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| ## page was renamed from Migrated/Booth #language en |
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| '''In this page we follow you through the operations towards the preparation of a booth. Is there a booth already planned in your region? Join it! There is no booth? Organise one!''' | '''In this page we follow you through the operations towards the preparation of a booth. Is there a booth already planned in your region? Join it! There is no booth? Organize one!''' <<TableOfContents(2)>> |
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| * [[https://fsfe.org/community/tools/eventregistration.html|Add the event on our Website]]. This way it will be visible on [[https://fsfe.org/events.html|our events page]] after we checked it. | [[https://fsfe.org/community/tools/eventregistration.html|Add the event on our Website]]. This way it will be visible on [[https://fsfe.org/events|our events page]] after we checked it. |
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| * Write an email announcing that you are going to organise a booth, and invite interested people to join you. Send this email to: | === Recruit helpers === |
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| * the [[https://fsfe.org/contact/local.html|country team]] of the country where the event takes place | Write an email announcing that you are going to organise a booth, and invite interested people to join you. Send this email to: |
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| * the [[https://fsfe.org/contact/community.html|public discussion list(s)]] possibly interested in the event | * the [[https://fsfe.org/contact/local.html|country team]] of the country where the event takes place |
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| * the Fellowship team at fellowship@fsfeurope.org, include a list of countries and postal codes to send the text to; we will forward the email to all Fellows in the region you define. | * the [[https://fsfe.org/contact/community.html|public discussion list(s)]] possibly interested in the event |
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| An example of the text you could use is: | * the Fellowship team at <<MailTo(fellowship AT fsfeurope DOT org)>>, include a list of countries and postal codes to send the text to; we will forward the email to all Fellows in the region you define. |
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| ''Dear Fellows,'' | An example of the text you could use is: |
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| ''From [start day] to [end day], FSFE will have a booth at [event] in [location].'' | {{{ Dear Fellows, |
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| ''We are looking for people to join us at our booth and help spread the word about Free Software and FSFE. If you are interested in participating in FSFE's presence at [event], please write an email to [name and email address].'' | From [start day] to [end day], FSFE will have a booth at [event] in [location]. |
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| ''However, even if you just visit [event], please visit the FSFE booth and say hello to us!'' | We are looking for people to join us at our booth and help spread the word about Free Software and FSFE. If you are interested in participating in FSFE's presence at [event], please write an email to [name and email address]. |
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| ''You can find more info about [event] at [event URL].'' | However, even if you just visit [event], please visit the FSFE booth and say hello to us! |
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| ''We are looking forward to meet you there!'' | You can find more info about [event] at [event URL]. |
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| ''[name]'' | We are looking forward to meet you there! [name] }}} Make sure that for each reply to these invitations, the new team member receives a friendly "welcome to the team" and a status quo of the preparations and is kept up to date with all subsequent developments regarding the booth. The easiest way to achieve this is to create a [[TechDocs/quickml]] mailing list that includes all helpers, and run all the coordination for the booth through that list. However, if you use this list also for external communication, be aware that sending an email to the list and CC'ing somebody external will add the external address to the list. Many visitors of an event prefer to be addressed in their own language. In the case of an international event, it is good to have some volunteers in the booth team who can speak the languages of the expected audience, and at least some English speakers as a fall-back. It is useful for you as the booth coordinator to get an overview over the languages spoken by the helpers. |
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| The main purpose of such a booth is to inform people about Free Software in general, and about FSFE's current activities in particular. The FSFE office in Berlin has a stock of various posters, flyers, postcards, and stickers, which you are encouraged to make use of! Please fill in the [[https://fsfe.org/contribute/spreadtheword.html|online order form for promotion material]] to make sure you have all these goodies available in time. | The main purpose of such a booth is to inform people about Free Software in general, and about FSFE's current activities in particular. The FSFE office in Berlin has a stock of various posters, fliers, postcards, and stickers, which you are encouraged to make use of! Please fill in the [[https://fsfe.org/contribute/spreadtheword.html|online order form for promotion material]] to make sure you have all these goodies available in time. |
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| If you want to sell merchandise, please visit our [[https://fsfe.org/order/order.html|online order form for merchandise]] to order the material of your choice. When you reach the point where you are asked for payment, just cancel the process, and instead send an email to office (at) fsfeurope.org referring to your order and the upcoming event. You will receive further instructions. | If you want to sell merchandise, please visit our [[https://fsfe.org/order/order.html|online order form for merchandise]] to order the material of your choice. When you reach the point where you are asked for payment, just cancel the process, and instead send an email to <<MailTo(office AT SPAMFREE fsfeurope DOT org)>> referring to your order and the upcoming event. You will receive further instructions. |
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| === Stay in contact with potential volunteers === | === Stay in contact with the rest of the team === |
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| Be sure to contact other fellows and volunteers, to motivate them to participate to the booth. As some events have a tendency to have an international audience, it is advisable to have at least English speaker in the team. It is good to have different language speakers at the booth. Some people prefer to be addressed in their own language, if possible. So, when contacting volunteers, it is useful to ask them which language they can speak, so you can organise everything at best. |
One month before the event is a good timing to send a status update to all booth helpers. |
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| A booth is also an occasion to meet other fellows who live near the event location. So, organise a Fellowship meeting nearby the event location. * Is there a local FSFE group ([[http://wiki.fsfe.org/CategoryFellowshipGroup|see the list]])? Coordinate with them and ask for assistance; * There is no local FSFE group? Write to fellowship@fsfeurope.org and forward a message to all fellows living in the area (specifying the postcodes that you wish to reach). |
A booth is also an occasion to meet other fellows who live near the event location. So, organize a Fellowship meeting nearby the event location. * Is there a local FSFE group ([[LocalGroups|see the list]])? Coordinate with them and ask for assistance; * There is no local FSFE group? Write to <<MailTo(fellowship AT fsfeurope DOT org)>> and forward a message to all fellows living in the area (specifying the postcodes that you wish to reach). |
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| * If possible, organise a '''volunteers meeting''' before booth activities. The aim of that is to build a solid team, and to make sure that everyone knows enough to answers to questions of people. * Considering the number of registered volunteers, you might want to organise shifts. Please be flexible and consider last minute changes to allow people to go assisting to talks if they wish. Consider that at least two persons should be at the booth all the time. |
* If possible, organize a '''volunteers meeting''' before booth activities. The aim of that is to build a solid team, and to make sure that everyone knows enough to answers to questions of people. * Considering the number of registered volunteers, you might want to organize shifts. Please be flexible and consider last minute changes to allow people to go assisting to talks if they wish. Consider that at least two persons should be at the booth all the time. |
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| == At the Booth == | == At the booth == |
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| Having a booth is one thing, having it in a good design is another thing. People should be attracted to come to the booth and they should get an easy overview of the material at the booth. Please [[https://wiki.fsfe.org/Booth/design|see our documentation of booth design]]. | Having a booth is one thing, having it in a good design is another thing. People should be attracted to come to the booth and they should get an easy overview of the material at the booth. Please [[../BoothDesign|see our documentation of booth design]]. |
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| * ''Standing'' is important. People walking past are much less likely to talk to a person who is sitting. To make this more natural, FSFE usually organises booths using a makeshift bar instead of a table. If you can do this, great. | * ''Standing'' is important. People walking past are much less likely to talk to a person who is sitting. To make this more natural, FSFE usually organizes booths using a makeshift bar instead of a table. If you can do this, great. |
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| * For tips on talking about Free Software, see the [[http://fsfe.org/freesoftware/basics/effective-advocacy | Advocacy Guidlines]], the [[Advocacy_faq_en|Advocacy FAQ]] and [[BoothFAQ]]. | * For tips on talking about Free Software, see the [[http://fsfe.org/freesoftware/basics/effective-advocacy | Advocacy Guidlines]], the [[Advocacy/faq_en|Advocacy FAQ]] and [[../BoothFAQ]]. |
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| Anybody can confirm that money was received. However, an official donation receipt allowing tax-deduction in Germany needs to be signed by the President. If somebody really does a donation in cash so big that it's worth writing a donation receipt (>= around 50 Euro), the best option would probably be to note the address and later send the info to finance@fsfeurope.org asking to send the donation receipt by snail mail. | Anybody can confirm that money was received. However, an official donation receipt allowing tax-deduction in Germany needs to be signed by the President. If somebody really does a donation in cash so big that it's worth writing a donation receipt (>= around 50 Euro), the best option would probably be to note the address and later send the info to <<MailTo(finance AT fsfeurope DOT org)>> asking to send the donation receipt by snail mail. |
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| Obviously, donations that FSFE writes a receipt for must arrive at the official FSFE books at some point, so these donations *must* be paid to the FSFE account. | Obviously, donations that FSFE writes a receipt for must arrive at the official FSFE books at some point, so these donations ''must'' be paid to the FSFE account. |
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| == After the Booth == | == Within 1 week after the event == |
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| * Write about the booth: the best way to do so is in a short blog post with a picture (two to three paragraphs with a picture is already fine). This way others who were not there also can see what you did. * If someone filled out the Fellowship form to join the Fellowship, please use our [[fellowship-offline-form|HowTo add a Fellow]]. * If you sold merchandise at the booth: complete the accountancy sheet and send it to office@fsfeurope.org. Transfer the income from sales, donations and Fellowship contributions to FSFE's bank account, IBAN DE69360200300003004732, BIC NBAGDE3E. Merchandise sales are relevant for our taxes, so please make sure both is done ''within one week after the end of the event''. |
* Write about the booth: the best way to do so is in a short blog post with a picture (two to three paragraphs with a picture is already fine). This way others who were not there also can see what you did. |
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| = ToDo = | * If you sold merchandise at the booth: |
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| * create eye catching slide show * create a map and show our Fellowship groups on it. Give people the chance to add themself to the map * create better posters for the booth * help us improve this page. * To create your own material, you can find the official Fellowship colours and other designer guidelines on the [[https://fsfe.org/contribute/designers/styleguide.en.html#id-fellowship-guide|designer section]] of the website. |
* Count the reminding merchandise material, separated by design and size, and note down the numbers. * If there is another event within a year where you can use the merchandise, keep the items that you have not sold. Otherwise, send them back to Free Software Foundation Europe e.V., Schönhauser Allee 6/7, 10119 Berlin, Germany. Pay the postage from the money you have received from the sales, and keep the receipt. * Count the money. Complete the accountancy sheet by filling in the blue cells. Send it to finance@fsfeurope.org. * Transfer the proceeds ("Money out") to FSFE's bank account, IBAN DE47430609672059790801, BIC GENODEM1GLS. Use "Proceeds <name of the event>" as the payment reference. Merchandise sales are relevant for our taxes, so please make sure both is done ''within one week after the end of the event''. * Send the original of all receipts for the costs you paid from the sales revenue to Free Software Foundation Europe e.V., Schönhauser Allee 6/7, 10119 Berlin, Germany. * Update this How-to with your notes. |
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| CategoryBooth | [[Category/How-to]] [[Category/Booth]] |
One of the main tasks of the Free Software Foundation Europe is to inform the public about Free Software and related topics. For this, it is essential to be present with a booth on tradeshows, fairs, expos, and other local events.
Helping at such a booth is a good way to
- get active for Free Software by working as a booth volunteer
- support Free Software by talking to people and explain them importance of Free Software
- meet interesting people and answer their questions
- have a lot of fun!
In this page we follow you through the operations towards the preparation of a booth. Is there a booth already planned in your region? Join it! There is no booth? Organize one!
Contents
Check out upcoming booths
Register a booth
For many Free Software conferences and GNU/Linux-days you have to register some weeks or months before to enable your presentation with a booth. There can no general guideline be given here as the procedures for this are quite different - depending on the event. But often you have the possibility to present your booth in your own words in the program, on a poster or on the home page. It is recommended that you use FSFE's mission statement as the basis for this text.
Timeline
8 weeks before the event
Announce the booth
Add the event on our Website. This way it will be visible on our events page after we checked it.
Recruit helpers
Write an email announcing that you are going to organise a booth, and invite interested people to join you. Send this email to:
the country team of the country where the event takes place
the public discussion list(s) possibly interested in the event
the Fellowship team at <fellowship AT fsfeurope DOT org>, include a list of countries and postal codes to send the text to; we will forward the email to all Fellows in the region you define.
An example of the text you could use is:
Dear Fellows, From [start day] to [end day], FSFE will have a booth at [event] in [location]. We are looking for people to join us at our booth and help spread the word about Free Software and FSFE. If you are interested in participating in FSFE's presence at [event], please write an email to [name and email address]. However, even if you just visit [event], please visit the FSFE booth and say hello to us! You can find more info about [event] at [event URL]. We are looking forward to meet you there! [name]
Make sure that for each reply to these invitations, the new team member receives a friendly "welcome to the team" and a status quo of the preparations and is kept up to date with all subsequent developments regarding the booth. The easiest way to achieve this is to create a TechDocs/quickml mailing list that includes all helpers, and run all the coordination for the booth through that list. However, if you use this list also for external communication, be aware that sending an email to the list and CC'ing somebody external will add the external address to the list.
Many visitors of an event prefer to be addressed in their own language. In the case of an international event, it is good to have some volunteers in the booth team who can speak the languages of the expected audience, and at least some English speakers as a fall-back. It is useful for you as the booth coordinator to get an overview over the languages spoken by the helpers.
4 weeks before the event
Order promotion material
The main purpose of such a booth is to inform people about Free Software in general, and about FSFE's current activities in particular. The FSFE office in Berlin has a stock of various posters, fliers, postcards, and stickers, which you are encouraged to make use of! Please fill in the online order form for promotion material to make sure you have all these goodies available in time.
Please use an address where there's always somebody available to accept the delivery. If your home address doesn't qualify for that, maybe better let it deliver to the company you work in?
It is important that you specify the even you want to use the material for, especially the number of expected participants, the languages they speak, and their background regarding Free Software. This makes it easier for the team in FSFE's office to compile a suitable set of material.
Production of all of this material is cheap, and distributing it is an important pillar of FSFE's mission. Please don't be shy. Make use of this possibility. There is no cost involved for you at all!
Order merchandise (Optional)
At some of our booths, we also have t-shirts, sweatshirts and other merchandise for sale.
If you want to sell merchandise, please visit our online order form for merchandise to order the material of your choice. When you reach the point where you are asked for payment, just cancel the process, and instead send an email to <office AT SPAMFREE fsfeurope DOT org> referring to your order and the upcoming event. You will receive further instructions.
If you plan to sell merchandise at the booth, be sure to prepare some change. You can already start to collect 1-Euro and 2-Euro coins now.
Stay in contact with the rest of the team
One month before the event is a good timing to send a status update to all booth helpers.
2 weeks before the event
Invite other fellows
A booth is also an occasion to meet other fellows who live near the event location. So, organize a Fellowship meeting nearby the event location.
Is there a local FSFE group (see the list)? Coordinate with them and ask for assistance;
There is no local FSFE group? Write to <fellowship AT fsfeurope DOT org> and forward a message to all fellows living in the area (specifying the postcodes that you wish to reach).
1 week before the event
Prepare the material
Send a reminder to Fellows and volunteers that you are meeting at the Booth. This communication should include more detailed information, namely:
- A list of registered volunteers. If you want, you can write a few nice words describing different volunteers, as well as the languages they can speak.
- A list of notable guests, if any.
If possible, organize a volunteers meeting before booth activities. The aim of that is to build a solid team, and to make sure that everyone knows enough to answers to questions of people.
- Considering the number of registered volunteers, you might want to organize shifts. Please be flexible and consider last minute changes to allow people to go assisting to talks if they wish. Consider that at least two persons should be at the booth all the time.
Everyone should be informed about recent campaigns, because people are liking to ask questions about them. However, no one is supposed to know everything, so you don't need to stress about details. As a team, we should be able to answer to most of the questions.
At the booth
Designing a booth
Having a booth is one thing, having it in a good design is another thing. People should be attracted to come to the booth and they should get an easy overview of the material at the booth. Please see our documentation of booth design.
- Wear a FSFE t-shirt or hoodie (if you want, we do not have any dress code. We do not want to be "uniformed" in any way).
- there should be at least two people standing at the booth the whole time. Even if there is no one in the moment to talk with - one person should keep standing. This makes it more attractable to other people to come and feel welcome to have a talk.
- If you have ordered our merchandising material, please be sure to count all the material before and after the event, and fill the accountancy sheet of what you actually received.
- Collect donations!
- Speak with people! We prefer not to use laptops at our booths, because if people see you working at your PC, they would be unwilling to come and talk with you. Often there are spaces outside the booth which can be exploited to use your laptop.
- If electricity and internet connection is available, it is nice to have a PC at the booth in order to allow people who wish to subscribe to the Fellowship to do so or to run a eye catching slideshow.
Standing is important. People walking past are much less likely to talk to a person who is sitting. To make this more natural, FSFE usually organizes booths using a makeshift bar instead of a table. If you can do this, great.
- A "I don't know" is much better than a wrong answer. Don't hesitate to point people to specialists and/or URLs. Use FSFE business cards, if you have them.
For tips on talking about Free Software, see the Advocacy Guidlines, the Advocacy FAQ and ../BoothFAQ.
- Expose posters and roll-ups, if you have them.
- It's also important to encourage people to join the FSFE mailing lists. This is how we stay contacted and form a community.
Donations
You may collect donations on behalf of the Free Software Foundation Europe. For this we can provide you a donation boxes.
Anybody can confirm that money was received. However, an official donation receipt allowing tax-deduction in Germany needs to be signed by the President. If somebody really does a donation in cash so big that it's worth writing a donation receipt (>= around 50 Euro), the best option would probably be to note the address and later send the info to <finance AT fsfeurope DOT org> asking to send the donation receipt by snail mail. The receipt will then be sent together with the rest at the beginning of the following year.
Obviously, donations that FSFE writes a receipt for must arrive at the official FSFE books at some point, so these donations must be paid to the FSFE account.
Within 1 week after the event
- Write about the booth: the best way to do so is in a short blog post with a picture (two to three paragraphs with a picture is already fine). This way others who were not there also can see what you did.
- If you sold merchandise at the booth:
- Count the reminding merchandise material, separated by design and size, and note down the numbers.
- If there is another event within a year where you can use the merchandise, keep the items that you have not sold. Otherwise, send them back to Free Software Foundation Europe e.V., Schönhauser Allee 6/7, 10119 Berlin, Germany. Pay the postage from the money you have received from the sales, and keep the receipt.
Count the money. Complete the accountancy sheet by filling in the blue cells. Send it to finance@fsfeurope.org.
Transfer the proceeds ("Money out") to FSFE's bank account, IBAN DE47430609672059790801, BIC GENODEM1GLS. Use "Proceeds <name of the event>" as the payment reference. Merchandise sales are relevant for our taxes, so please make sure both is done within one week after the end of the event.
- Send the original of all receipts for the costs you paid from the sales revenue to Free Software Foundation Europe e.V., Schönhauser Allee 6/7, 10119 Berlin, Germany.
- Update this How-to with your notes.