Latest revision as of 02:50, 21 November 2013

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 #MozSummit on IRC.

General Agenda

How was the schedule decided?

The foundational Summit Agenda was developed by a team of over 50 delegates and leaders from the Mozilla community supported by the Summit Team. Large portions of the agenda have been left open for the community to program. Some of this programming has already been done by the delegates, but there is still space to propose more sessions or to become a facilitator.

Getting to the foundational Summit Agenda was long, complex, collaborative and occasionally frustrating process. Lukas Blakk has been part of this evolution from the beginning and has written two amazing blog posts her experience.

http://lukasblakk.com/my-big-shift/ http://lukasblakk.com/planning-a-summit-is-hard-lets-go-shopping/

A great read for those interested in a delegate's perspective on this process.

What does success look like at the Summit?

The success of the Summit depends on all of us -- we all need to be clear about what we want out of the Summit and then help to shape the event so that we get the most out of it.

At a top level, the core goal of the Summit as defined at the Summit Assembly is to align around our mission and create a shared vision of the future. By the end, we expect to have a concrete strategy to make this vision real.

How can I participate and help shape the Summit experience?

The Summit has been designed to be shaped and hacked by Mozillians so they can get the most out of the event. Some of the ways you can participate include:

Facilitate a 'supporting session' on day one. Find out how. (see belowi)
Propose or facilitate an open session. Find out how. (see below)
Showcase something amazing during one of the fairs. Find out how. (see below)

We intentionally limited the number and length of keynote presentations in favor of more interactivity -- fairs, open spaces, small group sessions, social events, etc. As the above indicates, there will be plenty of opportunity for Mozillians to present, attend, organize, hack, play, and certainly dance.

Why is there so much open time?

We know from working with the community and our past event experience that the Summit will bring together passionate, diverse and brilliant Mozillians who rarely get to spend time together as a group. While we are working hard to identify essential session topics and provide enough structure to make the event productive and enjoyable, we also want to honor the emergent and self-organizing aspects of leadership and collaboration that characterize Mozilla. The open time on the agenda will provide opportunities for serendipitous and unscripted sharing, creating and visioning, and will invite all Mozillians to lead by example in teaching, supporting and inspiring others. Not to mention playing and making.

Does the agenda allow for any free time in the evenings (or do we have something planned each night)?

There is a considerable amount of free-time built into the agenda AND we have social events scheduled for anyone who may want to participate. Most of the social events are intended for smaller groups and are completely voluntary. Each evening we will host dinner for all participants but only one is a “sit-down” (the others are “grab-and-go” style so you can take them wherever you like.

There are breaks as well, scheduled throughout each day.

Are the programs the same in all three locations?

Essentially, yes. We have created the agenda topics to repeat in each location, although there will be different hosts for each (of course :)

Will some keynotes be recorded and replayed?

In very few cases (possibly only one). As above, the idea is for different Mozillians to offer a similar keynote in each of our locations.

How will I know what’s going on in the other locations?

For the most part, you’ll want to stay keenly focused on what’s going on in your Summit city. When you’re not in a session and want to peek around, we’ll have a few ways you can connect with the other spots (social media with the #MozSummit hashtag, a Vimeo channel where we’ll host some of the recorded sessions, and more etherpads than you can handle.) You’ll hear more about these channels as we get closer to the event.

Where will Mitchell/Jay/Brendan <insert the name of your favorite Mozillian> be?

The leadership team is evenly spread out across all three locations. As above, where it makes strategic sense, we will replay keynotes in all three venues.

Where will Firefox be?

You’ll just have to wait and see. He’ll be there, promise.

Do paid staff get PTO to make up for attending the Summit over Saturday and Sunday?

No, the summit is optional.

The Summit is a invitation-only event to core Mozilla contributors. As dedicated contributors, our thought is that invited participants would be excited to be able to join in this event -- we actually have more who would like to join us than we can accommodate.

And, we realize the weekend nature of this event means time away from other responsibilities. This is not dis-similar to work-related travel on weekends or working late when pushing on a deadline. As in those situation, employees and managers are encouraged to work together to make sure there is recovery time from the intensity of the event and related travel (this might mean working part day for a few days, it might mean working at home so jet-lag can be taken care of, or other ideas an you and your manager come up with.)

One of the great things about Mozilla is we really care for our people and encourage each of us to apply the self-care needed to recover from this event, while remaining responsive to work-related responsibilities. If any employee or manager needs support in thinking through options, their HRBPs are here to help.

Supporting Sessions

Proposed sessions for the 2013 Mozilla Summit

A number of 'supporting' and 'open' sessions have already been proposed by the Summit Assembly delegates. Here is the list of sessions currently on the agenda: Summit2013/Sessions

What are “Supporting Sessions” and how did they get on the agenda?

Supporting sessions were generated by the Summit Assembly delegates with the support of the Mozilla executive team. These sessions were identified by this group as key topic areas needed at the Summit to deliver against the various themes and goals of the program overall. Each supporting session will happen in at least two of the three cities (provided we have facilitators.)

I'm interested in leading a Supporting Session but have some questions. Where should I go?

Great! Here is the description of facilitator tasks and timeline: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Summit2013/Sessionfacilitators to start. Add you name to the session (and corresponding location) that you would like to facilitate on this wiki page: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Summit2013/Sessions.

The deadline to sign-up to facilitate a Supporting Session has now passed. If you have specific questions, please email the Summit team at summit2013@mozilla.com.

How will I know about all of the sessions (especially the ones that are not pre-arranged)?

Ah yes, this is part of the mobile experience we’re creating. Once you get to the Summit, you will have access to a mobile Summit Guide that we will keep up to date with the latest information about everything, including open session as they happen. So, make sure to bring your device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop). We will also have some conventional signage in each location.

Fairs and Open Sessions

What is the World Fair and how do I sign up to take part?

The World Fair is a way for participants to showcase where they come from and/or what they are doing. It is a way to connect with other Mozillians who may be interested in getting involved with your project. For more information, you can read about how the how the Fairs worked on the 2010 Summit.

If you have something to showcase (can be anything really, that’s related to Mozilla), complete this form and we’ll follow up.

Click here for the list of World Fair booths.

What is the Innovation Fair and how do I sign up to take part?

The Innovation Fair is a way for participants to showcase what they are working on. The focus is on products and technology, current or future. Like the World Fair, the Innovation Fair is a way to connect with other Mozillians who may be interested in getting involved with your project.

Signups for the fairs are now closed due to space limitations in the exhibit halls. If you wish to share work at the Summit, we suggest doing an Open Session.

Click here for the list of Innovation Fair booths.

What are “Open Sessions”?

Open sessions are sessions proposed by delegates and participants. They may happen in all three cities if proposed in advance and if there are enough facilitators. Or they may just happen in one city. It is really up to the people who proposed the sessions to decide this.

These sessions will take place on Saturday and Sunday afternoon at the Summit, and will be smaller in size than sessions in other parts of the agenda. Participants will be able to propose sessions in the time leading up to the Summit, and as space permits, sessions can also be proposed at the Summit itself.

If you would like to host an Open Session, complete this form and we’ll follow up.

While there is no deadline to sign-up for an Open Session, 'we urge you to sign up here now. Sign-ups can take place up to (and at!) the Summit itself, but we need as many possible in advance so we can allocate space.

What makes an “Open Session” different from other sessions?

Open session topics will vary in each of the three Summit locations, and will reflect the unique interests, skills and passions of those present in each city. The emphasis in Open Sessions will be on discussion and knowledge sharing, and formats are intended to be dialog-oriented and hands-on rather than lecture or presentation. We will discourage use of slideware and projectors, and instead invite Open Session facilitators to let questions and participant interests shape the course of their sessions. Learning by doing, co-creating and co-designing formats will be especially encouraged.

Why do I need sign up in advance to host an Open Session?

Sanity and efficiency. With about 600 people in each city, and with Open Sessions spread across at least 10 rooms in each location. we are hoping to make it easy for every participant to find the sessions they want to join. Taking dozens of session proposals in real time from 600 folks is unlikely to go smoothly. Participants will be able to propose Open Sessions on the day-of, but we humbly request as many proposals as possible be shared in advance in order to maximize the quality of experience. More learnin’, less churnin’!

How do I get a room for my Open Session?

Once we have marshaled all the Open Session proposals, sessions will be grouped into available rooms at each site. Note that there will be more than one session in each room - our hope is keep session sizes small by encouraging a larger number of sessions.

How do I sign up to participate in an “Open Session”?

No advance sign-up will be required to join in open sessions. At the event, you will be able to browse session choices in each room, and attend the session of your choice.

Participation beyond the Summit

Will there be a video channel so I can re-watch Keynotes (or those from other locations)?

Yes. We will record select sessions and make them available to all Summit attendees shortly after the event.

Will we curate all of the tweets from the Summit somewhere?

Yes. We have a full social media plan that will be finalized in the next week. We’ll publish information about this program as soon as it’s available. For now, we encourage everyone to tweet about the Summit using #MozSummit.

Meals and Social Events

I see you have meals listed – is there someplace special I go if I have food allergies?

Each food item will be labeled with food allergy information so anyone who needs to know, will. If you have something severe and/or have indicated the need for a specially prepared meal, we will make sure you know where to pick it up each day.

NOTE: If you have ordered a special meal, we request that you pick it up and eat that meal. We’ve had it especially made just for you after all ;).

What if I want to host a social event?

We have some pretty great things planned during the Summit that we hope you’ll participate in. If however, the mood strikes and you and some friends want to do your own thing (and want to invite others to come along), we suggest you use the #MozSummit hashtag to rally your fellow Mozillians. It’s possible we’ll have another way to enable this through the mobile app by the Summit, but we can’t commit to it just yet.

I'm bringing my spouse/kids with me, will they be able to join me during evening events (specifically meals)?

While we'd love to meet your family, we have not accounted for family members in any of our events. If you have family members with you, we will not be able to accommodate them in any of the Mozilla-paid events, including meals. They are welcome to join you during any of the ad hoc social fun and in the lounge areas.)

I’m a minor so will I be able to take part in the social events? Will my guardian?

Yes. Almost all of our planned social events will have no age minimum. Yes, your guardian may accompany you to any social event.

Travel

Travel to the US - Impact of Government Shutdown

"At least in the short term, basic functions related to travel will continue unimpeded.

Below is a summary of federal functions related to travel and their current status:

Air Traffic Control: According to U.S. Department of Transportation guidance, air traffic controllers, flight safety inspectors and other essential safety employees will stay on the job. These workers will “continue working in order to maintain the safety of the national airspace system,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration. “Safety is our top priority.”
Airport Security: According to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security plan, airport security personnel such as Transportation Security Administration screeners are considered “necessary for safety of life and protection of property.” Travelers should see little change in airport security operations.
Customs/Immigration: Most customs, border and immigration employees are considered essential, which means passport control at U.S. borders and points of entry like airports and cruise ports should be unaffected by the shutdown."

In Summary, please allow sufficient time (more than the recommended 2 hours) to get through airport security before your flight and anticipate delays going through customs when you arrive. Don't worry - it will be ok, the shuttles will be waiting for you :)

Will someone be at the airport/train station to greet me?

It's all here.

Will Mozilla arrange for transportation from the airport/train station to the venue/hotel and back again?

Yes. Specifics are here.

Immigration/Visas for the Summit

Will Mozilla reimburse us for visa fees

Yes, through the Reps program here: https://wiki.mozilla.org/ReMo/SOPs/Budget/Summit_2013_Expense_Reimbursement. If you cannot locate a Rep, please email to accounting@mozilla.com with the following information with a copy of your receipt (we cannot reimburse without a receipt):

Name
Address
Amount to be reimbursed (see wiki page for eligible expenses)
Currency of the receipt
Bank Name
Bank Location (City, Country)
Bank IBAN # or Account Number (IBAN is required for Europe)
Bank Swift Code: (required for all non-US countries)
Bank Routing #
For Canadian Bank Account only: Transit Number + Branch Number

NOTE: Please submit for reimbursements no later than 30-days following the close of the Summit.

I need the address where I'm staying for my visa application

Santa Clara = Santa Clara Marriott - 2700 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054
Toronto = Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel - 123 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2M9, Canada
Brussels = SQUARE - BRUSSELS MEETING CENTRE Glass Entrance, rue Mont des Arts, B-1000, Brussels

I need an invitation letter for the airport

If you are going to a country for summit that is not your home country you will need to bring an invitation letter with you to the airport. Select the city you are going to below, download the document, type in your legal name (the one on your passport) in the 're:' section - (it's an editable PDF form), print, and bring with you to the airport.
To edit the documents you will need to use Adobe Acrobat or another program that lets you write in PDF's.*Note: pdf.js will not work

Brussels
Santa Clara
Toronto

Hotels

Can I have a smoking hotel room for my stay at the Summit?

If you're going to Santa Clara or Toronto, unfortunately both Summit hotels have smoke-free policies, so smoking hotel rooms are not available. Also, both locations have city-wide anti-smoking laws, so be sure to ask at the hotel front desk or concierge desk about where you should go to smoke. In Santa Clara, you cannot smoke inside any public buildings or within 20 feet (6 meters) of the entrance to a public building. In Toronto, you cannot smoke inside any public buildings or within 10 (3 meters) feet of the entrance to a public building.

If you're going to Brussels, the only hotel with smoking rooms available is the Grand Windsor Hotel (subject to hotel's availability, we can't guarantee that you can be assigned a smoking room). All other hotels have smoke-free policies, so smoking hotel rooms are not available. Be sure to ask at the hotel front desk or concierge desk about where you should go to smoke. If you want to request a Smoking hotel room in Brussels, contact the Registration Team at MozillaBrussels@shworldwide.com<mailto:MozillaBrussels@shworldwide.com>.

Is there a way we can contact our roommate in advance?

Yes, you can look up your roommate on mozillians.org and grab their email address there. (Note: only volunteers have roommates; if you're a volunteer, your roommate should be listed in your hotel confirmation email.)

How much is the security deposit for the hotel?

In all cases, when you put your credit card down the hotel will place a hold on some amount of money per night. They won't charge that, just hold it for the duration of your stay. DO NOT put down a debit card (or they will hold cash for a week - and you won't have access to them.)

Here are the specifics:

Santa Clara Once the credit card is swiped at the front desk, it will automatically hold $50USD/day (if you want to leave cash, it's also $50/day) If someone doesn't have a card or cash can their room be blocked from charging anything? Yes, They will just turn off all incidentals, except phone for emergency reasons.

Toronto Once the credit card is swiped at the front desk, it will automatically hold $300CAD/day (if you want to leave cash, it's also $300/day) If someone doesn't have a card or cash can their room be blocked from charging anything? Yes, They will just turn off all incidentals, except phone for emergency reasons.

Brussels Once the credit card is swiped at the front desk, it will automatically hold $50 EURO/day (if you want to leave cash, it's also $50/day) If someone doesn't have a card or cash can their room be blocked from charging anything? Yes, They will just turn off all incidentals, except phone for emergency reasons.

What if I don't have a credit card to put down at the hotel?

We let all of the hotels know that not every Mozillian has a credit card. It should not be a problem. If you do not have a credit card, you will not be able to charge anything to your room. And, if there is any damage to your room, Mozilla will be responsible.

Getting There

How will I be sure to catch a shuttle to the venue?

Brussels

Airport: Shuttles will depart every 30 minutes. If you arrive into the Brussels Airport and cannot find someone to help you, please call +32 471/89 35 46

Train Station: At Bruxelles MIDI station - Staff with Mozilla signs will greet you in the main hall, between Thalys and Eurostar arrivals. If you arrive into the Bruxelles MIDI Train Station and cannot find someone, please call +32/474 70 77 16.

Please note - If you arrive into Brussels Centrale, you are within walking distance of hotels, except The Hotel. If you arrive into Brussels Nord, you should make your way to Midi or Centrale.

Toronto

If for some reason you do not connect with our Meet & Greet staff please call Linda De Marco at +01 416-527-0355.

San Jose or SFO airports

If for some reason you do not connect with your meet and greet staff, who will lead you to the shuttles, call Helen +01 206 235 5678

I'll be arriving at about Midnight on Thursday night. What are the hours for the Mozilla reception desk?

Hotel reception desks are open 24 hours a day.

Event/Mozilla people will be available at the following times:

Brussels - Thursday 10:00am - 4:00pm
Toronto - Thursday 10:00am - 8:00pm
Santa Clara - Thursday 10:00am - 8:00pm

I live in the Bay Area (California) and would love to carpool with others. Is there anything set up?

The Summit has nothing official set up for people traveling within the Bay Area. Mozillians are encouraged to coordinate ride-shares on their own. Check Zimride as another option.

Is there somewhere to hang out on Thursday?

Yes.

Brussels - each hotel will offer a "hospitality suite" for Mozillians waiting for their rooms. Site host will help you find those.
Toronto - Grand Foyer Lounge is open at 7:00am on Thursday (and for 24/day during the Summit - closes 8:00pm Sunday)
Santa Clara - Sedona Room is open at 7:00am on Thursday (and for 24/day during the Summit - closes at midnight Sunday)

Do you have recommendations for wireless providers in each site?

According to our local community, it should be easy to get a prepaid SIM anywhere in town including the arrival hall in the Airport.

Prepaid options include:

How much money should I bring for meals and taxi?

Mozilla will provide meals beginning Thursday afternoon - Monday breakfast. As for taxi's, you won't need money for that unless you're not arriving on 3-October or leaving on 7-October (we'll provide shuttles both of those days.) Lots walkable in Toronto AND this city has one of the best transit systems in the country - so taxis unnecessary. TTC info: http://www.ttc.ca/

Brussels is a highly walkable city. All very condensed so taxis also not necessary.

Santa Clara doesn't have too much around it other than an amusement park across the street (and a killer pool in the hotel!) If you are heading out of Santa Clara, you'll need to bring taxi fare OR connect with local Mozillians to carpool around.

What about extra money for the social events?

If you participate in the organized events (some require pre-Summit sign-up), Mozilla will pay. If however, you want to take a tour or do something on your own or with a small group, you will need to have enough money to pay for that.

What sort of clothing should I pack?

Best to check weather.com before you pack. There is an outdoor pool in Santa Clara (and Toronto) so you may want to bring a swim suit if it seems like it will be warm enough.

How do I get my boarding pass?

Boarding passes are typically issued online within 24 hours of the flight or you can print them at the airport. If you have a record locator number for the flight reservation, you should try to get an advance seat assignment (either online at the airline's site or by calling the airline of your first flight). That may help you avoid getting a middle seat in the rear of the plane.

How will I know who Site Hosts are?

They'll be wearing a blue hooded sweatshirts that should make them recognizable (says Site Host). There will also be signs at the desks in the main area as well as "zones" throughout the venue.

How are we handling tour requests for the Bay Area and Toronto offices?

We are working on potential trip to the TO and MTV spaces. It will likely be included as part of the social time on either Friday or Saturday. Stay tuned - and if we can get it set up, we will add it for sign up on the social activity wiki.

Shuttles on 7-October

How will the shuttles work on 7-October?

Toronto and Santa Clara: If your flight is departing on October 7th return transportation service to the airport will be provided. Make sure to stop by the Ask Us desk to get your scheduled hotel departure time. They are specific to your flight so we have a personalized one, just for you.

Brussels: Shuttle Transportation will be provided on Monday, October 7th from your hotel to the Brussels Airport or to the Midi Train Station. To accommodate enough time for travel, check-in, security, etc., we suggest you depart the hotel 3 hours before your flight and 2 hours before your train departure.

A transportation expert will greet you in the hotel lobby and point you to the correct vehicle.

Brussels Airport Shuttle Hours: 6:30am - 8:00pm
Midi Train Station Shuttle Hours: 8:00am - 12:00pm

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