Subject: [104-newcomers] IETF 104 Newcomers' Information

From: IETF Secretariat <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2019 15:14:11 -0700

We are looking forward to seeing you soon in Prague for IETF 104!

You are receiving this email because you indicated during registration that you’ve attended fewer than five IETF meetings.  As a relative newcomer (and perhaps even first-time attendee) we want to make sure that you are aware of the various resources we’ve developed to get you up to speed. 

1. Before the Meeting:

a. Attend a Webinar:

If you have not used Meetecho before, you are encouraged to review helpful information here: https://ietf104.conf.meetecho.com/index.php/Newcomers_Webinar  before joining your first working group session.

 You can participate in the IETF Newcomer’s Webinar on:

- Tuesday, March 19 at 15:00 UTC (08:00 PDT/ 11:00 EDT/ 16:00 CET) / (Wednesday, March 20 at 00:00 JST)

During this session we will provide a brief overview of how to prepare for the IETF 104 meeting week.  More importantly, we will give you the opportunity to ask any of the questions you may have. Join here: https://www.meetecho.com/ietf104/newcomerswebinar.

b. Read Ahead:  If you’ve not done so yet, please take a few minutes to watch the excellent “Top 10 Things to Know Before Your First IETF Meeting” video embedded on this page, under Attending a Meeting: https://ietf.org/about/participate/get-started/meetings/.  We also strongly encourage you to review The Tao of the IETF, which is available online at https://www.ietf.org/tao.html. 

c. Find a Mentor: Would you like the opportunity to have a seasoned IETF attendee introduce you to the ways of an IETF meeting? The IETF Guides Program matches experienced IETF participants with newcomers in order to aid their integration into the IETF community. You can find more information at: https://www.ietf.org/about/participate/guides/, and request a mentor here: https://guides.ietf.org/guides/request_guide. 

Additional Resources: Additional IETF 104 resources for newcomers are available here: https://ietf.org/how/meetings/104/newcomers/. 

2. During the Meeting
Below are highlights of the newcomer-specific events during the IETF 104 meeting week.

a.  Events on Sunday, March 24
- A Newcomers Orientation is from 12:30-13:30 in the Athens/ Barcelona room of the Hilton Prague. If you are unable to attend on Sunday, you can access an online version of the Newcomers Orientation via https://ietf.org/about/participate/tutorials/newcomers/.

- The IETF Newcomer's Quick Connections is from in 15:00-16:00 in Congress Hall 1/2. NOTE: Pre-registration is required and space is extremely limited. Newcomer's Quick Connections is a simple and effective way for you to be introduced to a variety of experienced IETF attendees — often working group (WG) chairs — who can help you get more involved in your areas of interest. You can sign up for Newcomer's Quick Connections here: https://goo.gl/forms/Kz3diCXNkOZZhPCo1.

- A Newcomer’s Meet-and-Greet with WG chairs and other IETF leaders is from 16:00-17:00 in Congress Hall 1/2.  Only newcomers and IETF leadership are invited to this informal and laid-back gathering; there will be no speeches or presentations. Beer, wine, soda, and light appetizers will be provided. This special reception provides a valuable opportunity to mingle with WG chairs, mentors and other leaders before the meeting week gets started.  If you are hoping to speak with a particular WG chair, you may want to check out our photo directory: https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/photos/. The Meet-and-Greet will end promptly at 17:00.  At that time, you are encouraged to remain in Congress Hall 1/2 for the official IETF 104 Welcome Reception. This reception is open to the entire community, and it’s considered by many to be the informal kick-off of the week’s meeting. 

b. Events on Monday, March 25
- An informal Newcomer’s dinner is at the Hilton Prague in room Florenc 1+2 from 18:30-20:00. If you are interested in joining, please rsvp here: https://www.ietf.org/registration/ietf104/newcomers.py. Please note, that there is a $25 entrance fee as this not an IETF funded event, it is organized by the Secretariat. 

c. Events on Thursday, July 28
- A Newcomer’s Feedback Session is from 8:00-9:00 in Tyrolka and a hot breakfast will be served. We are always eager to get feedback on the effectiveness of our newcomer related activities. What do you wish you’d known before you arrived? Which programs or activities were especially helpful and which programs or activities need to be revised? We’d like to hear from you, so please plan to attend.

Finally, for general logistical information (e.g., how to get from the airport to your hotel) please check out our meeting wiki at https://trac.ietf.org/trac/ietf/meeting/wiki/ietf104. If you have information to share, please create an account and contribute. 

Safe Travels.

Best,
IETF Secretariat