FOSS4G Handbook

This Cookbook should be taken as a guide rather than a rulebook. It aims to provide guidance to future FOSS4G and FOSS4G related events, based upon the collective wisdom gained during prior events. As such, it is a continuous work in progress, and we encourage all FOSS4G organisors to contribute to and enhance this cookbook.

Editing this document

This FOSS4G Cookbook aims to be concise, so that it is easy to read and follow. We also aim to collaboratively edit and continuously build this document based upon our collective experience running conferences. As such, we will need to continuously update and delete old text as new ideas come to hand.

The process to follow in updating this wiki is:

• Feel free to make trivial tweaks to grammar and syntax.
• If you would like to introduce a new idea, maybe add a new section, or improve an old section:
  • Raise your suggestion on the OSGeo Conference email list.
  • Once a rough consensus has been reached on the list, you may then update the Cookbook with the collective wisdom of the list.
  • If writing a new section, consider starting the section with: Draft, awaiting review
  • After updating your text, notify the list again to give others the opportunity to review and tweak.

Section Writing Guide

Draft, awaiting review

The first sentence(s) of a section should describe the meaning of the heading. Eg, if this section is on "Birds of a Feather", then the first sentence should start with: Birds of a Feather sessions refer to semi-formal gatherings of like minded delegates to discuss a topic of interest.

Relevance

International FOSS4G: [Mandatory, Recommended, Optional, Not Relevant]

Regional FOSS4G: [Mandatory, Recommended, Optional, Not Relevant]

FOSS4G stream / Local Event: [Mandatory, Recommended, Optional, Not Relevant]

Following paragraphs provide specific details. They might hyperlink to more details from an external Lessons Learned type doc. It will likely cover some of the following topics:

• Key success factors
• Things that can go wrong, with optional brief examples
• List of considerations and why choose one consideration over another
• List of steps to follow
• Organisations or people to contact to coordinate with
• Links to external documents, such as a Google Docs spreadsheet

See Also

• Where relevant, finish with a list of links to web pages for further reading. E.g.
• FOSS4G 2009 Birds of Feather Lessons Learned

Size of the event

Draft, awaiting review

FOSS4G Event can be global FOSS4G conference ("The conference"), as well as smaller local or semi-local FOSS4G-* events, such as FOSS4G-CEE or FOSS4G-NA. It can also be more specific topic-oriented little seminar or code sprint. Number of participants can vary from ten people (code sprint) up to 1000 people (global FOSS4G).

Venue Selection

Draft, awaiting review

The International FOSS4G event rotates around the world, and cities compete to be selected to host the event.

Relevance

International FOSS4G: Mandatory

Regional FOSS4G: Optional

FOSS4G stream / Local Event: Usually Not Relevant

Todo: Extract key information from the RFP docs.

See Also

• http://www.osgeo.org/conference/rfp
• http://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/
• Talk with Jeff McKenna who has many years of experience in this area.

Exhibition

• Event should provide an OSGeo booth
• Event should include OSGeo Advocate speaker who would present on an aspect of OSGeo
• The OSGeo advocate(s) are expected to coordinate and man the OSGeo booth
• The OSGeo Local Chapters are strongly encouraged to hang out at the OSGeo booth

See Also

• FOSS4G 2012 Lessons Learned
• FOSS4G 2011 Lessons Learned
• FOSS4G 2010 Lessons Learned
• FOSS4G 2009 Lessons Learned
• FOSS4G2008 Lessons Learned
• FOSS4G2007 Lessons Learned
• German FOSSGIS Handbook in German, and an English translation
• FOSS4G Request for Proposal (RFP) documents: http://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/

Howtos from related conferences:

• Linux Australia Conference Howto
• ECOOP Conference Howto