[no subject]

End of March/early April:
Content finalised
* Close call for papers
* Allow 2 weeks for deciding on papers. Avoid temptation to accept more
papers than slots.
* Leave 8 or 10 slots for "Breaking news" - partner announcements,
essential stuff that comes up between March and July. Fill these only
with really compelling content
* Start defining social schedule - budgets for social occasions should
be defined, start looking for venues & activities now.

Actions:
* Co-ordinate conference content team
* Choose presentations & technical keynotes
* Contact accepted proposers
* Assign social events co-ordinator

After March: Detail work - and I was never very good at that  :)  Ensure
all the printing, t-shirts, etc. are done, confirm stands, if there are
any, ensure drinks and food are available near the site, organise
delivery of sponsor material & gifts, co-ordinate with companies &
sponsors to see if there is anything press worthy to announce, ensure
that keynotes & advisory board members are met at the airport & taken to
hotels, co-ordinate a press team (lesson from last year: be explicit
about who the press team is before the event, you don't want to have
someone who thinks they're competent come in & railroad the press after
your work lining everything up). Line up interviews on request for
press. Co-ordinate with local government to see if there's a welcome
address or something. Co-ordinate board & advisory board meetings. And
all the rest of the stuff on the wiki  :)

Actions:
* Identify printing co-ordinator to deal with designers & printers for
banners & t-shirts
* Identify suppliers for food & drinks
* Gather material from sponsors for any give-aways
* Press co-ordinator contacts press representatives from companies,
co-ordinates schedule of keynote speakers for interviews, and briefs
journalists on important stuff
* Constitute Welcome group, people who can meet VIPs at the airport or
train station & get them to their hotels, and get them away when they're
leaving, man the welcome desk,
* Board meetings co-ordination - drinks, room, any required facilities
(conf call, video conf, projector)

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Dave.

-- 
Dave Neary
GNOME Foundation member
dneary gnome org