IT conferences - viewed as a Consumer.

Below is my list of (updated) tips for conference-organizers.

In Short:

1. Maximize interaction between people.
2. Encourage speakers to mix with (paying) attendees.
3. Force speakers out of the speaker lounge if needed (prevent the clique)


4. Space. Facilitate space for walking, talking, some seating.
5. Provide practical (walking) food and Good Coffee throughout.
6. Sit-down food is optional: tables take up valuable space. Queuing takes time+space.
7. Hot-meals tend to make people sleepy.


8. Have a dead-simple-timing agenda, start on whole hrs with 15min breaks.
9. Ensure timekeeping, use visible Round Clocks (cc Nephantur) and Strikt chairpersons.
10. New speakers: Schedule them early (nerves) and pay extra attention to timekeeping.
11. Provide a laptop with (latest) powerpoint and a clicker-pointer. 
12. In room-laptop is also a sneaky way to collect all the presentations.
13. Speakers: Never. Rely. On. The. Network. (unless you plan to bail-out)
14. Make feedback easy (mobile-app or mobile-friendly webpage)
15. Feedback idea: separate twitter #hashtag per session?


16. Stimulate exhibitors to have "Active" stands (games!)
17. Give exhibitors Spacious Stands (e.g. sell minimum of 20m2, discourage "just-a-desk" sponsors)
18. Forget the sponsor-leaflets in the goody-bag. Nobody reads them.
19. Useful Exhibitor-handouts: Good Coffee (ask the venue), and Charged USB batteries.


20. Practicalities: Safe cloakroom (and not "closing" before event is over - Brum)
21. Facilitate taxi-sharing or have volunteers do the driving (e.g. extra interaction)


22. Wifi should be simple and work (avoid re-login every time)
23. Throw cables and power-sockets on the floor in the back of the rooms (iPhones)


24. Provide a "smokers corner". Optionally: sheltered from rain.
25. Social events: also provide some sit+talk space.  Disco-noise is hard to talk under.
26. If you must have us dancing: play cheesy 80s/90s music (ELO, ABBA, Queen, etc.. ask your parents...)

That is the shorthand list for the moment. 

The earlier version of this pedantic list is online here. Reason for the update is mainly because two organizers recently came and said: "See? we have read your list!" I was quite proud of that.

There are a number of things I would love to elaborate on (like the "food" and the "sponsor-stands"), but that will have to wait a bit. 

Planning 2017 trip to OUG Spring events

Someone just asked me about my plans for the Spring.

Well, My intention is to do the usual spring/summer trip again: Baltics, Serbia, Bulgaria. And I also got an invite from the Romanian RoOUG to make a stop in Bucharest.

Due to time-constraint, I have politely cancelled going to Helsinki this year. I’m really sorry to miss the OUGF.fi Harmony event because it is always good quality content and nice social activities. I’ll try to be there next year folks. Kiitosh.

Last year's tour was a Great Success, check the interactive map-log at MyAdventure.bike...

So the tentative plan is approximately this:

note: if I strecht it, I could make an interactive Google-map with all the events + dates on it. But I'm too lazy; I'd rather go visit those places by motorcycle... 

The Tour starts with a visit to Riga in Latvia to participate in the Riga Dev Days (RDD, RigaDevDays.lv), on 15 and 16 May.

Then point the motorcycle to Serbia to attend the SrOUG conference in the beautiful mountain city of Zlatibor (known for scenic mountains, skiing, tasty food, and a yearly SrOUG meeting) on 24-26 of May.

After Zlatibor, I ride the motorcycle to Bucharest to visit RoOUG on 30 May. On that leg of the trip I might finally get to visit Stara Planina, the highest point in Serbia (http://www.staraplanina.eu/) And if weather and timing look good I might try going over the famous Transfagarasan road again (although in 2014, going over the lesser known Transalpina was possibly even nicer - will do some research on alternate routes - tips welcome)

Then, after meeting RoOUG, from Bucharest onwards to Pravets to participate in BgOUG on 02-04 June. http://website.bgoug.online/index.html

On the way back, I will try to throw in a stop at the folks from Myadventure.bike in Sofia, and at the Abakus.si offices in Kranj: Good Coffee, good Wifi, nice people.

After that: I need to go straight home because the motorcycle will need it’s next 10K maintenance
Note that I have politely skipped Italian ITOUG tech day on 06 Giugno. I love to go to “new” places and start-up-usergroups, but this one would mean a race from Bulgaria to Milano.
I hope to visit an Italian event soon though (it will mean going over the Alps and drinking Good Coffee, always a Pleasure!)

However, this spring I’d rather take it easy in that week, because… We are not done yet:

There is OGH tech experience on 15+16 June in Utrecht (a 1 hr ride…)
https://www.ogh.nl/page.aspx?event=368

And then the motorcycle may need to rush to Vienna for AOUG on 20 June (if one of my papers gets accepted, that is)

The map link for the complete trip-plan is here, if you want to zoom in on the details: https://goo.gl/maps/1YvXPzCowMJ2 . And if you live along that route and feel like grabbing a cup of Coffee while I check the Wifi Signal: Contact me!


Note: Three years ago, when I started out on my first “expedition”, I had no idea if it actually could be done (link to 2014 plans). By now, I know it is possible: just go, and most things will sort themselves out…


On previous trips I’ve had breakdowns and accidents, and all sorts of unforeseen items, but in the end everything generally worked out. I even got snapped on Google Streetview one day!

See  you on an OUG somewhere ! 

note: if so desired, I can throw in the logos of all the visiting events... just too lazy to do that right now..