Connect 3 Structure Working Group

Owned by Bill Branan
Jun 16, 2017
2 min read

Group not viable: decisions deferred to Connect #3 Program Committee

Scope & Objectives

Hydra’s two Connect conferences have been, by general acclaim, a great success.  Most of the categories in the Connect #2 post-event survey achieved satisfaction ratings in the 80-98% range.  As the meetings grow larger and attract more people, from a widening range of professional backgrounds, we need to ensure that the conference program reflects everyone’s needs as best it can.

This Working Group will attempt to define the categories of attendee that Connect #3 should cater for specifically (eg, newcomer developer, newcomer manager, established manager etc) and recommend how the conference program might be structured in order to do this most effectively.  It will then recommend what material might usefully be included in the sessions for each category of people and it may recommend commissioning particular workshops or presentations where it sees a specific need that should not be left to chance. 

This will not be a program committee for Connect #3 (although one might easily conceive of some of the WG members transitioning to such a role later in the year), rather it is a group to recommend an effective, overall meeting structure to that committee when it is formed.  Connect #2 was very well received, 98% of those who responded said they had got what they wanted from the meeting, but the questionnaire was completed by only some 50% of those attending and so there may yet be scope to improve what we offer.

Deliverables & Timeframe

The Working Group is asked to produce a set of recommendations for the Connect #3 Program Committee including (but not necessarily limited to):

  • ·        the range of  professional backgrounds for which the conference should cater specifically
  • ·        the overall structure and balance of the conference program (workshops, plenary sessions, presentations, unconference, working groups etc)
  • ·        content that might usefully be included for each category of attendee  
  • ·        particularly important material that might usefully be commissioned to address specific needs

The Program Committee will probably be formed shortly after Easter 2015 (which is to say mid-April 2015) and so the recommendations should be made by the end of March.

Meeting Times & Communication Channels

Written communications will use the hydra-community and/or hydra-tech lists as appropriate.  It is envisaged that there will be a conference call every two weeks, details tbd once the Working Group comes together.

Members

  • (Facilitator tbd)

  • Richard Green (Notetaker, University of Hull)
  • Karen Cariani (WGBH)
  • Linda Newman (University of Cincinnati)


Resources