How to Produce an Access Grid Event

1. How to Produce an Access Grid Event Jennifer Teig von Hoffman Boston University & National Computational Science Alliance

2. What We’ll Cover Today • How much planning is needed? • How can I attract participants? • What do I need to do before my event? • How much staff will I need during my event? • How can I evaluate my event?

3. Today’s Focus • Big, polished AG events require plenty of planning and preparation • Informal AG events require minimal preparation – there’s not much there to talk about from an event planner’s point of view

4. Questions • Please jump in at any time with questions or comments

5. Primary Reference • Access Grid-in-a-box tutorial, How to Produce an Access Grid Event: An Elementary Guide for Technical Users • http://webct.ncsa.uiuc.edu:8900/public/AGIB/

6. A Sound Beginning • Today’s seminar will introduce you to general concepts, giving you a good starting place for planning events • As technology changes, best practices in planning change • 1999 -> the present -> the future

7. Introductions • At each site, please tell us • Your name • Your experience with the Access Grid • Your role in Access Grid events

8. Getting Started How “Real Life” Translates into Life on the Access Grid

9. Common Sense • The technology is revolutionary, but (for now at least) the planning skills are mostly common sense • However, the distributed nature of the AG means that the consequences of poor planning can be more disruptive

10. What is an AG Event? • Anytime people get together on the AG • Each AG event takes place in a Virtual Venue • Virtual Venue = virtual conference room • Some Venues require reservations

11. Some Need Lots of Planning • SC Global • PACS Training Workshops • Virtual Conference on Genomics and Bioinformatics) • Demonstration for Governor of Illinois

12. Some Need Little Planning • Planning meeting with Mary and Ariella • U. Australia management meetings • SC Global planning meetings • First Annual Access Grid Symposium on Beerology

13. Be Minimalist When You Can • Planning your first few events will help you learn where and how you can minimize preparations • Unnecessarily rigid or excessive preparation requirements can discourage sites from participating

14. Factors to Consider • Tolerance for interruptions • Potential consequences of failure • New technologies and/or new operators

15. Interruptions • Ask yourself: could you pause for: • Audio adjustments? • Loading presentation files? • Other unforeseen circumstances? • The larger the number of participating sites, the higher the likelihood of interruptions

16. Consequences of Failure • If the meeting doesn’t go smoothly • Would critical work go unfinished or be unacceptably delayed? • Would a public relations or political problem result?

17. New Tech or Operators • Are there new nodes at any critical participating sites? • Have you recently upgraded hardware or software? • Any changes in your networking? • Are any of the participating sites being managed by new operators?

18. Marketing Your Event How to Attract Participants and Participating Sites

19. Recruiting Participating Sites • Network within the AG community to find interested sites, asking for their commitment to participate before announcing the event • Or, require participants to ensure they have appropriate access to an AG node • Consider who your audience is

20. Get the Word Out • AG mailing lists • ag-tech@mcs.anl.gov – must be subscribed to post • accessgrid@mcs.anl.gov • Any other mailing lists to which your event would be relevant

21. Choose Words Carefully • NOT: “Attend at any of the AG locations listed on the AG web site [link]” • INSTEAD: “Attend at any of the following AG locations: [list of participating sites].” • OR: “Participants are responsible for ensuring they have use of a well-functioning AG node.”

22. Time Zones Matter • Always list local time zone and GMT • Consider non-US participants • Multiple sessions in staggered time zones?

23. Managing Registration • Central registration • One registration form, including list of participating sites • Forward participant data to participating sites as appropriate • Distributed registration • Each participating site has own form • Organizer requests data as appropriate

24. Planning Your Event Developing Appropriate Strategies

25. You Need a Good Foundation • Stable, fully debugged multicast networking (which must be monitored over time) • The latest release of AG Toolkit software • All hardware and software consistent with the AG specification or requirements • Technical staff with sufficient time available to keep their skills current and the node well-maintained

26. Make It So • You must ensure that your staff have access to the resources they need • Hardware/software • Network support • Time

27. Bare Minimum Preparations • Just reserve a room and show up  • Node ops may want to arrive a bit early • Work with your node operator on technical issues as you go along • Presentation files • Audio adjustments • Camera adjustments

28. Big Events as Proving Grounds • It’s not unusual for a new (and possibly temporary) node to be set up for a big event • If you’re the main site, and setting up a new node, double your prep time • Networking • Audio

29. When You Need More Polish • Amount of necessary preparation varies widely depending on several factors • Some is prep you need to do anyway • Developing and finalizing agendas • Coordinating with presenters • Marketing and registration • Evaluation

30. Getting Started • Determine approximate number of presenters, participants, and participating sites • Develop a draft agenda • Develop marketing and evaluation plans • Meet immediately with your technical team leader

31. On Your Draft Agenda • Order and physical location of speakers • List of all participating sites • Work with your technical team leader to include info on issues including • Presentation software and media • Backup/contingency plans • Appropriate redundancy or breaks for tech staff

32. Practicing for Your Event Test Cruises and Content Rehearsals

33. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse • The bigger and more formal the event, the more rehearsals you need • Two types of rehearsal: • Test cruise • Dry run

34. Test Cruises • Ideally, should be planned and led by your technical team leader • Objective: Ensure that all sites have well-debugged nodes and network and are well-versed in all relevant technologies

35. How Many Test Cruises? • Your technical team leader should consider: • How experienced is your local team? • How many participating sites? • How many of those sites have new nodes? • How many new or unusual technologies will be in use?

36. What to Test in the Cruises • All technologies which may be used in the actual event • Standard AG audio, video, and MOO • Distributed or Remote PowerPoint? • Telephone backup channel? • Distributed VR?

37. Dry Runs • To determine how many to hold, and whose attendance to require or request, ask yourself: • Have these presenters spoken over the AG before? • Are they comfortable with the AG? • Will they facilitate complicated interactions?

38. Holding a Dry Run • Invite speakers to do abbreviated versions of their presentations • Rehearse any complicated interactions • Music, art, dance? • Facilitating group discussion among large number of people/sites?

39. Recommended Reading • Tips on Communicating Effectively over the AG • http://www.accessgrid.org/agdp/tips/comm-tips.html • Beginner's Guide to Facilitating Interactive Communications on the Access Grid • http://www.accessgrid.org/agdp/guide/facilitation.html

40. Final Test Cruise: Pre-flight • Technical staff should arrive at the appropriate virtual venue 30-60 minutes before the event begins • If participants will be arriving in the node’s physical space early, you and your staff may need to arrive even earlier • Ideally, presenters should participate in final audio tests

41. Staffing Your Event Roles and Responsibilities

42. Again, General Guidelines • We’ll discuss one way to divide up the labor – again, your mileage may vary • When you design your own staffing plans, keep in mind: • The strengths and weaknesses of the people on your team • The needs of your particular event

43. Each Site Has Its Own Staff • Each site participating in a given event is responsible for developing their own staffing plan, and filling the roles appropriately • You may wish to work with representatives of each site on their staffing plans

44. Each Venue Is Different • The size of your physical venue plays a large part in determining the size of your staff

45. The Bare Minimum • At the main site: • Meeting leader (ie, meeting chair) • Node operator (might be the meeting leader) • At all other sites: • Node operator, if necessary

46. Bigger, More Polished Events • Producer of overall event • Usually also acts as local Producer too • Technical Director of overall event • Usually also operates node in some capacity • Floor Manager • Additional node operators/assistants

47. Producer’s Responsibilities • Manage and support local team • In many small- or medium-sized events, Producer and Technical Director merge into one role

48. Producer’s Responsibilities • In collaboration with the Technical Director, develop technical web page for event • Also known as Production Plan or Technical Agenda • During event, determine how/when it is appropriate to deviate from the agenda

49. Technical Director’s Responsibilities • Provide technical leadership and guidance to the entire team • Locally and for the whole event • Collaborate closely with the Producer • Test cruises and content rehearsals • Technical web page

50. Technical Director’s Responsibilities • Collect and place online all required files for participating sites • Ensure arrangements are made for technical considerations • AG Venue reservation, if necessary • Back-up public channel telephone line