Community Events Overview & Instructions

Owned by Jacqueline Cardoso
Last updated: Jul 12, 2022
7 min read

LF AI & Data Community Events Overview 

This is a guide for those who are interested in running an LF AI & Data Community Event. Please review this guide prior to reaching out with interest in hosting a new event.

Community Event Basics

  • All events focus on LF AI & Data topics
  • Hosted by local LF AI & Data community members
  • Events are held in-person or online 
  • LF AI & Data utilizes the Linux Foundation community platform with a chapter dedicated to LF AI & Data
  • Events should not involve a sales pitch and hosts are not given attendee contact details 
  • Hosts are able to message attendees directly through the platform messaging tool

Requirements to be a Community Event Host

A good community event host plans and executes the in person or virtual event from start to finish. This includes being in charge of finding speakers, creating the event website within the platform, locating venues (if applicable), checking in attendees on the day of the event and wrapping up the event by adding speaker slides and event recording to the website. 

A community event host will need to be added to the platform and will typically consist of a project or committee Chairperson or other approved/designated person from within the project or committee. We encourage you to work with others within your same group in order to not duplicate efforts. A list of the current community event hosts is available here.

To request being added as a community event host please email events@lfaidata.foundation with event details including event name/topic, overview, and your group affiliation (project or committee). You must join the community platform in order to be added as an event host, join here.

For questions related to setting up your event, please email events@lfaidata.foundation.

Why the Community Platform?

  • One stop shop - event website, agenda, registration, analytics and stores all information in one place, including event recording after the event
  • LF AI & Data helps to promote your events
  • Past event and attendee email examples available
  • Platform automatically notifies group members when a new event is published to the LF AI & Data chapter

How LF AI & Data Can Help Promote

View a sample event page.

To Do Pre Event

  • Come up with the topic and reach out to community members to help create content, promote, and sponsor your event
  • Create a banner for your event (example: project logo or city image for regional events)
  • Set up your event in the community platform
  • You can use the LF AI & Data presentation templates: Google Slides or MS Powerpoint 
  • Promote! Email us at events@lfaidata.foundation about your event so we can coordinate your blog post (if applicable) and social posts 
  • Create emails to attendees; you can edit existing emails or create your own - We recommend creating a reminder email that is sent close to your event start time
    • NOTE: Save first and then you can send a test
  • Feel free to create a test event to show your speakers how the event will work - Let us know if you need help creating a hidden event
    • Note that the set up is different if you use the event platform vs. Zoom
  • Once an event is live in the community platform, please request to add it to the LF AI & Data Events website by emailing your event details to events@lfaidata.foundation and include the following information:
    • Name of event
    • Date, time (include timezone)
    • URL for event page and registration
    • Short description of event
    • Contact email for questions

During the Event

  • Enter the room 15-30 minutes before the start time - If you are hosting with Zoom, attendees can enter earlier as compared to in the community platform (Bevy) where they can only enter 15 minutes before the event starts
  • Announce that you will be recording the session and then start the recording 
  • Be sure to have someone do a short introduction and introduce the speakers
  • Give all presenters permission to speak, share screen and video by inviting them to be a host or presenter in the community platform - Similar steps will need to be taken if you are using Zoom
  • Check in attendees 
    • For in-person events, you can do this on the back end of the platform
    • For online events, those that enter from the event page (a requirement for using the Bevy community web hosting) will be automatically let in, not all those who enter through the Zoom link will be automatically checked in
    • Take screenshots of photos to share later, if applicable
  • Thank attendees at the end and let them know about upcoming events

Post Event

Email events@lfaidata.foundation and request a Google Drive folder for your event to store your speaker slides and session recording OR you may store them on a project/committee wiki or GitHub page if you already have one

  1. After the event, work to “wrap up the event,” you will see a symbol in the top right of your event page when logged in as a host to add a video recording and you can update your About/Description page with a link to your presentation deck - We recommend that this be completed within 72 hours of your event happening
    1.  If you use the platform to record, download the event recording from the platform and add to the Google Drive folder, Wiki, or GitHub page, we will then add to the LF AI & Data YouTube Channel and send you the link to add to the event page 
    2. If you used the LF AI & Data Zoom, add to the Google Drive folder, Wiki, or GitHub page, and we will then add to the LF AI & Data YouTube Channel and send you the link to add to the event page
  2. Add speaker slides - Please ask LF AI & Data for a Google Drive folder and place your slides (and video) OR you can use a committee/group Wiki or GitHub page if you already have one, and then at the top of the About (Event Description) section for this event, link your slides - View example here
  3. Once slides and video are up, email all that RSVP’d via the platform to let them know they can re-watch or see available speaker slides on the event page
  4. Create an event blog including a short summary and link to your original webpage where people can find all the content and files from the event - Send your blog draft to events@lfaidata.foundation for publishing coordination and social promotion
  5. You can review your post event analytics within the platform to see how many registered and attended - Note: We cannot share attendee names/emails

This is a living document, please send any suggestions and please let us know if there is information you’re looking for that isn’t here. As always you can reach us at events@lfaidata.foundation

How to Create a Community Event

  • Login: https://community.linuxfoundation.org/
  • Top right, Dashboard 
  • Left panel, Events
  • Top right, New Event, In Person or Virtual
  • Fill in the fields (virtual used for example)
    • General Information Section
      • Title -- Examples: LF AI & Data Day EU 2022  or ONNX Community Meeting March 2022)
        • Make sure your title describes 1) the group affiliation (project, committee, etc.) 2) date, month or timeframe of event
      • Permalink -- Will be created after publishing
      • Short Description -- Include summary of your event
      • Show Short Description on Event Banner -- Leave unchecked
      • Event Description -- Enter event description
      • Tag -- Add “lfaidata” tag
      • This is a Hidden Event -- Should be left unchecked
      • Event Banner -- Upload image to be used as a banner, can be a project logo, location image, or use default image if necessary (see portal for specs)
      • Event Thumbnail -- Upload image to be used as thumbnail (see portal for specs)
      • Event Venue -- Select either Hybrid, Virtual, or In-Person 
      • Event Start/End Times/Dates and Timezone -- Enter information accordingly for both the Event and the Agenda items
      • Agenda -- Build out agenda 
      • Virtual Event Platform -- You may use the Bevy virtual platform or you can select External URL if you have a shared group Zoom account you would like to use
      • Instructions (optional) -- Any additional information you want to include such as dial in info, passcodes, etc.
      • Event Tracking -- Not required, leave blank
      • Bottom Right, NEXT to move onto People section
    • People Section
      • Add people as applicable from the options which include Speaker, Mentor, Facilitator, Panelist, Judge, Moderator
        •  If the speaker has been featured previously you can search by name, otherwise you can “Add a new speaker” and fill in the applicable details 
      • Bottom Right, SAVE DRAFT
      • Bottom Right, NEXT to move onto Sponsors & Partners section
    • Sponsors & Partners Section
      • Add sponsors and partners as applicable 
        •  If the sponsor or partner has been featured previously you can search by name, otherwise you can “Add a new” and fill in the applicable details 
      • Bottom Right, NEXT to move onto RSVP section
    • RSVP Section
      • Click the edit button to add an RSVP, includes quantity
      • Under settings you can also adjust for a start/end date, description, waiting list, or hiding the ticket type
      • Bottom Right, Save Draft, Preview
    • Preview Section
      • Preview and then publish your event
    • Attendees
      • You can then come back to view attendee registration details
    • Forms 
      • You can create pre and post event forms for attendees to fill out
  • Analytics 
    • Will become available after the event is published, examples: RSVP’s and unique attendees
  • Emails
    • You can create and send out emails for your event

View sample event emails.

Bevy Platform Resources for Community Managers

Helpful How-Tos for Chapter Admins

Bevy Events

Virtual Events

In-Person Events

Help for Attendees and Presenters

LF Staff Tasks

  • Provide community event host support with: questions on event set up, promotion of event via social, and post event wrap up

  • Add community event host(s) as admin in event tool + update event host list here

  • Add event to LF AI Events on website and wiki group calendar

  • Create shared Google folder for event content storage, if needed

  • Promote event via blog post, social, and mailing lists (as applicable)

  • Promote post event recap via blog post, social, and mailing lists (as applicable)

  • Upload meeting recording to LF AI & Data YouTube under project/group playlist

  • Add event to LF AI & Data Timeline via Creative Services ticket