This page documents things FAD organizers should think about when putting together an event.
Budget
This is the absolute first priority. How much do you have to spend? The answer to that question guides every other decision in the process.
Dates and Location
Figure out the city in which the event will be held, and the dates of the event. Will it be a one day event, or a weekend event? Will it be adjacent to another Fedora event, or stand-alone?
Remember: no one can book travel until they know the dates and location!
Facilities
A FAD should not require the same amount of facilities as a FUDCon. Since a FAD is probably going to be somewhere between 5-20 people, it is possible that one large meeting room (or two smaller rooms) with tables, work space, and possibly a white board or projector will be sufficient.
From a facilities point of view, consider the following needs:
- space in a useful configuration
- projectors
- power for the electronics being used
- internet access
- signs to direct people to the rooms (coordinate with show)
- white boards
Set up for all these things may cost money -- figure it into the budget.
Lodging
Try to make a deal with a local hotel for a group rate. Depending on the size or nature of the event, it might be possible to rent a house for a weekend, if it has all of the other facilities that are required.
If you make a deal with a hotel for a block of rooms, allow people to sign up for rooms and roommates on the wiki, and indicate to people what the cost per person, per night, of the rooms in the hotel will be. If there are any subsidies available due to the budget, note that also.
Include directions for traveling from the hotel to the FAD location on the wiki.
Refreshments
You may want to think about refreshments for the attendees, as simple as snacks or beverages during the day to keep people from having to continually wander far away when they get hungry or thirsty. Make sure you get the cost estimates in advance and figure them in your budget. With a larger budget, consider bringing lunch to the event, so that people don't wander off and potentially not come back, or miss out on time that could be used for another session.
Social Event
Depending on your location, it might be fun to take a few hours to do some sort of fun activity that can build teamwork and a sense of community.