| scott5 |
The next question is from Lee Damon: With the failure of LOPSA-EAST and the less-than-successful Cascadia IT Conference this year what is your plan for LOPSA to ensure higher quality/more successful conferences in the future? |
18:47 |
| scott5 |
Answer order: |
18:47 |
| scott5 |
- Andree Jacobson |
18:47 |
| scott5 |
- Aleksey Tsalolikhin |
18:47 |
| scott5 |
- Drew Adams |
18:47 |
| scott5 |
- Andy Cowell |
18:47 |
| nmswede |
Andree Jacobson - Less frequency, more quality. Organizing conferences just to organize them - especially when the interest is down. We need to drive up the interest first, and then rediscover the need for the confernces. |
18:49 |
| nmswede |
I don't know the attendance numbers for the last LISA as I was not able to go, but like someone else said, we need to be on top of the current technology. Perhaps, specializing on certain hot topics. Rather than launching a full-on conference, I'd attempt to do some sort of online forum first. Maybe, try to get involved with an online university, to offer a class. |
18:51 |
| nmswede |
We could also partner with other organizations, for example - there is a Machine Learning society in San Diego, they grew to 2k members in a matter of a few months. If we did some joint meetings with them, bringing scientists together with sysadmins to build some really good systems for them, that might spark an interest. EOT |
18:52 |
| atsaloli |
I love the joint meetup suggestion. I've done a few joint meetups in LOPSA LA and that helped us get more exposure. |
18:53 |
| atsaloli |
We're up to 386 members on the LOPSA LA meetup now. |
18:53 |
| atsaloli |
The time Cascadia had the most attendees is when LOPSA had a marketing intern. |
18:53 |
| atsaloli |
I would help get another marketing intern and do some marketing. There is no |
18:54 |
| atsaloli |
substitute for marketing to increase or generate demand. |
18:54 |
| atsaloli |
EOF |
18:54 |
| druonysuse |
DREW – I think we need to look for other projects and organizations that share some target demographics with us and then try to collaborate with them to cross promote or co-locate more events. Also, we need to work on the strength of local chapters and have a better way to promote the events within those local chapters. I think a major help for us would be for the LOPSA name and brand to be better recognized and have more pull. And that |
18:56 |
| druonysuse |
loops me back to more of what I was talking about in my response to the last question. We need to emphasized the benefits of systems knowledge and learning in and with LOPSA no matter your job title or lack there of. |
18:56 |
| druonysuse |
END |
18:56 |
| vt102 |
Andy Cowell: |
18:56 |
| vt102 |
A national organization backing a local conference, communicating with them and finding out their needs, and having the experience of supporting other regional events, should help make sure local events are more successful. Perhaps the national organization could arrange corporate sponsorships of regional events, providing subsidies, speakers, and/or prizes? Or just coordinating communication between other regions for |
18:56 |
| vt102 |
advice? |
18:56 |
| vt102 |
The other leaders in East Tennessee and I are forming our own 501(c)(3) LOPSA affiliate in order to receive tax deductible donations from companies (for meeting space, snacks, etc…) since we have not been able to directly receive donations as a local LOPSA chapter. That may provide an example others can follow. |
18:57 |
| vt102 |
That said, I have not had experience with these issues, and would want to consult with those who have before committing to any particular path. |
18:57 |
| vt102 |
EOF |
18:57 |
