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Hosting W3C Face to Face Meetings

This Guidebook is the collected wisdom of the W3C Group Chairs and other collaborators.

This page is targeted for W3C Working/Interest Group face to face meetings, Workshops, and Symposiums. Sped

General Considerations

This document has been written to help when communicating with a potential W3C face to face host, to explain what is expected from them.

These guidelines can be used for all sort of meetings: Working Group face to face, Workshops, Symposiums, etc. Workshops and Symposiums should be considered more formal and generally take longer to arrange because they tend to be larger meetings between 50-100 people. Arranging for wireless internet for a larger group for example may take a host longer to coordinate especially if their facility is not equipped for this type of meeting.

Communicating with potential hosts

Hosts should fully understand W3C's meeting requirements along with the resources and costs associated with hosting a Workshop or WG f2f meeting before confirming that their organization is able to host a W3C meeting. This may take a couple of weeks for hosts to determine.

It is the responsibility of the meeting Chair to communicate W3C's specific meeting requirements and ensure that potential hosts have the appropriate resources and budget to successfully organize a W3C meeting. Potential hosts will most likely need a couple of weeks (if not longer) to investigate their organization's meeting facilities, wireless internet capabilities, etc.

Note from Susan: Communicating w/ potential hosts may need to be a separate Team or Chair only page. This space would be a place for Team to make comments as well as record notes about experiences w/ negotiating, whether the meeting worked well, if the host dropped the ball in any way, things to do better next time, things to avoid, etc. I personally think this would be a very useful page.

Meeting Requirements

Network requirements

Please consult the link, for further guidance.

Hi-speed Wireless Internet for 100% of estimated meeting attendance. Consult the Meeting Network Requirements document for further guidance.

AC/TP Meetings

For all large (AC, TP) meetings, the global Systems Team will take responsibility for the details of the Internet service provision at the meeting.

In order to accomplish that goal:

1. The Meeting Planner in charge of selecting the venue shall request systems support from the Systeam leader PRIOR to the selection of the venue.
2. The Systeam leader will assign a Project Leader based on locality and qualifications
3. The Project Leader and Meeting Planner will prepare a requirements statement, and include the then-current version of the standard Meeting Network Requirements document and present same to the venue's service provider (whether internal or external).
4. The Project Leader and Meeting Planner SHOULD meet with the network provider in order to evaluate the vendor's capability to meet the requirements.
5. The Project Leader will work with the Meeting Planner to select a vendor that can most successfully meet the requirements. Should a technically unacceptable vendor be chosen nonetheless, the Systems Team cannot be expected to compensate or be held accountable for the result.
6. Assuming an acceptable vendor is chosen, the Meeting Planner will facilitate technical contact between the Project Leader and network vendor, applying pressure on the venue as needed to ensure adequate continuing communication.
7. The Project Leader will be the "point person" for the System Team at the scheduled event, and will work directly with the vendor's on-site support person to resolve problems.

Workshops

Not yet formalized in public space; contact W3C staff.

WG/IG Meetings

Not yet formalized in public space; contact W3C staff.

Wheelchair Accessibility

Not yet formalized in public space; contact W3C staff.

Seating Arrangement

• Meeting Room: Appropriate sized room to accommodate estimated attendance w/ tables in one of the following seating arrangements below. Meeting Chair to provide estimated attendance.
  • U-shape -- chairs and tables arranged in a U-shape. This arrangement works best for groups 35 and under.
  • Schoolroom -- rows of chairs w/ tables in front. This arrangement works best for Workshops and Symposiums as these meetings have formal talks.
  • Conference -- chairs around a boardroom table. This arrangement also works for working group meetings.
  • Other: Chair or group preference -- Meeting Chair to communicate seating preference if different from above options

Absolute requirements for site up front. Yes, that's my plan.

• • A meeting room (sized for the meeting, of course, with chairs, etc, and accessible if required by some participants) and its address.
• most hosts usually do (P2):
  • presentation hardware (LCD projector, slide projector, electrical cords)
  • meals and refreshments during the day (taking into consideration people's specific diet: vegan, kosher, etc)
  • badges
  • information about local transportation and hotels (to be added to the meeting page ahead of time)
  • arrange a block of rooms in local hotels (at special rate if possible)
  • IP access (e.g. an ethernet router with DHCP in the room, or some hands-on terminals in an adjacent room)
  • A contact person on location the day(s) of the meeting for helping if needed
• good to have (P3):
  • a local sponsored dinner
  • shuttle transportation from and to hotels each day
  • availibity of a telecon phone in the room
  • on site printing support
  • support for brailling, sign language (if required)

I also think a valuable addition to this page would be a short business case on the value of hosting W3C f2f for members: more visibility, easier participation from locals, etc.

Organizer Checklist

Please add to this list if you notice omissions.

Hotel

(Select one "recommended" hotel and also list alternates)

• High-speed network connections in the rooms
• Group rate?

Meetings

• Provide phone bridge? (check with Chair).

  Note: If the meeting is in a hotel, and the group plans to dial out to a telcon bridge for most of the day, the telephone charges can be astronomical. Meeting organizers may try to arrange a special phone rate with the hotel, or arrange to have the call put onto a calling card. Chairs and staff contacts should make sure that you don't inadvertently run up a huge bill for the host by dialing out using the hotel's default long-distance service.

• Provide network connection during meetings? (check with Chair)
• U-shaped arrangement of tables
• Data projector & screen
• Long projector cable (to reach all participants)
• White board or flip chart
• Amenities during meetings and breaks: water, beverages, snacks

Other

• Lunch arrangements (most hosts pay for lunch; if that won't be the case, let the group know in advance to minimize confusion)
• Dietary restrictions (e.g., vegetarian, etc.)
• Non-smoking, if possible
• Reservation for group dinner (Host pay? Or self pay?)
• Dietary restrictions (e.g., vegetarian, etc.)
• Non-smoking, if possible
• Transportation to dinner (Share taxis? Shared rental cars?)

Information for Attendees (Template)

(Fill in and distribute this to attendees. Please add to this list if you notice omissions.)

Feedback is to @w3c/guidebook and is welcome on GitHub