CAcert Event
In these documents a CAcert event is meant to be an event where CAcert or its community represents itself to the public or its community. Note: CAcert events are held by the community (perhaps by FoundationsAndAssociations but never directly by CAcert Inc). Mostly the target is to aquire new people to CAcert and get them (and also existing members) assured. But Events are also important for other purposes such as Member education and Assurer training.
An Event has several stages:
Proposal: There is a proposal to have a CAcert community presence at an event or to organise an event. The event is proposed to the EventOrganisationOfficer who decides whether to take the event to the next stage.
Appointment of the EventOrganiser: If the event itself is accepted an EventOrganiser needs to be selected first. You should propose an EventOrganiser when you propose the event.
- Evaluation: In this stage the processing of the event is checked. It starts with a date (which is usually given by the fair or wider event) and the location. Location includes finding a booth at the fair if it applies. The evaluation ends with with budget planning which needs to be approved by the sponsor. This is usually the point of no return where decision to hold this event is made.
Planning: The planning phase contains the planning and coordination with the fair, partners for the booth, location, required inventory (and quantities), human resources (assurers!, maybe education including the AssurerChallenge), travelling and accomodation.
- Event preparation: Building and decorating the booth, place inventory, short term shopping (usage materials) etc.
- Event: The event is the event itself.
- Event clean-up: Get the booth to its original state, dispose of garbage, and recover all the re-usable materials (banners, etc).
Event completion: The event is done. A review of the event is written and sent to the EventOrganisationOfficer and sponsors. The sending of the report marks the completion of the EventOrganiser's job.
All events contain these stages. Some might be very short depending on the event. When they need to be done depends on the event itself. A keysigning party could be set up within two weeks or even shorter. For large events like CeBit it could event take up to a year.