DEEP 2018 Debrief
Issues:
- problems with securing space
- Reading Week is good, but facilities
- dates keep changing
- facilities can be a challenge (air conditioning, power issues, turning off WiFi etc)
- DEEP is not funding
- Getting JT's time
Planning
- biggest issue is planning
- in most years planning doesn't happen until the month before the conference
- don't get feedback from Jutta until last minute
- can plan without Jutta but really can't do much without her input
- JT is the main energizer
- We're all busy and working on unpaid project (i.e. DEEP) doesn't make sense sometimes
- Only a handful of people working on putting it together
- No fee system or structure
- Some pay, and some do not.
- What is the scale?
- What is the value to participants?
What went well
- the wall was nice
- the collaborative activity was good
What didn't go well
- doesn't need to be 2 days, 1 day is enough
- Issues
- selecting dates
- usually we host it during reading week,
- the university uses this time for maintenance and have shut down HVAC, wifi, done construction and etc.
- however, this is the only time we are able to book rooms
- usually we host it during reading week,
- selecting dates
- Things that went well
- everyone pulled together to get the anniversary together
- DEEP being 1 day
- Panel was good
- have been wanting to do something concrete and we were able do that this year
- Things that are challenges
- hard to get feedback from the top until September, so only have about a month to prep most years
- on occasions the planning starts earlier and gets changed
- hard to get feedback from the top until September, so only have about a month to prep most years
- Not enough time to prepare
- we weren't told of activities until a couple weeks beforehand
- Less attendance year-over-year
- short lead time affects their timing and travel times
- Cost
- pay to fill roles (shopping, bar tending etc.)
- pay to have IDRC staff to help (good use of our resources?)
- Do we have appetite for DEEP?
- Do we want to invite people to the committee?
- Predictable, repeatable structure, predictable date
What is the goal of DEEP?
- Outreach event
- Goal and vision: it is unclear
- Have JT hand over vision to others so others can own it and move it forward
- Maybe put together a committee to help organize
- What is the format?
- More representation
- Breakout groups are good as it gives people input who don't normally have a voice
- DEEP is a good opportunity to get out and meet new people and network
- but it's been the same people every year
- Are we getting our money's worth?
- catering
- sponsorships are low
- ASL
- Captioning
- Security
- maintenance / custodial services
- DEEP is supposed to be a think-tank
- JT wants things to be "fresh"
- Hire an event planner?
- Conduct multiple streams