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Software Freedom Day 2008 event planning by the TTCS

 

Software Freedom Day 2008 event planning by the TTCS About Software Freedom Day Online Meetings If you are a person who uses and enjoys open source, we need your help for this event! Planned activities for Software Freedom Day in September What needs to be done? Costs Sponsors / Fund Raising? Questions/Ideas for SFD 2008 Promoting SFD 2008 Posters Press Releases Meeting Notes/Agenda for July 27th, 2008 from 5pm via Skype Meeting Notes for Sunday August 24th, 2008 via Skype

 

About Software Freedom Day

 

Software Freedom Day (SFD) is a global, grassroots effort to educate the public about the availability and benefits of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Local teams around the world organise events on the third Saturday in September. In 2008, Software Freedom Day will be on September 20th.

 

In 2007, the TTCS held a SFD event and submitted a report to the Software Freedom Day organisation ; our submission received a "highly commended" award from the Software Freedom Day organisation.

 

 

 

Online Meetings

 

To co-ordinate SFD 2008 planning, TTCS will hold several online meetings via Skype. The Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society skype account is "trinidadtobagocomputersociety". Those with Skype accounts who wish to participate, add your Skype contact to the "trinidadtobagocomputersociety" Skype account or email admin at ttcsweb d.ot org with your Skype ID.

 

The first online meeting was held on July 27th, 2008 from 5 pm - see http://ttcsweb.pbwiki.com/SFD2008-planning#MeetingNotes/AgendaforJuly27th2008from5pmviaSkype for meeting notes.

 

A 2nd meeting was held on August 13th, 2008 at Pizza Hut, Valsayn.

 

Online meeting was held on Sunday Aug 25th, 2008 from 5 to 9pm -see  http://ttcsweb.pbwiki.com/SFD2008-planning#MeetingNotesforSundayAugust24th2008viaSkype

 

 

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If you are a person who uses and enjoys open source, we need your help for this event!

 

To add/suggest items for this wiki page, click on "Edit Page" at the top of the page. The password is "ttcswebwiki"

 

 

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Planned activities for Software Freedom Day in September

 

 

• posters for UWI CS booth during orientation week September 8-12th 2008
• a SFD media launch event on September 12th, at the Atrium at Guardian Holdings Limited from 6-8pm where booths/displays are available for attendees to browse.
• posters for display at the National Library from September 15th to 19th
• Software Freedom Day on Saturday 20th September 2008 at the Old Fire Station, National Library, Port of Spain . This event will have :
  • SFD2008Schedule - scheduled presentations of typically 45 minutes in length on a particular topic on FOSS. 
  • SFD2008Booths - a common lobby area with various booths showcasing an aspect of FOSS
• (tentative) repeat of Software Freedom Day on September 20 at the UWI Student Activity Centre on September 27th, 2008. UWI venue not available

   

 

 

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What needs to be done?

 

- decide on type of SFD

- decide on programme (presentations, type of booths) and schedule

- ensures that persons can assist with the programme

- design of flyer to promote event

- letter to send to schools/companies/events

- displays for SFD and other venues such as National Library

 

- getting equipment needed for SFD

- preparing resources, presentations and booths

 

 

 

 

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Costs

 

Money will be needed for :

 

• brochures to give on SFD itself
• blank CD/DVDs
• venue
• advertising - have flyers for persons to give to interested persons
• newspaper/radio ads? - would be expensive
• Door prizes
• refreshments 

 

Refreshments: could donate some Pricesmart cakes or other pastries - Dulcie

 

I suggest that we partner with other organisations to possibly share costs, and we can get some ads sponsored if we move early enough. - Jacqueline-

 

Sponsors / Fund Raising?

 

Venue might help with attracting sponsors.

 

TSTT, Digicel, Flow, Computer Companies, Banks, Schools that have computer degrees, BSA, COTT

 

Liaise with other companies that the TTCS has had meetings with eg –Infolink, etc

 

Businesses can have booths to promote their services – charge an exhibit fee

 

Sponsors would have their logos on all brochures – they would pay for an advert spot.

 

Get a sponsor for the giveaway – EEE Pc, Cell phones, Internet Subs for a certain amount of months,

 

Min of Education, Min Public Admin, Library, TATT - can have booths or co-sponsor.

 

Giveaways

 

Advertise a giveaway to encourage persons to attend

 

Laptop giveaway: an EEE Pc

 

(I would be willing to build and give away a NEW low-end box running Ubuntu -rij. Got some spare parts around that I need to get rid of)

 

Cell phones, Internet Subs for a certain amount of months,

 

Discount on computer courses

 

- Do we need to give away some major items rather than a lot of little things, like Cds, tshirts, etc? I don't think that one EEE would increase participation that much, but giving a free Tshirt and free software to every attendee would definitely get ppl to attend as they are SURE they getting something useful. - JAM

 

 

 

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Questions/Ideas for SFD 2008

 

- a venue fee could be charged - there would be a registration process at the entrance for attendees who would get name tags and a party bag of brochures, CDs. Such fees could offsets the costs involved. Ways to "spin" the attendence fee : “Workshop fee”, "Participation Fee”, “Food Subsidy”, “Pirate Tax”-when you came you were pirating, when you leave never pirate again.

 

 

 

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Promoting SFD 2008

 

 Facebook: I created a Facebook Group [ http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37549728984 ] I will eventually invite everyone I know, but I think this is an excellent way to spread the word about SFD in Trinidad and minimal costs. Lets use this group for the public in our advertising brochures etc. [ShivanJ]

 

Malls: Be at the malls in the weeks leading up to Software Freedom Day – give out flyers or have presentations – come and see it all at SFD 2008. Persons should be wearing TTCS or SFD t-shirts.

 

- In Terms of UWI Computing Society, we can probably do handouts or make a sign at our booth for Orientation Week (1st/2nd Week in september)

to promote SFD in UWI, i will ensure this is included in the plans for the booth at orientation week.

 

- That would take up a LOT of person-hours. How about TV and newspapers and online? - JAM-

 

- following JAM's suggestion - an online banner persons could use on websites - DevT

 

- Direct Contact : emails sent to the email addresses collected at SFD 2007

 

- Focus on Free Software being the “Alternative to Pirating”

 

“Learn about alternatives to the Big V (Vista)” – suggested tagline

 

Join the World in celebrating “software freedom day” – suggested tagline

 

Highlight that TTCS SFD 2007 received special mention in 2007. “ Trini Group gets special big-up” or something like that.

- Can re-write the release from last year that announced the special mention - it was in the papers then. JAM

 

Ads to be placed on the big screens at POS and San Fernando

• San Fernando already done with teaser ad
• 
• POS to be done this week (first week in Aug)

 

Make presentations at Business Associations :

 

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Rotary Club - Any one in particular that someone has contact with? - JAM-

 

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Assoc of Female Exec of T&T (AFETT), -next monthly meeting is 3^rd week in August 08 - I'm a member of the Comms team if you need me to faciliate - JAM

 

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NEDCO – they are on a drive to provide mentoring and other support to their entrepreneurs,

 

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Animae Organisation

 

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LAN Games team

 

Posters

 

Guide for Designing a Poster

 

Press Releases

 

Procedure for press releases:

 

1. Trinidad Guardian

Fax the press release to 625-7211 for the attention of the News Editor, Mr. Robert Alonzo. - No answer! Will check to see if this is correct number.

 

 

2. Trinidad Newsday

Fax the press release to 625-8362 for the attention of the News Editor, Mr. John Babb. Send it at the earliest, so there can be repeat runs. - Fax Sent!

 

 

3. Trinidad Express

Fax the press release to 625-8897 for the attention of the News Editor, Mr. Imran Ali. - Fax Sent!

 

 

 

Further Reading:

 

How to Issue a Press Release

 

How to Write a Great Press Release: A Sample Press Release Template

 

Building a News Release

 

When to Issue a Press Release

 

Issue an email press release

 

 

 

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Meeting Notes/Agenda for July 27th, 2008 from 5pm via Skype

 

Present : DevT, JacquelineM, DulcieF, AnilR, KurtC, MikeT, PatrickH

 

Meeting began at 5pm via Skype.

 

 

SFD2008 Venue

 

Venues were looked at to focus on fewer candidates for SFD 2008.

- Kurt to check ambassador hotel costs

- Anil to look at UWI SAC, LRC - liase with UWI CS. Shawn from UWICS will try to assist Anil in getting UWI venues.

Asking Anil to please send a copy of the letter that was submitted to Director of Marketing, so UWICS can send a corresponding letter supporting TTCS.

- DevT to contact National Library for Fire Station, booth for library

- MikeT is investigate Trincity East Bishops where anime city was held

 

- Type of Event

 

- JAM proposed Friday cocktail type event from 5pm to 9pm and Saturday meeting. Booths would be ready on that day and would be an invitation only event for businees persons, IT managers, media persons. Doable at UWI or Library or Chamber of Commerce. Venues like Tricity would require 7-10pm

• Cocktail will be under control once we get the venue. JAM and AngeliG agreed to take the lead on this.

 

- Friday - opening speech mentions highlighting the presentations Saturday.

- have sponsors to offset costs.

- thinking is not to have SFD on Sunday since it was felt that attendence would be poor

 

- need to have security for both days.

 

- booths have more background info on a poster - presentations will have the full demos.

 

- have two rooms/areas for presentations. That way, concurrent sessions will occur.

 

- have Q and A sessions between each presentation.

 

- at beginning have intro of open source, a Q and A how many of you have problems with computing. This type of Q and A could go on throughout the day.

2-3 40" LCD screens and DVD players for booths are available (JAM)

 

 

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Meeting Notes for Sunday August 24th, 2008 via Skype

 

 

Present : DevT, DulcieF, AnilR, KurtC, JacquelineM, GarthL

 

DevT updated summary of Old Fire Station being the venue on Saturday Sept 20th for SFD. Photos were posted to the ttcs-sfd mailing list a few days before.

AnilR mentioned no feedback from UWI re: access to venues. UWI as venue for SFD is not a option.

 

GarthL suggested presentation on SFD on Edubuntu,  http://elgg.org/ for ttcs website

GarthL suggests contacting IBM ; they could showcase stuff like OpenBravo http://www.openbravo.com/product/pos/

 

Agreed to do Sept 12th, 2008 at Guardian Life, Westmoorings as SFD media launch

 

- what booths for Sept 12th, 2008

    - time from 6pm to 8pm

    - refreshments will be served

 

    - Nintendo Wii lightpen demo - need projector, laptop with bluetooth

    - TTCS OSSWIN CD/DVD

    - Ubuntu

    - POS systems with OpenBravo

    - Guardian Life table

    - OLPC and Asus EEE PCs

    - Edunutu

    - IBM showing off hardware desktops running Linux

    - refreshment table

    - Network Attached Storage

 

- calendar agenda  published to wiki with several deadlines

 

- Anil to find cost of security guard for carpark for SFD 2008

 

- have Sept 6th 2008 meeting at Handarnold to practice sessions

- have Sept 13th 2008 meeting at Handarnold to practice sessions

- these sessions to be recorded for later use on Sept 12th and for SFD itself

- KurtC to work with MikeT to get T-shirts ready by Sept 6th, 2008

 

- intense discussion of schedule for SFD 2008 - tentative schedule for SFD 2008

 

- quantities of CDs needed - JacquelineM suggested 500 OSSWIN, 350 Ubuntu, 150 OpenEducation

 

- Anil to find out when UWI CS running booth to figure out the deadline for posters

 

- Anil to do form for list of attendees for SFD

- Anil to do form for list of attendees for media launch

 

 Meeting concluded at 9:10pm

 

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Marketing -

 

- newspaper - get sponsored ads on first week in September.

- radio - go on chat shows. Ditto for TV talk shows

- ads on the electronic billboards, cost for these ads? - DevT find out from SignTech

- ads on Facebook? may be expensive...

- banner or widgets for people to post on their blogs and send to

- going to venues like malls - need MUCH more people though.

- display at UWI and Library - requires work on posters, flyers, banner that could be at SFD itself (these are 36x24) (maybe for orientation week)

- pricing for putting flyers in newspapers - Jacqueline to contact Guardian

- City Gate advertising - JM to find out the process for putting a sheet 11x17 sheet JAM to call Marketing Manager Stephanie Lovelace 623-2341 x202

- giveaways - would be better to get sponsor

- letters to schools - the letter could include a flyers

- article/ad for student press newspaper (Kurt to find out)

- TTCS OSSWIN CD (TTNIC can sponsor)

- mailing letter and flyer to business associations and don't do presentations

- press releases to event columns in newspapers (Jacqueline has the email contents)

- event posted to forum on TriniTuner (http://forums.trinituner.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2863479)

 

- T shirts (sponsors from telecom companies - make it non-date specific so it could be used every year - Mike T to work on logos, Jacqueline knows contact at Digicel )

- sponsorship for bags with goodies to be given at registration.

- camcorders will need two at least for presentations

- can stream event live

 

 

Press

Invite certain press for Friday, others for Saturday

Need to have press package (if we have some SFD-type video from foreign to include, would be good, 2007 footage not too useful)