Suggestions for 2009
This page should be used as a place to capture the ideas that we don't want to forget to incorporate in 2009 given our fresh perspectives on 2008... so.... list away! (also, feel free to add topics/sections, the list below was just a quick start)
Financial Aid
- Make reimbursement process easier by creating a pdf for recipients to fill out instead of making them create their own.
Food, etc.
- Have water be available in the hallways, not just the rooms
- Convince the food vendors / hotel to leave the food trays around for longer than the few minutes when scheduled meal breaks are. Numerous times I missed the provided food due to an extended conversation following a talk or having been in the vendor area.
Lightning Talks
- Be more specific that talks should be more than a sales or recruiting pitch. Tell us about what you're doing!
Networking
- wired network for speakers' podiums, vendors & sponsors who request it, tutorials (esp. tutorial instructors)
- wired network for tutorials -- too many people need to install at the beginning of a tutorial and it was too easy for the wireless to go down thus holding up progress on tutorials.
Open Space
- introduction to open space for attendees
- more announcements about open spaces
- each session chair mentions open spaces that they're interested in
- add scheduled open spaces to the daily schedule changes sheet
Sponsorship
- Dedicate space for recruiting
- Use open space room(s)?
- Encourage sponsors to set up social events (parties, dinners, mixers, etc.).
Talk Selection Process
- Keep speaker names on proposals during reviews
- Organize scheduled talks into themed tracks
Talk Logistics
Better wrangling of speakers at speaking time
Headset mics to free up both hands?
Buffer zone around A/V setup to avoid RFI from Blackberrys and such
Email in advance and/or give a handout to all presenters (including lightening talkers) to include:
- suggestion to turn off screensavers, IM clients, etc that might interupt the talk
- warnings against poorly contrasting colors (e.g. yellow on green)
- supported projector resolutions
- recommended minimum font size for legibility at various resolutions
- suggestion to backup their presentation prior to the day of their talk :-)
A spare DVI to VGA adapter per room
Perhaps a spare projector in the speaker's ready room which can be used to test the speaker's equipment out prior to their talk