Wikimania 2016 bids/Esino Lario/Timeline

Ongoing tasks

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Once developed, these are monitored until the conference days:

  • Lodging: Room reservations and travel arrangements
  • Lodging: Monitoring of room blocks at each hotel
  • Logistics: Constant contact with each venue on setup, A/V, F&B, etc.
  • Program: Speaker solicitation and confirmation
  • Registration: Monitoring of Registration numbers and track sizes
  • Sponsors: Sponsor solicitation and confirmation
  • Volunteers: Volunteer solicitation and confirmation

Early planning

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One year or more before the event

  •   Done Design: Create branding/logo for conference
  •   Done Logistics: Select and contract Wikimania location
  • Program: Recruit members for the Program committee; draft call for participation
  • Registration: Develop online Registration system
  • Scholarships: Begin developing scholarship criteria; develop scholarship process front page


May 2015

  • Notify the opening hours of the pharmacy (this is the way the city council can have the pharmacy open during the entire conference), May

Eight months before the event / October 2015

  • Logistics: Create planning timeline
  • Logistics: Conference budget development and approval
  • Logistics: Select and contract Conference Planner
  • Scholarships: Finalize scholarship selection criteria; test and launch scholarship application

Seven months before the event / November 2015

  • Logistics: Full conference review with selected conference planner of all existing contracts and timeline
  • Logistics: Search and select the venues for the opening reception and the closing party
  • Lodging: Search for hotel accommodations
  • Program: Start speaker/presenter search and collection of papers
  • Program: Start speaker tracking document
  • Scholarships: Launch scholarship application process and call for participation
  • Sponsors: Sponsorship package development and solicitation

Six months before the event / December 2015

  • Design: Conduct search for graphic Designer (Program book/Mini Agenda/signs)
  • Lodging: Contract hotels (VIP/Foundation/Staff/Scholarship winners)
  • Program: Draft Agenda outline online
  • Registration: Finalize online Registration system
  • Scholarships: Close scholarship application process; begin reviewing applications

Five months before the event / January 2016

  • Program: Close call for participation
  • Registration: Launch online Registration—make sure to include hotel information in your Registration.

Four months before the event / February 2016

  • Design: Begin assembling content for the official Program book
  • Logistics: Conference planner establishes all preliminary set-ups, Food and Beverage (F&B) orders, Internet/Wi-Fi, and A/V requirements for the conference
  • Scholarships: Finish reviewing scholarship applications; select and notify awardees

Three months before the event / March 2016

  • Design: Prepare the first draft of Program book and mini agenda
  • Lodging: Start making hotel and travel accommodations for (VIP/Foundation/Staff/Scholarship winners)
  • Logistics: Conduct search, send RFP and select key service vendors:
    • AV/Video production
    • Photographer
    • Destination management Company (DMC) - Transportation
    • Registration Management Company
  • Program: Finish reviewing submissions; notify presenters; prepare schedule
  • Program: Program director and graphic Designer working together to complete the Program guide
  • Volunteers: Develop the volunteer tasks and duties list; begin solicitation and confirmation of Volunteers

Finalizing and executing

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Two months before the event / April 2016

  • Design: Create conference directional signage
  • Logistics: Draft the sponsor trade show floor layout
  • Logistics: Order all logo materials:
    • T-Shirts
    • Conference bags
    • Name badge paper stock / holders / lanyards

One month before the event / May 2016

  • Logistics: Finalize the travel schedule with the DMC
  • Logistics: Draft the travel schedule for each venue
  • Volunteers: Based on volunteer solicitation outcome, determine if you need to hire outside staff
  • Notify the opening hours of the pharmacy (this is the way the city council can have the pharmacy open during the entire conference), May

Two weeks before the event / June 2016

  • Design: Final Program Book and Mini agenda to print
  • Design: Final Signs to print
  • Lodging: Final information to the hotel: F&B, A/V, Room Sets
  • Lodging: Final Room list to hotels
  • Lodging: Drop any unused rooms at each hotel for re-sale
  • Logistics: Ship all items to the venue – inform all Sponsors to ship their items to be included in conference bag
  • Sponsors: Finalize list of Sponsors so that their logos, ads, etc. can be added to Program book
  • Volunteers: Finalize the Volunteers and duties; send final email confirmation/info/when/where

Immediately before, during, and after

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One week to one day before the event:

  • Logistics: Create the conference contact list and distribute to all staff/Volunteers/venues/vendors
  • Logistics: Track and receive all shipped materials to the venue
  • Logistics: Hold a pre-conference with all staff and venues: Here you will adjust for any last minute updates to the conference set-ups, F&B, AV
  • Registration: Close online registration, send final list to the Registration company. Registration company to print badges
  • Volunteers: Have a volunteer bag stuffing party once all materials have arrived at the conference venue
  • Sponsors, Program, Scholarships, Lodging: Send final info emails and draft welcome letters for:
    • Sponsors
    • Speakers
    • Attendees
    • Staff/VIPs/Scholarship winners

During the conference:

  • Lodging: Print and deliver welcome letters to each hotel
  • Logistics: Conference planner to manage on-site
  • Registration: Registration management company to handle all on-site Registration
  • Volunteers: Volunteer coordination being executed by volunteer coordinator

Post-conference:

  • Lodging: Collect full hotel room pick-up list
  • Logistics: Conduct a post event meeting with all staff, venues, vendors, etc.
  • Logistics: Collect and pay all outstanding invoices from vendors
  • Logistics: Create the final post-event budget report
  • Registration: Registration company to deliver the final attendee list
  • Videos: Post videos of presentations online, in coordination with video production team or company.

References

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  • Grants:Learning patterns/International events? Allow three months for visa formalities

Notes

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