[Scale-planning] SCALE 101 / helping new attendees

Caryl Bigenho cbigenho at hotmail.com
Fri Mar 10 19:42:47 UTC 2017 

Hi...


Along with all these great suggestions, how about including a blank schedule as an insert in the program. Put it on easy to write on paper (not the slick glossy brochure paper) that folks can fill in each day to plan what they want to attend? Sort of a special "Day Timer" for each day of SCaLE. If it were in 2 colors, the breaks could be a different color (say light blue maybe?). The rest of the schedule would be white. Maybe there could be a welcome table to help people choose what they want to see.


Caryl


"My other computer is a pencil"... Wayne Ayers (my computer guru from long ago)

________________________________
From: Scale-planning <scale-planning-bounces at lists.linuxfests.org> on behalf of der.hans <Verteiler+SCaLE-planning at LuftHans.com>
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2017 11:29:32 AM
To: SCALE Planning List
Subject: Re: [Scale-planning] SCALE 101 / helping new attendees

Am 10. Mar, 2017 schwätzte Mx Siltanen so:

moin moin,

<snippity, snip>

> 4) Issue: hard to determine beginner friendly talks at SCALE.
> Some conferences label talks as 100, 200, 300 level.. not certain if we
> want to go completely that way, but we should always find ways to have an
> welcoming door for new people to join us, thus
>
> Suggested solution: add a tag or other identifying info to the sessions
> which are definitely beginner friendly.
> With an appropriate tag we can generate a special schedule for those new to
> SCALE

The cfp asks for beginner, intermediate, etc and also keywords. Do we have
any way to search for them? I don't see them in talk descriptions or
sign.xml.

> 5) Issue: Beginners looking for User Groups to participate in.
> We have some great user groups on the show floor, would be nice to find a
> way to better connect beginners with the various groups which are welcoming
> of new members.
>
> Suggestion: ... [ still thinking of options on this one, feel free to
> suggest some ]

See other thread for my scavenger hunt suggestion.

It would also be nice to keyword search booths for local organizations and
companies.

There are lots of other reasons to be able to keyword search for
presentations and booths.

> 6) Issue: SCALE appears to have less social media news than other events.
>
> Suggestion: Find ways to engage and invite more with groups which are
> invested in social media activities... [ feel free to suggest ideas ]

Here I must admit to my own failings. I wanted to write up blog/PR for the
tracks I helped with this year, but did not get to it. That lies directly
on me.

It would be helpful in the future if we could link to a particular track
for PR, e.g. "This year's <a
href='https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/16x/schedule?track=MySQL'>MySQL
track</a> shall grace upon us presentations about..."

tag=$keyword would also be awesome.

> 7) Perhaps a Thur night BOF for new people would be useful? Give people a
> chance to find SCALE buddies, a chance to ask questions,...

I like this idea. I had contemplated a social BoF this year, but didn't
get to it.

/me puts on BoF hat

Let's make it happen for next year.

> 8) Encourage people to introduce themselves to others before the sessions
> start.
> A simple introduction to those next to you can mean another friendly face
> you notice during the week.
> ( I would sometimes ask people to introduce themselves to the person next
> to them when I have a good crowd and have time before the session starts
> when MCing )

Good idea. I will try to remember to do that next year.

Do we send out a speaker email shortly before the conference?

I received the "I'm speaking at SCaLE" email and at least some speakers
get invites to do interviews. My apologies if I missed others.

It would be nice to have a couple of emails go out to speakers. A
welcome email and a reminder email. I will gladly help with both.

The welcome email info could be in the talk accepted email, but I think it
would be better if it's sent out after the speaker has acked the
acceptance and committed to attending.

The reminder email should go out a week before SCaLE.

The welcome email could include things like:

* speaker lounge ( I didn't know about this the first few years I spoke )
* clothing suggestions since the talks are being recorded. For instance, I
have been told that some of my fashion choices do not show up well :).
* blurb about the track they are in
* talk promo suggestions
* contact info for PR team
* directions for picking up their commemmorative gold coins

The reminder email could include things like:

* reminder that they're supposed to be at the conference :)
* thank them for presenting at SCaLE
* day, time room info for their talk
* URL for live stream for their room if we can have that early
* let them know the room will be available approx 1/2 hour before talk for
them to prep
* let them know A/V person will be available
* Matti's suggestion about audience ice breaker
* reminder to repeat audience questions for the video

ciao,

der.hans

> Thank You
>
>
> On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 1:05 AM, Lori Barfield <itdirector at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> we had talked about having a table next to the Game Night promotions table
>> in the front lobby, just for newbies.  there would be a "SCaLE Newbie?"
>> sign and a big FAQ there to read.  and the Banks Boys would have ready
>> answers about things like when all the special events occur and where those
>> are.  and maybe even keep maps and programs there for quick reference (not
>> handing out).  and maybe they can have the hotel and restaurant info too.
>>
>> ...lori
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 12:51 AM, Phil Dibowitz <phil at ipom.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 03/09/2017 09:37 PM, Lei Zhang wrote:
>>>> In another thread, Chris Smith said "A recurring theme I observed this
>>>> year with people new to SCALE was that they weren't as aware of
>>>> SCALE's offerings as one might hope."
>>>>
>>>> Should we make a "new to SCALE" guide on the website and link to it in
>>>> the registration emails?
>>>>
>>>> Should we take 1-2 pages near the front of the printed program and put
>>>> the "new to SCALE" guide there?
>>>>
>>>> Did anyone go to the SCALE 101 talk? [1] Was it useful? Should we have
>>>> held it on Friday, instead or ran a second session on Friday?
>>>
>>>
>>> Gonna answer these in reverse.
>>>
>>> The SCALE 101 talk, like last year, was not well attended (about 15
>>> people,
>>> including those that filtered in late), but the panel / Q&A portion was
>>> incredibly interactive, nearly everyone asked questions or commented, and
>>> nearly all of them either stayed late to thank me or found me later to do
>>> so.
>>>
>>> Ilan had a suggestion that we do this between the keynote and the first
>>> session, in the keynote room. It's a good suggestion, but we'd probably
>>> have
>>> to move the keynote slightly earlier to account for the panel, which I
>>> think
>>> is the magic of it all (since I think the breaks are only half hour).
>>>
>>> This would I think be more useful than stuff in the program which people
>>> don't
>>> read as it is.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Phil Dibowitz                             phil at ipom.com
>>> Open Source software and tech docs        Insanity Palace of Metallica
>>> http://www.phildev.net/                   http://www.ipom.com/
>>>
>>> "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter
>>>  and those who matter don't mind."
>>>  - Dr. Seuss
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>> Scale-planning at lists.linuxfests.org
>>> https://lists.linuxfests.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/scale-planning
>>>
>>
>>
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--
#  http://www.LuftHans.com/        http://www.PhxLinux.org/
#  Intelligence without compassion is a waste.  -- der.hans
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