Venue Selection Protocol

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Introduction

OSE plans to hire an event organizer as soon as we work out the details of the event marketing protocol.

Event organization of Extreme Manufacturing Workshops has these steps:

  1. Research Suitable Workshop Locations based on OSE criteria for location, quality of space, qualities of host, cost, access, participant experience, etc.
  2. Select a Workshop Venue]] based on OSE criteria
  3. Create a Workshop Registration Page
  4. Post a Workshop Event Announcement using OSE Templates including reg
  5. Run a 3D Printer Workshop Publicity Campaign
  6. Run the workshop and collect data on its performance - reviews from customers

Here we formalize procedures for securing a venue for a build of a 3D printer.

Car Access

  • Donate a car to OSE

Steps

  1. Understand general considerations regarding a venue
  2. Understand Requirements for a 3D Printer Workshop Venue
  3. Review a survey of workable Venue Types that are worth pursuing. Between libraries, schools, conference centers, churches, community spaces - and OSE's public mission - we qualify for space.
  4. Identify 5 venues each from all the different categories in step 3. Using this list of 40, it should take 4 hours of calling to secure a venue.
  5. Reach out to OSE community for assistance.
  6. Note Legends Calendar and fill it.

General Considerations for Finding a Space

Hints from [1]

  • Audience and Size. First, consider your audience and size - how many people are expected to attend. Our audience is the maker, builder, entrepreneur - a proactive, constructive young at heart person. Are we holding a small event? Then space for 12 people will suffice.
  • Space Requirements - we require a table, ideally 4x8' - for each team of 2 builders for a single 3D printer. For a small build of 1-4 printers - a single room of 500 square feet is plenty. For a build of 12 printers - see the 12 Printer Build Layout -
  • Audio-Visual Support - is there a screen with internet - so we can show a presentation, the TED Talk, and instructional materials throughout the build - or demonstrate the software on a screen?
  • Date and Time - consider whether a given venue can provide space for an 8AM to 8 PM full day - or a 9 AM to 5 PM, etc. The length of day requirement will dictate how much time will be available for the build of the Easy Build Kit vs time spent on other curriculum. We can offer complete builds in a day, or faster builds in 5 hours with 2 people if the modules are more prepared or a simpler version of the printer is built.
  • Budget - as a nonprofit education 501c3 organization, we are prepaid and qualify for free space at many locations. Paid locations should in general not be selected because there are many free spaces available. Some venues may have food and beverage minimums. Going out for lunch is a good option.
  • Reputation and Alignment - Consider how a venue reflects on the image of OSE. Requesting build space at the Wikimedia Foundation headquarters makes a lot of sense, but it may not be fitting for OSE to host an event at a club of the KKK due to mission misalignment.

Venue Types

  1. Public Libraries - As community spaces - libraries are an obvious choice, and many libraries have meeting rooms suitable for workshops. Libraries do not charge admission, and we can be sure.
  2. Community Spaces - there is a wide range of spaces, and many offer free space to nonprofits. This includes a wide range of spaces dedicated to public interest organizations - either owned by businesses or part of nonprofit organizations.
  3. Makerspaces, Hackerspaces, Fab Shops, FabLabs - these are the spaces for physical production that identify with 'building things'
  4. Open Source Groups - this includes Open Source Hardware projects - but also any open source software advocates typically like open hardware. Open source groups revolve around 3D Printing and Linux User Groups (LUGs). Any open source projects or companies are candidates for lending workshop space.
  5. Universities - an in to Universities could be personal contacts and using the OSE network to find links
  6. Churches - OSE is a secular, apolitical organization, but can collaborate with church groups. Setting up recycling programs in churches might be a way to develop a multiaith collaboration
  7. Nonprofits - there are numerous resources for nonprofit organizations, such as companies providing pro bono work, or other nonprofits that support nonprofits. Anyone involved in serving the nonprofit community is game for requesting a venue. If a company serves nonprofits, requesting a space is worth a try.
  8. Foundations - aligned foundations may provide space, even if they don't advertise space
  9. Community Economic Development Organizations - meeting rooms may be available.
  10. Civic, social justice, progressive, freedom, nonprofit organizations - these are in many different flavors, too many to list. Any public interest organization is a candidate for hosting workshop events.
  11. Colleges, Community Colleges - definitely have space - a free+pay to take home a kit
  12. Hotels, Event, and Conference Centers - These will be paid, but we can ask for free as we are already paid-for
  13. Private Schools - finding specific interested teachers would be a way in
  14. Homeschools - finding specific ones and offering free/paid workshops would be a way to involve students.

Positioning

OSE offers an immersion education proposition. Even if one does not take a machine home with them - many people will be interested in offering space because they get immersion experience out of the deal. Positioning our offer uniquely as Training people in Public Design of Real Goods is a good approach - and so is adding the component of training for incentive design challenges as part of a greater picture along the lines of the OSE Mission of open source design for the common good. We have an entrepreneurial aspect as well - where we can train people how to produce kits or parts. Development of the copy machine for local production is a great entrepreneurship offer.

On the environmental front - we can offer plastic recycling to 3D printing filament.

At the entry level - people learn to build a printer. But, we offer training in design and collaboration - so people can get involved in the longer term. Starting ongoing design groups is a possibility - as is starting clubs and groups who move the OSE movement forward. This can lead to deeper involvement with OSE as part of our immersion program.

Thus, community involvement in the Open Source factory can lead to significant growth of the OSE movement towards creating the open source economy.

Protocol

  1. Decide on locations
  2. Draw up Venue Spreadsheet with a page each dedicated to:
    1. Public libraries
    2. Community Spaces
    3. Foundations
    4. Businesses
    5. Churches
    6. Universities - via allied student groups or contacts
    7. Makerspaces, Hackerspaces, Fab Shops, FabLabs
    8. Open Source groups
  3. To help with suggestions on drawing up initial spreadsheets - work with the OSE Community!
    1. Create a Venue Suggestion Form to collect suggestions for free spaces. Note that we are going for growth - so a comprehensive database is quite useful.
    2. Tap the OSE Community for suggestions - OSE Workshops FB, OSE FB to pass around the Venue Suggestion Form
    3. Use personal contacts
    4. See various resource pages on the wiki - Allied Organizations, Slide Deck for a history of presentations, True Fans (should be mapped), In the News for press contacts interested in covering us again, and for the Team Culturing people. Possibly Design Sprints list for help. OBI Assistance Offers and Assistance Offers. Email all of our community so we get mapped with the respective information - OSE Community Map that includes everyone who we touch - and so people can contact each other.
  4. Include Entity, Contact Person, Contact Email, Contact Phone, Open Hours, Notes (meeting room size)
  5. Contact the place - by calling first or emailing second. Calling allows for the double function of market research in defining an Ideal Customer Persona.
  6. Take care of details - time, place, parking, logistics, etc.
  7. Meet the person and visit the space if practical and if possible

Venue Request Email or Phone Call

  1. Call up the specific venue
  2. Email if no phone contact
  3. Continue until a venue is secured
  4. Turnaround for securing venue should be no more than a day

Sample Phone Script

Hi, my name is Alex and I work for Open Source Ecology. We are a nonprofit - we offer public immersion edu workshops. But more that that - we bring about real production. Hands on skills. We design and build open source industrial machines and publish the plans on the internet for free. We give people real skills.

We're looking for a venue for a one day workshop. Workshop is free, but at kit cost if one wants to bring it home.

Sample Email

Subject: 3D Printer Workshop with Open Source Ecology

Hi my name is____________. I work for Open Source Ecology - a 501(c)3 nonprofit - please see our 4 minute TED Talk on the Global Village Construction Set - https://www.ted.com/talks/marcin_jakubowski?language=en

We're looking for a space to run a 3D printer build workshop - about 500 square feet for 10 people - with tables. We've developed a fully open source the 3D printer with the lowest unique part count in the world that can be built with common, off the shelf parts, which makes it easy to build, maintain and understand. We have also produced an exhaustive build manual, so people can replicate this easily.

Would it be possible to host a workshop at your space?

We would appreciate any feedback and suggestions on other spaces if your space is not suitable.

Thanks,

Alex

(signature) (please add our Full Disclosure disclaimer)

More Details

We would like to set up longer term working relationships - with the broader work of ose. We're deeloping a collaborative., swarm-based public design process - where we involve common people to get involved in making real products for a better world. Enabling tools for community based production in open source microfactories. can We want everybody to get involved - because we are all in this together. We can offer crash courses on design with open source software - and a crash course on how to collaborate with a large number people.

Our unique value is the simplest 3D printer - with about 1/2 the unique part count of any printer in the world - and we already offer part librarie - such that with our basic CAD training - we can take average people to designing their own 3D printer.

And we have more machines coming down the line. 3'x3' - CNC Circuit Mill.

Working with Personal Contacts and the OSE Community

  1. First, assess if you know any people at the Venue Types listed above - contact them. Day turnaround time.
  2. Post a message at OSE Workshops FB group and OSE FB Page asking for assistance in locating a venue - day turnaround time
  3. Obtain free space by leveraging 501c3 and free admission to the public
  4. Public can also buy kits as a separate option

Relevant Links

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