 25 Baht = 10,000 Baht

Don't touch money if you don't have to

Have sponsors pay direct

Make sure things are paid in advance

Reciepts?

Barcamp B200,000+

WhateverCamp, B10,000 to B50,00

Setting an Agenda One of the hardest tasks Simple is better Easy for people to post topic Easy for people to vote Easy to create a schedule Speed is important Visible agenda is critical: people need to see what's available to choose from

One of the hardest tasks

Simple is better

Easy for people to post topic

Easy for people to vote

Easy to create a schedule

Speed is important

Visible agenda is critical: people need to see what's available to choose from

K.I.S.S. (Keep It Stupid Simple!) The more you plan to do, the more that can go wrong The more complex the system, the more that can go wrong You don't want to deal with things going wrong The easier it is, the more you enjoy it Technology can get in the way: it's complex! Simpler is always better Paper just works

The more you plan to do, the more that can go wrong

The more complex the system, the more that can go wrong

You don't want to deal with things going wrong

The easier it is, the more you enjoy it

Technology can get in the way: it's complex!

Simpler is always better

Paper just works

Volunteers Doing it alone is too much work More brains = more good ideas More hands = more gets done Not all volunteers follow through 25% do a lot 50% do a little 25% fail Delegate and check progress

Doing it alone is too much work

More brains = more good ideas

More hands = more gets done

Not all volunteers follow through

25% do a lot

50% do a little

25% fail

Delegate and check progress

Delegate Delegate roles & resposibilities Delegate tasks Check on progress Re-delegate if it's not getting done

Delegate roles & resposibilities

Delegate tasks

Check on progress

Re-delegate if it's not getting done

Key Roles Sponsorships Accounting Volunteers Registration Topics and agenda Communications Food Printing Somebody to blame: aka, leaders

Sponsorships

Accounting

Volunteers

Registration

Topics and agenda

Communications

Food

Printing

Somebody to blame: aka, leaders

Deadlines Don't wait until last minute Have room for failure Check progress, change course if necessay Know what can and can't fail

Don't wait until last minute

Have room for failure

Check progress, change course if necessay

Know what can and can't fail

Venue Requirements Location – easy to find / get go Enough space / multiple rooms Seating, projectors, whiteboards Internet connectivity & power Alternative / chillout / free space Responsibilities Respect the venue Show your appreciation

Requirements

Location – easy to find / get go

Enough space / multiple rooms

Seating, projectors, whiteboards

Internet connectivity & power

Alternative / chillout / free space

Responsibilities

Respect the venue

Show your appreciation

Promotion Bloggers Facebook / Social Networks Twittersphere Barcamp mailing list Word of mouth Niche groups Sponsors

Bloggers

Facebook / Social Networks

Twittersphere

Barcamp mailing list

Word of mouth

Niche groups

Sponsors

Sponsors Why do do companies sponsor? How does it benefit the sponsors? Create value for sponsors You have a reponsibility to your sponsors Show respect & gratitude Give them visibility: logos and links Sponsors are not limitless Sponsors have rights, within limits

Why do do companies sponsor?

How does it benefit the sponsors?

Create value for sponsors

You have a reponsibility to your sponsors

Show respect & gratitude

Give them visibility: logos and links

Sponsors are not limitless

Sponsors have rights, within limits

Encourage Participation It's not a seminar; if you want to be entertained, pay B1000 for somebody to put on a show Barcamps is about participation Participation benefits everybody Everybody has something worth saying But it's still really cool to find a few people that you know will give a great presentation

It's not a seminar; if you want to be entertained, pay B1000 for somebody to put on a show

Barcamps is about participation

Participation benefits everybody

Everybody has something worth saying

But it's still really cool to find a few people that you know will give a great presentation

Communications Organizers IRC: great for discussion, bad for decisions Meetings: where descions get made Wiki / Google Docs / Google Mail: shared memory Participants Website Mailing list Be generout with details, maps, schedules

Organizers

IRC: great for discussion, bad for decisions

Meetings: where descions get made

Wiki / Google Docs / Google Mail: shared memory

Participants

Website

Mailing list

Be generout with details, maps, schedules

Resources Barcamp.org YouTube Other camps, anywhere BarcampBangkok organizers

Barcamp.org

YouTube

Other camps, anywhere

BarcampBangkok organizers

Is It Worth It? ?

Yes Yes!

It's Worth It! You feel great about doing something great. You meet awesome people. You learn a lot. You gain mad organizational skills. The community benefits: More knowledge More connection More energy

You feel great about doing something great.

You meet awesome people.

You learn a lot.

You gain mad organizational skills.

The community benefits:

More knowledge

More connection

More energy