助成金:カンファレンス/カンファレンスのリソース管理
Your conference grant has been approved - what comes next?
This page takes you through the various phases of planning your conference, with relevant examples and templates to support your work. The prize is in the details!
If you have something to contribute or want to suggest a resource, leave a note on the talk page or reach out to the team at conferencegrants@wikimedia.org.
Create your event page
Once your conference is approved, the first step is to create your event page on Meta-Wiki. At this stage, you will want to have:
- A main page describing the event - overview, objectives, conference dates, conference city.
- For safety reasons, we recommend against listing the exact location on your event page or in your branding. Location can be shared directly with registered attendees at a later stage.
- Basic branding, like a logo, if available.
- Timeline about what is upcoming, likely scholarships, program proposals, registration. This information can be fleshed out on subpages later.
- Any relevant history or background of previous editions.
- Event hosts and sponsors (if applicable).
- Information about the friendly space policy.
You can build your page by leveraging recently Conference Pages, for example:
Select your venue and accommodation
Securing your venue and accommodation should be one of the first things you do once your grant is approved – ideally before the conference is publicly announced. Locking in your venue early will allow you to confirm dates, open scholarship and registration processes, and begin promoting the event with confidence.
Below are some things to consider when researching venues and accommodation.
Where possible, choose a single property that serves as both venue and hotel, rather than two separate locations. This cuts transit logistics, simplifies coordination, and improves cost efficiency while making the organising experience smoother.
Note: in the case that the Wikimedia Foundation supports travel and accommodation booking for your conference, please read the details here.
When not feasible, evaluate the venue and hotel separately using the criteria below.
A Venue should:
Be within budget, well-connected to public transport and public services including markets, medical facilities, ATMs etc
- Be within budget, well-connected to public transport, and close to public services including markets, medical facilities, and ATMs
- Meet the required capacity for both plenary sessions and breakout spaces (including, where applicable, prayer rooms, childcare rooms, a Trust & Safety room, and a quiet room)
- Have good access between different rooms: check for possible sound leaks between spaces
- Have strong Wi-Fi (critical for hybrid events) and power supply
- Have controlled entry and exit points for badge checks, and an in-house security team
- Be fully accessible: elevators, wide doorways, step-free access throughout
A Hotel should:
- Be within the accommodation budget and conveniently located close to the venue (if separate)
- Have sufficient room capacity and be fully accessible (elevators, step-free access, accessible transport nearby)
- Offer a room block or group rate, with a flexible cancellation and modification policy
- Have reliable in-room wifi for attendees who need to work or join online sessions during their stay
- Offer dietary and cultural food options nearby (halal, vegan, gluten-free, etc.)
- Support flexible early and late check-in/out to accommodate varying flight arrivals
Before signing anything, check:
- Whether the venue or hotel has exclusive vendor agreements (catering, production, collaterals) that could affect your budget and planning
- Whether you can arrange a site visit: it's important to get a real feel for the space and the management team. Where possible, walk the space with your operations and A/V leads to assess room flow and any constraints not visible on paper or in photos
- What is included in the hire fee: setup and breakdown time, furniture, cleaning, security personnel, overtime costs. Hidden costs are common and often hide in what is left unclarified
- The Minimum Revenue or Guarantee Requirements; always maintain a buffer between what you need and what you commit to. Most hotels and venues can accommodate a 5 to 10% last-minute buffer
- The cancellation and force majeure terms, particularly important for international events where travel disruptions could affect attendance
- Wifi specifics: maximum concurrent connections and upload/download speeds. "Strong wifi" frequently fails under real event load, especially in large plenary rooms or for hybrid events
- The surrounding area: central vs. outskirts, safety, proximity to pharmacies, medical facilities and transport
- Whether the property can handle weather changes: covered outdoor spaces, adequate heating and cooling for the expected season
- The venue or hotel's emergency and safety protocols, and the location of the nearest hospitals and pharmacies
- Share your shortlist (venue, hotel, or combined property) with the WMF conference grants team before signing anything. The Foundation may have prior experience or useful context that can inform your decision
Run your scholarships process
Providing scholarships to attendees is a great way to encourage event participation from the right people. If you have secured a budget for scholarships, you will need to establish and run a process to select scholars and give scholarships.
Prepare your application form
Convene the relevant members of the Core Organizing Team or a Scholarships Committee to work on a scholarship application. The application should solicit concrete evidence of contributions and impact from applicants.
It should not ask for any information beyond what is needed to evaluate the quality of the application.
For example, asking for a Wikimedia username and a contact email for each applicant is necessary for evaluating and communicating about the application.
However, information like passport numbers, mobility needs, and special accommodations should not be solicited at this stage - that information can be requested later, only when the applicant is granted a scholarship.
Examples:
Prepare complementary documentation and launch
Before opening applications, put together a dedicated Scholarships subpage on your Event Page on Meta. This page is often the first thing potential applicants read, so it should be clear, complete, and welcoming. It should include:
- Overview of the scholarship: what is covered (travel, accommodation, registration) and what is not
- Who can apply: eligibility criteria, including:
- Applicant must be 18 years or older at time of application
- Minimum account age and edit count (these will vary by event, set thresholds appropriate to your community)
- Applicant must not be globally banned
- Applicant must have a valid passport or be in the process of obtaining one
- Applicant must be in good standing with the Wikimedia Foundation and local affiliate, meaning no ongoing issues with the Friendly Space Policy or the Universal Code of Conduct
- What you are looking for: give applicants a clear sense of what the review will prioritise. Strong scholarship cohorts typically reflect:
- Active and diverse contributions to Wikimedia projects (on-wiki and off-wiki)
- Representation of underrepresented communities, regions, language groups, and projects
- A balance between experienced Wikimedians and newer contributors
- Alignment with the Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan goals. Conferences are an important way to advance movement priorities, and scholarship selection should reflect that.
- Application questions and guidance: publish the questions in advance with clear guidance on how to answer each one. Let applicants know roughly how long answers should be
- Timeline: include all key dates: when applications open and close, when applicants will be notified, and when scholars need to confirm their participation
- FAQs: anticipate common questions about eligibility, what is covered, the review process, and what happens if a visa is denied
- Criteria for refusal: be transparent about what would disqualify an application, including conduct issues, incomplete applications, or failure to meet eligibility requirements
- What is expected of scholars: let applicants know upfront that scholarship recipients may be asked to volunteer during the event, and are encouraged to share their experience with their community afterwards through reports, blog posts, or presentations
Please review the Wikimedia Foundation Scholarship Travel Policy for more information
When you are ready to launch your scholarship application, link to it from your Event Page and direct people to this page in your communications push.
Review applications and select scholars
Here are best practices for reviewing and selecting scholars:
- Applicants must be 18 years or older at the time of application – check their age
- Develop and use a scoring rubric that quantifies the answer guidance you published on-wiki. Ensure all reviewers follow the same rubric
- Aim to have each application reviewed by at least three reviewers to combat bias
- Ask that reviewers recuse themselves from reviewing applicants they know well or may have a conflict of interest related to
- Once all applications are reviewed, look at those who have the highest numbers, as a group. You may need to make some small changes to ensure the following:
- Diversity and prioritising under represented groups/communities.
- Bring in different language groups or projects
- Find a balance between seasoned Wikimedians and new-comers to the movement.
- CRITICAL: Once you have a list of scholars you’d like to accept, email conferencegrants@wikimedia.org to initiate a trust and safety review of your selected scholars. You will not be able to award any scholarships without trust and safety clearance. Please note that trust and safety checks take a minimum of two weeks, which need to be factored into your registration timelines. To submit your list of scholars for review, please use this template.
- Message applicants directly informing them of their status. Do not publish a list of scholarship recipients for privacy and security reasons. Both scholars and attendees may choose to add themselves to a voluntary list of participants later, should you start one on-wiki
- Scholars are expected to have a valid passport by the time they are awarded a scholarship. If they don't have one at the time of application, they should begin the process immediately upon being selected
Scholarships and Travel
What scholarships generally cover
Scholarships generally cover transportation, accommodation, registration, daily per diem to cover incidentals and meals during the event pre-conference and conference days, as well as limited medical insurance. Many organizers find it simplest to cover items that can be easily prepaid by the COT and/or WMF Travel. If you’d like to reimburse scholars for costs like visa application fees, you should consider how the reimbursement process will work in practice. Do you have the resources to transfer the money internationally? If you opt to reimburse scholars in cash onsite (generally the preferred option), what happens to scholars who do not receive their visa and are unable to travel?
Booking travel and securing visas
How scholar travel is managed depends on the event. For larger regional conferences and selected thematic conferences, the Wikimedia Foundation Travel Team might support travel booking directly. For all other events, organizers are responsible for coordinating travel with scholars. Check with the WMF conference grants support team early in your planning to confirm which path applies to your event.
Path A: WMF Travel Team is involved
When the Travel Team is involved, they will help the Organizers develop a Scholarship Award Letter, which will include next steps for booking and conference registration. Organizers should ensure scholars are aware of this process and know to expect communication from the Travel Team. Award letters need to be distributed by the COT.
Many of your scholars may need to apply for a visa to attend your conference. In this case, the Travel Team can provide 1) proof of flight booking 2) hotel confirmation letters and 3) proof of medical insurance to scholars to include in their visa application. Invitation letters, however, must be prepared by the Organizing Team. All documentation support must be distributed by the Organizing team. Organizers are expected to stay in close coordination with the Travel Team throughout, including for any issues that may arise during the event such as flight delays, cancellations, special accommodation needs, or emergency situations.
Path B: Organizers handle travel and visas directly
When organizers are handling travel directly, we recommend the following:
- Book flights as early as possible once scholars are confirmed, as prices increase significantly closer to the event.
- Share the Wikimedia Foundation Scholarship Travel Policy with all scholars so they understand their responsibilities and what is covered.
- Stay in close coordination throughout the event for any issues that may affect travel arrangements, including delays, cancellations, special accommodation needs, and emergencies.
Irrespective of the pathway selects:
- Collect travel preferences and passport details from scholars only after scholarships have been confirmed, not during the application process.
- Organizers are responsible for issuing official invitation letters to scholars and attendees who require them for visa applications. These letters should confirm the nature of the event, dates, and where applicable, confirm that accommodation and travel costs are covered. If scholars need passport details collected for invitation letters (such as passport numbers and expiry dates), only request this data for that specific purpose and delete it once the letters have been issued and sent.
- Organizers should direct scholars to official embassy or consulate channels for their visa applications. Visa outcomes are solely under the jurisdiction of the relevant high mission offices, and organizers should not encourage scholars to re-appeal or re-apply after a rejection, as this may affect future visa applications in other countries. If you are aware that a significant portion of your scholar cohort may face visa challenges, flag this early with the WMF grants team so contingency planning can begin.
Traveler responsibility
Scholarship recipients are expected to attend and participate in the event. Scholarship recipients who do not attend or participate in an event will not be eligible for a travel scholarship to any Wikimedia Foundation funded event for 1 year.
For more information about the scholarship recipient's commitment, please refer to the Wikimedia Foundation Scholarship Travel Policy.
Build your program
The program is the lifeblood of a conference, and inviting and selecting the right proposals is critical to the event’s success. Below are steps and best practices for your call for proposals and building the program.
We recommend running the Call for proposals, evaluating proposals, and designing the program etc through eventyay - an open source event management platform. Email conferencegrants@wikimedia.org if you would like to request to use eventyay for this part of the process and we can set up a demo.
Prepare your Call for proposals form
Similar to the scholarships process, you will convene the relevant members of the Core Organizing Team to build a call for proposals form. The form should ask questions about the objectives of the proposal, its linkage to the event theme, as well as information about the speaker that will allow you to evaluate its quality - e.g. whether the speaker has presented on the topic before, the level of expertise the speaker has in the topic. You should not ask for any personal information about the speaker that is not directly needed for evaluating the proposal.
Prepare complementary documentation and launch
Also similar to the Scholarships process, you will create documentation on-wiki describing the goals of the program, the types of sessions you’re looking for, timelines, anticipated FAQs, and any scoring criteria or guidance you can share.
When the call for proposals form is ready, you will link it from the Event Page.
Example:
Review and select proposals
Here are best practices for reviewing and selecting proposals:
- Develop and use a scoring rubric that quantifies the answer guidance you published on-wiki. Ensure all reviewers follow the same rubric
- Aim to have each proposal reviewed by at least three reviewers to combat bias
- Ask that reviewers recuse themselves from reviewing proposals by people they know well or may have a conflict of interest related to
- Once all applications are reviewed, look at those who have the highest numbers, as a group. You may need to make some small changes to ensure the following:
- A reasonable balance of topic areas, given conference objectives
- A reasonable balance of session formats, to keep the audience engaged
- A reasonable balance of speaker backgrounds and types of expertise
- Different from the Scholarships process, your team is in charge of ensuring that your accepted speakers have good behavioral track records and do not pose a threat to the success of the event. Do note that the Foundation, during the registration phase, will be vetting all attendees that are requesting to join in person, which includes speakers, but your eye on it during this stage is also appreciated and important.
- Message applicants directly informing them of their status
- Some speakers will not confirm or will cancel, so we recommend maintaining a small waitlist
- Ensure the accepted proposals meet the commitment and vision shared during the Conference Proposal stage.
Creating the schedule
Now that you have a list of sessions for your program, it’s time to make the schedule. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you do.
- Room size: Correct room size allotment is critical as it will help ensure speakers don’t speak to a mostly-empty room and, conversely, attendees aren’t squished into a small space. Evaluate which sessions you think will be the most popular and assign those to bigger rooms
- Popularity of submissions is not necessarily an indicator of popularity among attendees. Just because you had a lot of submissions from speakers wanting to speak on a particular topic, doesn’t mean it’s a topic most attendees will want to hear about. Room allotment should be done with the attendee perspective as priority.
- Session format: Keep in mind the room format - if the session is a workshop, it will likely be better to assign it to a breakout room with roundtables than an auditorium
- Related themes: Where possible, group sessions thematically in the program, stringing sessions with similar themes and predicted audiences in the same room back-to-back. This will minimize attendees needing to move around during the conference
- Hybrid needs: If your program is hybrid, make room assignments based on what will be streamed out and what won’t, primarily based on what you think will be the most popular for the virtual audience. You will likely have some speakers who specifically do not want their session streamed or recorded, so you can assign those to the non-streamed rooms first
- Language needs: If your program has live interpretation, make sure choose particular rooms that will have interpretation and assign sessions to those rooms that are most likely to be interesting to the global audience you’re trying to reach
- Breaks and social time: It is tempting to try to cram as much as possible, it will negatively impact the attendee experience if the schedule is too packed. The number one thing attendees tell us they value about in-person conferences is the time to connect with others face-to-face. For a standard conference day, we recommend:
- No more than an 8 hour day, breaks included
- 5 minute passing periods between sessions. This can easily be accomplished by, for example, telling speakers with 60 minute sessions that their actual time is 55 minutes.
- One morning break of 30 minutes, one afternoon break of 30 minutes
- One lunch break of 60-90 minutes
Registration
All non-scholar Registration for Wikimedia events is now done via Request for invitation for in-person attendees. This is to allow for in-depth trust and safety review before anyone’s attendance is confirmed. For hybrid events, registration for the virtual event can be direct and does not need to be done via Request for invite. This process is focussed on self-funded attendees, partners, invited speakers etc ( Note: All Scholars will go through a different process which includes a Trust and Safety Check).
The Foundation will support you in configuring your registration form and running the trust and safety review process.
The process has three stages:
- Stage 1 - Request an invite: Prospective attendees submit a request to attend via the designated registration platform. The form collects all information needed for registration and Trust & Safety review. Make clear in the form and in your communications that submitting a request does not guarantee a place, and that attendees should not book travel/accomodation until they receive a confirmation email.
- Stage 2 - Review: Submitted requests are reviewed in a single batch, not on a rolling basis. This batch review should take place at least 2-3 months before the event – earlier if significant international travel is expected or participants are coming from regions with longer visa timelines. The Foundation will coordinate the Trust & Safety review (allow up to two weeks end-to-end). All rejections and confirmations go out together.
- Stage 3 - Confirmation or rejection: Confirmed attendees receive an email with next steps. For paid events, this includes a payment link with a 7-day deadline; for free events, a plain confirmation is sent. Attendees who are not approved receive a short rejection message.
Once attendees are confirmed, send them a practical information pack covering the venue address, how to get there, accommodation options, the schedule, meals and dietary accommodation, the friendly space policy, and who to contact the COT with questions. Note: We advise against publishing venue/hotel details publically.
Safety and Security
Choice of Location
As the world changes around us, it is critical that Wikimedia events adapt to protect event attendees and safeguard a positive experience. This starts before you confirm a location. Some locations may be technically feasible but not ideal from a safety or inclusion perspective. When evaluating a potential host city or country, consider:
- Whether the country is politically stable in the medium to long term, and whether there are elections, referendums, or major social events coming up that could affect the climate around your event
- Whether the location is welcoming to all members of our community, including LGBTQ+ attendees, and whether there are any legal or social risks for specific groups
- Whether the country has a good relationship with the open knowledge and free expression ecosystem including Wikimedia
- Whether attendees from a wide range of countries can realistically get there: think about visa requirements, but also take into account available flight routes and layovers. The Passport Index can be a helpful reference
- Whether any other major events are taking place in the city at the same time, as this can drive up accommodation costs and compete for venues
- Whether the location has adequate security infrastructure to support an international event including security personnel, bag checks, scanners etc
Location decisions for larger events like Wikimania are made in close consultation with the Wikimedia Foundation. If you are unsure whether a location is suitable, reach out to the conference grants team before proceeding.
Planning for Safe and Secure Events
A strict no badge, no entry policy applies at all Wikimedia events. Badges are handed to attendees only after their ticket has been verified. Where tickets include a barcode, these should be scanned at entry. Where they do not, the attendee’s name is checked against the registration record. Walk-ins are not permitted. Exceptions for last-minute speakers, partners, or other trusted guests may be made through a designated COT code in the registration system, but these must still be submitted to WMF for Trust and Safety review and should only be issued by designated COT members.
For broader guidance on creating a safe environment at your event, see Keeping events safe.
As part of your conference planning, all events will have robust safety and security plans, developed together with the Wikimedia Foundation. Below are checklists and resources to support you in your conversations with vendors and the Foundation.
- Matrix for evaluating your safety and security needs
- If the venue has its own in-house security team, use them in the first instance before considering an external security vendor. In-house teams will be familiar with the space, entry points, and building procedures, which makes coordination significantly easier. If the venue does not have this capability, or if the scale of your event requires additional personnel, use the following checklist to guide your selection:
- Checklist for selecting a security vendor
- Checklist for running Trust and Safety operations at your event
- A strict no badge, no entry policy applies at all Wikimedia events. Badges are handed to attendees only after their ticket has been verified. Where tickets include a barcode, these should be scanned at entry. Where they do not, the attendee’s name is checked against the registration record.
- Walk-ins are not permitted.
Event communications
Your conference will likely have many channels for communication. These can include social media, chat platforms, mailing lists, direct email and press.
For event and attendee safety, we recommend organizers take a tiered approach. While wider communications to the Wikimedia movement can talk about the aims of the conference and encourage people to apply to attend or be a speaker, wider communications should not promote the location of the event or distribute information that would enable unauthorized people to attend. All critical information should be sent directly to attendees once they’ve been confirmed. More detail on that below.
This is especially relevant to the press, which will distribute any message far beyond the Wikimedia movement to the general public. We strongly advise against any pre-event press coverage, and instead advise organizers to focus on coverage after the event that reports on its impact. More information about working with the press is below.
Communicating With Attendees
Good communications are what turn a confirmed attendee into a prepared and engaged participant. Plan your communications in different phases:
- Confirmation email: sent as soon as attendance is confirmed. Should include the dates, venue location, and a link to the event page. Let attendees know what to expect next.
- Practical information pack: sent 4-6 weeks before the event. Should cover the full venue address, how to get there, accommodation options, the schedule, meals and dietary accommodation process, the friendly space policy, and who to contact with questions.
- Pre-event reminder: sent 1 week before. A short, focused message recapping logistics, instructions for in-person registration, sharing the final schedule, and reminding attendees of the code of conduct.
- On-site communications: consider a dedicated messaging group (e.g. a Telegram or Signal group) for real-time updates during the event (schedule changes, room swaps, social announcements, and so on). A brief email at the start of each day, highlighting some sessions from the agenda or activities planned for the day, is also a nice to have.
- Post-event follow-up: sent within one week of the event closing. Thank attendees, share links to session recordings or notes, and distribute the post-event survey.
All communications should be in plain language. If your event is multilingual, consider which messages need to be translated and plan accordingly.
Tip: We recommend setting up a Telegram Channel for all confirmed participants where all relevant information is regularly shared.
Conference facilitation
Well-facilitated sessions make a significant difference to the attendee experience. Here are some principles to keep in mind:
- Brief all session hosts and facilitators in advance. They should know the session goals, the format, how long they have, and how to handle Q&A or discussion.
- Prioritise participation over presentation. The best Wikimedia events create space for dialogue, not just broadcast. Encourage facilitators to use participatory formats - fishbowls, group discussions, working sessions - rather than defaulting to lecture-style delivery.
- Assign a room host for each session. This person is responsible for timekeeping, managing the microphone, and flagging any issues to the core team.
- Encourage note-taking. Assign a note-taker to each session or invite attendees to contribute to a shared document. These notes are valuable both for remote participants following along and for post-event documentation.
- End each day with a brief plenary or check-in if possible. This gives the whole group a moment to reflect, share highlights, and stay connected across parallel tracks.
Including remote attendees
Hybrid events (where some participants attend in person and others join remotely) require deliberate design to work well. Remote participation should not be an afterthought. If you are planning a hybrid event, build the remote experience into your program design from the start.
- Decide early which sessions will be streamed or recorded. Not all sessions need to be hybrid: it is better to do a smaller number of sessions well than to stream everything poorly.
- Assign a dedicated host for each streamed session, who will be present in the online platform as well as the physical room at the conference. This person is the bridge between the two experiences. This person monitors the chat, surfaces questions from remote participants, and ensures they feel part of the conversation rather than passive viewers.
- Test all A/V equipment before the event. Poor audio is the single most common problem in hybrid sessions. Budget for a good microphone setup that picks up room discussion.
- Share links and joining instructions with remote participants well in advance. Do not rely on last-minute emails.
- If you have a streaming platform like eventyay or YouTube, you will need a separate platform for remote speakers to dial in to present, if you have any remote speakers. Zoom or Streamyard are good options for speakers to dial in, and then A/V support will mix that feed with the room feed so that online attendees can see both.
- Consider fun virtual activations to keep the virtual audience engaged. Things like raffles, Q&A for the virtual audience specifically, or online activations like edit-a-thons can be good solutions.
- Consider time zones when scheduling sessions intended for a global audience. Where possible, avoid scheduling key sessions at times that exclude large parts of your expected remote audience.