# How to organize an OFFDEM event? **URL:** \ **Category:** Welcome\ **Tags:** how-to, page\ **Created:** [26 September 2023 13:07 UTC](https://oxygen.offdem.net/t/how-to-organize-an-offdem-event/159 "2023-09-26T13:07:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 1
**Author:** ![how](https://oxygen.offdem.net/user_avatar/oxygen.offdem.net/how/32/8_2.png) [@how](https://oxygen.offdem.net/u/how)\ **Post date:** [26 September 2023 13:07 UTC](https://oxygen.offdem.net/t/how-to-organize-an-offdem-event/159/1 "2023-09-26T13:07:04Z")
## Introduction: Holding Up Together Originally, OFFDEM happens at the same time as FOSDEM, being an _off_ festival of the latter [in response to corporate takeover](https://offdem.net/manifesto) of the free software community event. Hopefully, at some point OFFDEM BXL would become a convivial salon and space for collaboration between both entities — given a 180° turn from the FOSDEM organization. Although this practical guide comes from our own experience with the Brussels’ activist network, it should serve as an inspiration to adapt for any other decentralized OFFDEM event. We welcome and encourage forks of this guide for other cities, based on their own experience. OFFDEM is a non-profit cash\[1\] event made in collaboration with the undocumented citizens. All costs are covered by the organization and the participants, and any money that circulates goes to the undocumented citizen groups involved via their venues, businesses, and solidarity network. As mentioned in the [manifesto](https://offdem.net/manifesto), OFFDEM vouches for decentralization, smaller events in conviviality, comfort, benevolence and hospitality, with practical achievements giving back to the whole community, beyond the sameness of professional settings. We want a different kind of event, where people do not come to present what they did over the last year, but bring their experience to the table and focus on practical achievements and concrete possibilities of collaboration over broader topics than their own work, in proximity with resistance networks, on the ground, in order to open up to plural realities, creating alliances. Among the OFFDEM community channels, chat and forum, the forum helps structure the organization, keep track of progress and facilitates continuity of the common initiatives across the years. The forum is essential to the organization: it alleviates a lot the [@team](https://oxygen.offdem.net/groups/team) work. Throughout this guide, we’ll give away pointers to organizations that have been partnering with OFFDEM. They stem from the hacker scene and the local undocumented citizens network, working hand in hand. How hard can it be? Well, not so much indeed. The harder part is to gather the will to do it, and convince the people in your own network to participate and join forces. Full commitment of the organizational team at least two weeks before the event is required, so as to unlock all the little details that usually come up when you have the least time and attention to give them. Once the doors are open, it’s a matter of confidence and respect and commitment. ## OFFDEM Timeline Let’s split the organization needs across the timeline, so we don’t forget anything. ### One Year Ahead You need to answer the following questions: 1. Are we doing it next year? This seems obvious, but if the answer is **yes** , then you need people to make sure it happens! If the answer is **no** , you still need people to make sure it happens! 2. Who will be there to take charge of the organization? A dedicated organization team is key to the success of the event. Three to five people are enough. ### Six Months Ahead - Ensure you have an organization team: we cannot stress this point enough, these people’s work will cascade on the whole chains of events. - Start thinking about a CFP: CFP means not a _Call for Participation_ but a _Call for Presence_, since this is that quality we expect from all people involved with OFFDEM. Which intersectional topics do you want to address? What is going on within and beyond the community that requires most attention? You cannot address everything, and should impulse vectors along specific axes, no more than three. These can be discussed in the chat and formalized in the forum. Create a specific category for the edition, associate the [@team](https://oxygen.offdem.net/groups/team) and [@participants](https://oxygen.offdem.net/groups/participants) early. ### Three Months Ahead - Publish the CFP - Announce a clear deadline and ensure participation on the forum at least two weeks before the event - Emphasize that you do **not** accept talks and presentations, that we’re here to work together. - Ensure that all submissions are done through the forum (i.e., via `cfp@offdem.net`) ### Two Months Ahead - Start evaluating proposals - Try to bring similar proposals together - Engage proponents early on the forum so they can co-evolve their proposals - Ensure commitment of participants over the week-end — this is not a drive-by show - Engage [@participants](https://oxygen.offdem.net/groups/participants) and [@supporters](https://oxygen.offdem.net/groups/supporters) - Open topics about hospitality and carpooling - Activate the network for a venue and food (see [Resources](https://oxygen.offdem.net/t/how-organize-an-offdem-event-resources/161 "Staff only")) ### One Month Ahead - Ensure you have a space - Order beer! - Publish pre-programme - At this point, activity on the forum and chat should be lively ### Three Weeks Ahead - The venue is secured - The beer is ordered - The food is ordered - Order stickers - Order prints ### Two Weeks Ahead - Publish programme ### One Week Ahead - Call for volunteers ### Setup Two days before the event… - A handful of people are necessary… - Setup tables, benches - Put up the posters and decoration - Bring in the beer and food and kitchen gear - Setup the bar – hackers want coffee and juice - Ensure you have enough water bottles and goblets, plates and cutlery - Setup cosy places with sofas, lights - Ensure electricity and network are working in all rooms - Ensure the toilets are operational - Ensure you know who has the keys, how to reach out, and how to open and close the venue - Distribute responsibilities: keys, bar, kitchen, rooms, electricity, network, decoration, supplies ### Production Time! During the event… - Responsibilities: - Someone must be at the venue on time everyday to open and close the venue - The [@infodesk](https://oxygen.offdem.net/groups/infodesk) must be set up, knowledgeable and present at all times - A [@well-being.team](https://oxygen.offdem.net/groups/well-being.team) must be set up and introduced to the general assembly - … ### Teardown After the event… - Announce teardown during the last session, so that people who stay over can volunteer. - At the end of the last session, invite people to assemble chairs and tables so that teardown can be faster. ## Making the Teams Work - You don’t need many people, but you need dedicated people. * * * 1. _cash_ money is the only form of public money that is available to all citizens. It’s guaranteed by the central bank and to the bearer, which means it is also the only private form of money. --- _[View the full topic](https://oxygen.offdem.net/t/how-to-organize-an-offdem-event/159)._