Web Site?

[Brian Shaler]

We had a great burst of activity and discussion around some cool GWAZ
logo concepts proposed by Ben Leivian, resulting in this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/markdudlik/3519108089/

We're getting to the point where more details are known about
participating events, and one of the next logical steps will be
setting up a web site. We need to get some details up SOON, because
people are talking about about GWAZ and don't have a site to reference
for more information.

Anyone want to throw their hat into the ring? I'm super busy and
trying to "delegate! delegate! delegate!" but will get it done myself
if I have to...

Phase 1, Vision: We have a logo and I think Mark compiled a palette
containing colors from most of the participating events. Anyone want
to throw out concepts for the site? Comps, wireframes, pencil
sketches, or whatever you're comfortable with can spark productive
conversation about it.

Phase 2, Implementation: Who wants to help build the site once we have
an idea of what it's going to look like?


Thanks,
- Brian

[francine hardaway]

Not a fan of the exclamation point because:
1)Not immediately apparent what it is
2)G stands for gangster in many lexicons
3)Unwelcoming typeface

--
Francine Hardaway, Ph.D.
Stealthmode Partners
www.stealthmode.com
http://blog.stealthmode.com
http://www.friendfeed.com/hardaway
602.412.3315 fax 602.532.7087
''You don't stop playing because you get old; you get old because you stop playing."


As a personal policy,  all email responses regardless of recipient or subject will be three sentences or less. It’s that simple.

[Chuck.Reynolds]

Normally you know I'd say yes but I'm extremely overwhelmed for a
while... I'll have to sit this one out.
Chuck

[Andrew]

I'd be up for contributing if Chuck can't (I do HTML/CSS and
WordPress). Just let me know and I'd love to help.

Andrew Ryno

[scarlett_clark]

Hello,

[scarlett_clark]

Hello,
I am on vacation next week but I would love to help. HTML/CSS. I can
help with more just let me know.

Scarlett Clark
Designer
www.manonthebench.com

[Francine]

I've been thinking. Before we go much further and ask people to spend
valuable time doing things, I am getting very uncomfortable pulling
all these events together this year. First, I don't think we will
attract a big sponsor. Second, we are all looking for the same
companies to sponsor. Third, I am not a fan of exposing a big company
to a new event and letting them perhaps be disappointed. We are not
ready to approach (and maybe burn) a Pepsi or a Microsoft.

Can we dial it back a little until we see if there's any local support
around aggregating all these events? Although I love the SXSW Festival
idea, I think it might work better to grow one event into a festival
than to try to create a patchwork quiilt. In the past, when I've
started events, I've run them without major sponsors until I knew they
were running well and ready.

[Evo Terra]

I have comments to Francine's post. Find them inline:

On Jul 5, 4:35 pm, Francine <francine.harda...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've been thinking.  Before we go much further and ask people to spend
> valuable time doing things, I am getting very uncomfortable pulling
> all these events together this year.  

I'll echo those concerns, but perhaps for different reasons. I'll be
the first to admit that I've not been very -- read: at all -- involved
with the planning thus far. Primarily because it seems to have
centered around what the logo should look over what it actually IS.
And if we need it. My un-involvement is also for selfish reasons: I'm
booked up as is without worrying too much about an uber-event.

> First, I don't think we will
> attract a big sponsor.  

Speaking with my PodCamp AZ hat on, I don't think that PodCamp AZ
needs a big sponsor. Do we need 'em? Sure. But they would be icing on
the cake for us. What we need more of is help coordinating tasks,
modules, etc. Again, that's what WE need with PodCamp AZ. Not that
we'd turn down large sums of cash if an uber-sponsor was found that
wanted to give us -- and other events -- money.

> Second, we are all looking for the same
> companies to sponsor.

Right. See above.

> Third, I am not a fan of exposing a big company
> to a new event and letting them perhaps be disappointed. We are not
> ready to approach (and maybe burn) a Pepsi or a Microsoft.

Not sure I hold these same concerns, but that doesn't invalidate
them.

> Can we dial it back a little until we see if there's any local support
> around aggregating all these events?

That's an interesting position. Will, in fact, the events be
aggregated in SXSW style? I don't see that happening at this stage. I
know with PodCamp AZ we haven't talked much about aggregation and are
moving forward on a "we're on our own" basis. Our venue is set. Our
dates are locked. Could we throw a "Geek Week" badge on the site?
Sure. But I don't think we're looking -- at least this year -- for any
more aggregation than that. Willing to admit that I may be missing
something, however.

That's my $0.02, for what it's worth. Maybe all we need "Geek Week AZ"
to be is a loose association of things that happen in the Velley at
about the same time. Though we're already stretching the "week" label.
Personally, I don't know that it needs to be any more than that this
year.

E.

[Brent Spore]

Evo & Francine,

I agree. Not only is it too close to November to change anything
already in progress, but since we haven't taken the time to align our
support offerings, media kits, etc making some sort of special group
package for a uber-event type sponsorship, I think we're all on the
same page here. It's just too late in the 2009 game to try to make
this kind of push. Promoting Geek Week as a "consortium" of friendly
events is IMHO the best way to encourage further valley collaboration
on these types of things. SXSW we are not (nor am I sure we should
ever try to be). We have our own community here and we should probably
let geek week evolve as the community evolves.

I think we're all saying the same thing. At least that's how I'm
reading it. I'm all for aligning as many events as possible to focus
the awesome but at the chance of burning any bridge at this early
stage in the "putting PHX on the social map" thing, we have to all be
very careful as to how we proceed. Evolution will occur, I'm certain
of it!

Brent

Sent from my iPhone

[Brian Shaler]

> Will, in fact, the events be
> aggregated in SXSW style?

"Geek Week AZ is a festival of independently organized events." The only aggregation is trying to get events to pick dates within the one-week period determined by Brent and Francine back in March.

If the general consensus is that we are opposed to me approaching sponsors and asking them to sponsor multiple events during Geek Week, then I won't. It didn't occur to me that we would be burning bridges with sponsors if we presented them with existing sponsorship packages and costs in return for existing attendance numbers and demographics.

[Chris Conrey]

I think Francine's bigger point is that it is too late to effectively create the bundle. I think it is a great idea but an eight month lead time seems a bit short to pull it off.  I think starting now for 2010 however is a much more viable option from a planning standpoint. 

More later once I get back to AZ

Sent from my iPhone

[francine hardaway]

Sponsors don't think that way. They like KISS, and they don't trust an aggregation anymore than someone who wants to hire a company to develop a web site feels comfortable with a rag-tag assemblage of six colleagues tied together informally. It's very hard to get hired by the enterprise to develop a site as a one-person company, even if you assure them you have six other people working with you on the same project.

Especially if I am going to one part of the company for a spnsorship and you are going to another part. The checks all come from the same place, and the auditors say no, even if the marketers are in silos (which they are). The problem is that it all rolls up to Finance. Having worked for Intel, I've seen thi.

--
Francine Hardaway, Ph.D.
Stealthmode Partners
www.stealthmode.com

602.412.3315 fax 602.532.7087
'

[Jeff Moriarty]

I agree. I love the core idea of Geek Week, there is some amazing stuff going on locally that we need to show off.

But I think we all have slightly different ideas of what it should look like. Using the events in November to get a logo, name, and idea out there, then evolving it in 2010 gives us time to really see what works and doesn't, and lowers the risk of confusing any sponsors or vendors.

Jeff.

[francine hardaway]

Exactly. I also love the idea of GeekWeek, but having done several downtown Phoenix Festivals in the 80s and 90s I know how much government sponsorship and private sponsorship you have to line up.

[Travis Lovellette]

I too agree wit hthe idea that Geek Week AZ is something that needs to take time to evolve on its own.  If you try to do too much or make it too big, then there is a good chance that everything will just collapse.  Once it does evolve, then I think you should look at holding the different events at the same venue, instead of going to different locations during the week.

---

From: francine hardaway <francine...@gmail.com>
To: geek-w...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, July 6, 2009 1:19:42 PM
Subject: [Geek Week AZ] Re: Web Site?