conversation_notes/ep_01.md

Live Show Notes, 28 Jan 2021

Present: Joe Nash (@jna_sh), Don Goodman-Wilson (@DEGoodmanWilson)

Notes: Ramón Huidobro (@hola_soy_milk)

Recording: https://youtu.be/JK5tjvFt3WU

Virtual Events

• Aspects of accessibility, inclusivity, ticket pricing, lack of travel needs
• Attending events like You got this
• Trying to re-create the Hallway Track, of running into someone during an event
• Dealing with the lack of face-to-face interaction
• Adapting from being a week-long event to an ongoing series of mini-events
• How do we handle timezones? No matter when you hold an event, some region will be watching at nighttime
• Different locales will have different concerns
• Having local conversations is important
• These different audiences will have different needs
• Virtual unconferences are achievable
• Taking a Miro whiteboard and allowing folks to slot themselves for a stream
• Tools like Zoom are flexible for conference calls, and StreamYard are building one for streaming these conversations

Sponsorship

• Interactions with virtual attendees
• Rethinking how the sponsorship model works for virtual events
• What are examples of good virtual booths? (Websites with call-to-action buttons, (live) video embeds hopin, dedicated booth times)
• Lower attendee numbers during virtual events

Accessibility in virtual events

• Live captioning
• Sign language interpretation onscreen

Pre-recorded talks vs. live ones

• A loss of interaction with the audience during pre-recording

Defining an Event

• COVID has called our definition of events as gatherings of developers into question
• Art of Gathering, Priya Parker

What's missing in the event space?

• Examples of unique events: !!con, Deconstruct conf, Monktoberfest, Strange Loop, FOSDEM, May Contain Hackers, EMF Camp, Barcamps, Maintainerati
• How financing can help a conference shake its "scrappy" image, but keep the charm
• Corporate conferences overshadowing less-funded ones
• Github Universe taking place in San Francisco but being more of a global event with a focus on the Github product
• Who are the audience, and what are their needs?
• If the audience is narrow in scope, then one can adapt to their needs more effectively
• The unconference/open space model
• Grass-roots collaborations

Clubhouse (platforms)

• Clubhouse has had moderation incidents that need to be accounted for. Hopefully fewer events move there.
• As developer relations, it's our responsibility to use platforms that prioritise safety and inclusivity.