NUCCC-checklist

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Tentative deadlines

These deadlines are guesswork. Your mileage may vary.

T-3 months

  • Website created (design not required)
  • Date picked, added on website and clubs informed
  • Link to website added on nuccc.org

T-2 months

  • Conference logo (and possibly slogan) complete
  • Sponsor deals complete
  • Poster sent to other clubs
  • Website updated, with info and design
  • Place to have dinner booked

T-1 month

  • Speakers booked
    • Make sure the speakers travel and sleeping arrangements are clear to everyone

T-1 week

  • Check that all technical equipment for speakers is OK.
  • Contact all attendants and speakers with last-minute updates
    • Remind about info on how to get there
    • Who to call if you get lost

Correspondence

  • if you want to know whether people read your mail, remember to add some question they will answer
  • Pick a few suggestions, contact clubs@nuccc.org to poll which date is most suitable
  • Notify clubs@nuccc.org IMMEDIATELY after the date is set, even if you don't have any other info yet, to avoid double-bookings.
  • Don't be afraid to e-mail clubs@nuccc.org (and perhaps people@nuccc.org) when the webpages are updated. People do not poll them often.
    • Remember to also send updates to sponsors and speakers.
  • Send a poster by mail a few months before. Include whatever info you have at the time. This means the logo must be finished at this time.

Sponsors

  • 2-4 sponsors are OK. 5-7.000 NOK are realiastic from a sponsor, 15.000 NOK from a main sponsor (adjust to fit your country)
  • Focus on companies where members of your club work, they can talk to management. Talk to the members.
  • Also talk to companies who you have previously dealed with in some way
  • Most companies don't answer when they mean "no". Poke them again after a week if they don't reply. Don't be afraid to call them on the phone.
  • Remember to inform about what the benefits for sponsoring are:
    • Possibility to speak at your conference
    • Logo on your T-shirts/posters/web pages (twice as big for main sponsor)

Speakers

  • Have a dedicated person for handling speakers (could be the same person handling sponsors, because sponsors often send speakers)
  • Start finding speakers as soon as the date is set.
  • Prepare an e-mail with information about NUCCC
  • Unless you know the speaker personally, sending an e-mail will rarely cut it. Give him/her a call first. If he/she is interested, follow up with the information e-mail.
  • Sponsors will often want to have a speaker. But you are unlikely to get more than two or three speakers from sponsors, tops. Start asking others right away.

After booking the speaker

  • Inform the speaker about what technical equipment is available
  • Check back at least once a month to check on the speaker. If not, they might forget you and double-book themselves.
  • If you e-mail your speaker and you do not get a reply within a week, ask them to confirm that they received your message.

Stuff/handouts

  • Having a little booklet with the program, a map of the city, some interesting info (like pubs or when/where beer is sold) is a good idea.
  • T-shirts are a good idea.
  • Geeks from Sweden and Finland often expect a patch to stitch on their overall

Dinner

  • Finding a place to eat is hard (at least in Norway). Start early, or the cheap ones will be booked.
  • Using a catering company for the dinner is usually a good idea. Other meals you can usually do yourselves.
  • Remember to make a songbook for the party. Geeky songs are important.
  • Having a toastmaster is a good idea.