Agenda

The Event Lead should consider the goals, objectives and the duration of the event to decide the agenda and details, such as the type and duration of particular sessions. The agenda and reasoning around a balance of timings and session types should then be discussed with the steering committee (or equivalent) for comment.

The Event Lead may consider the following types of sessions:

  • Informing,
  • Exploring,
  • Creating,
  • Learning,
  • Networking.

Informing

This includes sessions that inform and inspire:

  • Keynotes,
  • Short talks,
  • Lightning talks,
  • Allowing ad hoc presentations (e.g. additional lightning talks).

Exploring

This includes sessions that help people work together to explore solutions or identify problems:

  • Collaborative ideas or hack day ideas sessions,
  • Discussion sessions and speed blogging,
  • Q & A panels.

Creating

This includes building things together:

  • Hack days,
  • Bring your own data sessions,
  • Paper/standards generation.

Teaching

This includes pedagogical sessions:

  • Teaching sessions,
  • Mini workshops.

Networking

This includes sessions for building relationships between people:

  • Around food (e.g. lunch/coffee, conference/workshop dinner)
    • Protecting these times is important to allow networking to take place.
  • Other social programmes
    • Guided walks,
    • Visits to museums or other points of interest nearby.
      • At the end of the day or first thing in the morning can be a good time for these to be scheduled.