Summit2013/FAQ

The Mozilla Summit is an invite-only event
If you have questions or feedback, please read this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and then ask us on #summit2013 on IRC.

General

What is the intended outcome of the event?

Here are three of the intended outcomes of the Summit. And, while we are designing to these outcomes, the feedback generated from the Summit Planning Assembly may result in outcomes that differ slightly from this list:

• To develop a shared understanding of who we are as Mozilla, how we plan to move our shared mission forward, and how our products and offerings fit into these goals.
• An aligned, engaged, and newly inspired tribe of Mozillians who feel prepared and equipped to take the Project and the open Web through the next 15 years.
• 3-5 new, reinvented or refreshed communication tools that better enable Mozillians to work in an effective, efficient, globally connected way.

Will this be replacing MozCamps?

This year, yes, but not permanently. An event of this magnitude takes an incredible amount of preparation and is burdensome to resources. So, for years when we host a Summit, it will replace full MozCamp events.

If this event is so different from previous summits, why did they choose to call it a summit?

Ha, lack of creativity maybe. Honestly, it's still a Summit, it is just a 2013 version.

Who is driving and shaping the event?

Who is organizing the summit?

The internal driver is Mardi Douglass but she will not and cannot do this alone. Mardi will be supported by a large group of folks who will help manage and consult on various aspects of the Summit. In addition, we have engaged with a Global Event Management company to help us with most of the logistics of the Summit.

How was feedback collected to shape the event so far?

Feedback collection began last year, in November, with a small group of Mozillians (5) interviewing a sample of staff and volunteers (20) about the Summit. We used that feedback to shape a bigger group discussion that happened in early January. The decision to try a multi-city approach was made at that time as well as the general Summit purpose (to develop a shared understanding of who we are as Mozilla, how we plan to move our shared mission forward, and how our products and offerings fit into these goals.

Was the Mozilla Reps Council involved in the decision making process to hold a Summit?

We had a member of the Reps Council as part of the initial research group in November and present as part of the initial planning group.

What will happen during the Summit Planning Assembly in June?

There is a wiki page here with the answer: Summit Planning Assembly

Are there any engineers on the core planning team of the Summit like there were for previous Summits?

We have created a number of working groups that folks will be encouraged to join (engineers or otherwise). Also, there will certainly be reps from the engineering function at the Summit Planning Assembly in June.

Will there be technical presentations?

Likely, since we like technology so much. Decisions about Summit content will be determined for the most part, during the Summit Planning Assembly in June. Until then, the team is mostly focused on logistics.

Locations, format and date

Why can't we all meet in one place?

We considered it. And, there are pros and cons to both approaches. 2,000+ people in one space in no way guarantees you will see everyone. Intimacy suffers. Spaces to accommodate such a big group are difficult to find, etc. We are committed to trying the multi-city approach this year and will learn from it.

Having three different locations rather than gathering 2,000 people in one place is something new we will try this year. This means this Summit will be different than 2010. Mozilla is not like we were in 2010, the world is not like it was 2010, and innovation is at the heart of who we are. The idea is that with three locations, each has the intimacy of 600 or 700 people, some shared content and some innovative ways to join the three locales. We will learn from this and use what we learn to design our future events.

The multiple locations also means that the Summit will be different than a geo-located “work week.” It’s unlikely that everyone who you want to see face to face will all be in the same place. On the other hand, an organization our size needs trusted connections across groups, and good relationships between people you would never have thought to get to know.

Will each location interact with each other? How?

Yes. This is a huge part of the experience. We will have a large working group dedicated to figuring this out.

We're going for a decentralized and distributed approach per Mitchell, so why not more locations, such as LATAM?

Perhaps. Our thinking is that it's less about the locations themselves - since we are all distributed. The focus here is on how we work together. Unlike MozCamp, where there is a regional focus for the event, the Summit is about Mozilla as a whole.

After much consideration we landed on three with MozSpaces. We'd like to be able to leverage our Mozilla Spaces for the Summit for local open houses or other local celebrations. In addition, we chose locations that would allow for a least a few hours of timezone overlap.

Why did we not target the summer?

October weather is perfect in the three locations we've selected, most families with kids in school are through their first days, and an October date gave the planning committee enough time to make the event great.

Why weren't visa-friendly cities chosen for the Summit? (eg. Hong Kong or Singapore which don't require visas for visitors from Africa or Latin America)

A country's friendliness really depends on the country from which you are traveling. We reviewed the visa requirements for these locations and determined they were relatively reasonable.

Wouldn't it have been cheaper to have one Summit in one location?

Maybe. Really, there are pros and cons to every approach. We are going to try the multi-city approach this year, so let's do what we can to make it amazing.

Attendance

Who gets to go?

All vouched and active Mozillians will have an opportunity to attend one of the locations. Mozillians are either paid staff (MoCo or MoFo) or core volunteers who provide major contributions of time, skill or leadership to help support the mission. Examples include the German l10n lead, a Mozilla Rep or a module owner or peer.

Is the Summit mandatory for staff?

No, but everyone is certainly encouraged to attend. It's going to be AMAZING!

Will Mozilla pay for people to attend the Summit?

Yes, in most cases Mozilla will pay for attendee's airfare, accommodations, and food while at the Summit.

I have never been to a Summit before. Why should I attend?

Take a quick read of Mitchell's Summit blog post. We think it does a wonderful job answering this question.

If a volunteer doesn't have a Mozillians profile, can they still be invited?

Yes, after they've set up their profile and joined the summit2013 group. Right now Mozillians is being used to understand who and how many volunteer Mozillians are interested in attending the Summit. That will allow us to figure out some basic travel logistics for volunteers, and we already know where paid staff are located. Once we know everyone who will be attending the Summit, we can update the summit2013 group to reflect the list of participants.

What is the criteria selection for volunteers?

Mozilla is big. Really big. And conference venues, organizational capacity and funds are all finite resources. With a volunteer community that is so large, dynamic, rich and diverse, deciding who should get an invitation to attend the Mozilla Summit will be no easy task. We can't invite everyone - and yet, how do you compare and rank contributors from areas as diverse as marketing, coding, l10n, QA and documentation?

We are sure that, despite our best efforts, some names will fall through the cracks and we will realize once the Summit is over that some Mozillians who were not invited "should" have been invited. This is inevitable but we want to keep that number as close to zero as possible. And that starts even before we issue a single invite, by explaining the criteria we are going to use to decide.

The final list of invitees for the Summit will be based on the following considerations:

• Existing mozillians.org profile with a location and the summit2013 group is added.
• Recommendations from functional area leads, community leads and Mozilla Reps
• Level and relevance of contribution to the Mozilla Project in the past 6 months, as assessed by the Mozilla Community Building Team and the Mozilla Reps Council

Here are some criteria we are explicitly not going to use:

• Country of origin
• Distance of residence from a Mozilla Summit venue
• Status as a Rep, in and of itself

Of course, not everyone we can invite will be able to come - due to a conflicting commitment, visa issues or for some other reason. So there may be multiple rounds of invitations.

We want to thank everyone for their patience with the process!

Can volunteers under 18 attend?

Yes. Volunteers under the age of 18 will require a legal guardian to attend the Summit with them. They will be required to share a room with the minor and Mozilla will provide airfare.

If I'm local to the event will I be allowed to stay at the venue with everyone else?

Yes. While it's an additional cost certainly, staying at the venue with other attendees is a big part of the overall Summit experience. As such, locals will be offered that choice, but it will not be required.

Can people request to stay in their home location, even if they're asked to travel?

Most certainly! We need folks to host.

Will we be expected to stay overnight?

Yes, if you can. The Summit is a 3-day event with activities and outings planned each day and evening. Spending the night means you will have the richest experience possible.

Will evening activities be mandatory for people who are local to the event?

No part of the Summit is mandatory. We hope folks can participate in as much as possible so that they enjoy the full Summit experience. Local staff who choose not to stay at the event venue can certainly expense their transportation home.

If a volunteer isn't "invited" but can pay their own way, can they participate in the sessions?

No, I'm afraid not. The Summit will require an explicit invitation.

What if I don’t know yet if I can attend the Summit?

Sadly, we'll need to know by the end of August. Lots of planning needs to happen to make the Summit amazing and we need to know if you're coming so your experience is the best it can be. We'll need to start printing badges in early September and locking down details.

What if I can only attend part of the event?

Well, we’ll take as much of you as we can get. Ideally, you come to the whole darn event because it’s going to be amazing and we want to see you every single day. But, if you have other things going on, it is what it is. If this is the case, you may participate in a local event, if you live close to one, for the days you can.

What if I can only attend part of the event and don’t live close to a Summit venue?

If this is the case, you are welcome to join us for as many days as you can. But here’s the catch - Mozilla will pay for your travel to and from the event for the days you can participate only. If you can only come for Friday for example, you may fly into the event city on Thursday and back home on Saturday morning. Otherwise, travel won’t be covered.

If I live in one of the Summit venue cities can I still stay in the hotel with everyone?

Oh yes! That’s a big part of the experience, so we’re glad you asked. During the registration process in July, you will indicate that you don’t need travel but will need accommodations.

What if I can’t make it at all?

It’s a shame but it’s going to happen for some, certainly. If you are positive you can’t make the Summit, please let us know as soon as possible.

Can I bring my family or spouse along to the Summit?

Your invitation is for you. We’d sure love to meet your family but the Mozilla Summit is going to be pretty busy and focused on us. If your circumstance demands that they join you, you will be responsible for their travel and the cost of their lodging. They will not be invited to join us at meals or the evening group activities (we plan to spend all night talking about Mozilla with a bunch of Mozillians after all :)

Travel

When will be book our travel?

We'd like to kick it off the first week in July (or as close as we can to that week).

How should we book travel

For the Summit, we'll use one travel agent to manage us (vs. Egencia or Pro Travel). It's an agency with real humans who can help and support us in a wonderful way. They will work closely with our event management company (who will manage registration and accommodations) so the process is as tight as possible and each of us is taken care of.

Participants will receive a Travel Form to complete (you can submit on line or call with your details. Details need to be provided by July 31st, 2013.

What if I don't require travel (I'm local)?

If you don't need travel, you don't need to complete the form. Your next step will be registration that will kick off mid-July (look for email)

Will we all book travel at once?

No. We will book travel in waves, likely by destination or region of origin. This will help the travel agency keep things organized and allow them to keep their service levels as high as possible.

If I live in Europe and am heading to Brussels, will I have to take a train?

In most cases, if a train ride is less than four-hours, we'll ask you to do that (unless there is a good reason not to.)

What if I want to come early or stay later than the actual Summit? Will they help me with that?

Yes.

What if my extended travel costs more than if I'd not extended? Can I pay for the difference?

Yes. We are working with the travel agency and our registration system folks to figure out a way to collect payment should you want to add personal travel time to your trip (where the cost of doing that is significantly higher than not.)

What if I want to book additional hotel room nights?

The travel agency is only going to help us with airfare and train fare. That said, they will be prepared to share hotel contact information with people who want additional nights. Those will need to be booked on your own (and the booking will be completely separate from the Summit booking.)

What if I need a visa for the Summit?

We have shared a link in email to a form to request a visa letter.

Will Mozilla reimburse us for visa fees

Yes, we will send around the process for this in July. Please save your receipts.

When will registration open?

Right now we're tracking for mid-July.

When will we book the hotel rooms?

Hotel bookings will happen as a result of registration (probably a few weeks after.)

Will volunteers share rooms?

Yes, like with Moz Camps, volunteers will be expected to share double rooms with other volunteers. If you have a preference, you can make that at registration time otherwise, we'll match you based on your gender and community.