Events Guide
From Open Knowledge Foundation
Contents |
What's in this page
The OKFN organises lots of different events for different communities, on different topics worldwide.
Big events we run
We do some big international events such as:
- OKCon - our annual conference, with a mixture of high profile keynote speakers, lightning talks and hands-on workshops. Whether you are a journalist, a scientist, a civil servant, a coder or just interested in open data this is the event to come and see what is happening in the world of open knowledge: to meet people, make plans and build things.
- Open Government Data Camp - the world's biggest open government data event. OGDCamp brings together stakeholders from dozens of countries around the world to showcase open data applications, swap notes on open data initiatives and put faces to names.
Small events we run
In addition, we also run smaller events such as:
- Local Meetups - informal in-person get-togethers, from Cambridge to Cape Town to Copenhagen.
- Workshops - focussed on a particular topic. For example: Open Data and Cultural Heritage, Data Catalogues Interoperability Workshop
- Code Sprints - Eurostat hackday
- Text Sprints - Data Journalism Handbook Book Sprint, Open Data Manual Book Sprint
- Online Meetups
Other people's events
As an OKFN'er, besides organising events, you will very likely attend lots of events organised by other organisations. For information on what to do when you're representing the OKF at an event, see: Attending Other Events
We are often approached about co-organising events or asked to host events for other organisations. For more information on this, please see Co-organising and Hosting Guide
Virtual Meetings
As a virtual organisation, conducting both virtual and in-person meetings is also very important to master. See Meetings for more details on virtual meetings.
Activities at Events
Helping people get to know one another
One of the primary reasons people travel to events is to meet other people. Some ideas for ice-breakers:
- Go around the room - getting people to introduce themselves and what they are interested in
- Name stickers - everyone wears a sticker which says who they are and what they are interested in
- Would Like To Meet service - where people let you know who they would like to meet either via the community team / tweets (make sure you have a hashtag for the event) / an open wall
Exploring a topic
- Data Mapping Days
- Discussion days
- Panels
- Debates
Showcasing projects & ideas
- Lightning talks
- Speed geeking
- Panel presentation
- Soapbox video
Writing text
Writing code
Before: Event Checklist
The Basics
- For larger events, make sure everything is started at least 6 MONTHS in advance; for smaller events, leave at least 1 MONTH.
- Think about the type of event you are trying to run. Consider the type of activities you should be putting on.
- Establish *who is in charge* from the OKF, steering committee and any partner orgs (and if relevant, develop an MoU). See: Coorganising Hosting
- If necessary, secure sponsorship Sponsorship
- Get a space, visit it ASAP. See the Venue Checklist
- Use social media and networks to announce early and announce often. See: Publicising Events
- Work in Public wherever you can (mailing lists, etc)
- Enable ‘User’ participation (empower people to volunteer). See: Volunteers
- Obligatory ubiquitous WiFiYour A/V will Always Screw Up at Crucial Times
- Keeping to time is important so a) build in buffers b) have good moderators (who can be tough)
- Finalize programme in advance (so that program design / promo isn't so rushed!)
- Sort out visa letters. See: Visa applications
- Ask participants for their promotional material in advance (think about a postal address they can send to if they prefer to get things delivered)
- You will always need wrist badges, name tags etc, also printed programme, posters, banners etc - and all must be ordered at least *two weeks* in advance. See Media Library
Choosing a venue
Please see the Venue Checklist for information on how to choose a venue.
How do I organise pre-event publicity? / Announce my event
See: Publicising Events
Someone needs a letter of invitation for a visa, what should I include?
Please see: Visa applications for necessary information and where to find templates.
Getting volunteers for events
See Volunteers
Where do I get OKF propaganda (t-shirts, leaflets, stickers, etc)?
Please see: Media Library
During the event
Event multimedia (Twitter feed, projector, streaming equipped?)
After the event
- Export participants as CSV and upload into Highrise. Do group tag with event:[name of event]
- Make sure everyone divides up 1) Banners 2) Stickers (we're still really rubbish at doing this!)
- Get slides from all speakers
- Post event mailout
