Grants talk:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Conference Fund/Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2025

Feedback on the Proposal for Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2025

Hello Marios, hello Geraki!

Thank you for submitting the proposal for Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2025. I acknowledge the significance of this event in fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among Wikimedia communities in the CEE region. Below are my observations and recommendations based on a thorough review, incorporating feedback from my colleagues Chris, Natalia, Erin, as well as my own comments.

Appreciation for the Venue and Logistics

First of all, I appreciate the effort that has gone into securing the hotel and conference venue. Having accommodations and conference facilities in the same location will simplify logistics and maximize attendees' participation time, which is a great choice. I may note that you have chosen a 5 star hotel – much different than last year’s hotel and venue. As long as your choice allows you to stay within the budget, it is up to  you.

However, a key consideration is that scholarship recipients will be accommodated in double-occupancy rooms. Since WMF’s Travel team does not manage accommodation when double occupancy is used, will you be able to manage this aspect independently?

Objectives, Focus, and Target Group

The proposal outlines a conference that continues the objectives from previous years, which suggests that organizers see continuity in the broader purpose of the event. While this is not necessarily a concern, it might be helpful to clarify whether the movement’s needs have evolved and how this year’s edition intends to address them differently.

These additions indicate an effort to align with current trends and community concerns. Given this mix of themes, the conference should include a strong workshop component, with more hands-on training sessions and interactive discussions compared to previous years.

Additionally, inviting external partners to the event is an exciting idea. What is your plan to include them in the program? Will they have dedicated sessions, networking opportunities, or participation in specific tracks?

Another point to consider is streaming—it is not mentioned in the proposal, but in the budget. What's your idea? Could you please elaborate on this?

Event Organization and Capacity

The Wikimedia Community Greece Association has experience organizing Wikimedia events, including workshops and campaign activities funded through Rapid Funds. However, they have not previously hosted an event of this scale. The ongoing support from the CEE Hub is a valuable asset, as it helps ensure continuity of institutional knowledge from previous meetings.

Given the limited experience in organizing a large event, I strongly encourage the team to connect with the Turkish organizing team that hosted the CEE Meeting 2024 to exchange insights and best practices.

A key area to monitor is the hiring and management of event staff. The Greek User Group recently received General Support Funding (as of December 2024), and while the organization is experienced in Wikimedia work, it has limited experience in hiring and managing staff. The proposal includes an event manager and an assistant manager, but it is unclear whether candidates have already been identified for these roles. Given the time-sensitive nature of conference planning, delays in recruitment could pose a risk.

To mitigate this, the organizing team should:

• Define clear reporting structures and responsibilities for the event staff.
• Develop a hiring timeline and contingency plan to ensure that key roles are filled promptly.

Key Areas for Improvement

Scope and Structure of the Program

• The list of topics is extensive, and while this reflects diverse interests, it would be helpful to clarify how the program will be structured to avoid thematic overload.
• The inclusion of practical, solution-oriented workshops would strengthen the conference’s impact, particularly on topics like affiliate management, burnout prevention, and AI challenges.
• The Learning Days are only mentioned in the budget but not in the proposal—could you please elaborate on how they will be structured and what the focus areas will be?

Budget Considerations

Overall, the budget is very high for this conference, and significantly higher than previous year’s ones. Please review your budget based on the following comments, ideally cut where possible, and restructure it. Please make a copy of this (new) budget template that we have created and fill in your numbers. This budget template allows to split the budget (better) between the grantee and WMF.

WMF Travel and Accommodation Management

• If WMF’s Travel team is to manage travel, please add $4,800 for agency fees ($55 × 87 tickets).
• The number of airport shuttle trips should be increased. Currently, only three shuttle times are planned, which may lead to long waiting times for participants.
• What does “Visa stuff” mean and why is it budgeted with 0 €?

Meals and Venue Costs

• The number of units for lunch/dinner/coffee breaks is listed as 370, but shouldn't it be 510 (170 attendees × 3 days)?
• A hotel's daily delegate rate typically includes lunch and coffee, and it's usually between 50–75 USD per person per day. Did the 25 USD per person per day quote come directly from the hotel?
• Are the dinners provided offsite, or are they included in the hotel contract? The budget lists 23 USD per person—was this confirmed with the hotel?
• Only three dinners need to be included in the budget (if Saturday night is being accounted for separately in row 40).
• Does the Conference Organizing Team (COT) need to arrive one day earlier than the Learning Days participants to prepare? If so, please adjust the number of hotel rooms accordingly.
• What is the hotel tax? Based on our information, Thessaloniki has an environmental tax of 10-15 EUR per night. Please confirm if this is accounted for in the budget.

Swag Budget

• The costs for swag are significantly above average. Please reduce them to 20 USD per person max, both for budgetary and environmental reasons.

Contingency and banking fees

• Please separate your banking fees and contingency rate and put them, as suggested in our budget template, at the end of the budget. Please account for 5 % contingency for you, and 5 % contingency for WMF travel.

Once again, thank you for submitting this proposal! I kindly ask that you rework the budget, provide more details and further develop your proposal as suggested, and then resubmit it via Fluxx (the proposal is now open for editing). The deadline for submission is February 28, after which the proposal will be reviewed by the volunteer Conference Fund Committee, with a final decision expected by mid- to late March.

With these refinements, this conference has the potential to be a successful and impactful event for the Wikimedia CEE community.

Best regards,

--Cornelius Kibelka (WMF) (talk to me) 00:45, 20 February 2025 (UTC) (with valuable input from my colleagues Chris, Natalia, Erin)

Follow up

Hello Cornelius,

Thank you for your detailed feedback and for recognizing the significance of Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2025. We appreciate the insights provided by you, Chris, Natalia, and Erin, and we have taken them into careful consideration. Below are our responses and clarifications regarding the key points raised.

Hotel & Accommodation

We confirm that we can independently manage the double-occupancy accommodation for scholarship recipients. The pricing provided in our budget is based on a quote from the hotel.

Workshops & Program Structure

The Program Committee, which has already been established, will oversee the structure and feasibility of sessions, however it has not officially begun its work. Their role is to evaluate proposed sessions and ensure a well-balanced and impactful program. Our collaboration with the CEE Hub ensures that key topics of interest, such as AI and technical advancements are appopropriately represented in the conference agenda. Demonstrations are a new session type, and the Committee will definitely encourage presenters to adopt a practical and concrete approach

External partners will have dedicated sessions and will also be integrated into informal, subject-specific networking meetups with Wikimedia stakeholders (e.g., GLAM meetup, Educational meetup).

Streaming

We plan to stream all sessions on YouTube, provided speakers grant permission. The recorded sessions will be published on the Wikimedia CEE YouTube channel and Wikimedia Commons under a free license. The pricing provided in our budget is based on a direct quote from a service provider.

Experience & Organizational Support

Wikimedia User Group Greece remains in ongoing collaboration with the CEE Hub and will actively seek guidance from previous organizing teams to ensure best practices are followed.

Event Staff & Management

Given that the received General Support Fund budget was lower than initially requested, hiring additional staff within that budget may not be feasible. While we previously hired an assistant (via the Hub’s budget), this time we aimed to recruit experienced local professionals for key managerial roles. These roles will be particularly important for handling logistical and operational tasks, especially in the critical days leading up to and during the conference. Based on your suggestion to cut costs, we ended up having only one such position that will work on a project contract instead of a monthly salary.

Learning Days

The Learning Day sessions will take place on September 25 at the Goethe Institute, a long-standing partner of our affiliate. Goethe Institute will cover related expenses.

• Session A: Focused on GLAMs and Wikidata, led by Christos Varvantakis (Wikibase team, WMDE).
• Session B: A workshop on SLAPPs, facilitated by Ivo Kruusamägi in collaboration with Wikimedia Europe. In addition to CEE region delegates, Wikimedia Europe and other partners will cover travel and accommodation to their own invitees.
• Session C: Probably Asaf's traditional transmission of wisdom and knowledge.

Travel & Accommodation Management

• Travel will be managed by a local agency, which will coordinate with the hotel and shuttle services.
• Additional airport shuttle trips will be arranged.
• The “Visa stuff” note was meant as a clarification for participants from Schengen countries who do not require visas.
• We had underestimated the cost of a Schengen visa, which is up to 90€. We would like to cover this cost for delegates who need it.

Meals & Venue Costs

• The number of units for lunch, dinner, and coffee breaks has been adjusted accordingly.
• The quoted 43-47 € per person per day for light lunch and coffee is based on the hotel’s quote by choosing the cheapest menus, and related to the whole offer of accommodation and dinner in the same hotel.
• All dinners will be provided at the hotel. The budget lists 36€ per person, related to the same contract.
• The number of dinners in the budget has been corrected.
• The Conference Organizing Team (COT) will arrive a day before Learning Day to make necessary preparations.
• The environmental tax (15 EUR per night) has been included in the budget.

Swag Budget

We have adjusted the swag budget to $20 per person, aligning with your recommendations.

We appreciate your thorough review and guidance. We are now working on implementing these refinements into the proposal and budget and will submit the updated version in Fluxx before the deadline. Please let us know if any further clarification is needed.

Best regards,

Geraki ^T_L 09:10, 28 February 2025 (UTC)