Before we get into the details, let's have a look at the bigger picture of organizing a Django Girls event.
You should start organizing at least 3 months before the event will take place. It gives you a safe amount of time to make sure everything runs smoothly. Of course, the actual amount of work could be fitted into 40-50 hours of total work, so if you spread that over a 3 month period, you can totally do it in your free time.
Organizing an event with a team is awesome but not mandatory. Don't forget to set a few rules on how you'll work together to avoid misunderstanding.
We've created a Trello board that you can clone; hopefully this will help you keep straight everything you need to take care of while planning your event! To use the Trello board, follow these instructions:
- Click "Show Menu" on the right-hand side
- Under the Menu, click "More"
- Select "Copy Board" and give your board a title. We suggest, "Django Girls [Your City]." Change the organization to "none." Click "Create."
- You're now on your board! You can invite your other organizers, add notes to existing cards, add cards specific to your event, and start using your board!
Take a look at Getting Started with Trello if you're not familiar with this project management tool.
Let's see how organizing a Django Girls event looks on the timeline:
- Apply to the Django Girls organization to register your event
- Announce a website, Twitter or Facebook
- Start promotion of Django Girls
- Start looking for sponsors
- Start looking for a venue
- Start looking for coaches
- Announce the application process for attendees
- Reach out to local press, universities, etc. to actively promote the event
- Have a team of coaches ready
- Secure a venue
- Start looking for catering
- Still look for sponsors
- Announce your coaches on your website
- Choose attendees and inform them
- Organize a dinner/meeting for your coaches and make sure they read the Coach's manual and are familiar with the Tutorial.
- Make sure attendees confirmed their attendance
- Make sure all the logistics are figured out
- Confirm with attendees one last time that they are still planning to attend the event! Make some last minute replacements if someone cancels.
- Follow up with global Django Girls and let us know how it went! Here are some ideas.
- Be proud of yourself <3
All of this is further explained in the chapters on the left, but this is the bigger picture.