Summit 2013

It's going to be so fun that we'll definitely want to do it again!

Why did people decide to attend Awesome Summit in the first place?

• cross-pollination/learning from others
• getting inspired
• curiosity

Meta-Question: What's the purpose of the Awesome Summit? In fact, are we actually even an organisation or just an emergent entity based on some shared interests?

• do we need to have an annual one that incorporates as many people from all chapters as possible vs. regional events, some other models etc.
• based on a completely non-scientific and sub-optimal participatory process, seems like the general consensus of the discussion group feels that there should be another summit next year (roughly around this time of year)

Goals of 2013 Awesome Summit

• get everyone together
• learning from each other
• making sure we're on the same page (or at least knowing such a page exists)
• celebrate getting to $1,000,000 total grants, as forecast by the data mining team
• recurring themes:
  • helping with trustee turnover or expanding pool
  • soliciting good applications/getting through application slumps)

Where's the AWESOME in these summits?

• leaving increased capacity behind in the city i.e. stronger proposals
• Awesome Connect--bringing together network or resources + applicants + award mega-grant
• invite former grantees
• storytelling
• disruptive philanthropy

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Boston's process for organizing this year's summit

• started in Jan, but bulk of work to organize has been in the last 2 months leading up
  • necessity of establishing venues and contracts at least half a year ahead of time however (MIT Media Lab booked in Dec)
• $25,000 in donations which certainly helped but should not expect to exist for all future summits
  • also ticket sales for the public component of the summit
  • 124 tickets sold for the public event this time round
• need to be aware that fewer people will generally be able to attend than desired or planned for
  • $10,000 was used to subsidize travel for this summit
• the MIT Media lab was made available gratis, which was very helpful, otherwise would cost ~$1000/hour
• agenda was decided by fiat more or less by small group of people, major driving reason was just to get everyone together
• Need to establish a feedback mechanism for this summit to determine what people liked, disliked, would recommend

Towards the future:

• IHAS can play a continuing role to seek sponsorship/funding for future summits
• point of connection for entrepreneurs that want to give back

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Deciding on a process for determining location (brainstorming)

• letter of intent?
  • Boston's process

Decision-making process

• a lot of existing models have competing pitches presenting at the end of the current summit and then a decision is made there
• is it at the level of a vote per(active) chapters, per trustee, what?
• having a committee struck to help lead to a decision on venue
  • would they decide by fiat, would they make a decision after a collaboratively decided short-list, vice versa?
  • have the committee include a rep (or multiple reps) from each short-listed location
    • potential conflicts of interest that result from this
    • potential of the summit planning cannibalizing the vitality of the host chapter's standard activities

Creating a Summit Committee?

• separate from a committee to help decide the summit location
• help to ensure that the summit happens each year
• BUT do we want to duplicate the effort and resources required to have two separate committees?
  • perhaps having a sub-committee that works to decide a location
• NEEDS: a group to determine location, a group to work on logistics, a group to work on programming/content; whether these be separate groups or sub-groups

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Selection Process 1. Pitches made by interested chapters/locations 2. Mandatory submission of info to committee 3. Committee vets submissions and creates short-list of viable possibilities 4. Vote by active chapters based on the short-list 5. Committee takes the vote into consideration and then decides 6. Announcement of next year's location at the summit

Tentative Selection Timeline

• Application process opens
• Close of application process
• Vetting of applications by committee
• Deliberation by committee on short-list (Vetting)
• Submitting groups publish their "pitch page"/Voting begins
• Voting closes
• Announcement of location of summit

The pitch should:

• demonstrate solidarity and commitment of chapter (or hosting group if it's a different body)
• demonstrate of strength of chapter and ability to execute
• mandatory submission component to committee to demonstrate that the capacity to implement exists
  • form/questions to be designed by committee
• video or other excitement building pitch would be optional

Potential Criteria (or at least considerations)

• urban vs rural areas? environment that leads to retreat style or otherwise

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Value of hosting a summit

• potential capacity building for the hosting group
• branding/marketing
• improve number/quality of submissions
• exposure
• potential collaborations and expanded network due to all of the above

ISSUES

• up till now Awesome XX:YY's have all been pretty ad-hoc groups; summits require much greater level of organization and dare-we-say, structure
• no particular failsafe on this right now, but that's okay--worst thing that happens is there's no summit that year
  • is that actually okay? potential damage to brand/chapters/etc.
• this tentative process is, of course, a work in progress and subject to change due to good arguments (that could also be part of pitches, especially with regards to dates, etc.)
• an actual pre-defined agenda, or a structure by which participants can create large chunks of the agenda?
• looking towards the future, if IHAS wants to expand Awesomeness internationally in a major way, imperative to involve reps from international chapters as part of future Summit Commitees

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