Organize an Event

They say it takes a village to raise a child.  Here we say it takes many hands to build something great.  When you are organizing a BSides event it is helpful to assign roles and responsibilities to verify tasks are completed without overlap.

Roles and Responsibilities

The following are a proposed set of roles and responsibilities.  For larger events you many have a different person for each role, while smaller events will have 2-3 people working multiple roles.  We outline each of them because more important than the title are the tasks that (may) need to be completed.

:: Operations Manager ::

• Need minimum of 1 day, preferably 2 days of prep time to implement/setup any necessary A/V or networking gear.
• Coordinate Event Staff list with name/number/responsibility
• Formalize communication standards (Radios or cell phones)
• Aggregate lists from all other team members to create an overall task list for the event, manage and drive the resolution of all open issues

:: Venue Manager ::

• Works with Venue to ensure all basic requirements venue are met and the venue doesn't throw us out
• Coordinates insurance of venue
• Purchases Whiteboards/paper/pens/markers
• Cleaning products (Paper towels/rags/cleaning spray/etc)
• Creates Shopping lists for Cups/forks/spoons/plates and all required food and beverage for the event
• Registration Desk
• Needs table, chair, laptop, paper, pen, badges and other swag to hand out at the door.
• Minimum 2 shifts.

:: Schedule/Speaker Coordinator ::

• Obtain contact information (email and phone) for presenters
• Ensures all speakers are aware of when and where they are expected to present
• Ensures that any changes in the schedule will be communicated and rescheduled accordingly
• Obtain copies of all speaker presentations 48 hours prior to day of event
• Works with Technical Lead and team to determine speaker needs (Special recording instructions, special connectivity etc)

:: Marketing and Communications ::

• 2-3+ months of active planning/marketing/promo of event
• Sponsorships package creation and notification
• Swag (Stuff we all get, vendor or otherwise), Ordering event shirts or other gear to give away/sell, Printed schedules
• Determine Sponsor payment deadline before making any gear with sponsor names on it
• Continually reach out to the community and inform people of updates and changes
• Maintain the website, including determining when capacity has been reached and cutting off registration
• Badge creation

:: Treasurer ::

• Keep track of donations and sponsorships
• Keep track of all receipts and reimbursements
• Collect on sponsor payments
• Manage PayPal account
• Provide accounting for all funds post-event

:: Event / Onsite Security ::

• Need to be familiar with Venue layout and staff.
• Need to ensure no damage occurs to the facility
• Ensure that no member of the conference causes intentional destruction and notifies operations manager in the event of occurrence.
• Venue must be attended to 100% of the time

:: Technical Lead ::

• Coordinates and ensures ALL necessary hardware to pull off the event is available and transported to the venue
• Tape/cable management
• Ensures no cables or equipment will cause any danger to attendees or venues (No extension cables wrapped in plastic/cardboard please)
• Configure audio and video
• Train other staff in using all equipment
• Ensure all devices are functioning properly during event
• Familiar with and implement all networking/wireless hardware
• Ensure that all attendees know of the connectivity
• Monitor the network for intrusions/bandwidth hogs

:: Volunteer Coordinator ::

• Solicit and organize the list of volunteers for undocumented tasks (goons, volunteer labor, vendors, etc.)
• Maintain list of all contact information
• Coordinate volunteer shifts (event registration booth, goon duty, set-up & tear-down duty, on-call staff members, etc.)
• Provide more formally defined schedules and maintain a streamlined communication flow for any changes in transport
• Work with other Roles to identify necessary resources and assign volunteer staff to them

:: Sponsor/Vendor Manager ::

• Maintain contact list of all vendors (food, beverage, facilities)
• Solicit food and beverage sponsor
• Solicit venue sponsor