KCD DC 2024 (September)

[mcascio]

KCD Organizer Checklist

Please fill in information, organizers, and sponsors as you assemble them, and then make a new comment when this application is ready for review.

Event Details

• [x] Event Location: American Red Cross 1730 E Street NW Washington DC 20006
• [x] Event Date and Time: September 24th 8a-8p
• [x] Expected Number of Attendees: 200 registrations / 150 attendees
• [x] Event cost per ticket, and if you will have early bird pricing or not: $75 regular / $50 early bird / Free Govt and DEI

Event type:

• [ ] Virtual
• [ ] Hybrid
• [x] In person

Organizers Details (identify at least 3 organizers). Designate who will be the CFP admin, as well as the finanical officer:

• [x] Organizer 1: First and Last Name, Company, Title, Email, CNCF Slack Username
• Matthew Cascio, Executive Director, American Red Cross, matthew.cascio@redcross.org
• [x] Organizer 2: First and Last Name, Company, Title, Email, CNCF Slack Username
• Faheem Memon, Principal Engineer / Sr Manager SRE · FreeWheel, memon.faheem@gmail.com
• [x] Organizer 3: First and Last Name, Company, Title, Email, CNCF Slack Username Brandon Mitchell, OSS Developer, Independent, docker@bmitch.net, Brandon Mitchell
• A total of 20 organizers

Terms

IMPORTANT: These are the terms within the checklist that must be abided by. Note - There are exceptions to these requirements in some jurisdictions due to applicable laws & regulations.

• [x] No other Kubernetes Community Day event in same major city (check with past organizers)
• [x] Minimum of 3 organizers from 3 different organizations
• [x] Every organizer has an account on Cloud Native Community Groups
• [x] Each organizer lives within the KCD city or just outside of it. For small countries, the organizers can live within the region, but must be able to easily travel to the KCD if it were in-person.
• [x] At least one organizer is a CNCF employee, CNCF ambassador, or CNCF project maintainer.
• [x] All organizers agree to follow the event guidelines and CNCF Code of Conduct
• [x] All organizer inquiries / communication for CNCF must be summarized via GitHub (comment under your KCD issue) for easy tracking
• [x] All organizers have taken Inclusive Open Source Community Orientation (LFC102)
• [x] Agree to offer at least 3 complimentary tickets to increase diversity for the event
• [x] Share the sponsor prospectus with CNCF via your GitHub issue, and link it on your website.
• [x] Agree to ensure the final program schedule is diverse (e.g., not all speakers of one gender, one culture, or from 1 or 2 of the same company). Here are some tips on how to create a diverse lineup.
• [x] Agree to submit your final lineup to kcd@cncf.io for review, prior to publishing it
• [x] Agree to use Cloud Native Community Groups for registration, scheduling, and event website. If using a platform outside of Bevy, organizers must provide CNCF with a full list of attendees. -- Regardless of your platform choice, please use these questions to create your registration form
• [x] Agree to use Sessionize as the Call for Proposals (CFP) platform.
• [x] Agree to get logo creation and approval with and from CNCF. NOTE: a new logo will be created in an effort provide unity, and and official KCD stamp of approval.

Getting started checklist for organizers

• [ ] Schedule monthly check-ins with KCD Core Organizer(s) (kcd@cncf.io)
• [ ] Minimum of 3 sponsors committed (not required for virtual only events) Sponsor 1 Sponsor 2 Sponsor 3
• [x] Identified fiscal sponsor that can accept payments such as from sponsorships and pay out expenses Fiscal sponsor that will accept payments
• [ ] Added usernames for CNCF Slack for all organizers so that we can add you to the #kcd-organizers channel
• [x] Create a LinkedIn profile and/or Twitter handle specific to your KCD event (except for countries like China and Korea where Twitter is not used)

Getting started checklist for CNCF:

• [x] Organizer email alias has been created
• [x] Region created in Bevy
• [ ] Added to Bevy header
• [ ] CFP code given for Sessionize
• [ ] Marketing Plan shared

Organizer Planning Timeline

• [ ] Make a copy of this timeline based on whether your event is In-person, Hybrid, or Virtual and link your own spreadsheet here ().
• [ ] To assure you have a diverse lineup, you are required to send a copy of your program to kcd@cncf.io before you publish it.

Post event checklist for Organizers:

• [ ] Send CNCF event analytics
• [ ] Schedule post mortem meeting
• [ ] Send CNCF videos to be uploaded to YouTube
• [ ] Link videos from YouTube to event page
• [ ] Post event survey sent out
• [ ] Fill out Credly badge request form for 1 badge per KCD

Post event checklist for CNCF:

• [ ] Removed from Bevy header
• [ ] CFP deactivated
• [ ] Upload videos to YouTube
• [ ] Transparency report and YouTube playlist (if there is one) linked from cncf.io/kcds
• [ ] Bevy page marked as dormant

[mcascio]

This new KCD event issue is ready for review @AudMonte01

[AudMonte01]

Thank you @mcascio!

• please add all the other KCD organizers in the GitHub issue
• Also, safe to assume your fiscal sponsor will be the same as previous years (your non-profit)? If so, please check that box under "getting started"

[AudMonte01]

KICK-OFF MEETING

Organizers

• 20 volunteers
• Brandon to handle CFP
• Cristher to handle logos and prospectus
• [ ] Team to signup for / assign duties

Content

• Co-locate with DevOps Days DC, Day 1 is the KCD, program 8am-8pm (w/ reception)
• 2023 175 registered vs 138 checked-in
• Goal is 200 reg and 150 attendees

Next steps

• [x] Audra to share Sponsor template with Matthew
• [ ] Audra to share Sessionize code with Brandon

[AudMonte01]

CNCF SYNC WITH TEAM ON APRIL 1

Content

• Team launched CFP today
• Audra added it to main KCD CFP list

Marketing

• [x] Matthew to set up a buffer account using the free tier
• Team to promote at UGs, CNCGs and on social
• Audra added CFP button to header image on microsite, and will plug in KubeWeekly newsletter (this Friday), as well as marketing committee meeting (this Wednesday)
• [x] Cris to update microsite header images, and send one to Brandon for the Sessionize page

[AudMonte01]

May 10 CNCF SYNC

Content

• Emily Fox is keynoting!
• CFP closes June 2

Marketing

• Matthew to post on CNCF Slack Workspace on #socialmedia channel for Jessie Adams-Shore to re-share post

[AudMonte01]

JUNE 3 CNCF CHECK-IN

Sponsors

• 2 new gold sponsors
• 1 Bronze
• 1 more available at Gold level
• At breakeven number

Coordinating On-Site Roles

• Sponsor and speaker ambassadors (Brandon & Jeff)

Content

• 117 submissions with 77 unique people, and 7 non-male folks
• Lots of European submissions
• Team will likely use randomizer feature for reviewing
• Notifications will go out around July 15

Marketing

• Promoting at the KuberTENes party

[AudMonte01]

JULY 22 CNCF SYNC

Content

• Brendon is working on the speaker lineup and will send to kcd@cncf.io for review
• [ ] Audra to add Agenda button once schedule is build in Sessionize

Sponsor

• Another Silver and Gold committed
• 1 platinum, 2 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze as of now
• Just about at a breakeven point for 150+, might be able to get the event to 200 people -- standing room is 422, but 368 chairs

Tickets

• 54 sold so far
• Expect to see a pickup once the agenda launches
• Also, current political state in DC is affecting conference purchases

[AudMonte01]

AUGUST 26 SYNC W/ CNCF

Marketing

• 86 tickets sold so far
• Audra looped in Faheem for decal voucher
• [x] Audra to send team training vouchers to give away (team is already promoting as a raffle)
• [ ] Team to collaborate with NY chapters to see if the can cross promote
• [ ] Team to work with DevOps Days folks to see if they can offer a bulk discount
• [x] Audra to plug in CNCF Marketing Committee Meeting next week

Sponsors

• A Gold sponsors came through via inquiry
• IDEA: Offer bulk discounts for inquiring sponsors that cannot afford current packages

[AudMonte01]

RETROSPECTIVE W/ CNCF

Positive Feedback

• 11 responses from attendees so far (4.5 out of 5 rating)
• Sponsors and attendees liked being in the same room as everyone
• Attendees seemed to be pleased
• Sustainability practices were better than last year
• Content was well-received
• Social hour was well received

Lessons Learned

• Both KCD and DevOps Days has outgrown the Red Cross venue -- Cold venue, and Wi-fi could have been better too
• 35-minutes felt long to some folks
• Only 4 responses from sponsors so far
• Lead quality was average in regards to sponsor feedback
• Longer break times between sessions
• A sponsored was unhappy about a full-length talk being rejected and 2 lightning talks were still projected as a pre-recording
• DEI and F&B were average in terms of feedback
• Not enough seating for lunch
• Talks starting, cut-off conversations with sponsors since sessions were in the same room

Analytics

• Total registered was 214 versus 174 total checked in (81%) -- 68% were attendees
• Total speakers with non-male speaker 4 out of 17 (23.5%)
• Total of 13 paid sponsors with a profit which will go towards next year's KCD

Post-event marketing

• [ ] Matthew to share 2023 Transparency Report template in Canva with Faheem
• [ ] Martin will handle production of session videos which is with the DevOps Days (220 Gigs of video). Matthew to get that person in touch with Martin
• [ ] Faheem to write Blog post
• [x] Team to fill out this form for speakers

[mcascio]

@AudMonte01 I've updated the final roster of organizers. You provide the badge graphic not us, correct?

[AudMonte01]

Thank you, @mcascio - yes, we will provide the organizer graphic, but your team will need to produce the speaker graphic for the one extra badge.

[sudo-bmitch]

Speaker badge request form has been submitted.

[AudMonte01]

Thank you, @sudo-bmitch - these badges have been assigned!