How to build a DevFest 🚀

It's time to look behind the scenes of DevFest Pisa!

Have you ever wondered how we find sponsors, set up the catering, involve speakers and promote our event...? Does it all sounds scary to you? Then this talk is for you!

Organizing a conference is such a great experience that every should experience at least once! You will have the opportunity to build something great and leave something to fellow developers.

With GDG Pisa, we started with DevFest Pisa 0.1 in 2018 and from there we successfully deployed a stable version of DevFest Pisa!

In this talk we'll share what are the lessons I learned while crafting our first DevFest from the ground up: how to find great speakers, how to involve your participants, how to engage a sponsor and how to build a great conference!

Transcript

1. How to build a DevFest 🚀 Nicola Corti GDG Pisa @cortinico
2. GDG Pisa
4. You will probably underestimate the effort behind organizing a conference... -An anonymous GDG Organizer
5. The Idea
6. The Idea
7. “Good artists borrow, 
 Great artists steal” P. Picasso
9. Theme Shape your DevFest Audience Price Format • What do you love to talk about? • Android/Cloud/Web/ML • Tech or non-Tech? • Junior/Mid/Senior Dev? • Dev/PM/Designers? • Tuscany/Italy/Europe/Globe? Free/Paid? • Language: Ita/Eng/Multi? • Hybrid/In-person/Online
10. All about networking • Make sure you create a good environment for networking • High quality content will involve more attendees • Create networking opportunities (coffee break, party, etc.)
11. The Environment
12. Media
13. Media github.com/gdg-x/hoverboard github.com/gdgpisa/hoverboard-2023
14. Logo • Define logo and graphics • Make sure you’re consistent • No idea? Run a contest! • Prepare a Media Kit for media 
 partners and sponsors • https://bit.ly/dfpi23-mediakit
15. Social • Define a Media Plan • Decide your network based on your target • Schedule your content (Buffer/Hootsuite) • Have photos! • @devfestpisa
16. Location • Find the right date ◦ Paid: Thu/Fri ◦ Free: Weekend 
 • Find the right place ◦ Coworking space ◦ Hotels ◦ Universities ◦ Conference Centers 
 • Keep your audience in mind • Be accessible
17. Food • Good food translates into good networking • Coffee/Water are (basically) mandatory, full meal is a plus. • Ask for alternatives (vegan, gluten free, kosher, halal, etc.) • Have a networking party
18. Sponsors • Define a set of levels, but be flexible. • The sooner the better. • Make sure there is a single point of contact. • Sponsors don’t like to be forgotten! • Tips (JetBrains & Stickermule) • https://bit.ly/dfpi23-partnership
19. Helpers • If you need some help, run a call for helpers! • Try to build an identity • Make sure you have printed checklists • Helpers should be easy to recognize
20. The People Global GDG Leads Summit
22. Speakers • Make sure you prepare a great CFP. • Sessionize is great! • Ask for all the information you need. • The sooner the better. • Advertise your CFP ◦ Android Study Group Conf List. ◦ Android Weekly Conference List. ◦ Slack Groups (GDG Global, Android United, Kotlin lang). • http://bit.ly/dfpi23-c4p
23. Agenda • Making a good agenda is just an NP-hard problem 
 • Some guidelines: ◦ Balance intermediate/beginner talks. ◦ Balance english/foreign talks. ◦ Don’t overlap similar topics. 
 • Don’t announce speakers before they confirm.
24. Attendees • Re-invite previous attendees. • Free event? 30% drop • Sold out is cool, but not 3 months earlier • Make sure you follow up and ask feedback • Do a video recap
25. Code of Conduct • Don’t forget about your Code of Conduct • Have some printed copies to hand out • Leave a phone number/email to reach out to a point of contact • https://confcodeofconduct.com/
26. Delightful Details • Be unique! • Think about all the little details. • Put on some music • What about a placeholder video?
27. Delightful Details
28. It’s a bumpy ride • 6 cancelled flights ✈ • 2 visas issues 🛂 • Badges arrived with wrong logos 🫠 • Speaker missing the day of the event 😫 • …and much more!
29. ...but tomorrow evening you will be the happiest person on earth! -An anonymous GDG Organizer
30. How to organize your community conference? (on Medium) bit.ly/howtocommunityconf
31. Thanks Nicola Corti GDG Pisa @cortinico bit.ly/howtodevfest23