How to run an EPICS Collaboration Meeting - Revision history

AndrewJohnson: Updates, visa timings etc.

2018-07-03T16:37:36Z

Updates, visa timings etc.

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:37, 3 July 2018
Line 5:		Line 5:
	The EPICS Council now decides where meetings will be held, so . There are usually 2 meetings a year, circulating between the Americas, Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. Future meeting locations that have already been fixed are usually listed [https://epics.anl.gov/meetings.php here].		The EPICS Council now decides where meetings will be held, so . There are usually 2 meetings a year, circulating between the Americas, Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. Future meeting locations that have already been fixed are usually listed [https://epics.anl.gov/meetings.php here].

	Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days long from Tuesday to Thursday or Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the other days of the week. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and some smaller meeting rooms for workshops and training sessions~~. Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; there are a growing number of companies interested in paying a small sum to put up a display table at these meetings~~.		Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days long from Tuesday to Thursday or Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the other days of the week. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and some smaller meeting rooms for any workshops and training sessions you host.

	~~Recent attendance has been between 80-130 people, but depends on~~ the ~~number of users from the hosting site and nearby. It can be difficult~~ for ~~government-funded workers (especially from US Department of Energy labs)~~ to ~~get approval for travel to exotic locations though, so expect attendance to vary~~. ~~Workshops can be around 30 people, but may vary depending on~~ the ~~topic. If someone wants~~ to ~~run a workshop you can ask them for estimates on numbers~~.		Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; past meetings have succeeded in attracting companies who will a small sum to put up a display table at these meetings. Providing large-screen TVs or projectors in the exhibition space allows EPICS-related projects to demonstrate their software.

	If you ~~want to~~ include hands-on training~~, the organizers often~~ provide PCs (capable of running a virtual machine) for ~~the~~ students to use. Training is still possible without these, but ~~will~~ consist of lectures only. You would need to decide what kind of training you want, and organize some people in the community to give it.		Recent attendance has been between 80-130 people, but this depends on the number of users from the hosting site and nearby. It can be difficult for government-funded workers (especially from US Department of Energy labs) to get approval for travel to exotic locations though, so expect attendance to vary. Workshops can be around 30 people, but may vary depending on the topic. If someone wants to run a workshop you can ask them for estimates on numbers.

			To include some hands-on training you may may provide PCs capable of running a virtual machine for students to use, or ask them to bring their own laptops (which some will do anyway). Training is still possible without these, but would consist of basic lectures and demo's only. You would need to decide what kind of training you want, and organize some people in the community to give it.

	Topics for workshops should generally be aligned with interests of the hosts. It will take support on the host side to make sure there is sufficient interest and attendance. Subgroups of developers such as the EPICS Core, CS-Studio and AreaDetector groups may ask to hold a private developers meeting adjacent to the main meeting, which will usually require providing a 10-15 seat meeting room with WiFi for each group for the period of their meeting.		Topics for workshops should generally be aligned with interests of the hosts. It will take support on the host side to make sure there is sufficient interest and attendance. Subgroups of developers such as the EPICS Core, CS-Studio and AreaDetector groups may ask to hold a private developers meeting adjacent to the main meeting, which will usually require providing a 10-15 seat meeting room with WiFi for each group for the period of their meeting.
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	If possible, start creating a website for the meeting before it is first announced to on tech-talk; some people will want to be able to find out more about the location when they first hear about it, so the announcement should have a link to that website.		If possible, start creating a website for the meeting before it is first announced to on tech-talk; some people will want to be able to find out more about the location when they first hear about it, so the announcement should have a link to that website.

			Attendees from some countries such as China may have to navigate a quite long approvals process (internal, government and visa) to be able to attend, and may need a letter of invitation from you to get those approvals. Provide enough information so they know who to ask well in advance (3-4 months or more is advisable).

	Eventually you'll most probably need online registration of attendees and possibly speakers, as well as to provide information about local hotels, transportation to/from nearby airports, and local tourist agencies for attendees' partners. Arranging a "partner programme" is usually unnecessary.		Eventually you'll most probably need online registration of attendees and possibly speakers, as well as to provide information about local hotels, transportation to/from nearby airports, and local tourist agencies for attendees' partners. Arranging a "partner programme" is usually unnecessary.
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	Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using a less common presentation program (e.g. Apple's Keynote).		Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using a less common presentation program (e.g. Apple's Keynote).

	In ~~the~~ large hall speakers should use a microphone if a PA is available; a radio-microphone is preferred.		In a large hall speakers should use a microphone if a PA is available; a radio-microphone is preferred.

	The main hall (and ideally the other meeting rooms too) ~~needs to~~ have reliable, high-bandwidth WiFi internet access since most people will bring a laptop or notebook PC and want to connect up during the meeting.		The main hall (and ideally the other meeting rooms too) should have reliable, high-bandwidth WiFi internet access since most people will bring a laptop or notebook PC and want to connect up during the meeting.

	Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too. If these are not available at every seat, providing extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.		Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too. If these are not available at every seat, providing extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.

	Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge attendees a ~~small~~ fee at registration to pay for them. People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the evening before the last day.		Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge attendees a fee at registration to pay for them (exhibitors funds are also helpful here). People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the evening before the last day.

	=== Agenda ===		=== Agenda ===

	Setting an initial program structure gives presenters an idea of what topics the hosting institution may be particularly interested in.		Setting an initial program structure gives presenters an idea of what topics the hosting institution may be particularly interested in, but isn't necessary.

	In recent years the hosting site has been responsible for soliciting and collecting speakers names and talk titles; an Indico website can perform much of the clerical work involved automatically, but the talks will still have to be manual scheduled into the Agenda. Individual talks are usually allotted 15 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions, but some topics may be given additional time. Recent meetings have also introduced "Lightning talks" which are 5 minutes long with no question time.		In recent years the hosting site has been responsible for soliciting and collecting speakers names and talk titles; an Indico website can perform much of the clerical work involved automatically, but the talks will still have to be manual scheduled into the Agenda. Individual talks are usually allotted 15 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions, but some topics may be given additional time. Recent meetings have also introduced "Lightning talks" which are 5 minutes long with no question time, and these have proven popular and a good way to cover many topics in a short time.

	The community will usually submit a number of submissions of presentations, but the hosts should expect to have to do some additional solicitation to fill out the program. This can (should) be informed by topics the host institute is interested in. Communications to the whole community about talks should be sent to tech-talk.		The community will usually submit a number of submissions of presentations, but the hosts should expect to have to do some additional solicitation to fill out the program. This can (should) be informed by topics the host institute is interested in. Communications to the whole community about submitting talks should be sent to tech-talk.

	=== More ===		=== More ===

	Please extend this note, I'm sure I have omitted many things...		Please extend this note, I'm sure I have omitted many things...

AndrewJohnson: Replace Bob with the EPICS Council

2018-04-06T18:47:49Z

Replace Bob with the EPICS Council

AndrewJohnson: A few updates

2017-08-16T17:49:51Z

A few updates

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:49, 16 August 2017
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	=== Facilities ===		=== Facilities ===

	For the main meeting, a hall with LCD projector(s) for computer connection and a PC to display the presentation files. Most people will bring talks in MS PowerPoint, Adobe PDF and/or ~~OpenOffice~~ Impress formats (installing ~~OpenOffice~~ on this machine is advised, but not essential if you give people notice). It saves time and confusion at these international meetings if the PC can be configured with English language settings (menus etc.).		For the main meeting, a hall with LCD projector(s) for computer connection and a PC to display the presentation files. Most people will bring talks in MS PowerPoint, Adobe PDF and/or LibreOffice Impress formats (installing LibreOffice on this machine is advised, but not essential if you give people notice). It saves time and confusion at these international meetings if the PC can be configured with English language settings (Windows menus etc.). Providing a remote control for the presentation program and a laser pointer is helpful.

	Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using a less common presentation program.		Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using a less common presentation program (e.g. Apple Keynote).

	In the large hall speakers should use a microphone if a PA is available; a radio-mic is preferred.		In the large hall speakers should use a microphone if a PA is available; a radio-mic is preferred.

AndrewJohnson: Points from Steve Hartman, updates.

2016-12-01T16:39:09Z

Points from Steve Hartman, updates.

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:39, 1 December 2016
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	=== Organization ===		=== Organization ===

	Bob Dalesio decides ~~when and~~ where meetings ~~are~~ held, so you need to start by talking to him. There are usually 2 meetings a year, circulating between the US, Europe and Asia. ~~It can be difficult for government-funded workers (especially from US Department of Energy labs) to get approval to travel to exotic~~ locations ~~though, so expect attendance to vary~~.		Bob Dalesio decides where meetings will be held, usually 9-12 months in advance, so you need to start by talking to him. There are usually 2 meetings a year, circulating between the US, Europe and Asia. Future meeting locations that have already been fixed are usually listed [http://www.aps.anl.gov/epics/meetings/index.php here].

	Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days from Tuesday to Thursday or Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the other days of the week. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and some smaller meeting rooms for workshops and training sessions. Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; there are a growing number of companies interested in paying a small sum to put up a display table at these meetings.		Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days from Tuesday to Thursday or Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the other days of the week. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and some smaller meeting rooms for workshops and training sessions. Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; there are a growing number of companies interested in paying a small sum to put up a display table at these meetings.

	Recent attendance has been between 80-130 people, but depends on the number of users from the hosting site. Workshops can be around 30 people, but may vary depending on the topic. If someone wants to run a workshop you can ask them for estimates on numbers.		Recent attendance has been between 80-130 people, but depends on the number of users from the hosting site and nearby. It can be difficult for government-funded workers (especially from US Department of Energy labs) to get approval for travel to exotic locations though, so expect attendance to vary. Workshops can be around 30 people, but may vary depending on the topic. If someone wants to run a workshop you can ask them for estimates on numbers.

	If you want hands-on training, the organizers may ~~provides~~ PCs (capable of running Linux) for the students to use. Training is still possible ~~if you don't have any~~, but will consist of lectures only. You would need to decide what kind of training you want, and organize some people in the community to give it.		If you want hands-on training, the organizers may provide PCs (capable of running Linux) for the students to use. Training is still possible without these, but will consist of lectures only. You would need to decide what kind of training you want, and organize some people in the community to give it.

			Topics for workshops should generally be aligned with interests of the hosts. It will take support on the host side to make sure there is sufficient interest and attendance. The EPICS Core developers may ask if they can hold a private developers meeting a few days adjacent to the main meeting, which will usually require providing a 10-15 seat meeting room with WiFi for 1-2 days.

	=== Communications ===		=== Communications ===
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	The main hall (and ideally the other meeting rooms too) needs to have reliable, high-bandwidth WiFi internet access since many people will bring a laptop and want to connect up during the meeting.		The main hall (and ideally the other meeting rooms too) needs to have reliable, high-bandwidth WiFi internet access since many people will bring a laptop and want to connect up during the meeting.

	Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too~~; providing~~ extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.		Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too. Providing extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.

	Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge attendees a small fee at registration to pay for them. People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the evening before the last day.		Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge attendees a small fee at registration to pay for them. People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the evening before the last day.
Line 34:		Line 36:
	=== Agenda ===		=== Agenda ===

	~~Talk to~~ Bob Dalesio about ~~ideas for~~ the ~~agenda, he usually knows who might have something particularly interesting to say~~. ~~Who collects~~ speakers names and titles can ~~be agreed between you and him; if you do this as part~~ of ~~your registration website that is usually acceptable~~, but ~~it does need~~ manual ~~scheduling of talks onto~~ the Agenda. ~~Talks~~ are usually ~~scheduled in~~ 15 ~~minute slots~~, some ~~talks being~~ given ~~two or more slots~~ for larger topics. ~~The simplest way to show the agenda online is to convert a Spreadsheet into HTML~~.		Setting an initial program structure gives presenters an idea of what topics the hosting institution may be particularly interested in. Discussing this with Bob Dalesio in advance is a good idea, he can provide information about recent work that has been taking place in the community that should be included.

			In recent years the hosting site has been responsible for soliciting and collecting speakers names and talk titles; an Indico website can perform much of the clerical work involved automatically, but the talks will still have to be manual scheduled into the Agenda. Individual talks are usually 15 minutes long, but some may be given additional time for larger topics. Some meetings have experimented with "Lightning talks" of only 5 minutes, and even 1-slide talks have been tried.

			The community will usually submit a number of submissions of presentations, but the hosts should expect to have to do some additional solicitation to fill out the program. This can (should) be informed by topics the host institute is interested in. Bob is usually helpful in this regard, with suggestions and contacts.

	=== More ===		=== More ===

	Please extend this note, I'm sure I have omitted many things...		Please extend this note, I'm sure I have omitted many things...

AndrewJohnson: A few updates.

2015-04-07T19:49:09Z

A few updates.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:49, 7 April 2015
Line 4:		Line 4:
	=== Organization ===		=== Organization ===

	Bob Dalesio ~~organizes~~ where ~~and when~~ meetings are held, so you need to start by talking to him. There are usually 2 ~~or 3~~ meetings a year, ~~one in~~ the US ~~and one in~~ Europe and~~/or~~ Asia. ~~Exotic~~ locations ~~are usually welcomed..~~.		Bob Dalesio decides when and where meetings are held, so you need to start by talking to him. There are usually 2 meetings a year, circulating between the US, Europe and Asia. It can be difficult for government-funded workers (especially from US Department of Energy labs) to get approval to travel to exotic locations though, so expect attendance to vary.

	Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days from Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the ~~Monday and/or Tuesday~~. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and smaller meeting rooms for workshops and training sessions. Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; there are ~~often~~ a ~~few~~ companies interested in paying a small sum to ~~have~~ a display table.		Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days from Tuesday to Thursday or Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the other days of the week. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and some smaller meeting rooms for workshops and training sessions. Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; there are a growing number of companies interested in paying a small sum to put up a display table at these meetings.

	Recent attendance has been between 80-130 people, but depends on the number of users from the hosting site. Workshops can be around 30 people, but may vary depending on the topic. If someone wants to run a workshop you can ask them for estimates on numbers.		Recent attendance has been between 80-130 people, but depends on the number of users from the hosting site. Workshops can be around 30 people, but may vary depending on the topic. If someone wants to run a workshop you can ask them for estimates on numbers.

	If you want training, the ~~site generally~~ provides PCs (capable of running Linux) for the students to use. Training is still possible if you don't have any, but will consist of lectures only in ~~that case~~.		If you want hands-on training, the organizers may provides PCs (capable of running Linux) for the students to use. Training is still possible if you don't have any, but will consist of lectures only. You would need to decide what kind of training you want, and organize some people in the community to give it.

	=== Communications ===		=== Communications ===
Line 20:		Line 20:
	=== Facilities ===		=== Facilities ===

	For the main meeting, a hall with LCD projector(s) for computer connection and a PC to display the presentation files. Most people will bring talks in MS PowerPoint, Adobe PDF and/or OpenOffice Impress formats (installing OpenOffice on this machine is advised, but not essential if you give people notice). It saves time and confusion at an international ~~meeting~~ if the PC is configured ~~for~~ English language settings (menus etc.).		For the main meeting, a hall with LCD projector(s) for computer connection and a PC to display the presentation files. Most people will bring talks in MS PowerPoint, Adobe PDF and/or OpenOffice Impress formats (installing OpenOffice on this machine is advised, but not essential if you give people notice). It saves time and confusion at these international meetings if the PC can be configured with English language settings (menus etc.).

	Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using a less common presentation program.		Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using a less common presentation program.
Line 30:		Line 30:
	Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too; providing extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.		Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too; providing extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.

	Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge attendees a small fee at registration to pay for ~~these~~. People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the ~~Thursday~~ evening.		Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge attendees a small fee at registration to pay for them. People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the evening before the last day.

	=== Agenda ===		=== Agenda ===

	~~The~~ agenda is usually ~~arranged by Bob Dalesio~~ who ~~gets people~~ to ~~speak one way or another~~. Who collects speakers names and titles can be agreed between you and him; if you ~~want to~~ do this as part of your registration website that is usually acceptable, but it does need manual scheduling of talks onto the Agenda. Talks are usually scheduled in 15 minute slots, some talks being given two or more slots for larger topics. The simplest way to show the agenda online is to convert a Spreadsheet into HTML.		Talk to Bob Dalesio about ideas for the agenda, he usually knows who might have something particularly interesting to say. Who collects speakers names and titles can be agreed between you and him; if you do this as part of your registration website that is usually acceptable, but it does need manual scheduling of talks onto the Agenda. Talks are usually scheduled in 15 minute slots, some talks being given two or more slots for larger topics. The simplest way to show the agenda online is to convert a Spreadsheet into HTML.

AndrewJohnson at 17:14, 4 November 2008

2008-11-04T17:14:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:14, 4 November 2008
Line 4:		Line 4:
	=== Organization ===		=== Organization ===

	Bob Dalesio organizes where and when meetings are held, so you need to start by talking to him. There are usually 2 or 3 meetings a year, one in the US and one in Europe and/or Asia. Exotic locations welcomed...		Bob Dalesio organizes where and when meetings are held, so you need to start by talking to him. There are usually 2 or 3 meetings a year, one in the US and one in Europe and/or Asia. Exotic locations are usually welcomed...

	Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days from Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the Monday and/or Tuesday. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and smaller meeting rooms for workshops and training sessions. Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; there are often a few companies interested in paying a small sum to have a display table.		Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days from Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the Monday and/or Tuesday. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and smaller meeting rooms for workshops and training sessions. Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; there are often a few companies interested in paying a small sum to have a display table.
Line 20:		Line 20:
	=== Facilities ===		=== Facilities ===

	For the main meeting, a hall with LCD projector(s) for computer connection and a PC to display the presentation files. Most people will bring talks in MS PowerPoint, Adobe PDF and/or OpenOffice Impress formats (installing OpenOffice on this machine is advised, but not essential if you give people notice). Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using ~~an obscure~~ presentation program.		For the main meeting, a hall with LCD projector(s) for computer connection and a PC to display the presentation files. Most people will bring talks in MS PowerPoint, Adobe PDF and/or OpenOffice Impress formats (installing OpenOffice on this machine is advised, but not essential if you give people notice). It saves time and confusion at an international meeting if the PC is configured for English language settings (menus etc.).

			Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using a less common presentation program.

	In the large hall speakers should use a microphone if a PA is available; a radio-mic is preferred.		In the large hall speakers should use a microphone if a PA is available; a radio-mic is preferred.

	The main hall (and ideally the other meeting rooms too) needs to have reliable, high-~~volume~~ WiFi internet access since many people will bring a laptop and want to connect up.		The main hall (and ideally the other meeting rooms too) needs to have reliable, high-bandwidth WiFi internet access since many people will bring a laptop and want to connect up during the meeting.

	Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too; providing extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.		Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too; providing extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.

	Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge a small fee at registration to pay for these. People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the Thursday evening.		Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge attendees a small fee at registration to pay for these. People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the Thursday evening.

	=== Agenda ===		=== Agenda ===

	The agenda is usually arranged by Bob Dalesio who gets people to speak one way or another. Who collects speakers names and titles can be agreed between you and him; if you want to do this as part of your registration website that is usually acceptable, but it does need manual scheduling of talks onto the Agenda. Talks are usually scheduled in 15 minute slots, some talks being given two or more slots for larger topics. The simplest way to show the agenda online is to convert ~~an excel file to~~ HTML.		The agenda is usually arranged by Bob Dalesio who gets people to speak one way or another. Who collects speakers names and titles can be agreed between you and him; if you want to do this as part of your registration website that is usually acceptable, but it does need manual scheduling of talks onto the Agenda. Talks are usually scheduled in 15 minute slots, some talks being given two or more slots for larger topics. The simplest way to show the agenda online is to convert a Spreadsheet into HTML.

AndrewJohnson at 10:19, 16 October 2008

2008-10-16T10:19:53Z

New page

''This page is intended for "lessons learned" by sites who have run collaboration meetings, as hints to help future meetings run smoothly.
''

=== Organization ===

Bob Dalesio organizes where and when meetings are held, so you need to start by talking to him. There are usually 2 or 3 meetings a year, one in the US and one in Europe and/or Asia. Exotic locations welcomed...

Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days from Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the Monday and/or Tuesday. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and smaller meeting rooms for workshops and training sessions. Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; there are often a few companies interested in paying a small sum to have a display table.

Recent attendance has been between 80-130 people, but depends on the number of users from the hosting site. Workshops can be around 30 people, but may vary depending on the topic. If someone wants to run a workshop you can ask them for estimates on numbers.

If you want training, the site generally provides PCs (capable of running Linux) for the students to use. Training is still possible if you don't have any, but will consist of lectures only in that case.

=== Communications ===

If possible, start creating a website for the meeting before it is first announced to on tech-talk; some people will want to be able to find out more about the location when they first hear about it, so the announcement should have a link to that website.

Eventually you'll most probably need online registration of attendees and possibly speakers, as well as to provide information about local hotels, transportation to/from nearby airports, and local tourist agencies for attendees' partners. Arranging a "partner programme" is usually unnecessary.

=== Facilities ===

For the main meeting, a hall with LCD projector(s) for computer connection and a PC to display the presentation files. Most people will bring talks in MS PowerPoint, Adobe PDF and/or OpenOffice Impress formats (installing OpenOffice on this machine is advised, but not essential if you give people notice). Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using an obscure presentation program.

In the large hall speakers should use a microphone if a PA is available; a radio-mic is preferred.

The main hall (and ideally the other meeting rooms too) needs to have reliable, high-volume WiFi internet access since many people will bring a laptop and want to connect up.

Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too; providing extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.

Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge a small fee at registration to pay for these. People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the Thursday evening.

=== Agenda ===

The agenda is usually arranged by Bob Dalesio who gets people to speak one way or another. Who collects speakers names and titles can be agreed between you and him; if you want to do this as part of your registration website that is usually acceptable, but it does need manual scheduling of talks onto the Agenda. Talks are usually scheduled in 15 minute slots, some talks being given two or more slots for larger topics. The simplest way to show the agenda online is to convert an excel file to HTML.

=== More ===

Please extend this note, I'm sure I have omitted many things...

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:47, 6 April 2018
Line 1:		Line 1:
	''This page is intended for "lessons learned" by sites who have run collaboration meetings, as hints to help future meetings run smoothly.		''This page is intended for "lessons learned" by sites who have run collaboration meetings, as hints to help future meetings run smoothly.''
	''

	=== Organization ===		=== Organization ===

	~~Bob Dalesio~~ decides where meetings will be held~~, usually 9-12 months in advance~~, so ~~you need to start by talking to him~~. There are usually 2 meetings a year, circulating between the US, Europe and Asia. Future meeting locations that have already been fixed are usually listed [~~http~~://~~www.aps~~.anl.gov~~/epics~~/meetings~~/index~~.php here].		The EPICS Council now decides where meetings will be held, so . There are usually 2 meetings a year, circulating between the Americas, Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. Future meeting locations that have already been fixed are usually listed [https://epics.anl.gov/meetings.php here].

	Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days from Tuesday to Thursday or Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the other days of the week. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and some smaller meeting rooms for workshops and training sessions. Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; there are a growing number of companies interested in paying a small sum to put up a display table at these meetings.		Collaboration meetings are usually 3 days long from Tuesday to Thursday or Wednesday to Friday, allowing for training and smaller working groups on the other days of the week. You'll need a big room for the full meeting, and some smaller meeting rooms for workshops and training sessions. Also somewhere near the refreshment location a room for any exhibitions; there are a growing number of companies interested in paying a small sum to put up a display table at these meetings.

	Recent attendance has been between 80-130 people, but depends on the number of users from the hosting site and nearby. It can be difficult for government-funded workers (especially from US Department of Energy labs) to get approval for travel to exotic locations though, so expect attendance to vary. Workshops can be around 30 people, but may vary depending on the topic. If someone wants to run a workshop you can ask them for estimates on numbers.		Recent attendance has been between 80-130 people, but depends on the number of users from the hosting site and nearby. It can be difficult for government-funded workers (especially from US Department of Energy labs) to get approval for travel to exotic locations though, so expect attendance to vary. Workshops can be around 30 people, but may vary depending on the topic. If someone wants to run a workshop you can ask them for estimates on numbers.

	If you want hands-on training, the organizers ~~may~~ provide PCs (capable of running ~~Linux~~) for the students to use. Training is still possible without these, but will consist of lectures only. You would need to decide what kind of training you want, and organize some people in the community to give it.		If you want to include hands-on training, the organizers often provide PCs (capable of running a virtual machine) for the students to use. Training is still possible without these, but will consist of lectures only. You would need to decide what kind of training you want, and organize some people in the community to give it.

	Topics for workshops should generally be aligned with interests of the hosts. It will take support on the host side to make sure there is sufficient interest and attendance. ~~The~~ EPICS Core ~~developers~~ may ask ~~if they can~~ hold a private developers meeting ~~a few days~~ adjacent to the main meeting, which will usually require providing a 10-15 seat meeting room with WiFi for ~~1-2 days~~.		Topics for workshops should generally be aligned with interests of the hosts. It will take support on the host side to make sure there is sufficient interest and attendance. Subgroups of developers such as the EPICS Core, CS-Studio and AreaDetector groups may ask to hold a private developers meeting adjacent to the main meeting, which will usually require providing a 10-15 seat meeting room with WiFi for each group for the period of their meeting.

	=== Communications ===		=== Communications ===
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	For the main meeting, a hall with LCD projector(s) for computer connection and a PC to display the presentation files. Most people will bring talks in MS PowerPoint, Adobe PDF and/or LibreOffice Impress formats (installing LibreOffice on this machine is advised, but not essential if you give people notice). It saves time and confusion at these international meetings if the PC can be configured with English language settings (Windows menus etc.). Providing a remote control for the presentation program and a laser pointer is helpful.		For the main meeting, a hall with LCD projector(s) for computer connection and a PC to display the presentation files. Most people will bring talks in MS PowerPoint, Adobe PDF and/or LibreOffice Impress formats (installing LibreOffice on this machine is advised, but not essential if you give people notice). It saves time and confusion at these international meetings if the PC can be configured with English language settings (Windows menus etc.). Providing a remote control for the presentation program and a laser pointer is helpful.

	Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using a less common presentation program (e.g. Apple Keynote).		Some presenters may want to use their own laptops for live demonstrations, or if they're using a less common presentation program (e.g. Apple's Keynote).

	In the large hall speakers should use a microphone if a PA is available; a radio-~~mic~~ is preferred.		In the large hall speakers should use a microphone if a PA is available; a radio-microphone is preferred.

	The main hall (and ideally the other meeting rooms too) needs to have reliable, high-bandwidth WiFi internet access since ~~many~~ people will bring a laptop and want to connect up during the meeting.		The main hall (and ideally the other meeting rooms too) needs to have reliable, high-bandwidth WiFi internet access since most people will bring a laptop or notebook PC and want to connect up during the meeting.

	Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too. ~~Providing~~ extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.		Laptop batteries don't last more than a few hours, so there will be demand for power sockets in the hall too. If these are not available at every seat, providing extension leads spread about the room is generally a good idea and is much appreciated by attendees.

	Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge attendees a small fee at registration to pay for them. People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the evening before the last day.		Refreshments should be available at the breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your institution can't afford to fund these itself it is acceptable to charge attendees a small fee at registration to pay for them. People will expect to pay for their own lunches, and also to pay to attend the conference dinner which is usually held on the evening before the last day.
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	=== Agenda ===		=== Agenda ===

	Setting an initial program structure gives presenters an idea of what topics the hosting institution may be particularly interested in~~. Discussing this with Bob Dalesio in advance is a good idea, he can provide information about recent work that has been taking place in the community that should be included~~.		Setting an initial program structure gives presenters an idea of what topics the hosting institution may be particularly interested in.

	In recent years the hosting site has been responsible for soliciting and collecting speakers names and talk titles; an Indico website can perform much of the clerical work involved automatically, but the talks will still have to be manual scheduled into the Agenda. Individual talks are usually 15 minutes ~~long~~, but some may be given additional time ~~for larger topics~~. ~~Some~~ meetings have ~~experimented with~~ "Lightning talks" ~~of only~~ 5 minutes~~, and even 1-slide talks have been tried~~.		In recent years the hosting site has been responsible for soliciting and collecting speakers names and talk titles; an Indico website can perform much of the clerical work involved automatically, but the talks will still have to be manual scheduled into the Agenda. Individual talks are usually allotted 15 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions, but some topics may be given additional time. Recent meetings have also introduced "Lightning talks" which are 5 minutes long with no question time.

	The community will usually submit a number of submissions of presentations, but the hosts should expect to have to do some additional solicitation to fill out the program. This can (should) be informed by topics the host institute is interested in. ~~Bob is usually helpful in this regard, with suggestions and contacts~~.		The community will usually submit a number of submissions of presentations, but the hosts should expect to have to do some additional solicitation to fill out the program. This can (should) be informed by topics the host institute is interested in. Communications to the whole community about talks should be sent to tech-talk.

	=== More ===		=== More ===

	Please extend this note, I'm sure I have omitted many things...		Please extend this note, I'm sure I have omitted many things...