Rootscamp in a Box

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Rootscamp in a Box
(Or, how to organize Rootscamp in your city, town, or state)

This guide is meant to give you the basics of what you'll need to do, plus some helpful insights from those of us who have run Rootscamps big and small. It's a work in progress, so feel free to add anything you think is important to know for the next generation of Rootscamp hosts.

Contents

Set a date and create a schedule

  • Pick a date that's at least 8 weeks away. You'll need this time to build a wiki, find sponsors and get the word out about the event. The busiest times will be the first 2 weeks of planning and the last 2 weeks right before Rootscamp. Try to use that middle time to plan all of your logistics, recruit volunteers, and get plan as much as you can.
  • Helpful hint: Don't leave anything for the last week except final confirmation call and last minute errands. Things will inevitably run late, so try to have everything planned, printed, reserved, and boxed up, etc, 2 weeks out.

Find a location

What you'll need:

  • General space to fit everyone for an opening session and intros
  • 3-10 break out rooms, or as many as you can get to accomodate the size of the event you expect. Most sessions will have 10-30 people per room.

Checklist:

  • Capacity - Main Room and breakout rooms
  • Wifi - make sure the wifi can serve the number of people you expect to attend. Also, test the connection and any passwords on Mac, PC, and Vista laptops
  • Cost - try to get the space donated
  • Food - do they have a (cheap) catering service or can you bring in outside food. Costco/SamsClub/etc is your friend.
  • Building access and staff - Ask about weekend access, security, cleaning crews and garbage removal.
  • Extra tables, chairs, easils, etc - do they have these? Do you have control of how to set up the rooms?
  • A/V equipment - try to get this donated so you don't have to pay for rental fees. 2-3 projectors should be ample. Don't forget the converters for Macs!
  • Contact numbers for the weekend. Keep track of all cell phone numbers, emails and contact information in one place.

Create a budget

Rootscamps don't have to cost a lot, but it's a good idea to create a simple budget so you know how much you anticipate spending and to help you get sponsors. The key is transparency - only spend what you actually need and ask for sponsorships and donations accordingly.

Helpful Hints:

  • Your budget should include estimated costs, actual amount spent, and sponsorship income.
  • Use the budgeted amounts to ask for sponsorships (space, food, supplies, etc)
  • Keep track of how much money you anticipate spending and how much money you still need to raise as you are planning and buying items.
  • Online Donation page is optional. Even though registration is free and we encourage you to seek sponsors, you can still send some gentle asks for small donations. Or, you can also have a "Tip Jar" at the registration table or at your evening event (this works really well).
  • More on Sponsorships below...

Find Partners and Sponsors

Remember this: Rootscamp is FREE and Sponsors are your friends!

Rather than asking for donations we suggest asking organizations, vendors and individuals to partner with you to "sponsor" specific items such as breakfast, lunch, snacks, printing, etc. It's not quite the same as "hosting" - but it's not a bad way to pitch the idea.

Helpful Hints:

  • Create sponsorship levels or list out specific sponsorship items.
    Gold, Silver, Bronze or "Sat Breakfast: $500; Sat Lunch: $800; Printing: $250...etc
  • Let sponsors know who else is sponsoring Rootscamp. This will help them feel part of the community and add a little bit of harmless peer-pressure. Also, they LOVE to see their logos/names on the website, so...
  • Create a Sponsor page on the wiki - make sure to show the logos on the front page of the Rootscamp wiki prominently and update it daily, as well as having a separate Sponsorship page listing out what everyone is sponsoring and clear information on how they to become a sponsor. Visibility is a huge incentive for sponsors, so make sure to play that up.
  • Get high res logos for printing on signs.

Set up a Wiki and Sign up page

  • Add as much information on the wiki as possible and drive people to your FAQ or Logistics page to get questions answered.
  • Sign Up page should be set up through your eCRM if possible so you can easily message attendees. We don't recommend having people add their names to the wiki themselves. You have more control of attendees by having them sign up through your system. Get an intern or a volunteer to update the Attendee page on a daily basis, if you can.
  • Volunteer sign ups: We've used a wiki, a sign up form and other Vol tools...do whatever is easiest for you to keep track of people and times. Here's an example: DC Vols: http://dc.rootscamp.org/index.php/Rootscamp_Volunteer

Helpful Hint:

  • Don't expect people to update the wiki unless you specifically ask them to and tell them how. For example, if you want people to add session ideas, make it very clear how to do so and include 2-3 examples.
  • Keep it simple! Information should be easily found and intuitive.

Spead the Word

It's a good idea to start your outreach about 6-7 weeks in advance, especially if they are traveling from out of town. Send a "Save the Date" message and increase your outreach as the date gets closer with 1-2 "Reminders" and "Last Call" emails. Some Rootscamps have registration deadlines and capacity limits, so make sure that's clear in your communications.

Helpful hints:

  • Create an outreach plan and timeline. Take inventory of who know: Your list, other people's lists, sponsor's lists, list serves, VIP contacts, friends, etc
  • Draft a sample email to give to people to send to their list. Make sure to include your sign up URL and wiki page.
  • Seed your Attendee list with 25-40 attendees before doing your first big wave of outreach. Try to include key community leaders and recognizable names so that people will feel like this is "the" event to sign up for.
  • Update your Attendee list as much as possible. People like to see their name listed and others are encouraged to sign up when they see their friends are attending.
  • Follow up: Build in a few (2-3) reminder emails for Rootscamp. This will help bolster your numbers, clear out any cancellations, and gives you opportunities to ask for Volunteers and Session ideas.
  • Event Size: Remember that 1/4 or 1/3 of the people who pre-register won't show up, but there will be those folks who show up on the day of Rootscamp. Make sure to keep an eye on your capacity though, and create a waitlist if you need to (this also puts the pressure on folks to sign up in advance).

Create Sessions, Schedule and "The Wall"

Seeding Sessions (5-6 weeks out) The beauty of Rootscamp is that it's organic and flexible. That said, it's a good idea to seed it with a few sessions that you know will be awesome. Try to tap some key leaders, organizers, elected officials, etc who can lead sessions on a variety of topics. Make sure to list those topics on the Sessions page on your wiki so people see what they are "thinking" about leading....even if you know it's 100%.

Suggesting Sessions (2-4 weeks out) Make sure to explain the session process as clearly as possible and encourage people to lead one. Remind people to "vote with their feet", that there are "no spectators" and if they aren't leading a session, the have to talk. Refer to "The Rules of Rootscamp"

Wiki Schedule

  • Before Rootscamp: Definitely list the general schedule on your wiki before Rootscamp. People may wonder what the "official schedule" is - just direct them to the Session Ideas page and explain how people choose sessions at Rootscamp itself.
  • At Rootscamp: You will have "The Wall", but it's also a good idea to have a wiki schedule that a volunteer updates throughout the day. This will also cut down on the post-Rootscamp work you'll have later! Here's a great example you can steal from: http://dc.rootscamp.org/index.php/Rootscamp_Schedule

"The Wall" "The Wall" is the center of Rootscamp. People love "The Wall". You will love "The Wall" too...trust us.

How to build "The Wall":

  • Find a large, open space in a central location that is easily accessible.
  • Most often the wall is made up of foam core, masking tape and half sheets of paper.
  • Usually times are listed on the left and rooms across the top, but build it however it fits best for you.
  • Have plenty of session cards (1/2 sheets) and thick markers or sharpies available for people to post their sessions. Don't use regular pens, as they are hard to read from a distance.
  • Still wondering what "The Wall" looks like? Here are a few pictures to help you out.
The Wall

Planning and Logistics

There are some helpful tools and tricks you can employ before and during Rootscamp to make your life easy. Simply put: Google docs and a printed binder are your friends!

We highly suggest creating a Google Doc that you can share with others. Include:

  • Contact Info: Point people, volunteers and vendors
  • Vendor Info
  • Master Schedule including food delivery times, start time, clean up times and Volunteer times,
  • Supplies and Printing list
  • Budget and Sponsorship tracking
  • Make a printed binder of that Google Doc to bring with you to the event - trust me, you'll want it at Rootscamp!

Other things to remember:

  • Food: Breakfast, lunch, snacks (remember, Costco is your friend!)
  • Drinks: We recommend bottled water or asking people to bring their own water bottles and filling them up there. One person suggested getting a sponsor to donate water bottles (with their logo) that people can fill up.
  • Printing and Copies: Try to get this donated. If a third Plan ahead for what you will need to have printed by a 3rd party.
  • Overnight space: If possible, try to locate cheap or free lodging near your event for anyone traveling from a distance. Couch/ride swaps are also helpful, but sometimes awkward.
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