Want to host GovCamp? This is what you need to do…

Having been part of the organising team of GovCamp for the last three years I can confirm that the biggest area of pain is finding a venue. In fact this year it was so difficult we hosted it ourselves at the National Audit Office.

What are the key elements?

Cost - GovCamp is free so there is not a lot of money (well none if it were not for the kind sponsors) to pay for a venue so if a potential provider says it costs several thousand pounds there is an immediate problem.

Compliance - obviously most if not all venues have some kind of security - how much is needed and what does it cost at the weekend? Are there any health and safety issues?

Catering - does this come with the venue or does it have to be brought in? How much does either option cost?

Connectivity - will the wifi work with close to 200 people trying to connect at the same time?

Capacity - how many people can fit into one big room and are there 8–10 breakout rooms?

What did I do to make GovCamp happen at NAO?

Make sure the Leadership Team knew about the event and had no issues; ditto the press office (a few days after the event it was mentioned in NAO press cuttings - so a surprise was avoided). Advertise internally in case any colleagues want to come along.

Make sure there was no major building work taking place, filming (as the venue can be rented; or infrastructure work taking place.

Make sure facilities knew about the event a long time in advance to avoid double booking. Also to make sure that heating, lighting and air-conditioning were left on.

Show organisers round the building to get the lie of the land and work out how to run event on the day; which rooms to use; decide where food will go; the cloakroom et…

Book an extra person for reception as normally there are minimal people in the building at the weekend.

Book a session of cleaning after the event so that when colleagues came in the office on Monday it did not look like a bomb site.

Get quote from facilities and raise PO for cleaning and security and arrange payment.

Talk to the network specialist to give advance warning of likely heavy load so that ways to share capacity could be built in - obviously sort out a group access and passwords.

Warn reception that a huge number of passes would need to be made and when - also tables needed to lay them out. Give them the names once available; give them late names.

Request an old laptop to use in the auditorium for presentations plus a Kensington lock.

Ask facilities to lay out chairs in auditorium in a conference format.

Get hold of some extension sockets to help give power to sponsors.

Pick up items from reception that delivered in advance by sponsors or organisers such as T-shirts.

Deal with enquiries from sponsors about when they can deliver/pick up; of what AV facilities are on site.

Check that AV is fully working in auditorium

Check that wifi password work

Give advance access to the organisers the day before so that as much as possible could be set up in advance.

Let organisers into the building early on day of event; check passes are laid out; let sponsors in; let attendees in - hand write any last minute passes.

Accept catering delivery.

Answer inumerable queries throughout the day.

Tidy up afterwards - move tables back; collect lost phones/chargers - coffee pots - spare tea bags etc.

Make sure everyone leaves the building on time.

Return laptop to digital services.

Store some items for later pick up by organisers or sponsors.

Check with Facilities that they are not aware of anything untoward having happened to the building.

Give feedback on network to digital services.

And before I forget NAO is available for hire - let me know if you are interested.