Announcing formation of VCF steering committee: Call for Members

At the prodding of a small group of dedicated VCF fans and friends, I've decided to form a VCF "Steering Committee" to henceforth assist in producing all VCF events, in particular the main west coast event. Here are the roles that are currently open: Speaker Booker/Manager (filled: Jack Rubin) Handles the overall coordination of the speakers; researches and identifies potentional speakers for regional events; interfaces with the speakers to ascertain their equipment needs; plans the speaker schedule. Exhibitor Booker/Manager Handles the coordination of the exhibitors; designs the exhibit area layout; answers exhibitor inquiries; interfaces with the exhibitors to ascertain their space and power requirements. Additional roles (local to event): Designs the power distribution system in the physical exhibit layout; helps exhibitors setup ensuring each exhibitor has the required space and services; remains in the exhibit area during most of the event to cater to any exhibitor needs as well as to help watch over the exhibits. The additional roles can and most likely will be separated out to a sub-manager local to the event locale who will coordinate and report to the Exhibitor Booker/Manager. Vendor Booker/Manager (filled: Jack Rubin) Handles the coordination of the vendors and designs the marketplace space; interfaces with the vendors to ascertain their equipment requirements (i.e. table rentals); answers vendor questions; designs the marketplace space layout. Additional roles (local to event): Assists vendor setup (shows vendors to their space and ensures they have requested equipment and services); remains available to the vendors during most of the event to cater to any needs; collects any fees due. As with the Exhibit Booker/Manager, the additional roles can and most likely will be separated out to a sub-manager local to the event. Workshop Booker/Manager Researches and contracts designers of vintage computer projects to help create Build-It-Yourself workshops suitable for the VCF; assists with workshop attendee bookings, including answering questions and coordinating with the workshop designer/instructor. Marketing Director Liason to media; creates and disseminates press releases; creates and posts advertising for events; general public relations. This is an obviously important role. Art/Design/Theme Director I used to be creative, but these days I'm subject to sudden bursts of random brilliance punctuated by aeons of arid and infertile thought processes. Too many distractions, I reckon. Anyway, I need someone to design the look and feel of any given VCF event, including logos, t-shirt designs, slogans, event programs and signage, promotional brochures, etc. Someone good with an illustration application and some spare time. Sponsorship Shark This role entails securing sponsorship in the form of money from companies for name placement, or collateral materials (books, posters, etc.) to give away at VCF events. Special Events - Nerd Trivia Challenge Researcher/Manager Special Events - RetroCode Challenge Manager I like to have fun side events at the VCF. It's hard to fit them in, what with all the other chores to handle. This role will be assigned on an event by event basis to design and implement special side attractions at specific VCF events. Web Maestro Every organization needs one: so too, the VCF. This is mostly managing the superficial VCF website elements through the custom management system (I still handle all the coding and development), i.e. creating new events; editing user submissions; creating photo galleries of past events; managing mailing lists; etc. Special Projects Liason This role is special. It requires a strategist, thinker and doer, all combined into one. It is someone who will help me promote and pursue special VCF projects. I have all sorts of crazy ideas for neat things to do surrounding the VCF but a seemingly diminishing amount of time with which to pursue them. I need a creative person with lots of energy to put these various projects into motion, which could range from building fun retro things (Commodore 64 Supercomputer for example), to designing new VCF events and experiences, to coordinating development of standards, practices and services that benefit the vintage computing community (FutureKeep, Binary Athenaeum, a Prize for Excellence in the Pursuit of Vintage Computing, etc.) You know who you are. Contact me. Jack Rubin is also going to fill the role of supervisor of each sub-manager, and I will of course be the VCF Overlord and general ass-kicker. The role will mostly be for glory and possible profit-sharing if certain minimum revenue thresholds are met on any given event. I've been experimenting with "franchising" the VCF over the past several years, with regional events being handed off to autonomous individuals or organizations, such as Hans Franke (VCF Europa) and Mid-Atlantic Retro-Computing Hobbyists (VCF East). The regional coordinators are responsible for financing their local events, while I still ultimately am responsible for financing of the main VCF event in the Silicon Valley. Even though this is a primarily voluntary role, I need people who will be dedicated and, when it comes to crunch time (i.e. 6-8 weeks prior to any given event), will be able to reserve anywhere from 4-6 hours per week on their assigned role. In other words, a serious disposition is mandatory. Please e-mail me directly if you would like to apply for a particular role. The VCF has a solid foundation of a decade of events all around the (Western) world. With the participation of a dedicated team of like-minded nerds, the next ten years will prove to be more wide-ranging and more exciting than the first. Thanks! -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org [ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ] [ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]