Wikimania 2016 bids/Esino Lario/Timeline

Ongoing tasks

Once developed, these are monitored until the conference days:

• Lodging: Room reservations and travel arrangements
• Lodging: Monitoring of room blocks at each hotel
• Logistics: Constant contact with each venue on setup, A/V, F&B, etc.
• Program: Speaker solicitation and confirmation
• Registration: Monitoring of Registration numbers and track sizes
• Sponsors: Sponsor solicitation and confirmation
• Volunteers: Volunteer solicitation and confirmation

Canadian calendar

Early planning

One year or more before the event

• Done Design: Create branding/logo for conference
• Done Logistics: Select and contract Wikimania location
• Program: Recruit members for the Program committee; draft call for participation
• Registration: Develop online Registration system
• Scholarships: Begin developing scholarship criteria; develop scholarship process front page

May 2015

• Notify the opening hours of the pharmacy (this is the way the city council can have the pharmacy open during the entire conference), May

Eight months before the event / October 2015

• Logistics: Create planning timeline
• Logistics: Conference budget development and approval
• Logistics: Select and contract Conference Planner
• Scholarships: Finalize scholarship selection criteria; test and launch scholarship application

Seven months before the event / November 2015

• Logistics: Full conference review with selected conference planner of all existing contracts and timeline
• Logistics: Search and select the venues for the opening reception and the closing party
• Lodging: Search for hotel accommodations
• Program: Start speaker/presenter search and collection of papers
• Program: Start speaker tracking document
• Scholarships: Launch scholarship application process and call for participation
• Sponsors: Sponsorship package development and solicitation

Six months before the event / December 2015

• Design: Conduct search for graphic Designer (Program book/Mini Agenda/signs)
• Lodging: Contract hotels (VIP/Foundation/Staff/Scholarship winners)
• Program: Draft Agenda outline online
• Registration: Finalize online Registration system
• Scholarships: Close scholarship application process; begin reviewing applications

Five months before the event / January 2016

• Program: Close call for participation
• Registration: Launch online Registration—make sure to include hotel information in your Registration.

Four months before the event / February 2016

• Design: Begin assembling content for the official Program book
• Logistics: Conference planner establishes all preliminary set-ups, Food and Beverage (F&B) orders, Internet/Wi-Fi, and A/V requirements for the conference
• Scholarships: Finish reviewing scholarship applications; select and notify awardees

Three months before the event / March 2016

• Design: Prepare the first draft of Program book and mini agenda
• Lodging: Start making hotel and travel accommodations for (VIP/Foundation/Staff/Scholarship winners)
• Logistics: Conduct search, send RFP and select key service vendors:
  • AV/Video production
  • Photographer
  • Destination management Company (DMC) - Transportation
  • Registration Management Company
• Program: Finish reviewing submissions; notify presenters; prepare schedule
• Program: Program director and graphic Designer working together to complete the Program guide
• Volunteers: Develop the volunteer tasks and duties list; begin solicitation and confirmation of Volunteers

Finalizing and executing

Two months before the event / April 2016

• Design: Create conference directional signage
• Logistics: Draft the sponsor trade show floor layout
• Logistics: Order all logo materials:
  • T-Shirts
  • Conference bags
  • Name badge paper stock / holders / lanyards

One month before the event / May 2016

• Logistics: Finalize the travel schedule with the DMC
• Logistics: Draft the travel schedule for each venue
• Volunteers: Based on volunteer solicitation outcome, determine if you need to hire outside staff
• Notify the opening hours of the pharmacy (this is the way the city council can have the pharmacy open during the entire conference), May

Two weeks before the event / June 2016

• Design: Final Program Book and Mini agenda to print
• Design: Final Signs to print
• Lodging: Final information to the hotel: F&B, A/V, Room Sets
• Lodging: Final Room list to hotels
• Lodging: Drop any unused rooms at each hotel for re-sale
• Logistics: Ship all items to the venue – inform all Sponsors to ship their items to be included in conference bag
• Sponsors: Finalize list of Sponsors so that their logos, ads, etc. can be added to Program book
• Volunteers: Finalize the Volunteers and duties; send final email confirmation/info/when/where

Immediately before, during, and after

One week to one day before the event:

• Logistics: Create the conference contact list and distribute to all staff/Volunteers/venues/vendors
• Logistics: Track and receive all shipped materials to the venue
• Logistics: Hold a pre-conference with all staff and venues: Here you will adjust for any last minute updates to the conference set-ups, F&B, AV
• Registration: Close online registration, send final list to the Registration company. Registration company to print badges
• Volunteers: Have a volunteer bag stuffing party once all materials have arrived at the conference venue
• Sponsors, Program, Scholarships, Lodging: Send final info emails and draft welcome letters for:
  • Sponsors
  • Speakers
  • Attendees
  • Staff/VIPs/Scholarship winners

During the conference:

• Lodging: Print and deliver welcome letters to each hotel
• Logistics: Conference planner to manage on-site
• Registration: Registration management company to handle all on-site Registration
• Volunteers: Volunteer coordination being executed by volunteer coordinator

Post-conference:

• Lodging: Collect full hotel room pick-up list
• Logistics: Conduct a post event meeting with all staff, venues, vendors, etc.
• Logistics: Collect and pay all outstanding invoices from vendors
• Logistics: Create the final post-event budget report
• Registration: Registration company to deliver the final attendee list
• Videos: Post videos of presentations online, in coordination with video production team or company.

References

• Grants:Learning patterns/International events? Allow three months for visa formalities