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Checklist of checklists

This document lists the various checklists for organising meetings, conferences or similar events online. It also includes a checklist for participating in remote meetings and conference. The last two checklists are about managing and participating in the distributed teams.

Table of content

  1. Checklist for organising a remote meeting

  2. Checklist for running a longer event such as a conference or sprint

  3. Checklist for attending a remote meeting or event

  4. Checklist for managing and participating in a distributed team

Table of contents generated with markdown-toc

1. Checklist for organising a remote meeting

Before the meeting

  • [ ] Identify a most suitable slot that is time zone compatible for all the members using tools like Doodle or when2meet
    • [ ] If you are planning a meeting that includes Americas/Oceania (with over 12 hours difference), consider to have two sessions to avoid holding a meeting in very early or vary late in the day
    • [ ] Assign different chairs when holding calls in two different time zones
  • [ ] Use a standard time with a custom link like arewemeetingyet or timeanddate.com to different time zones when communicating
  • [ ] Set a protocol for your meeting participants (if there is not any available already), which should include basic etiquette explaining the following
    • [ ] Is keeping the webcam and microphone on recommended? Can they be turned off during the call?
    • [ ] Is there a password needed to join the call? Can attendees join before the host?
    • [ ] How can attendees ensure privacy of their family member? Provide instructions for blurring their background, or using a virtual background?
    • [ ] How will attendees be able to particiapte in an ongoing discussion? How can they raise their hands of ask the chair personally?
    • [ ] What kind of challenges attendees may face while joining the call/meeting and how can they troubleshoot them?
  • [ ] Identify a chair and note-taker for the meeting
    • [ ] Share guidelines and protocols for chairing and note-taking
  • [ ] Decide if there will be designated speakers with presentations
    • [ ] Share speaker's guidelines and protocols with them
  • [ ] Establish a shared document that can be updated online for agenda and note-taking
    • [ ] Create a template for this meeting (that can also be used for future meetings)
  • [ ] Create a shared document to share the following:
    • [ ] Participation guideline
    • [ ] Code of Conduct and contact information of people who can help with any issues regarding the meeting
    • [ ] The exact date, time, location (if any!) and choice of tool that will be used for communication
    • [ ] Agenda of the meeting
    • [ ] A place to indicate their participation or absense
  • [ ] Share this document via an email to all the attendees and also add this to a calendar invite so that people have it handy when needed
  • [ ] The choice of tool should be preferably an open source tool to avoid inaccessibility
    • [ ] If using a tool that is available only upon subscription, make sure that all the members have the access information
    • [ ] Share a how-to guide to ensure that everyone knows how to use the tool
    • [ ] If possible, offer help with installation and testing of the tool in advance
  • [ ] Distribute the shared document a few days before the meeting
    • [ ] Ask everyone to add any agenda item that they would like to discuss at the meeting
    • [ ] Ask everyone to write their name indicating their participation in or absence from the meeting
  • [ ] Remind everyone to arrange microphone or headsets
    • [ ] If possible, provide any hardware that the organisation prefers to use
    • [ ] Ask people to check before the meeting that their system and headsets are working
  • [ ] Send a reminder with link to the document and other important resources to all the participants a day in advance
  • [ ] Create slides or presentation that might be needed from organiser's side (welcome, wrap up)
    • [ ] Add contact details, date and location of resources and licence, to make your slides reusable
#### Designated venues to participate from *If there are physical office locations, or co-working spaces accessible for most members*
  • [ ] Reserve conference room(s) (or similar venues) with high speed internet
  • [ ] Share details on how members can access this venue
  • [ ] When possible, use individual cameras to simulate remote participation so that those who are not attending in person don't feel left out
  • [ ] If the reserved location has a webcam and microphone, check that they work properly
    • [ ] Plan the seating arrangement so that people are facing to the main screen/camera
    • [ ] Test the screen with different light intensities
    • [ ] Arrange all the required materials and equipment, like extension cords or power strips
    • [ ] Arrange for beverages/snacks for the breaks, and ensure that the catering service will label the food for contents/allergens
  • [ ] Make sure that the protocols are written to favour the remote participants
### During the meeting
  • [ ] Re-share the links to the collaborative notes for the meeting in the chat system or email
  • [ ] Remind of the community participation guideline and the Code of Conduct
  • [ ] Introduce the chair and notetaker, and let the chair take over for the rest of the tasks
  • [ ] Introduce the format of the meeting and briefly describe the overall schedule, such as the timing of breaks
  • [ ] If possible, keep the video call separate from chat system to ensure that the speakers are not distracted and the conversations can be recorded on the chat system
  • [ ] Explain the basic protocols for participation
    • [ ] Muting microphone when not speaking
    • [ ] Using a chat system during the meeting - if there is one
  • [ ] Request everyone to keep their camera on whenever possible
  • [ ] If recording the call, make sure that all the participants are aware before you hit the record button
    • [ ] Allow people to turn their video off when recording
  • [ ] Remind the guidelines for participating in discussions
    • [ ] Raise hand - on chat, or virtually (like in Zoom) or physically
    • [ ] Other ways to involve others in the discussion equitably
  • [ ] Start the meeting with an icebreaker question that can be either written down or shared out verbally depending on how many people are on the call
    • [ ] Create opportunities for everyone to share something personal (about their hobby, or experiences) on the document or verbally
  • [ ] Facilitate questions and answer or discussion on the agenda points
  • [ ] Help answer procedural questions like “where is this button that I should click”
  • [ ] Direct technical questions to the organiser when needed
  • [ ] Use breakout rooms whenever possible to ensure that people can connect with each other while discussing questions or issues of mutual interest (more tips below)
  • [ ] For gathering opinion and response, use silent writing time rather than open discussion
    • [ ] Give clear instructions of what's expected from the writing exercises and how long it should take
    • [ ] Give reminder in the last minute to wrap up
  • [ ] Ensure that the discussion is inclusive of everyone, aim to have a fair discussion, don’t fixate on one argument or speaker
  • [ ] Indicate if the speakers should speed up or slow down, or if there is a technical issue that the speakers should check
  • [ ] Notetakers should document important outcomes from every discussion
  • [ ] Encourage everyone to help the notetaker in documenting correct information
  • [ ] In the last part of the call, create action points and delegate them to different people while on the call
    • [ ] Ask people to volunteer to assign themselves to each task, but be inclusive and equitable in this process
  • [ ] End the meeting on time by thanking everyone and sharing the date for a next call, if any!
  • [ ] If possible, stay a few minutes extra on the call to make sure that people have a chance to clarify their questions after the meetinf

Breakout rooms

If using breakout rooms in Zoom (or similar tool), make sure that each breakout has an organiser to help

  • [ ] Create groups that are more diverse (they will have better discussions)
  • [ ] Remind everyone to give others a fair chance to speak
  • [ ] Ask them to write notes from their discussion in the shared document
  • [ ] Send message periodically reminding everyone of how much time for discussion is left
    • [ ] Reminding them to move on to next person if only one person has spoken so far in their group
  • [ ] When people come back from their breakout rooms, ask them to share main arguments from their discussion
### After the meeting
  • [ ] Create a debrief document to capture what went well and what could be improved
    • [ ] This can also be requested from the participants by circulating a feedback form
  • [ ] Request any additional document or information mentioned by others/speakers during the meeting
  • [ ] If the meeting call was recorded, process and share the recorded video with everyone
  • [ ] Send thank you email with the link to the complete notes and other relevant information

2. Checklist for running a longer event such as a conference or sprint

This is a growing list - feel free to correct or add anything that's missing!

Before the event

The different subsections are marked as "Earlier-phase", "Mid-phase", and "Later-phase", based on their importance at the different phases of organisation. A few subsections are marked as "Relevant for all phases", as those aspects should be taken care of in all stages of event organisation.

The organising committee for the event

Earlier-phase

  • [ ] To make organising truly inclusive, include different stakeholders from the community, organisation, and members from diverse backgrounds in the committee
  • [ ] If the organising committee has members across different time zones, the event can be held in a distributed manner
  • [ ] Have 1-2 committee chairs who can capture the overview of the entire team's work
  • [ ] Divide the full committee into smaller subcommittees by different tasks and responsibilities
  • [ ] Identify chairs for the subcommittees and allow members to join more than one subcommittee
  • [ ] Have a common place for documentation and interaction channels to keep communication transparent

Website for the event (preplanning)

Earlier-phase If possible, create a subcommittee dedicated for designing the website and maintaining online communication

  • [ ] Take accessibility aspects into account (font size, color, background)
  • [ ] State everything clearly and in simple words
  • [ ] Provide contact details of people with clearly stated roles and responsibilities
  • [ ] Grant edit rights to more than one member in the committee members across different time zones
  • [ ] Have clearly defined sections for different information
    • [ ] General information and format of the event
    • [ ] Draft schedule
    • [ ] Theme and target audience
    • [ ] Details on the tools that will be used for connecting
    • [ ] Sponsors (if any)
    • [ ] Registration details and deadline (if already available)

Community participation and accessibility

Relevant for all phases

  • [ ] Choose a Code of Conduct that captures your organisation and community' values
  • [ ] Describe your community participation guidelines
  • [ ] Create possibilities for people to ask for support to attend your event
  • [ ] Create a reporting guideline for any question, concern or breach of Code of Conduct
  • [ ] Describe how you intend to create an inclusive event, for example, will there be a sign language interpreter or live transcription
  • [ ] Create one single location for all the information (like A to Z files) regarding the events
  • [ ] Host a few community calls in different stages of planning to involve the audience into the planning process
  • [ ] Invite volunteers who can help you troubleshoot some specific issues
  • [ ] Allow flexibility for the participants to join the call from anywhere
    • [ ] Clearly communicate if the event can be attended with pets or children, when attending from home
    • [ ] Clearly state what are the size limits for the groups that join remotely (or if individual participation is preferred even when joining from the same location)

Communication channel

Relevant for all phases

  • [ ] A dedicated Slack or Gitter channel within the organisation account for the event
  • [ ] Have a private channel for the organisers
  • [ ] If working in subcommittees, create channels for the subcommittees to post relevant progress
  • [ ] Create a channel for the community where they can receive updates and engage with each other regarding the event
  • [ ] Create appropriate channels for the registered participants (general, introduction, social, program)
  • [ ] Have an announcement channel that can be used for announcing important information by the committee members
  • [ ] If the organisation account is not open for others to join, then create an open channel for participants
  • [ ] Create a social media account on Twitter for announcements, branding, improving visibility and wider outreach
    • [ ] Assign 1-2 volunteers or committee members who can handle social media in collaboration with the committee

Storing and sharing information within the organising committee

Relevant for all phases

  • [ ] Use a common, and if possible, single resource management system (like GitHub, Google drive, website) that is easily searchable for storing organisation related documents
  • [ ] Establish a common location for storing and sharing documentation
  • [ ] All organisers should have access to all documentation used for planning and organisation
  • [ ] Create a single page summary for the organisers listing the available resources with their links
  • [ ] Have meetings periodically to list and create an overview the immediate task, check with people who these tasks are delegated to and plan the next steps till the next meeting
  • [ ] Maintain notes from each call and share with all the members in the organising committee

Budget

Mid-phase

  • [ ] Allocate sufficient budget for organising this event (for example for the tools, equipment and childcare)
  • [ ] First place to confirm your budget and support for handling it is your organisation
  • [ ] Look for sponsorship early on is always a good idea
    • [ ] In the early phase, even though not all the information is sorted, use website to attract sponsors
  • [ ] Decide how big your event should be based on available resource (such as online communication tools, assigned budget of the event, size of your community)
  • [ ] Calculate how much to make the registration fee if no sponsorship is gained

Participation support grants

Mid-phase

  • [ ] Allocate part of your budget for the participation support grant that can be requested by the applicants for the following support
    • [ ] Free or subsidized childcare during the event so that the participant can attend the event without worrying about taking care of their children
    • [ ] Software cost or subscription fee if the one being used by the event is not freely available
    • [ ] Hardware or equipment for facilitating participation, such as headset, microphone, webcam (create a list of hardware that can be funded by the support grant)
    • [ ] High speed internet for the duration of the event
    • [ ] Other aspect that may improve the quality of participation of the applicants
  • [ ] Consider the possibility of waiving registration fee for people from low income organisation/country
  • [ ] Create a rubric for selection
  • [ ] Share the application form before the registration deadline
  • [ ] Communicate clearly how many participation support grants are available and what they include
  • [ ] Send decision for participation support grant applicants as soon as possible so that they can decide if they can register to attend the event

Event theme and duration

Mid-phase

  • [ ] Identify your target audience within your community and organisation
  • [ ] Invite community members to suggest ideas and collectively choose the most relevant theme
  • [ ] Identify a most suitable time zone and the duration of the event
  • [ ] Use a standard time with link to different time zones (like arewemeetingyet) when communicating about the event
  • [ ] Add the exact date, time, location (if any!) and choice of tool that will be used for communication

Define timeline and invite applications

Mid-phase

Establish a timeline for organising and planning the conference and share on the website

  • [ ] Deadline for abstract submission
  • [ ] Deadline for abstract selection notifcation and program announcement
  • [ ] Deadline for application for participation support grant (equipment and internet cost)
    • [ ] Include application for participation support grant in the registration (such as equipment for remote joining, internet cost, childcare)
  • [ ] Deadline for registration
  • [ ] Deadline for announcing the selected participation support grant awardees
  • [ ] Deadline for registration cancellation
  • [ ] Establish a rubric for selection of the talks and sessions
  • [ ] Invite abstracts for talks and sessions and share rubrics for selection
#### Create a registration form ***Mid-phase***
  • [ ] If possible use a registration platform such as Eventbrite that stores data centrally, works on most browsers, and enables secure credit card payment
  • [ ] Collect participant details like their name, email, affiliation, accessibility requirements, motivation for participating, and agreement to privacy statement.
  • [ ] Clearly explain why you’re asking for sensitive information and how will you handle those data
  • [ ] If you ask an optional question, make it clear that it’s optional
  • [ ] Do not rely on colour to communicate your questions
  • [ ] Provide clear explanations for complicated questions to guide people to choose the correct answer/option
  • [ ] Sequence your questions logically after each other
  • [ ] Provide contact information of the committee member who can be contacted regarding any error or question related to registration
  • [ ] Clearly state the next steps upon clicking the submit button
  • [ ] Link the registration form clearly on the webpage and advertise across different community platforms

Community suggestion and feedback forms

Mid-phase Choose a standard platform to manage all your forms, for example, Surveymonkey or Google forms, with a statement on how do you ensure the security of the data collected

  • [ ] Theme suggestion form
  • [ ] Speakers suggestion form
  • [ ] Participation support application form
  • [ ] Sponsorship interest form for those who need grants to facilitate their participation
  • [ ] Abstract submission form for talks (options for the keynote, long, short, lightning talks)
  • [ ] Abstract submission form for workshop, up-skilling or breakout session (options for the different lengths of the session)
  • [ ] Ideas and leaders for social events
  • [ ] Form to collect community vote on the submitted sessions and social activities
  • [ ] Final feedback form for participants (can be create in the later stage before the event)
  • [ ] Feedback form for the chairs, helpers, speakers and notetakers (can be created shortly before the event)

Program

Later-phase

Agree as a committee, what the rough agenda for the event's program will be. Create slots for keynotes, breakout discussions, workshops, poster and lightning talk session. Provide designated time slots for social events in the main program. Make sure that after each talk/session there is 5 minutes break to allow people to log in to the right online call link, switch rooms, ask a logistics-related question. Provide plenty of breaks, and treat those breaks virtual coffee sessions.

  • [ ] Identify speakers and sessions for the event from the selected abstracts for the talks and community voted sessions
  • [ ] Create a well balanced agenda that covers the intended theme of the event
  • [ ] If the session is supposed to run in parallel, create agenda based on the session topic/theme
  • [ ] In addition to the talks, have plenty of slots for breakout discussions, short workshops and other opportunities to exchange skills
  • [ ] Provide new and interesting topics that are not selected for long talks an opportunity to present their idea in short or lightning talks
  • [ ] Instead of having a live lightning talk and poster presentation, invite submission of the pre-recorded lightning talks and talks on posters that can assembled in a gallary (for example, YouTube playlist) that can be accessed by everyone
    • [ ] For poster sessions, create a gallery of posters online that can be broswed easily
    • [ ] Decide length of these talks (recommended length is 1.5-2 minutes)
    • [ ] Create a designated slot in the program to ensure that people take time to check out these talks and posters
  • [ ] Invite poster submission and create a browsable gallery (for example on F1000 research or Zenodo)
    • [ ] Create a designated slot in the program to ensure that people take time to check out these posters and interact with the poster presenters
  • [ ] Share program and agenda with everyone (via the website) on time
  • [ ] Make sure that your online program is kept up to date
  • [ ] Invite volunteers from the community to chair sessions
  • [ ] Share speaker's and session guidelines with the selected participants
  • [ ] Share chair's guidelines and protocols with the selected participants
  • [ ] Treat social events in your program as seriously as any other session; discuss this with the organising committee and agree on social events that are good fits for your community
    • [ ] Confirm leaders for these social activities
  • [ ] Create shared documents for all the selected talks, sessions and social events to be shared with the participants
    • [ ] Save all the shared document in one location (or create a common location with their link) so all the participants can browse them during and after the event

Documents and tools for participants

Relevant for all phases

  • [ ] Establish a dedicated location for all the shared documents for different sessions with participants that they can access and edit online during the event
    • [ ] Use a standard template that can similar for all the sessions with minor adaption
  • [ ] If using a tool that is available only upon subscription, make sure that all the participants have the access
  • [ ] Share a how-to guide to ensure that everyone knows how to use the tool
  • [ ] If possible, offer help with installation and testing of the tool
  • [ ] Remind everyone to arrange microphone or headsets
    • [ ] If possible, provide the possibility to request for a grant to buy simple types of equipment such as headphones, webcams, and high-speed internet
  • [ ] Share the participation guideline, code of conduct and contact information of people who can help with any issues regarding the meeting
  • [ ] Send a reminder with the links to the document and other important resources to all the participant a week and a day in advance
  • [ ] Create slides or presentation that might be needed from organiser's side (welcome, wrap up)

Organise a pre-event community call

Often referred by different names such as installation party, coffee-hours or set-up test fest

Later-phase

  • [ ] Organise a pre-event call for the organising committee to cross-check if all the materials for the event are sorted and have been made available to everyone
  • [ ] Arrange a conference call(s) with volunteers, speakers, session leads and chairs to communicate the guidelines and discuss their responsibilities during the event
  • [ ] Create the collaborative document to collect questions from participants and document answers, that can be shared with those who can't attend this call
  • [ ] Arrange a separate conference call(s) with the participants to answer their questions related to the event, and also use collaborative note to share the main discussion points
  • [ ] Test the technical infrastructure with everyone and help set up any software that is needed during the event
  • [ ] Share important contact details (committee chairs, code of conduct contact person) with everyone
  • [ ] Keep this meeting informal and have as many helpers as possible who can help individuals in breakout rooms

Storing and sharing information with the participants

Later-phase

  • [ ] Use a common, and if possible, single resource management system (like GitHub, Google Drive, website) that is easily searchable for sharing information with the participants
  • [ ] Create a single page summary for the participants of the available resources with their links
  • [ ] Clearly communicate where and how participants can access information and documents
  • [ ] If not using a free platform, provide access to the participants
    • [ ] This can be communicated in the registration confirmation email and the pre-event community call
  • [ ] Send out short emails with updates and reminders that point the participants to these resources (as people tend to look for all the information right before the event)

Branding and promotional materials

Relevant for all phases

  • [ ] Use organisation logo for promoting this event only if agreed by the organisation leadership, else invite logo designs from the community
  • [ ] Use social media to engage with the community
    • [ ] Reach out to them as frequently as possible during decision making
  • [ ] Use online store to sell swag to allow people to buy them before or during the event
    • [ ] If the overall budget is low, this can be used for inviting small donations from the community
    • [ ] If you have sufficient budget, send these to your organising committees before the event, and to the speakers and volunteers after the event as a thank you gift
  • [ ] Design online posters and flyers to share with your community members who can help you promote the event in their networks

Designated venues for participation

If there are physical office locations, or co-working spaces accessible for most members

  • [ ] Reserve conference room(s) (or similar venues) with high speed internet
  • [ ] Share details on how members can access this venue
  • [ ] When possible, use individual cameras to simulate remote participation so that others not joining don't feel left out.
  • [ ] If the reserved location has a webcam and microphone, check that they work properly
  • [ ] Plan the sitting arrangement so that people are facing to the main screen/camera
  • [ ] Test the screen with different light intensity
  • [ ] Arrange all the required materials and equipment, like extension cords or power strips
  • [ ] Create a form to collect dietary requirements, interest in participating in a social event, mobility-related requirement and other location-specific requests
  • [ ] Arrange for beverages/snacks for the breaks, and ensure that the catering service will label the food for contents/allergens
  • [ ] If organising any location-specific social event, run that in parallel to the remote social event
    • [ ] Book social event venue, transfer, and catering and communicate them clearly

During the event

Kicking off the event

Checklist for the designated chair of the opening session

  • [ ] Start the video call, or any communication channel 30 minutes before the event to check that everything works
  • [ ] Share links to the documents and other resources for the event on the chat system like Slack
  • [ ] Remind attendees of the community participation guideline and the Code of Conduct
  • [ ] Introduce the organising committees and the Code of Conduct contact person for the event
  • [ ] Introduce the format of the meeting and when the breaks are scheduled
  • [ ] Explain the basic protocols for participation
    • [ ] Muting microphone when not speaking
    • [ ] Using a chat system during the meeting - if there is one
  • [ ] Remind the guidelines for participating in discussions
    • [ ] Raise hand - on chat, or virtually (like in Zoom) or physically
    • [ ] Other ways to involve others in the discussion equitably
  • [ ] Ask everyone to write down their name, pronouns, contact (twitter, email) and other relevant information
  • [ ] Start the meeting with an icebreaker question
    • [ ] Create opportunities for everyone to share something personal (about their hobby, or experiences) on the document or verbally
  • [ ] Communicate the ways to make discussions inclusive of everyone
  • [ ] Remind everyone if the video will be recorded
  • [ ] Request everyone to keep their camera on whenever possible

Talks and presentations

Checklist for the chair of the designated talk

  • [ ] Chairs share the link to the shared document
  • [ ] Chairs remind everyone of the Code of the Conduct contact person in case something needs to be reported
  • [ ] Chairs introduce the speaker and note-takers (and sign language interpreter if available)
  • [ ] Remind everyone if the video will be recorded
  • [ ] Request everyone to keep their camera on whenever possible
  • [ ] Chairs indicate if the speakers should speed up or slow down, or if there is a technical issue that the speaker should check
  • [ ] Chairs help answer procedural questions like “where is this button that I should click”
  • [ ] Chairs and note-taker direct technical questions to the organiser when needed
  • [ ] Note-takers take notes to capture main points from the talk
  • [ ] Chairs and note-takers gather questions, opinion and response, on the shared document than open discussion
    • [ ] This can be done on a document or by using interactive tools like sli.do
  • [ ] Chairs ask people to add '+1' next to the points that they like or agree with
  • [ ] Chairs verbalise some of the popular insights, opinion and thoughts
  • [ ] Chairs close session in time by thanking the speakers and note-takers
  • [ ] Take a moment to celebrate the speakers for their talks
    • [ ] Ask people to leave some emoji or gifs for the speakers

Short workshops, up-skilling or discussion sessions

Checklist for the session lead, helpers and note-takers of the designated session

  • [ ] Session leads should share the link to the shared document
  • [ ] Session leads remind of the Code of the Conduct contact person in case something needs to be reported
  • [ ] Session leads should introduce the helpers and note-takers (and sign language interpreter if available)
  • [ ] If recording the call, make sure to tell the participants before you hit the record button
  • [ ] Allow them to turn off their video when recording
  • [ ] To allow participation with the video on, don't record general discussions
  • [ ] Notetakers should document important outcomes from every discussion
  • [ ] Session lead encourage everyone to help the notetaker in documenting correct information
  • [ ] Session leads, helpers and note takers help gather questions, opinion and response, on the shared document than open discussion
  • [ ] Session leads ask people to add '+1' next to the points that they like or agree with
  • [ ] Session leads verbalise some of the popular insights, opinion and thoughts
  • [ ] Helpers take note of any technical issue that speaker or others come across and help troubleshoot them
  • [ ] Helpers help answer procedural questions like “where is this button that I should click”
  • [ ] Helpers direct technical questions to the organiser when needed
    • [ ] This can be done on a document or by using interactive tools like sli.do
  • [ ] Session lead create breakout rooms whenever possible to ensure that people can connect while discussing mutually useful question or issues
  • [ ] Session lead facilitate fair discussion, don’t fixate on one argument
  • [ ] In the last part of the session, take some time to collect feedback from the participants
  • [ ] Ask people to volunteer to write short blogs about their experience
  • [ ] Session leads will close their sessions in time by thanking the speakers and note-takers
  • [ ] Take a moment to celebrate the session and everyone involved in running those
    • [ ] Ask people to leave some emoji, gifs and testimonial for the workshop

Lightning talks

Checklist for the designated chair of these sessions

  • [ ] Share the link of the shared notes for the session along with the link to the pre-recorded lightning talks (see details in (Program (before the event))
  • [ ] Ask presenters who are attending the session to write down their names so that other attendees can ask questions specific to their talks
  • [ ] Allow enough time for everyone to check out multiple lightning Talks
  • [ ] Run an open question and answer period where anyone can ask questions to any presenters; remind everyone to keep their question and response short
    • [ ] Use shared document or Slido for taking questions
  • [ ] Keep the format informal and allow flexibility for participation
  • [ ] Finish the session by thanking all the participants, and ask everyone to leave encouraging words, gifs or emojis to celebrate the session and presenters' work.
  • [ ] If the feedback for the session is available, use the last few minutes to gather those from the participants

Poster sessions

Checklist for the designated chair of these sessions

  • [ ] Share the link of the shared notes for the session along with the link to the gallery where the posters can be browsed (see details in (Program (before the event))
    • [ ] If short pre-recorded lightning talks on the posters are available, allow time to watch a few videos
  • [ ] Ask presenters who are attending the session to write down their names so that other attendees can ask questions specific to their talks
  • [ ] Allow enough time for everyone to ask questions on the shared document, dedicated channel (Slack or sli.do) for poster discussions
  • [ ] Keep an eye on the document to see if everything is going well
  • [ ] Remind every one of the time at regular intervals
  • [ ] At the end, run an open question and answer session where anyone can ask question to any presenters in that session. Remind everyone to keep their question and response short
    • [ ] Use shared documents or Slido for taking questions
  • [ ] Keep the format informal and allow flexibility for participation
  • [ ] Finish the session by thanking all the participants, and ask everyone to leave nice words, gif or emoji to celebrate the session and presenters' work.
  • [ ] If the feedback for the session is available, use the last few minutes to gather that from the participants

Social events

Checklist for the session lead, helpers and note-takers of the designated session

  • [ ] Host loosely themed social events so that the participants know what to expect, most importantly keep the themes fun and informal
  • [ ] Keep these sessions longer than what they would be in an in-person event, for example, 2 hours lunch instead of 1 hour
  • [ ] Don't keep these sessions too late in the day, remember that your attendees would not want to sepend extra hours on the online call when they have a family to look after
  • [ ] Start the online call 30 minutes before the actual event starts, and keep the call running for 30 minutes after the main event is over
  • [ ] Share the collaborative notes with an agenda, links to join the call from the session or a social event chat system (for example, Slack)
  • [ ] Start with an informal ice breaker - allow everyone to introduce them to everyone on the call
  • [ ] Follow the "show, don't tell" format, such as visual artifacts in the session format as much as possible
  • [ ] Host online games that are not too hard to explain and can be played by multiple people (like Dungeon and Dragons, see D&D beyond)
  • [ ] Other parallel activities such as online treasure hunt, virtual museum or movie viewing can be organised
  • [ ] Conference dinners can be hosted in parallel in multiple locations - maybe a care package with ingrediate can be sent out before the conference!
    • [ ] Other options could be to host a cooking and dining session (see the Tweet thread, add your ideas too!).

Handling breakout rooms

If using breakout rooms in Zoom (or similar tool), make sure that the organiser helps you create Groups

  • [ ] Create groups that are more diverse (they will have a better discussion)
  • [ ] Remind everyone to give others a fair chance to speak
  • [ ] Ask them to write notes from their discussion in the shared document
  • [ ] Send message periodically reminding everyone of how much time for discussion is left
    • [ ] Remind them to move on to next person if only one person has spoken so far in their Groups
  • [ ] When people come back from their breakout rooms, ask them to share main arguments from their discussion

After the event

  • [ ] Create a debrief document to capture what went well and what could be improved in the future events
  • [ ] Create a small overview blog post to share the main highlights from the event with community/participants immediately
  • [ ] Collect any additional document or information mentioned by others/speakers during the events
  • [ ] If the event sessions and talks were recorded, process and publish the recorded videos within a defined time frame
  • [ ] Send thank you email to everyone with the link of the complete notes and all the relevant information
  • [ ] Send a feedback form to all the participants with the thank you email
  • [ ] Settle all the invoices from the event
  • [ ] Host a post-event community call to thank people and share the lessons learned

Checklist for attending a remote meeting or event

So you have been invited to attend an online meeting, or have registered to attend an online event. This is the checklist that will help you start preparing for your participation in the meeting/event and make the most of it. This checklist also aims to help participants support the event organisers by being proactive and informed about the resources that are available for them.

Before participating in the meeting

  • [ ] Note the date and time of the meeting in your time zone and mark them correctly in your calendar using custom links from the websites like arewemeetingyet.com and timeanddate.com.
  • [ ] Indicate that you will be participating by completing any formality put in place, like registering through a registration page, signing up on a shared document, or accepting the calendar invite
  • [ ] Check if there is any other information you need to supply as a participant, like adding or approving agenda items, filling a pre-event survey, signing up for different sessions of a longer event
  • [ ] Install software required for you to join the meeting online
  • [ ] Test your microphone, webcam, internet bandwidth and compatibility of the software used for the online meeting with your system minimum 2 days before the meeting
  • [ ] Check if the event offers any support that you can use for your participation and you are eligible to apply, such as the participation support grant
  • [ ] Reach out to the organisers if you need any help with installation, or join one of their pre-event set up calls
  • [ ] Ask for the protocols and agenda for the meeting if not supplied already
  • [ ] Familiarise yourself with the participation guideline and Code of Conduct supplied by the conference organisers
  • [ ] Note the contact person for the organisation committee and the Code of Conduct
  • [ ] Familiarise yourself with other documents like agenda of the meeting, protocols for the participation, etiquette for online attendees (how to raise your hand, or participate in a discussion) and other shared documents that will be used during the meeting
  • [ ] If you are responsible for leading or chairing any agenda items, talks, or sessions, please note the slot and duration assigned to you
    • [ ] Check if there is a speaker or chair guideline, reach out to the organisers if you have not been given one already
    • [ ] Prepare your notes or presentation that you will use during your slot as per the guideline
  • [ ] Please consider accessibility and inclusivity when designing your talk, see this for reference
  • [ ] Join social media platforms, like Slack, Twitter, GitHub or Gitter, that will be used for announcing updates on the event, or facilitate live chat during the event
    • [ ] To get a head start on networking with other attendees, use the social media platform to introduce yourself
  • [ ] Help organisers correct any information that you notice by flagging it, and even better, by supplying the correct information

During participating in the meeting

  • [ ] You must have already tested your system in advance, therefore, log in the online call (using the links supplied by the organisers) minimum 5 minutes in advance so that you can troubleshoot any last-minute software update
  • [ ] The social media platform, especially for the live chat, will be particularly useful to ask for help or information during the meeting that you may have missed
  • [ ] Videos are very important to have effective interaction with someone on the online calls, so if you do not mind, keep your video on
  • [ ] Check the lighting of your room to ensure that your face is clearly visible and people can see you if you raise your hand or speak
    • [ ] You can use the blurring options to take your background out of focus
  • [ ] Always mute your microphone when not speaking.
  • [ ] Follow the etiquette for online meeting that should have been shared by the organisers in their protocol
  • [ ] Introduce yourself on the shared notes or verbally in short and clear sentences if a slot it assigned for that
  • [ ] Note the Code of Conduct facilitator's contact during the meeting, so that you can directly contact them to report any breach or issue that may occur during the call
  • [ ] When participating in a group discussion, for example, during a breakout session, be mindful that you don't use up a lot of time and give everyone a fair chance to speak and share their thoughts
  • [ ] If someone else raised their hand before you, give them a chance to speak first
  • [ ] Avoid repeating something that has already been shared by adding a '+1', 'I agree' or 'I second' in the chat or in the shared notes
  • [ ] Help note-takers capture any information that they might have missed
  • [ ] Avoid off-topic discussion and keep the meeting focused on the assigned agenda points
  • [ ] Ask for clarification on any point that you did not understand so that you continue in the meeting effectively and leave the call with the right information
  • [ ] Note any action point assigned to you at the end of the meeting
  • [ ] Leave the call by thanking everyone!

After participating in the meeting

  • [ ] Finish any post-event formality such as by filling out any feedback survey or form requested from the organisers, or claiming any participation support grant if you are one of the awardees
  • [ ] If requested by the organisers, share with them what worked and what did not work for you in the call and if you have any suggestion for their future event
    • This can help them see the impact of their event, and continue doing their work by bringing any change that will be helpful in the future
  • [ ] If you write blogs on your experience from a meeting or event, share them with the organisers so that they can promote and highlight those in their final report
  • [ ] When the notes from the meeting are circulated for approval, make sure that information supplied by you are correctly captured
  • [ ] Send a thank you note to the organisers or anyone who might have helped in enhancing your experience as a participant
  • [ ] If you made new connections or established new collaborations during the event, send a follow-up email after the event
  • [ ] Finish any task assigned to you or your team, within the given time limit by coordinating with your collaborators

Checklist for managing and participating in a distributed team

HELP WANTED

Tips for all the members

Click to expand

Specific tips for the managers

Click to expand

Specific tips for the team members

Click to expand

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Bibliography