= Debconf 7 Scheduling =

ScottJamesRemnant: This is a rough idea based on my experience of what has worked well and what hasn't worked at previous conferences, both Debconfs and other ones I've attended.

moray: If we're having a week of DebConf I'd argue that we should have fewer scheduled talks than this, and aim to get better audiences for them than e.g. in Helsinki -- if there are 'keynote' talks I'd suggest moving them to the start of the afternoon block rather than having them on their own.  90 minutes for a daily keynote also sounds rather long to me -- the schedule below sounds like it would tire me out in two or three days if I attended many of the scheduled events.

 * '''8am-12pm: Breakfast.'''<<BR>>
 Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so we should try and make sure everyone gets a chance at getting some.  This would work best if it were some kind of buffet arrangement where people can just turn up and grab whatever they want.  Remember, an Englishmen is never served at breakfast! :-)

 * '''11.30am-1pm: Keynote.'''<<BR>>
 A new idea for a Debconf this, I think; 90 minute non-technical "keynote" talks.  The speaker should be a luminary of sorts -- this is the kind of place where BdaleGarbee can muse about the social contract, SteveLangasek on release management, MatthewGarrett on applying the DFSG today, etc.  They'll take place in the biggest hall, and in order to get the crowds in, we might try an LCA-like trick of giving away laptops or something right at the start.

 * '''12.30pm-3pm: Lunch.'''<<BR>>
 The scheduling of this is tricky, and will probably depend on the caterers ability to get breakfast cleared away and lunch cooked.  We can always move the keynote or following talks slightly to make this work.

 * '''2.30pm-4.30pm: Talks'''<<BR>>
 Two 45 minute talks for each stream, with probably two or three streams making a block of six talks.  These will be held in lecture theatres with one person standing at the front showing slides and can be pretty much on any subject.

 * '''5pm-7pm: Workshop and BOFs'''<<BR>>
 In the main theatre there will be a two hour workshop; this is intended to be rather technical in nature and should have a major "the audience follows on their laptop" thread.  AJ's "hacking the bts" at 5 was a good example, someone could do one on maintaining packages in CDBS or SVN, etc.

 Alongside will be run the scheduled and unscheduled BOFs.  These will _not_ be held in lecture theatres and will instead be in rooms with circles of chairs in them.  Very much discussion rooms, instead of one person holding forth on a subject.  Good scheduling would mean the BOFs naturally followed on from that day's talks, and didn't clash with the workshop that day.

 * '''6.30pm-9pm: Dinner'''<<BR>>

 * '''8.30pm-9.30pm: After-dinner speaker'''<<BR>>
 Another talk held in the main theatre, with a focus not on Debian ("Bdale, tell us a story!") but on something that the speaker is passionate about.  Should help the food digest and provide a nice counter-point to the day.

 * '''12am: Hack snacks'''<<BR>>
 A small buffet will be laid on in or near the hacklab for people to snack while they hack into the wee hours of the night.  Or play mao, or whatever it is they were doing.