Sponsor Information¶
Sponsor schedule¶
Below is a schedule overview. The full schedule, including break times will be published soon.
SUNDAY:
- 8:00am: Doors open
- 9:00am-5:00pm Writing Day and Check In
- 5:00-7:00pm: Welcome Reception
MONDAY:
- 7:30am: Sponsor Arrival and Booth Set up (Full Conference Sponsors)
- 8:00am: Doors to Venue
- 8:30am: Sponsor booths officially open
- 9:00am-4:30pm: Speaker Talks and Unconference
- 4:30-6:30pm: Evening Break
- 6:30-8:30pm: Evening Party!
TUESDAY:
- 7:30am: Sponsor Arrival and Booth Set up (Half Day Sponsors)
- 8:00am: Doors to Venue
- 8:30am: Sponsor booths officially open
- 9:00am-4:00pm: Speaker Talks and Unconference
- 4:00pm: Conference wraps
- 4:30pm: Sponsor teardown
Please let us know if there is any information missing that would be useful for you.
Sponsorship overview¶
- SUNDAY: The first day of the conference is Writing Day and is typically attended by one third of our attendees. We encourage you to lead a Writing Day table if you have ways for our attendees to engage with your product or contribute to your documentation. Our Welcome Reception is in the evening and we see a flux of attendees come through for this. **There are no sponsor booths this day.
- MONDAY: Doors open at 8am and our remaining attendees check in early in the morning for the main conference. Speaker talks and the unconference begin at the same time. The unconference generally has higher attendance in the afternoon. Full conference booth sponsors have a booth for the full day.
- TUESDAY: Doors open at 8am. Schedule is similar to Monday with speaker talks and unconference. The Sponsor Expo will be on Tuesday morning for half day sponsors. Sponsors with full conference booths are available all day.
The most important times to be present are during the coffee breaks and start of lunch break, since this is the time that all attendees are in the sponsor area. There are breaks between each talk where attendees can engage with sponsors as well.
See the full schedule for exact timing details.
Sponsorship spaces¶
A quick overview of the spaces in the venue that are important:
- The main stage is on the 2nd floor and where the speaker talks happen.
- The stage hallway is on the 2nd floor where registration, sponsor booths, and swag tables are set up. This is where all sponsor booths will be located. **Sunday registration is on the 1st floor.
- The catering area is in the Assembly Lounge on the 2nd floor adjacent to the stage hallway. This is where all the food and coffee breaks will be happening.
- The writing day and unconference room is on the 1st floor. This is where unconference sessions will be happening,and Writing Day on Sunday.
We’ll share a venue map in March with a more detailed layout.
Quick tips¶
- Arrive early: The conference venue opens at 8am, sponsor arrival is 7:30am. We recommend arriving around this time to get the most interaction with attendees.
- Bring swag (especially stickers): We recommend bringing a variety of swag to give away. Stickers are by far the most popular item for our attendees.
- Engage with folks as both a sponsor and attendee: This is a great opportunity to meet folks in the community, so we recommend engaging with folks in an official capacity, but also as a regular attendee.
- Use QR codes: QR codes are a great way to get people a website quickly. We recommend using a service like https://www.qr-code-generator.com/ to create these.
Sponsorship events¶
Sponsor booths¶
Attendees are always looking for great products to use in their day to day workflows, and are curious to learn more about your company.
Logistics: You will be assigned a booth where you can engage with attendees and answer questions. If you only have a sponsor booth during the Sponsor Expo on Tuesday, we recommend that you answer general questions in the main session and schedule follow up discussions with folks later in the day or after the conference if they have deeper interest.
- Full conference booths: setup is Monday at 7:30am.
- Half day booths: setup is Tuesday at 7:30am.
Lightning talks¶
If your sponsorship includes a lightning talk, you will be given a 5 minute slot to present to the entire conference. This is a great way to introduce your company to the entire audience.
Logistics: You will be asked whether you want the sponsored lightning talk on Monday or Tuesday. Other attendees will be able to sign up for lightning talks, but under their name instead of a company.
Writing day¶
Writing Day is on Sunday and modeled after the concept of “sprints”. This is a place where the community gathers to get actual work done. We encourage you to lead a Writing Day table if you have ways for our attendees to engage with your product or contribute to your documentation.
If you want to participate in the Writing Day, we encourage you to read Lead a Project.
Logistics: We will post a form for attendees (including you!) to submit their Writing Day Projects. Remember, you are always welcome to introduce your project to attendees on the day of, Sunday morning, during the Writing Day Introduction.
Frequently Asked Questions¶
How do I get the most out of my sponsorship?¶
Come prepared to engage with our community, and to learn just as much as you teach. Engage with our event as attendees as well as sponsors. Send technical staff who can chat with people on the interesting things your company is doing, and get value from the vast amount of insight in the room. We do have some decision makers in the room, but soft sells will work better than hard sales in the environment we strive for.
Who is my primary contact?¶
Eric Holscher will be your primary contact, but our team is available at sponsorship@writethedocs.org. If you have a time sensitive inquiry, please email the entire team to ensure a timely response.
During the conference itself, we will also have a help desk, or what we refer to as the Welcome Wagon table, which is located near registration. You can find staff members there to ask any additional questions you might have.
How do I use my sponsorship tickets?¶
You should have received a unique URL with a discount code for your sponsorship tickets. We are happy to send it over again, just ask!
How do I use my job postings?¶
You can post your jobs to our job board. You will be given a discount code that will let you post them for free, please ask us for this if you don’t have it! They will be published in our newsletter every month, and displayed on our website as well.
What does the conference provide for my booth setup?¶
You will be given a booth in the main hallway on the 2nd floor of the venue. Each sponsor receives:
- An 8 foot table and 2 chairs.
- If you need a linen, please notify us by March 15.
- Power and wifi are provided.
What do I need for my booth?¶
Sponsor booths can be anything from a branded table cloth to a banner hanging on a banner frame behind your table. Typically booths are pretty low key, as the most important part of the experience is the conversations you are having with attendees.
We recommend:
- A table linen with your company logo
- Stickers and other swag items to give away
- A laptop or tablet to show off your product
- QR codes, handouts and ways for attendees to engage with you online after the event.
If you have a specific idea for your booth, send us an email and let us know!
How should I send my booth materials?¶
We allow shipping ahead of time, but the venue doesn’t accept packages. You’ll be given shipping information for an organizer, and they will bring your materials to the venue for you. Please contact us for the shipping address.
Sponsors are responsible for all sponsorship materials after they arrive at the venue. We recommend that you bring a return shipping label to send your materials back, and arranging with the shipping company to pick up your materials after the conference.