Hosting a Conference

Publishing materials

• Create an announcements Telegram channel. Post:

  • Searchable schedule (as text)

    • Update post if anything changes

  • Poster image of event, including final schedule

    • Some people will save this and use it as a wallpaper / offline

  • Reminder right before starting the day

  • Post each talk links to authors' contacts / slides

  • End-of day thank you / summary with link to recordings

• Have separate topics by track (or by day, if single track).

Room

If outdoors

• Use a geo-dome.

• Have air conditioning installed on each side (left & right).

• Have a covered porch at the entrance.

• Have lots of gravel under and near the entrance.

• Have power outlets installed inside, along the entire perimeter.

• Use aliminium insulation pads to cover windows.

• Have a heavy courtain at the door (to prevent light infiltration).

• Have 1 high quality WiFi access point inside (there will be no cell service inside)

• 1-2 PA speakers will suffice (domes have good sound retention and minimal distortion).

Audience seating

• Beanbags in the front

• Chairs in the middle

• Tables & power outlets in the back

Lighting

• Have a darkened, soundproofed room.

  • For outdoors,

• Use a projector and a screen for attendees.

  • Have extra TV for speakers to see their slides and the countdown timer.

  • If any portion of the audience is seated with obstructed view, have TVs for them.

• Have a background image / slo-mo video for the screen when no slides are shown.

• Have a whiteboard for speakers to use.

• Use Zoom for remote speakers.

Audio

• Have 2 microphones for speakers to use. Record from both.

  1. Handheld

  2. Clip-on

• Have 2 handheld microphones for audience to use.

Afterparty

Cocktail evening

• Water (cold and hot)

  • Tea in idividually wrapped packs

  • Lemon slices

  • Fresh mint

• Espresso coffee

• Non-alcoholic drinks

  • Kumbucha

  • Cold unsweetened tea

• (if bringing) Alcoholic drinks

  • Wine (dry white & dry red)

  • Vodka, wisky, and/or gin (low sugar content liquor)

  • Flaming Sambuca with coffee beans to entertain

• Skip the beer and high sugar syrups

Rave

• Remove all chairs, but leave the bean bags and tables

• Have a 2x speakers for music and matching subwoofers.

• Get a club DJ setup (2xPioneer CDJs + 1xPioneer DJ mixer). Ask the DJs what they prefer if unsure.

• Have a 2+ DJs that can spin back-to-back.

• If budget permits, bring 1 festival DJ, preferably one that does mashups.

• Have other entertainment options if it is a multi day and multi track (1k+ attendees)

Food

Low-carb, healthy food.

Finger food

• Sheep hard cheese bites (manchego, etc.)

Skeewers

• Sheep soft cheese bites (feta, etc.)

• Olives (green, black, etc.)

Dips

• Guacamole

  • Almond flour chips (or)

  • Strips of celery, carrots, bell peppers, cucumber, etc (instead of chips).

• Sour cream

  • Optionally add herbs, olive oil

  • Raw broccoli, cauliflower for dipping

Desert

• Chia-coconut pudding

• Eritritol-sweetened dark chocolate (chips, fountain, or moose), optionally with nuts or berries

  • Almond flour crackers

• Eritritol-sweetened coconut milk icecream

  • Toping: nut, berries, chocolate chips toppings