Organizing an AtoM Camp near you
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Are you interested in seeing an AtoM Camp happen in your region? We'd love to work with you to make that happen!
AtoM Camps are still very new to us (see the wiki page for our first ever AtoM Camp, in March of 2017 here), and they can be resource intensive for us to organize. We think they are a great model for learning, skill sharing, and community building, but it can be difficult to coordinate logistics in a town or region we don't know.
To help mitigate this, we prefer organizing Camps with local partners who are willing to help with local arrangements (space, basic AV, catering, etc) and ideally willing to help lead or organize some sessions. This takes the burden off of Artefactual trainers so we can focus on making sure that the event is well organized, well promoted, fun, and full of useful information and activities. We'll make sure there are AtoM instances for all the participants, lead organizing the agenda and facilitation, handle the registration process, and more.
What we need from you
If you'd like to partner with us to organize an AtoM Camp in your area, here are the kinds of things we are looking for local partners to provide:
- Space - Choosing, booking, and paying for a location to host the camp is the biggest financial challenge for Artefactual, and very difficult to coordinate effectively from afar. If your institution can provide us with rooms in which to host the event, then the biggest barrier is effectively removed. Ideally we'd have access to at least 2 rooms (one larger for everyone, and one smaller for concurrent events or breakout activities - or one large room that can be effectively subdivided for concurrent sessions if needed).
- Basic AV - At least 1 projector and screen, and internet access that participants can use.
- Hotel recommends/discounts - We'll need help telling people where to stay in your area. If your institution has any kind of discount arrangement with something local (e.g. on-campus residences, etc), even better!
- Catering/food recommends - We like to make sure, at minimum, that we can provide some refreshment breaks, and that there are options for lunch nearby throughout the event. A short guide for locals on where to eat around the event location, and possibly around the recommended hotels as well, would help us a lot! If there's no reasonably priced food available near the proposed location, then organizing some catering for lunches becomes more pressing.
- Participation - We'd love to tap you to give a brief talk on your experiences with AtoM, guiding a session on a topic you are knowledgeable or passionate about, or even leading a brainstorm session on something you'd like to see in the future. We're open to ideas! General help running around/etc during the event is also welcome
What we will provide in return
Basically, if you can cover the local arrangements, we can provide trainers, structure, AtoM instances, and materials for participants. We'll handle promotion, registration, on-site set up, event schwag, and whatever else needs doing.
Additionally, in return for helping us manage local arrangements, we will also provide you or your organization with 2 free registrations for the whole camp (generally, that's about a $900 value). You'd get an AtoM camp in your area and the chance to help shape its agenda, a number of colleagues in town (great for multitasking and networking), and the opportunity to help grow and shape the AtoM community.
Interested? Get in touch! Send us an email to info@artefactual.com with further information, and we'll be happy to discuss options.