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This event planning guide is intended to provide a high-level structure & approach to planning, organizing, and facilitating productive face-to-face events for the CNTT Community. The contents of this guide may adjust over time to align with evolving community objectives & priorities. Examples of pages have been provided below and can be used as templates for creating the content required to manage and communicate future events. |
Introduction
Linux Foundation Networking (LFN) organizes four principal technical community face-to-face meetings each year. These meetings are structured, programmed, and driven by the LFN Project Technical Communities with support from LFN program managers, marketing and events staff. Generally, the LFN events are planned and scheduled as follows:
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Registration - Registration links to CNTT F2F Work Shops will be created and managed by LFN. The links will be socialized to the CNTT Community when they become available.
Example of a CNTT Technical F2F Work Shop event landing page can be found here.
Event Planning
Event planning is facilitated by the CNTT Technical F2F Work Shop workstream in full collaboration with LFN, GSMA, and the broader CNTT Community.
CNTT Technical F2F Work Shops should be planned, in advance, to optimize time and value of the overall event. Topics for the event will be sourced from the community to achieve an appropriate mix, based on community progress and changes in the technology landscape. During the planning phase, topics will be captured, approved, scheduled, and communicated.
Examples of Community Source Topic Solicitation along with a documented approach can be found here.
Sample Time Table
| Lead Time Prior to Event | Task |
|---|---|
| > 6 months | Events are scheduled with initial logistics set (dates, duration, location, & facility) |
| 8-12 weeks | Solicitation of topics from Governance & Technical Steering Committees (topics, duration, & facilitators) |
| 8-10 weeks | Facility logistics are known (number of rooms, room sizes, A/V support, local power, food / beverage service) |
| 8 weeks | Event registration opens |
| 5-8 weeks | Community sourced topics collected, assembled into an agenda, agenda reviewed, approved, & published) |
| 1-4 weeks | Prepare for event (presentations posted, zoom bridge setup, Etherpads are created |
| 1 day | Facility walk-through; A/V system at facility is tested & certified |
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Event facilitation covers the session management and logistical support required to ensure the sessions run smoothly and on-time. CNTT Community participants are encouraged to volunteer prior to or during the event. Some of the key roles include:
Overall Event Hosts - Hosts over the entire event, responsibilities include opening remarks, closing remarks, announcements, primary point(s) of contact for the entire event. Event Hosts can include leadership or officers from LFN, GSMA, and the Governance and/or Technical Steering Committees.
Session Facilitators | Timekeepers - Session facilitators host a session, providing introductions, assisting in keeping discussions moving (table items when necessary), calling out action items, and managing time for the session to ensure it keeps on track for scheduled end and delivery of all content. Session Facilitators can be the actual presenters or someone designated by the presenters to manage those aspects.
Event Manager - Single point of contact for the event responsible for coordinating with local facility representatives on issues such as the A/V system, internet, power, room temperature, food delivery, and so on. This role (person) should be communicated at beginning of the event so attendees and the facility representatives understand who to contact and who is authorized to make requests or changes.
Note Takers - Event attendees should be encouraged to take notes at the beginning of each session to capture discussion, decisions, and action items. In the event of a smaller audience at a session, a request can be made for a volunteer to take notes.
Microphone Runners | Microphone Stand - In the event that mic-runners will be used during a session, volunteers should be solicited from the session attendee group to take microphones to the speakers in the audience.
Zoom Bridge Recordings | Publication - Designated individual (can be session facilitators) to ensure sessions are recorded and published whenever possible via Zoom for playback once the session or event completes. Zoom recordings should be published to the event wiki.
Post Event Activities
Post Event activities are conducted to accomplish two primary objectives:
- Ensure discussions, decisions, and action items are organized, managed, and archived
- Assess the event for value, quality, & efficiency
This is accomplished through the following actions:
| Action | Description | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Organize | Consolidate Etherpad Notes | Etherpad notes are reviewed, consolidated, and summarized for follow-up and/or action. | CNTT Technical F2F Workstream |
| Capture Action Items; Assign Owners | Key action items are moved to the Governance Key Action list with owners assigned; then reviewed with the Governance Steering Master team for follow-up | CNTT Technical F2F Workstream Governance Steering Master |
| Conduct Survey | Create and conduct event survey; sending to attendees <1 week post event. | LFN Event Team | LFN |
| Publish | Review Survey Results | Pull, analyze, and create survey results summary for readout on the Governance Steering Mater call, usually <2 weeks post event. Results should be viewed as actionable learning's to improve future events. An example, from the January 2019 event, can be found here . | CNTT Technical F2F Workstream |