Mozfest/2014/Staff/MoFo

This information is intended for Mozilla Foundation employees only.

Please make sure you read it all and are comfortable with all details. If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Travel information

Everyone should have received their MozFest invitation letter (sent by Becky). If you haven't received yours, please contact Becky ASAP.

The majority of you are arriving on Wednesday, October 22 into London. The first scheduled meeting for staff is on Thursday at 16:30 for the staff meeting at the London office.

Traveling in London

Taxis in London are extremely expensive; the tube however is quick and efficient.

Purchase an Oyster card for a refundable fee of £5, top it up with credit at any tube station and you can cruise around London and miss the traffic and queues. We recommend topping up £30 for your stay. Here’s how to buy and top up an oyster: http://bit.ly/mozoyster & http://bit.ly/moztopup.

For any issues with the tube, use Transport for London’s handy journey planner http://bit.ly/moztube.

Getting from Heathrow Airport to the Hotel

Travel like a Londoner and take the tube everywhere. It is the fastest mode of transport. Take the Piccadilly tube line eastbound 18 stops from Heathrow to Green Park. From here, follow the signs to the Jubilee line and take the Jubilee line eastbound 2 stops to Waterloo http://bit.ly/mozairport or go to Westminister tube station via on the Picadilly Station to Green park and one stop on the Jubilee to Westminister tube stop, http://bit.ly/westministertube then walk across the bridge to find the hotel, about a 10 minute walk.

From Waterloo it is a 5 minute walk to the hotel http://bit.ly/mozwalk.

For all other airports or train stations please check out the Transport for London Journey Planner: journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/

Hotel

Everyone is staying in the
Park Plaza Westminster hotel
200 Westminster Bridge Rd
London, SE1 7UT.
+44 844 415 6790
http://mozillafestival.org/location
Underground station: Westminster or Waterloo

This the same hotel as last year, for the seasoned MozFest crew amongst you.

Please be aware that you will be requested to give your credit card as a form of security for the room upon check-in. Mozilla will not cover any additional room charges such as additional guests or room service. However, breakfast is included. Check-in is not until 4pm and there is wifi throughout the hotel and rooms.

Matt Reasons, our trusty accommodation guru, will be based at the hotel from Thursday if you have any questions. You will be able to find him as he will have a Mozfest poster to highlight his desk in the reception area.

Mozilla London Office location

101 St. Martins Lane
3rd Floor
London, WC2N 4AZ
Underground station: Leicester Square

The office is a picturesque 20 minute walk from the hotel by the House of Parliament or along south bank. Here is the London office guide [1]

Please bring your key card with you as this will work on Mozilla's 3rd floor. If you don't have a Mozilla key card please request one now at https://mozilla.service-now.com/

As the building is a shared multi-storey space you will need to sign in at reception each day on the lower ground floor as we don't have building cards for everyone.

Getting to Thursday night dinner

We will be heading to the Royal Institute of Great Britain {http://www.rigb.org/] for dinner after the staff meeting on Thursday. This venue is a touristy 15 minute walk from the office through Leicester Square and Picadilly Circus or a 10 minute tube ride : http://bit.ly/1z7Xrjk Groups will be leaving together from the Mozilla London office.

Getting from the Hotel to Ravensbourne (main festival venue)

Ravensbourne College,
6 Penrose Way,
Greenwich Peninsula,
London SE10 0EW.
Underground station: North Greenwich

Getting to the festival is easy from your hotel, the location of which can be found here - http://bit.ly/mozhotel. The hotel is a 5 minute walk from Waterloo station (http://bit.ly/mozwalk) where you can take the Jubilee tube line eastbound, which is 6 stops from North Greenwich.

Ravensbourne College is directly in front of the tube station, you cannot miss it!

Schedule

Wednesday, October 22

Get acclimatized to London. You can work from the hotel, the office or a local cafe. There are no group meetings or dinners planned on this night.

Thursday, October 23

• Work as usual or have team meetings in the hotel in the morning. The office will only be available in the afternoon.
• 16:30: MoFo staff meeting at the Mozilla office in London. Attendance is mandatory.
• Directly after the staff meeting, there will be a staff dinner at the Royal Institute of Great Britain (location and directions as indicated above).

Mozfest officially starts on Friday, October 25 at Ravensbourne College.

Friday, October 24

For staff facilitators and wranglers:

• 9am at Ravesbourne college for those working at the festival (you know who you are)
• 10am Facilitator Bootcamp for those facilitating at the festival.

For staff not involved in festival set-up, facilitation or wrangling (you would already know if you are):

• Morning: If you are not needed at Ravensbourne in the day then we suggest that you work from either the hotel or a cafe or other location that suits your working needs in the morning. Please note that there is a large MoCo meeting in the morning at the Mozilla London Office with MoCo Executives so there will not be room for anyone else to work in the office at that time.

• Afternoon: The afternoon however, can accommodate some staff if you do want to work there. Staff who are not already setting up during the day are expected to be at Ravensbourne by 6pm for the kick off of the Science Fair.

• 18:00 - 21:00 Science Fair kicks-off the festival for all attendees

Saturday, October 25

• 8:00: Registration opens
• 9:00: Opening Circle-compulsory attendance
• 10:00: Sessions
• 12:30-14:30: Lunch in the Walker Space
• 17:00: Key notes
• 18:00-21:00: we will have a few beers and pizza for Mozfest participants who want to relax onsite for a few drinks. This is our party!

Sunday, October 26

• 9:00: Registration opens
• 10:00: Opening circle- compulsory attendance
• 11:00: Sessions
• 13:00-15:00: Lunch in the Walker Space
• 18:00-20:00: Closing Demo party

Monday, October 27

Staff depart London.

Staff Roles:

Everyone needs to have a role at Mozfest. There are still some staff roles to be filled. Please sign up for at least one shift in the sheet below, unless you're doing something heroic already, like wrangling: http://mzl.la/staff_roles

Other tips

Equipment to bring, if possible:

• Your Mozilla laptop. Tablets and smartphones are also good.
• UK power converter. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BS_1363
• AV adaptors. If your computer requires a special adapter to connect to monitors and projectors, please bring it. Usually Apple computers need adaptors for VGA and HDMI.

Here are a few other handy travel tips: https://mana.mozilla.org/wiki/display/FOUNDATION/So+You%27re+Going+On+A+Trip

Cell phone coverage is very weak in Ravensbourne, so please be aware of that if you need to make a call. If you are making a call, the International dialling code for the UK is +44.

Other MoFos recommend getting a 3 sim card at the airport

We will provide childcare on site. Please email festival@mozilla.org as places are limited.

If you need assistance when in the UK please contact us via the following channels:

• Email festival@mozilla.org
• Tweet #mozfest
• Call the London office on +44 207 855 3000 Ext 867

Tips for first-time MozFesters

• "How can I help?" - the best question to ask! Wranglers will love you.
• Wear comfortable shoes!!! lots of walking up and down those stairs
• JUMP IN!
• Bring a water bottle and write your name on it
• Stock up on those hydration powders they give you.
• Arrive with coffee - there will be awesome coffee there but youll be sad if there's a long line
• Don't be afraid to help everyone do everything.
• If you start with one track, doesn't mean you have to end with it...float around to see what others are doing and what you want to help with
• Bring an emergency granola bar or something. Food can disappear if you're busy, and you probably won't have time to leave the venue to grab something
• Wander around and don't get stuck on one floor
• It's really fun! Don't get too stressed out. Remember to enjoy it! :)
• Find your "Mozfest Moment" - everything goes so quickly, remember to absorb the moment
• Talk to new people who you have never met before
• Don't worry about sticking with your "team" - it's an awesome time to cross pollinate :)
• Have a volunteer mentality: put stuff in trash, move a table, help someone in need etc
• CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF.....pls :) -- we have awesome volunteers who are there to help but they are taking days of work to help logistics and flow. They aren't your garbage cleaners amen!
• Read up on what other teams are up to, because you'll get people who ask you questions about anything and everything Mozilla. Know who/where to direct them.
• Talk to people - like, everyone!!!!
• Bring a UK charger, adapter plug?
• Bring a power bar too and make some friends!
• Heathrow sells SIM cards. Go with '3' as they do all-you-can-eat data.<3
• Bring the Mozfest team treats (and wranglers, and volunteers....Basically if you're getting treats, share the love ;-)
• Take time to get out of the city if you have time. Nice bus ride out to Hampstead Heath. [2]
• If you like electronic music, get in touch with Kat. good shows will be happening :)
• Do not store your money separate from your wallet on the tube.
• Take the walking route past Big Ben between the hotel and tube. I mistakenly used the non Big-Ben route, which is much less awesome.<3 Oyster card
• Use #mozhelp - it works.
• Thames Clipper boat trip from Embankment to Greenwich Pennsula. It takes over an hour, but is a lovely route. plan for lots of time.
• If you can snag an earlier morning to walk toward Ravensbourne (not all the way there -- too far), you get a nice fill of London