DebConf17/Timeline

Template: Timeline.

Previous DebConf timelines for guidance

• Example timelines.

Team outline

A list of the teams and people involved in them can be found here.

Preamble

Long-term, there's probably little use in putting items into months, as the conference date shifts, and circumstances change. In general though, there's a somewhat standardised flow of the tasks in need of doing, especially early on. Thus, eventually, I (madduck) think a Gantt chart would be a better representation of this timeline.

March 2016 (-17)

• Start work on the conference logo and artwork
• Ponder on a conference theme (if any)

May 2016 (-15)

• Finalize sponsor's brochure
• Get a simple website / landing page online (mainly for sponsors)
• Prepare list of sponsors to approach

June 2016 (-14)

• Finalize & sign venue contract
• Fix conference dates
• Start brainstorming keynote speakers (cf. conference theme)

July 2016 (-13)

• Assemble a rough budget, working with (in) the DCX-1 context
• Approach keynote speakers

August 2016 (-12)

(usually this is a holiday month and traditionally not much gets done)

• Start fundraising (try to give them time for their budget deadlines)

September 2016 (-11)

• Finalise the logo, landing page, design
• Ask teams what are their needs to get a better budget
• Start investigating concrete childcare options
• Collect concrete catering offers
• Investigate suppliers for t-shirts, lanyards, bags, other swag
• Send reminder for DCX+1 bids

October 2016 (-10)

• Choose catering company
• Make a video of Maisonneuve
• Start the work on wafer
• Get a preliminary budget approved

November 2016 (-9)

• Commit sponsors
• Form visa team and gather information about visa: both for attendees (requirements, paper requirements) and local orga (invitation letter requirements)

December 2016 (-8)

• Create a basic page of how to reach host city for people planning their trips
• Work on press strategy
• Decide what DebConf swag we want (T-shirt + ???)
• Have a working wafer registration-wise

January 2017 (-7)

• Call for bursaries team
• Get budget approved
• Get money starting to roll in
• Decide how much we are going to charge for the different fees and how that will work
• Decide swag design and preferred manufacturer(s)
• Send reminder on 29 January 2016: Sponsorship requests, Talk submissions close 2017-02-28
• DCX+1 decision

February 2017 (-6)

• Call for papers
• Sign the venu contract and pay 20% as down payment
• Reminder on the registration dates + initial announcement of some content
• Deadline for attendees to request sponsorship (send a reminder a week before)
• Start to talk with Hotel Universel

March 2017 (-5)

• Opening registration
• Bursaries responds to attendees that requested sponsoring saying yes or no
• Get a deal with Hotel Universel
• Figure out childcare offers and coordinate with any parent attendees
• Registration officially opens

April 2017 (-4)

• Announce bare-bones schedule on Monday 24 April 2016, - times of talks at least, perhaps some highlighted speakers if possible.
• Follow-up with catering
• Publish a preliminary conference schedule
• Follow-up with Croix-Rouge for camp beds
• Finalize banners / signs / large format prints

May 2017 (-3)

• Start working on a "Welcome to DC16" email template with all the info in as few pages as possible (personalized to include personal info including dates, amount that needs to get paid, etc)
• Official registration closes
• Follow-up with hotel
• Start working on visas
• Order Debconf swag

June 2017 (-2)

• Finalize numbers for lodging, in Hotel + at Maisonneuve
• Complete the "getting to" page with pictures and step-by-step on how to reach the venue and lodging
• Order banners / signs / large format prints
• Check that the key signing document is sent out

July 2017 (-1)

• Get the camp beds delivered
• Send out the personalized "Welcome to DC17" file (attendee brochure)
• Print badges
• DCX+2 bid information sent to allow people to prepare

August 2017 (+0)

• Make a "Welcome" post to the site on the first day.
• Debcamp
• Debian Open Weekend
• Debconf
• Day Trips
• Make a thanks and wrapup post to the site on the last day
• Teardown

September 2017 (+1)

• Closing accounting
• Thank you letters (fundraising)
• Final Report
• Handle lost & found
• Reimburse people that have not collected their sponsorship on-site (possibly via SPI)