The agenda is the heart and soul of Warpstock Europe. As such is deserves your utmost attention. For it to appeal to a large number of visitors, consider the following issues:
- Quality of presentations
- Interesting and current topics
- Standard criteria for good presentations apply
- People will tolerate speakers who aren't natural presenters up to a certain point if the topic is interesting enough
- Quantity of presentations
- Three or four parallel presentation "tracks," i.e., rooms
- Every presentation should be held twice if possible, so people can attend a maximum of presentations they are interested in
- Diversity in topics
- Topics need to appeal to more than one visitor type, i.e., not only to developers
- Topics that are not completely specific to OS/2 can attract users of other operating systems
- Early availability of presentation list
- Can be preliminary
- Visitors need to decide if the event is interesting for them
- Interesting presentations might also convince potential speakers and exhibitors to attend
- Early availability of exhibitor list
- Can be preliminary
- Visitors need to decide if the event is interesting for them
- Interesting exhibitors might also convince potential speakers and exhibitors to attend
Dealing with speakers
Speakers will rarely offer giving a presentation themselves. It is your turn to invite them and make attending as easy as possible. Things to consider:
- Start dealing with presentations as early as possible.
- Assemble the speaker information.
- Issue a call for speakers and presentations. This should be one of the first after the initial announcement of the event.
- Invite potential speakers via phone. Do not use email! Email can be accidentally classified as junk, forgotten, and ignored.
- Provide them with the speaker information they require.
- Be persistant and probe again if you don't receive an answer.
Dealing with exhibitors
Exhibitors will rarely offer attending themselves. It is your turn to invite them and make attending as easy as possible. Things to consider:
- Start dealing with exhibitors as early as possible.
- Assemble the exhibitor information.
- Invite potential exhibitors via phone. Do not use email! Email can be accidentally classified as junk, forgotten, and ignored.
- Provide them with the exhibitor information they require.
- Offer a presentation slot (for commercial exhibitors).
- Be persistant and probe again if you don't receive an answer.
- Do not promise something the event cannot hold! This would seriously put off an exhibitor.