Running events can be hard, so here are some tips for making the event a success.
We have found that this event is best run in-person, and to do so you will need an appropriate venue. This venue will need:
- Chairs and desks or tables for every attendee to work at. Just chairs is not enough as not everyone will be able to work with a laptop on their knees, and this will certainly not be comfortable for an entire day.
- WiFi. This event relies on accessing remote git repos and GitHub.com, so every attendee will need access to WiFi.
- Power. Each day of this event will have at least 4 hours of hands on time, so attendees will need laptop power for this. You cannot guarantee every attendee will have a laptop that is charged, or even has a working battery, or one that can last this long. Therefore you will need to be able to provide power to everyone who needs it.
The venue will need a way to clearly present the slides and walk attendees through code. This can be a large projector or screen at the front of the venue, or multiple smaller screens. If this is not possible, you can use tools like StreamYard or video chat tools to stream your content in a way that attendees can watch on-line.
Make sure the room is laid out in a way that attendees are able to clearly see screens without needing to turn their bodies. If the screens are not straight on, then chairs must be movable.
Some of the slides include embedded YouTube videos. When playing these, the presentation system will need to be able to play the audio at a decent volume. If this is not possible, then captions MUST be turned on. Ideally captions should always be turned on.
Venues can be hard to find, or expensive if you need to pay. Some ideas to find a venue are:
- If you are near to a Microsoft Reactor, then you can reach out to Reactor@microsoft.com to book these spaces for free.
- If you are a student, your school should have rooms that you can book to use for an event like this. Contact your teachers or professors to find out.
- Tech companies, co-working spaces and IT recruitment agents often have space available for free events. Contact any such organization locally to see if they can provide space.
- Local libraries may also provide space for free for learning events.
One of the most valuable things to early in career developers is networking. When we have run this bootcamp in the past, 90% of attendees mentioned networking as their top reason for attending. By having an in-person event with networking activities you can enable your attendees to make these connections that are important to them.
We have not yet run this as a remote event. If you have successfully run this bootcamp as a remote or hybrid event please raise an issue with your experiences. We would love to help reach a wider audience.
Suggestions to help do so are:
- Have a central location for conversation such as a Discord server
- Ensure there are plenty of opportunities for remote networking such as games attendees can play together
- Ensure there are plenty of mentors available in the conversation tool to answer questions and provide support
Food has always been an important part of human bonding. Giving attendees time to sit and eat together will help them network and make connections.
- Provide food if possible, otherwise attendees will need to be instructed to bring their own food. Even if you provide food, ensure any attendees who bring their own food are welcomed and provided with cutlery, plates etc. If you can't provide a range of drinks, always provide water.
- An event sponsor, such as a local tech company can be helpful here in paying for food. They make ask to present something about their company in return, and this can be ok if it is relevant to the audience. For example, tech recruiters like to sponsor events in the hope of finding talent that they can find jobs for.
- If you do provide food, try to accommodate as many dietary requirements as possible. Include vegetarian and vegan food, as well as gluten and dairy free options. Clearly label these and ensure attendees don't cross contaminate (for example using a knife with pepperoni on it to cut a vegetarian pizza). Be transparent on your food options so attendees know up front if their dietary requirements will be met. It's also worth asking your audience if possible if they have any dietary requirements.
- Avoid providing alcohol, even for the end of the day. This excludes attendees who avoid alcohol, and can require additional checks around legal drinking ages or security if someone overindulges.
- Be conscious of cultural requirements around food, such as periods of fasting.
- Some attendees may wish to leave during times food is served. Make sure everyone knows what time the next portion of the day will resume so they can return in time.
It is vital that you make sure attendees are aware of what food or drink is being provided in advance so they can plan accordingly. If you are unable to provide anything then attendees need to know to be able to bring their own drinks, snacks and a packed lunch.
There are many platform you can use to advertise your event, so pick one that is relevant to you and your local audience.
Platforms include:
- Meetup.com
- School computer society noticeboards
- Local tech facebook groups
- Local LinkedIn groups
Ideally you should find a way to register attendees so you can get an idea of how many will attend, such as using Meetup or creating an event on Facebook. This helps with catering so you know how much food to get. Be aware that especially for free events, the drop of between sign up and attendance is usually very high, so expect no more than 50% of the folks who sign up to actually attend.
Here is an example of this event being promoted on Meetup - Hacktoberfest in-person open source bootcamp.
When you promote the event, make sure you link to the code of conduct so attendees can understand in advance what is expected of them.
To make this event a success, you will need a team of mentors. This event involves presenting a range of topics, mixed with hands on activities. You will need mentors to present these topics, as well as to help with questions from the attendees as they work on the hands-on components.
Ideally you want 1 mentor per 5-10 attendees, but more is always better.
Mentors and presenters should ensure they have the relevant knowledge to help the attendees, including working through the presentations and hands-on components, being comfortable with GitHub and open source, and having a working knowledge of the CubeFlyer game code.
You can find mentors locally through a number of means:
- If you will have students at your event, you can reach our to any local GitHub campus experts. These are students who support upskilling other students with knowledge of Git, GitHub and open source.
- If you have students, you can also reach out to an local Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors. These are students who support upskilling other students with knowledge of Microsoft products including GitHub.
- Microsoft has a group of community leaders called Microsoft MVPs who may be able to mentor or connect you wih mentors.
- Reach out to local tech communities, meetups and other events to ask for mentors
Mentors should have some way to identify themselves to the attendees, such as a different badge. It is also good practice to ensure all mentors know how to correctly pronounce the names of all the other mentors.
The only thing that attendees have to bring is their laptop. This needs to be a computer that either has VS Code and Git already installed, or that the attendee is able to install software on.
We have seen attendees at events who have a heavily locked down corporate laptop with them and they have been unable to install the software needed.
This event must be as inclusive as possible, ideally supporting as many accessibility requirements as possible. It is not possible to support every possible accessibility need, but you should do your best.
The most important thing to do is to ask your attendees if they need any accommodations. You should ask this when attendees register, by providing a way on the registration system to request accommodations, and by providing a way for folks to contact you to make requests. You should also be honest about what you can and can't provide.
Some basics:
- Ensure the venue has access for people with limited mobility, such as wheelchair users. Make sure the venue is set up to accommodate people with limited mobility, such as clear paths to move around the room. If you have higher tables available, these can be of benefit to a wheelchair user who cannot fit under a low desk.
- Make sure the presentation system is large and clear. For anyone wanting to share code or a website, make sure they zoom in at least 150% if not more to make the contents of their screen clear. Ask presenters to test out their screens in advance, and help them check zoom levels from the back of the room.
- Ensure audio is loud and clear. Use microphones and PA systems to help carry the speakers voice. If there is no PA system, then explain this to the attendees so folks can sit close to the speaker if needed be. Again, test this in multiple locations in the room.
- If the audience asks questions, either get them to use a microphone, or have the speaker repeat the question. Occasionally the audience member will say things like 'I don't need a microphone', so they need to be reminded that it is not for their benefit.
- When providing food ensure you cater to different dietary requirements such as vegan, gluten free, nut free. Clearly label the food, especially any allergens. Let the attendees know up front what food is being provided, and ensure there are opportunities for them to bring and eat their own food if wanted.
The 'Pac-Man rule' is designed to provide a welcoming environment for attendees who wish to join an existing conversation. Normally when groups of people engage in a conversation they form closed circle which is discouraging for folks who wish to join in as there is nowhere to do so without moving someone out of the way.
The Pac-Man rule is that any such conversation circle should have at least one open space in the circle (similar to the open mouth on Pac-Man). This way anyone else can step into that space and join the conversation. When this happens the circle should expand to give another open space to allow others to join.
You can read more on this 'The Pac-Man rule' blog post by Eric Holscher came up with this concept.
It is always a good idea to get feedback from your attendees on an event. This can provide learnings to help make the next event better. Some things to keep in mind when running a survey:
- Make it short - the shorter the better, and the higher the response rate will be. Ideally you want a simple 'how was this event' scale from bad to good, and a free text box for comments.
- Ask for specific feedback. A free text field is great for attendees to give useful feedback.
- Be mindful of privacy. If folks have to provide personal information they may not fill in the survey. Be also mindful of the legal requirements when gathering personal information such as GDPR in the EU. It is better to just not ask for any personal information.