The selection of content for the program is handled by a Program Committee operating in liaison with the host's own committee which will be more concerned with the organization of facilities.
Content types
Samvera Connect conferences generally provide a range of learning experiences:
Workshop sessions (1.5, 3 or 6 (2x3) hours long)
A plenary session comprising a number of presentations of general interest - including a 'State of Samvera' address (~3hrs)
A poster 'show and tell' session (~2hrs)
25 minute presentations (25 minutes including Q&A)
25 or 55 minute panel discussions
7 minute lightning talks
A half-day 'unconference'
Planning
Discussions about the outline timetable need to occur very early in the planning process and dates will need to be set for sending out various informational emails and the deadlines they may contain. As regards content, these emails might include:
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If you are proposing to run a workshop you will be asked to provide us with:
the workshop title
the name(s) of the presenters
email address of main presenter
length of workshop (1.5 hrs, 3hrs, 6hrs)
the target audience (Developers, UI/UX, Administrators, System Admins/DevOps, Metadata, Managers, Newcomers, other)
the expected learning outcomes for the participants
a description (no more than 200 words or so) for the conference program
any technology that participants will need to provide
the maximum number of participants you would want
Closing date 14th May. Notifications should be expected by the end of the month.
If you are requesting a workshop, you will be asked to give us:
a suggested title
the knowledge or skills you would like the workshop to impart
if you can, the name(s) of anyone you think might be willing to deliver the workshop
A Google form was provided to obtain the information. Reminders were sent during the proposal period.
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This CFP is similar in nature to the workshop one, soliciting the following information:
the session title
the name(s) of the presenters/panelists
email addresses of the presenters/panelists
clear indication of whether this is a presentation or panel
the target audience (Developers, UI/UX, Administrators, System Admins/DevOps, Metadata, Managers, Newcomers, other)
a description (no more than 200 words or so) for the conference program
Again a Google form or similar is used. The Program Committee may also wish to 'commission' one or more sessions that they feel would be of benefit to delegates.
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Experience has shown that information about presentations and presenters or panelists needs to be tracked very carefully. For a number of years this has been successfully handled using a GitHub Waffle Board and more recently its Zenhub add-in. Tracking should include the following:
presenter/panelist contacted (if a commissioned talk, or to accept proposal submitted via CFP)
presenter/panelist agreed to give session
additional presenter(s)/panelist(s) agreed
session details received
target audience(s) identified
permission to record (or refusal of same) received and noted
presenter(s)/panelist(s) registered for conference
central deposit of slide pack (since 2018 the program committee has attempted to gather the slide packs ahead of the corresponding presentation so that they can be made available via host computer/projection systems. This also facilitates archiving of the content.)
The Waffle Board provides the facility for appropriate notes to be maintained in addition to the above flags.
Sched
In 2018 and 2019 organizers experimented with Sched for providing program information - this contained a copy of the program information held on the wiki. In 2020, Sched became the main vehicle for this information, although the wiki version was still provided. If delegates are persuaded to select their sessions using Sched, it offers useful facilities for communicating with them as well as providing organizers with an indication of likely audience sizes.
Sessions and rooming
Workshops: It will probably be helpful, even necessary, to have delegates register for workshops. Such registration allows the conference organizers to allocate workshops to appropriately sized rooms and the presenters to contact delegates with any pre-workshop materials. Workshop delegates will almost certainly require flat surfaces to work on and access to power for the devices they will likely be using,
Presentations and panels: Organizers will need to use their judgement in how to allocate sessions to appropriately sized spaces (see Sched above). Delegates always hope to have access to power strips during these sessions but this is not always possible. These rooms will ideally have the ability to make at least an audio recording (presenter(s) willing) of the session. Streaming facilities would be nice.
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At some point in the conference, usually on the plenary/poster day, arrangements should be made to take a conference photograph. This, of course, requires access to a big space (the plenary auditorium may work), but crucially to a competent photographer. Delegates who do not wish to appear in the photograph must be offered the option.
Display tables
If the conference is offering display tables (for instance, as a benefit of sponsorship), there will need to be tables for sponsors/exhibitors to set out their stalls. Ideally these will be close to the conference rooms and form part of the refreshment space so that delegates naturally interact with the people manning them. It is a much less satisfactory experience for those concerned if the tables are in a "room off".
Conference survey
Delegates should have access to an on-line survey after the event and the URL for this should be announced in a plenary session as well as being in the conference literature and listed in emails. The surveys for all recent Connects have had very similar questions for easy comparison.
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