This is a collaborative planning agenda for the SkeptiCamp Colorado 2010 event to occur in June.

You are not required to attend the meeting if you edit this page or make suggestions, though we recommend that you be present to answer any questions.

Contents

Final open planning meeting

When: Tuesday June 22 at 7pm
Where: Tokbox video conferencing (Watch the Twitter account @skepticamp5280 for the URL)

Webcam is optional. Audio headset is recommended, but not required. A chat window is available for those with limited capabilities.

For those without headsets, please mute your microphone when not speaking. This will reduce ECHO echo echo echo echo echo....'

Open questions

see also the list of open volunteer positions below

  • Who will be bringing donuts/bagels/etc. for breakfast food?
    • Janiece will bring fruit and bagels, but probably not enough for 80 people.
  • Note that we have a few day-of-event volunteer positions to fill (mentioned below). How will we fill them?

Answered questions

  • For the waiting list, when is the cutoff time that we start filling slots open by no-shows? At start of event? 8:30 or 8:45?
    • Playing this by ear.
  • Will the A/C be on in the building? (ATL was roasted and had projector problems as a result)
    • Stuart says it will be on.
  • How full is the speaker schedule? Do we need another (smaller) room? Is there another smaller room available that we could reserve (for a total of three rooms) to accommodate more speakers?
    • According to Rachael 420 minutes filled. Still some room. Will leave small float in big room in case we need it.
  • What is the exact name of the sponsor for our venue? Rich needs it to thank them.
    • Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences Dept
  • Can we use Stuart's (or other CU-Boulder staff/student) computer for the streaming wi-fi?
    • Yep, if we need it
  • Is there space at the front of either room for a table and chairs for the proposed panels?
    • Yep, there is room
  • Any steps we need to take to get access to wi-fi at the venue?
    • Stuart knows there's a guest network that he thinks allows open connections (as in no university ID required).
    • Stuart recommends that someone who isn't part of the campus network test the performance of the 'open' connections.
    • Adding need for volunteer to test bandwidth.
  • Group photograph?
    • (Stuart) I could probably do this. I'll have my camera stuff there that day. I'm not a pro, but I have pro-level gear and have done pro jobs before.
  • If capacity increase isn't possible, we can ask those who are not able to attend to organize another event this coming fall.
    • Yes, all it requires are people to step up to organize it.
  • What food places will be open on a Saturday during the summer?
    • Many, many places within 10 minute walking distance. There are well over a dozen places just West of campus on "The Hill" area that can be gotten to and back and eat within an hour. Stuart can provide a list of places that'd be good versus those that would take too long. (Here's somewhat of a list though I notice it's missing my absolute favorite, Bento Zanmai. - Rachael)
    • I'd suggest we do what NYC did -- have a printed list of all the nearby food places to give out.
    • The UMC will be open, but Stuart is uncertain as to what will actually be open on a Saturday during the summer. If anything, probably only Subway.
    • Stuart will get list to DaveR for printing to hand out to attendees
  • Do we need any extra tables?
    • Probably for registration.
    • Swag from JREF, CSI and Skeptics Society
    • For the banner, for people to sign
    • Snacks, pop?
    • Fund For Thought would like a table for promotion.
    • Table for panels?
    • Stuart says he's looking into this.
  • Do we need sponsorship money? For what?
    • snacks, coffee, pop, etc.?
    • Reed will ask participants to bring their own refreshments.
  • No plans for shirts, unless someone wants to step up to manage that task.
    • DONE - I can create a 'official' shirt on Zazzle (etc.) for those who really want one. -Reed
  • Any ideas for a place to meet after the event? (There are a lot of great restaurants on the Hill or within short walking distance. Personally I love You & Me Noodle House or Khow Thai - Rachael)
    • Neither of those will seat more than 10. -Stuart
  • What will we do if we reach the capacity of 80, weeks before the event?
    • Is there a larger lecture hall in the building that we can reserve?
      • No. -Stuart
      • Stuart says there's G1B20 on another floor that seats 250. Reed agrees that it's overkill for this event, where we can have future events that are larger.
  • Are we going to ask people to bring food?
    • Yes.
    • If so, who is going to coordinate it?
      • Nothing to coordinate
    • What types of food are acceptable?
      • Not going to worry about this.
  • Could we increase capacity by doing a web cam in the first room, and then streaming it to the second room so that we can have the second room see events when only one event is ongoing.
    • Too complex. Trying to avoid complexity.
    • If we expand, we could have the initial session in the large room standing-room only.
  • Will we be streaming or recording audio/video?
    • Yes, Bryan will coordinate.
    • All people in big room will have to agree to be streamed and recorded.
    • Big room is video on, with streaming if network will support.
    • Small room is no streaming, but maybe video? Recording in tsecondary room will be opt out.

Registration procedure

Amy will bring name tags and pens to the event.

  • What to do at day-of-event registration?
    • Match person's name against list of registrants
    • Fill out name tag, adding @twitter name, if any
    • Assign the person a number, for use in drawing door prizes

Those above #80 on the list of registrants are officially on the waiting list. They can be registered as full participants at the time the event officially starts to fill the spaces of no shows.

Tasks for which we need volunteers

If you'd like to volunteer, edit this section and place your name (and contact info) next to the item

Note that any item that DOES NOT get a volunteer will usually mean that it won't be part of the event. (Example: swag from CSI or JREF.) Don't expect that organizers are responsible for filling the gap. This is not a full-service event.

Preparation

  • (JEFF F) Need a MC for the secondary room (should we have two, so they can rotate?) Jeff Forsberg is our second MC
  • (AMY) Get Name Tags - need 100 or so plus Sharpies (Amy is handling this)
  • Contact JREF for swag (Reed got no response from Alison - we still need volunteer for this!)
  • (NITOR) Contact Skeptics Society for swag (Micah was going to see if Nitor wants to do this task)
  • (ARTHUR) Contact CSI for swag
  • (DAVE R) Need signs made to direct people to the room (DaveR volunteered for this at the 5/18 meeting)
  • CONFIRM DaveR to print out list of restaurants on 100 sheets, as provided to him by StuartR
  • (REED) Ask participants to bring their own refreshments
  • (REED) Ask registered participants who aren't coming to take their names off the registration list, to open slots for no-shows
  • (REED) Will remind speakers to bring talks on PDF as a backup
  • (KIMBERLY) Need volunteer to reserve sideroom at Boulder Brewery (or similar) and coordinate. I reserved a back room at the Walnut Brewery for 5:45 on Saturday. There will be tables of 9 but we'll have a room that fits at least 30 people. It is reserved under my name and phone number. The only worry is that it will be a single check but they'll take multiple credit cards and will automatically include an 18% gratuity. It got good reviews and looks good and is not too far. The website is http://www.walnutbrewery.com/. Let me know if there are any objections to this and I can research some more places.
  • Need volunteer to test bandwidth of open wi-fi connection of site.

Day of event

We'll likely recruit early arrivals to do this.

  • (AMY + ?) Need two volunteers to man the registration desk - to ensure they all get signed up and receive a name tag - Amy is one, but need a second
  • Need two volunteers to direct newcomers to registration desk
  • Door silencer - a volunteer to reduce the noise made by opening doors (propping them open, taping the latch, etc.)
  • Need three A/V volunteers to help set up the computer (one for each room, plus a relief) - if MCs are doing this, it could cut into speaker's time even more!
    • Scott Little can help with any of this.

Equipment needed

  • Computer sound for both rooms.
    • Reed has amplified speakers that'll be good for smaller room. No idea if it's sufficient for larger room.
      • The smaller room has sound. But backups are usually good.
    • Stuart has speakers he can bring, too. Rocky Mtn. Paranormal used them last year in the large room so they should be good enough for that. (Uncertain if large room has speakers integrated.)
  • Backup projector
    • Reed will bring a backup projector in case there are problems
  • Time keepers (MCs will time keep)

Speaker wrangling

A list of potential participants to recruit for the event. If you suggest someone, please consider volunteering yourself to do the contacting.

Note that this can include those who don't normally identify with the skeptic community. See Speaker Wrangling for more details.

Note also that out of nine speakers so far, only one is female. Without efforts to recruit more women, it's going to be nearly all men doing presentations.

  • EMAILED/TWITTERED means you've sent a message via email/twitter/etc.
  • NOTIFIED means you've heard back
  • Ben Radford (in NM) - Reed has contacted Ben to let him know about the event (NOTIFIED)
  • Bad Astronomer Phil Plait - he's a busy guy, but may attend again (NOTIFIED)
  • Matt Young - of the Panda's Thumb blog - (SIGNED UP)
  • Members of the Southwest Research Institute Boulder office - Reed will contact if there's room in speaker schedule
  • James Carrion - fmr International Director of MUFON (EMAILED by Reed)
  • Planetary scientist Carolyn Porco
  • Hal Bidlack - who attended the first experimental event in 2007
  • Bela Scheiber - head of Rocky Mountain Skeptics (EMAILED by Reed)
  • Carla Selby (EMAILED by Reed)
  • Linda Rosa (was at 1 and 2) (EMAILED)
  • Larry Sarner (was at 1 and 2)
  • @immunizecokids on Twitter
  • Cafe Scientifique organizers and speakers
  • David Cullen author of Columbine. Interviewed by Swoopy for Skepticality (Emailed)
  • Any publicly funded science institution looking to speak to taxpayers
  • Humanists of Colorado
  • Rich Ludwig (EMAILED) - signed-up
  • Joe Albietz (TWITTERED) - can't make it. Will be traveling.
  • Jeffery Bennett - spoke at UFO symposium
  • David Grinspoon
  • Michael Edwards (emailed by Reed)
  • add more names here
  • add more names here
  • add more names here
  • add more names here
  • add more names here
  • When there is more firm information, Stuart will be sending an e-mail to the CU-Boulder astronomy department about this including a notice for any potential speakers. This was part of the deal in having them "sponsor" the room. --Stuart sent out this e-mail in late May.
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