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| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: "How to Organize a Small Apache Event" |
| 3 | +--- |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +# How to Organize a Small Apache Event |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +This guide covers everything you need to run a local event — a |
| 8 | +hackathon, sprint, meetup, BarCamp, or community gathering — with |
| 9 | +Apache branding. You don't need permission from ComDev to start |
| 10 | +planning; just follow the steps below. |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +## What counts as a "small event"? |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +Any community gathering of 5–100 people organized by or for an |
| 15 | +Apache project community: |
| 16 | + |
| 17 | +* **Contributor sprint** — a day of focused hacking on a specific project |
| 18 | +* **Hackathon** — multi-project working event |
| 19 | +* **BarCamp / unconference** — participant-driven talks and discussion |
| 20 | +* **Meetup** — an evening or half-day of talks and networking |
| 21 | +* **Release party** — celebrating a major release |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +## Step-by-step |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +### 1. Pick your format and date |
| 26 | + |
| 27 | +Decide what kind of event you're running and pick a date at least 4 |
| 28 | +weeks out. Weekend events are common but weekday evenings work for |
| 29 | +meetups. |
| 30 | + |
| 31 | +### 2. Find a venue |
| 32 | + |
| 33 | +Good options (often free): |
| 34 | +* University classrooms or lecture halls |
| 35 | +* Company offices with community spaces |
| 36 | +* Coworking spaces |
| 37 | +* Libraries with meeting rooms |
| 38 | +* Conference side-rooms (if co-locating) |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +You need: tables, chairs, power outlets, WiFi, and ideally a projector. |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +### 3. Identify a coordinator |
| 43 | + |
| 44 | +Every event needs one named person who is the point of contact. This |
| 45 | +person should be: |
| 46 | +* An Apache committer or PMC member on at least one project, OR |
| 47 | +* Working with the support of a committer/PMC member |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +### 4. Create your event page |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +Copy the [event page template](../templates/small-event-template/) and |
| 52 | +submit a PR to this repository. The template has all the fields you need. |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +Alternatively, email [dev@community.apache.org](mailto:dev@community.apache.org) |
| 55 | +with your event details and we'll set up the page for you. |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +### 5. Handle trademarks |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +If you're using "Apache" or any Apache project name in your event title |
| 60 | +or materials: |
| 61 | +* Review the [Third Party Event Branding Policy](https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/events.html) |
| 62 | +* For small community events organized by committers, this is |
| 63 | + typically lightweight — just ensure you're not implying ASF |
| 64 | + endorsement of a commercial product |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +You do NOT need to wait for trademark approval to start planning. Just |
| 67 | +make sure your materials comply before publishing them. |
| 68 | + |
| 69 | +### 6. Promote the event |
| 70 | + |
| 71 | +* Post to your project's dev@ mailing list |
| 72 | +* List it on this site (via the event page you created in step 4) |
| 73 | +* Share on social media using #ApacheCommunity |
| 74 | +* If there are local meetup groups, reach out to them |
| 75 | + |
| 76 | +<!-- |
| 77 | +### 7. Request funding (optional) |
| 78 | +
|
| 79 | +If you need financial support for venue costs, catering, or materials, |
| 80 | +see the [Event Funding Request](funding-request/) page. Small events |
| 81 | +can request up to $2,000 with a lightweight proposal. |
| 82 | +--> |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | +### 8. Run the event |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | +See the [Day-of Checklist](day-of-checklist/) for a printable |
| 87 | +checklist. |
| 88 | + |
| 89 | +### 9. After the event |
| 90 | + |
| 91 | +* Post a brief report to dev@community.apache.org (attendance, what |
| 92 | + worked, what you'd change) |
| 93 | +* Add photos to [photos.apachecon.com](https://photos.apachecon.com) if |
| 94 | + you took any |
| 95 | +* Update your event page with an "Outcome" section |
| 96 | +* Consider writing a blog post for [blogs.apache.org](https://blogs.apache.org) |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | +--- |
| 99 | + |
| 100 | +## Resources |
| 101 | + |
| 102 | +* [Event page template](../templates/small-event-template/) — copy this to create your event page |
| 103 | +* [Day-of checklist](day-of-checklist/) — printable logistics checklist |
| 104 | +<!-- * [Funding request process](funding-request/) — how to ask for budget support --> |
| 105 | +* [Sprint in a Box](sprint-in-a-box/) — everything you need for a contributor sprint |
| 106 | +* [Speaker support](../../volunteer/speaker-support/) — coaching for presenters |
| 107 | +* [ASF event branding policy](https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/events.html) |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +--- |
| 110 | + |
| 111 | +## FAQ |
| 112 | + |
| 113 | +**Do I need to be an ASF Member to run an event?** |
| 114 | +No. Any committer can organize an event. Non-committers can too, as |
| 115 | +long as they have the support of a project PMC member. |
| 116 | + |
| 117 | +**Can I charge admission?** |
| 118 | +Events using Apache branding should be free or at-cost (covering |
| 119 | +venue/food). Profit-making events need separate approval per the |
| 120 | +branding policy. |
| 121 | + |
| 122 | +**What if my event is virtual?** |
| 123 | +Same process. Note the timezone, platform (Zoom, Jitsi, etc.), and |
| 124 | +maximum capacity on your event page. |
| 125 | + |
| 126 | +**Who do I contact if I get stuck?** |
| 127 | +Email [dev@community.apache.org](mailto:dev@community.apache.org) — |
| 128 | +someone from the community development team will help. |
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