Planning/Minutes/2012-05-28

Agenda

• Task Management
  • "Planning meeting" tasks in Lighthouse?
    • Last week martind filed tasks for everyone after our meeting; discuss whether this is worth keeping up, or whether we want to change anything
  • Ran out of Lighthouse private projects and member accounts
• Suggested new "Induction" page
  • A script for introducing new people to the team
  • martind is offering to do this with the next few rounds of volunteers; others welcome to observe
• Process for progressing the site plan?
  • Internet and Power need more idea about distribution point densitys and cable routes...
• How much of a music focus will we actually have?
  • Atm we say: "a cross between a tech conference and music festival"
• Again: ticket price and expected audience
  • Spoke to another person who offered to perform & help out, but asked for a (partially) funded ticket, or at least travel cost
• Logo
• Team updates
  • Volunteers
    • Ben/oni and SamLR are interested in planning volunteer coordination (and Ben also in Security, Sam in Infodesk)
  • Security
  • Infodesk
    • Opening hours
  • New team proposal: Badge
  • Sponsors: setting up a new team with Alex
  • Venues update
  • Vendors update
  • "Events" team volunteers? Schedule?
  • Which Teams should move from discussion and requested into active?
  • Finding additional people to expand teams
• Access related stuff
• Landrover is confirmed available August-September and has a towbar (not sure if this is something for Alison, the proposed Plant team, or just general knowledge) (Alisonw: I want to roll plant management into transport/traffic anyway as it all comes down to managing the vehicles on site during the event)
• Meeting venue
  • We should find a meeting venue that is quiet, cheap, easy to get to, has Internet, and is affordable
    • Artillery Arms

Minutes

Task Management

Lighthouse is going to charge $50 per month for us to use it successfully for the team. TASK: Jonty is going to call them tomorrow to find out if there is a chance they can sponsor the EMF camp so that this is free. If not we will move to use our own server to do this.

DECISION: Regarding posting new tasks into Lighthouse (or a possible new system) after a meeting is over: the minute-keeper will summarise and read aloud all new tasks at the end of every meeting, and share this list with the team on the mailing list. Everyone is then responsible for filing their own tickets.

Introduction to working with the team

Martin has run a successful induction class with Clare and Alex last week. This was as an induction to the team and worked well. He is going to keep working on this and new members will get introduced to the team with new volunteers. A page has also been prepared on the Wiki (User:Martind/Induction) allowing people further information about how the system works, as well as introductions to all the other areas that the team use to stay in touch.

Site Plan

cf. Location#Site_Plan

This has mainly been used so far to determine where the bases for power and internet for the camp will be. The area that is marked by the red outline on the map will be licensed.

DECISION: After some debate the idea of extending into the former motorcross area to the east of the M1 was abandoned as the problems regarding staffing and breaking of licensing laws were too complicated.

Tech conference or music festival

We have been saying that this is "a cross between a tech conference and a music festival". This is inaccurate as it is going to be far more of a tech conference than music festival and the consensus is that if we highlight the music side of it (as describing as a cross of the two does) many of the people who are primarily interested in the tech side will be deterred from coming. Any gigs that are going to involve amplified music will need to go under the licensing bracket. This will not include small performances of music (we believe mainly from the music village) but they will also not interfere with the other events that are going on. The music will be a part of the HackCamp rather than the Hack a part of the Music Festival. We need to make sure the message emphasises this.

In short: we will encourage musical performances, but it's not a music festival.

TASK: martind to clean up this messaging everywhere the phrase is currently used

Ticket Price

Only today a girl was saying that the price of the ticket for the event is too much. Is there a way that contributing to the event (for example stewarding) would give you some coupons for tea/coffee and food at the event itself. We cannot reduce the price of the tickets themselves for performers.

This has come up repeatedly, and there are many possible avenues to make reduced ticket prices happen for some people (using sponsors, crowdfunding, work schemes, etc) -- unfortunately atm there is no person available to take this on. (We need an "events" team soon.)

Logo

A discussion was held, lead by Stavros, about the event and the message it wants to get over needs to be held. The first draft of the logo should be finished by the end of this week. This will focus on a symbol or brand idea and will lead to further profit making areas such as t-shirts with the logo and stickers etc. It will also go onto the website and into the Sponsorship Pack.

Accessibility

We need to be sure all signs are black on white to keep them clear.
It would be good to put all of the announcements of events into an sms as they are announced so people who are deaf are not at a disadvantage.
This is something to include Sam Cook in as he will be in charge of the information desk.
Are we going to allow carers free tickets to the event? This needs to be decided as soon as possible as the information needs to be clear on the website.
Charles will look into the possibility of a free loop system for the event.
We should also try to make sure chairs are placed with a maximum distance of 40 metres and also try to ensure that events are not too spread apart. This may include disabled toilets at the camp site as well as at the events area.

Ticketing

The back end of the ticketing is complete and ready to run. According to Mark the front end of the system is ready to work, but Jasper says a little more work is needed to make it 100% effective. This is a critical part of the project and will be completed tomorrow. All sections will be completed by then.

Volunteers

Ben and Sam are responsible for this.
What is the full remit for volunteers? Stewards, barstaff, security, people to manage network, car park etc. Best way to get the most volunteers is to put a note on the mailing list. All volunteers will pay for a ticket. They will have a set number of shifts and rotations will get placed in them so the same person is not on gate duty permanently (for example). Budget £15pp. Please ask all volunteers if they have any first aid training or St John's Ambulance. Number of radios should not be more than 15.

Information Desk

The Wiki is well stocked on this for the moment.
TASK: A particular remit needs to get figured out for the team working there.

New team proposal

Camp badge - run as a team like all others with 100% sponsorship. Charles is primary and Tom Wyatt is secondary. They will deal with it as a sole venture, entirely funded by sponsors.

Sponsors

Alex is trying to put together a Sponsorship Pack.
She has not yet got too involved as she wants to hear back from Bytemark and Random Storm.
She did, however, have interest from the OU, with whom this could develop into a successful relationship. Alex said they were offering infrastructure and possible space for future events.
There will be a further meeting on Wednesday to finalise plans for the sponsorship pack.

Venues

Regarding the marquees - one is far cheaper than the others and have marquees available for the period of the event. Possibly rent out or reserve enough to also do the villages (to be decided, but SOON!).
Alex also has a friend who has just gone into the marquee business she will put in touch with Charles.
DECISION: Decided to rent sound equipment not borrow it.

Vendors

Various food vendors have been emailed. Waiting for responses from them for decisions about pricing and terms.
There will also be BBQs at the event - will this involve half oil drums or not?

Events team volunteers

We need to work out exactly what is happening at the event over the next two weeks. This involves getting the people who will speak there as well as finalising the sponsorship packs. Much more will happen when they are finalised. DECISION: The initial team will be Crypt, AlisonW, Paul, Alex, Stavros, martind, Jonty, and others.

Internet

We have access to data enter roof. Layer 2 may not happen. Talking to various providers about getting distribution through the camp. It is looking pretty good - green tinged with amber! We are not using the tower. Rapid wireless is one possible provider. Pulsant is another. Looking for more quotes. They will be lending stuff to us to check it all works. We may also need further storage for the internet equipment (toilets one idea or storage compartments from ebay another). We will need power before this can get put in. Possible second generator which would go in first and run the power for the internet to go in.

Water Installation

Anglian Water need to know that they will give a firm quote for tanked water for the showers plus all of the other areas of water we need for drinking etc. Need someone to go with them to the site and see what they say. TASK: AlisonW should be able to.

Venue for meetings

Richmix is a good location, it has icecream, and limited beer. Still looking for somewhere else.

Next meeting

Moved from Monday 4th (bank holiday) to Saturday 9th June on-site in MK (details to come) followed by Monday 11th on usual schedule.

Post-Meeting Discussions

• Payment system de-brief
  • Current tickets
  • Deployable?
  • New date. Ultimate cutoff.