Logistics-program design 4-24-10

<< Return to Organizing Committee page

Logistics/Program Design Conference Call 4-25-10

On the call: Maureen, Detroit [logistics] Louis, ABQ [international] Adrienne, Detroit [staff, plenaries, open space, logistics, program overall] Sylvia, Detroit [staff, ICT, comms, logistics, CSF] Steph, Atlanta [pma, logistics, finance] Walda, DC [program] Jerome, Atlanta [Program]

Agenda

• Checking In
• Updates
• Major questions

• Problem areas:

- Checking in & informing the group as best we can, areas we've covered and working on: Children Social Forum, Opening March

- Maureen--Dividing up areas of responsibility & work based on gaps, areas of weakness -

- Anchors are working on Detroit Highlighted (Tues) - set of workshops at COBO Hall

-- 15-18 groups have responded & affirmed participation for 2hr workshops (1pm-3pm), translation secured, 90% finished

- 14-15 Vendors ready to sign up for the fireworks day (Monday)

- Vendor info sessions (2, 3rd one on May 6)

- goal--100 vendors

- advertising out in media, neighborhoods

- Navigating the city procedures - difficulty

- Louis--Translation and interpretation - talking to Roberto

- Sylvia--Maureen and i are going through core costs

-- What areas need to be held down for other Working Groups?

-- What areas that aren't under specific WGs that need to be handled?

-- Stipends - clear about expectations

-- Figuring out fields for ICT to develop forms for housing, CSF, and childcare, volunteers

- Steph--Response to core costs budget - I can go thru the detailed email and flag anything. No specific working group is in charge of logistical costs - that will come to Maureen and team in terms of needs for Cobo. However we need support from working groups...culture definitely has specific needs for hart plaza. in my mind combining 20 and 40K = 60k overall...how does that need to be spent - that's for operations to decide.

-- there's a question around the PMC and the budget. i thought that would be handled thru EMEAC

-- youth space needs to be solidified a bit more, jardyn will be in town and they will hammer that stuff out.

-- PMA, youth, culture, program, international

- Jerome: Registration & Workshop submissions:

-- Malfunctions have slowed down, but continue to exist

-- 300 registered workshops now

-- what would be a good number? 5-600 would be great (2,4hr, & PMAs)

- Walda--April 20th, program is expecting to get a detailed chart of the rooms, spaces

-- Scheduling brigade (May 9-12) - Alicia, Kirin, Jerome, and Walda [will want/expect help on the ground from adrienne, maureen, etc]

-- room requests, translation, size, etc.

-- how will we extract the info from the submission site to schedule the venues? may need help there

- Sylvia--response: how do folks have access to the data? ICT working on it with reports (Data Views), sending out question about what folks/groups need; Mark Libkuman is contact

- Maureen--response: clarity around needs - chairs, tables, per room

-- Preparing List: All mtg room spaces with capacity questions spelled out, including room #s

218 rooms with full info / 40-60 to be nailed down at UAW & College

- Is there still time for folks to submit workshops?

-- Yes - and on the 19th extension til 25th will be announced

-AMB--updating program schematic for website: working with David (comms) to create interactive form, when folks roll over specific area the description will pop up

-- housing/ride board update: met and got listing of all info, offer from AMC to use their housing board (rentals, houses, purchase, private spaces, etc.) so that it can be self-managed / Haig Bldg (Harry is bldg contact) - 900 people; mass solidarity housing / youth space

Ride Board:folks can link up about getting to Detroit

-- plenaries: Everyone heard initial proposals, going back into subcommittee for a second level of proposal based on feedback - will bring to NPC for final approval - looking good, intl voices, interactive formats, times need to be confirmed

-- open space process: Oya and Adrienne had a conversation about morning sessions, opening morning practices, need people thinking about and coordinating spaces

-- volunteer intake w/mallory: Form is up, looking at that, mapped out the logistics needs, asking NPC folks for other needs, and connecting volunteers to areas - general tasks / asking NPC to recruit volunteers from their networks

-- queer space: Request/proposal from Queer group about space, tent or COBO hall

-- staff meetings beginning next Friday: weekly meetings to coordinate and support

Questions

- Order of Priority: meeting rooms are for workshops first, tug of war around specialty groups needing space and rooms

- OC Tour: the conversation came up about the Youth space, connection to media center, but now that's not the case

- How do we manage the space requests from organizations, working groups, etc.

- How are these self-organized events listed (or not) in the printed program?

- Self-organized spaces won't be in program

- Where do folks wanting solidarity space go? Share a lg room?

-- Maureen: leans toward no; UAW bldg may be available. Maureen has a plan for solidarity space.

Cobo space requests so far

- Peoples Media Center [second floor]

- Youth

- CSF

- Childcare

- Queer

- PMA

- Supplies

- Language Access translators/interps

- Health & Healing Space

- Indoor vendors

- Social plenaries

- Unions

- Culture [downstairs]

- film festival?

Cobo has approx 75 spaces (?)

Distinctions

solidarity vs. functional

--Solidarity: groups we have highlighted to ensure they feel safe: Indigenous, Queer, Poverty, etc [let's encourage folks to get canopies where they can fully do whatever they want]

--Functional: Language access, media, volunteers, childcare, supplies, etc

Open/Public Space

- Caucus space - Groups like JwJ requesting space need to find their own (canopies or otherwise) outside of COBO

- Agree generally. Want to note that some spaces fall into several categories (functional, program, solidarity). PMA needs to have a clear space to recieve stuff. Let's make clear.

- Process needs to be clear for Open Space definitions, requests, scheduling, etc.

- Maybe hotel spaces can serve for open spaces

- Need a list from Maureen & Tapeka about which spaces could be used like this

- Caucus, gatherings, meetings, spontaneous workshops, etc.

- Could be a public grid for self-organization, clear spaces & clear process

- Each site needs a grid and basic coordination with the site managers

Youth and other solidarity spaces?

- Wayne County Community College

- huge spaces in Cobo

Maureen's 4 things

1. . Disability Committee - requesting Braille materials for workshops
2. . Leftist Lounge Party - 8-9000 people coming, request for vans to the party
3. . Social Plenaries - (tues, wed, thurs nights) 8-11pm fundraiser $1 for party
4. . Budget questions: Film festival - we found space for it, will need lights for outside spaces
5. . Tents on Woodward & Temple: youth camp, bikers - who pays for the spaces?

Responses? 1. folks could request braille translations on-site as needed. susan is willing to collect the needs for braille and other stuff - she has folks who can do it. she is asking for us to purchase the paper, so...the issue is not knowing who all is registered and will need it. its just for materials that get handed out. cobo doesn't have braille designation on bathrooms and mtng rooms. we have volunteers with visually impaired folks in their households. in atl, had issues we weren't able to resolve. just need to be firm about limitations. have a deadline for folks who need this support, so we can identify the actual budgetary need.

2. No. Vans pick up at hotels? at COBO? - Logistics WG not able to coordinate this. Adrienne will connect and let Rishi know that it is their responsibility to arrange shuttles if they want.

3. There are 4 mass spaces in cobo hall. the furthest right room is for vendors. the other 3 are available and we're waiting to hear what folks want to use. one of them we want to use for the social plenaries. this will be to raise $. hustle line, ok?

- Questions/clarifications:

-- alcohol or food? no alcohol, no food other than that bought in the day

-- DJ and sound system & tables/chairs set up, no vending of food/drink

-- Plenaries in River Room and a spill over room (will go till 8:30 or 9)

-- walls can be up between the spaces

(south to north) Wayne (100k sq/ft), Oakland (150k), Macomb (150k), Detroit (200k)

4. Audio Video budget - oya thought the full AV budget was just for culture. its actually for the whole forum. it doesn't include the tech stuff...those are round numbers based on previous costs. $60K is allocated for A/V, equipment rental, stages, etc for all Forum spaces. Maureen & Oya will sit down and work with rental companies to lay out full picture of needs - go to 2 agencies to get 2 bids. Problem: using union companies is priority and baseline principle. For Cobo hall it's a mandate of the contract. Hart Plaza and tents may be able to work with folks to help with lights - But who pays for that? Can answer it later.

5. General budgets between working groups and logistical costs - Need more coordination

- Look at all the spaces and identify the needs for each one

- Common spaces

- Survey to understand basic expectations and needs and clarify which budget line-item covers what

- Program: self-organized workshops need to bring their own equipment and materials -The plenaries, PMA, opening ceremony, culture will need full scale answers about these requests

- Full picture of program design per day is needed to assess the needs for all staging, lights, A/V, sets/backdrops

--> Survey of space, AV needs, canopies [sylvia, maureen, steph, amb]

- note--last time we had a coordinator for the tents on-site, tho folks rented their own. we knew which ones we would have for sure.

- send questions to AMB by Wednesday, put out survey to OC and will bring back for our next call.

to follow-up in terms of folks who are self-organizing stuff and want it in the program...tell folks they can submit it to through the workshop process and it will be in the program.

- Walda Question -

-- Self organized spaces - folks that want activities listed in the program

-- There's still time to submit and should do that

-- what of local activities does DLOC want to take on and have listed in the printed program

-- requests will go to the printed program team? no

-- Actions, Workshops, spaces - requests go to DLOC to coordinate (not veto)

-- if it's coming from the local spaces - we need to figure out how to include - connect to Will and Rocio

-- there are some things that fall outside of the forms of program we offer. a history tour, etc. those local things that are NOT workshops go to DLOC?

-- because we're running slow on workshops - let's figure out how to include what's happening and get it together electronically and in the printed program

-- printed program just needs clarity about what is coming in and how to

Adrienne will pull out the to-do list.

Next call in 2 weeks, 5-2-10

THANKS -