[sf-lug] Fwd: [opensuse-marketing] Launch Parties 11.3

[Grant Bowman]

Anyone interested in organizing a launch party?

Grant Bowman


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: S.Kemter <buergermeister at karl-tux-stadt.de>
Date: Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 12:08 AM
Subject: [opensuse-marketing] Launch Parties 11.3
To: <quite a few>

Hello,
Time to write this mail again and remember u all that openSUSE 11.3
would be released in 30 days.
So preparing Launch Parties in ur regions. Maybe the following things
are helpful for that. If u need
help or have a special thing in mind dont eschew to write me a mail and
ask for help. I will do what I can.


What is a Launch Party. Actually thats a good question. Launch Party
means only a activity arround the fresh released openSUSE version. What
activity its up to the organizator.

There are some forms of activity

* only a informal meeting in a club, pub or whatever. Target is to get
ppl with the same interest (in this case openSUSE or Linux/FLOSS)
together. Its the easiest way to make an activity arround a openSUSE
release. For this is only a place needed.

For the launch of 11.2 strainu from Romania did such a party
(http://www.suseromania.ro/proiecte-ale-comunitatii/lansare-opensuse-11-2/)
He invited some friends from the floss scene in a trattoria, thats
actually a good idea. Because all "geeks" like pizza :D
HeliosReds in Japan did the same form of Launch Partie. He invited some
openSUSE friends to a dining bar and waited with his guests for the
release announcement.
This form of activity is really a good first step to build a local
community with ppl they are interested in openSUSE. U can discuss with
the guests some new features from openSUSE and have some fun.

This time it looks the Ambassadors in Vienna do such a party and wait
together with others for the Launch Announcement.

* next form is do a demonstration of the new openSUSE. For this u need a
room the size of the room depends of the form of presentation. For a
greater demonstration u need maybe a beamer and a screen. There is the
possibility to make this demonstration for the local Linux User Group if
there one exists.

* that form can be extended with more as a demonstration of openSUSE. U
can make a event with a row of talks and presentations about openSUSE.
There are possible topics like the openSUSE community, SUSE Studio,
openFATE, the openSUSE Buildservice (remember the OBS 2.0 is released a
few weeks before 11.3) and such things.

* next form is to give a workshop for working with free software like
OpenOffice, Blender, Gimp or Inkscape or other programs that a normally
user needs. Thats the hardest form becaus u need not only a room, u have
to organize that all guests can work with the program. There is the
possibility that all working with her own computer but for this u have
to make sure all have the right version. An other possibility u use a
room of a computer school or such thing for it.

Last release Andi Sugandi from Indonesia did this form of event. On his
launch event was a workshop for OpenOffice and for Blender.

* another possibility is to make a Installfest, that means to help
people to install the newest openSUSE. For this u need a room with power
supply and a internet connection is good for it because u can install
security fixes and programs there are not in the repositorys of openSUSE
but needed from the persons too. But one thing u should remind u should
be really a expert for doing that

U can all the forms mix together for an bigger event, that depends of
the ressources that u have.

One of the important things is to become a good start with an event. The
next event would be much easier. There are a few points for it:

* less is more then more ;) Dont over estimate. It is better to begin
with a small event as with a big one, there is on the end not good
* cooperate with other communitys (cyberorg from India cooperate with
ubuntu and strainu in Romania cooperated with Mozilla and Fedora)
* make marketing for the event is the most important thing - u become no
visitors without it.
* and dont forget to make photos and write an report after the event,
its marketing for the next one!
* remember u need some openSUSE stuff. AJ and michl needs some time for
organize it and the postal services need particulary 5-6 weeks! So
talking early enough about it!

For 11.3 I hope that all openSUSE Ambassadors participate and organizing
a launch event. For 11.1 we had 16 events and for 11.2 27 events. Thats
much better but not good enough. My target for 11.3 are 50 events or
more worldwide. On such places like Taipeh we have 4 Ambassadors there
should be definitly a Launch Party, Barcelona, Vienna, Jakarta and
Singapore too. The early bird catch the worm! So let us begin now with
the plannings for the launch events.
When we working together we can make more marketing centralized as the
page in the wiki.
http://en.opensuse.org/OpenSUSE_11.3_Launch_Party_Locations

I have some ideas for it. Maybe we can do a twitter wall I organized for
the openSUSE Conference with tweets and pictures from the events to show
live whats going on.

So now is up to u, take the first step and begin to plan ur Launch
Party. If u need help then talk to me. If u have ideas, what can be done
at such a party so step forward and say it maybe its a really
interesting idea.


br gnokii


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