Dear Wikimedians,
We are delighted to update you today regarding the upcoming Wikimedia Conference[1], which will be held in Berlin on May 14-17, 2015. Wikimedia Deutschland’s event team looks forward to making the logistics as smoothly as possible for everyone involved and to supporting you in the upcoming months.
Please find below important information regarding the registration procedure, eligibility for participation as well as specifics in regards to travel and hotel bookings.
== Registration now open! == Registration for the Wikimedia Conference 2015 is now open. Persons who are selected by their organization to represent them at the conference need to register via the registration form.[2]
The registration will close on Monday, March 16, 2015. For visa applicants we strongly recommend to register until Monday, February 23, 2015 and to check the amount of time needed for applications to Schengen states.
We will publish all participants’ names on the meta page shortly after their registration in order to help affiliates check that only their selected representatives have registered. Please make sure to check this page regularly.[3]
== Who is invited to attend? == The eligibility criteria for participating in the Wikimedia Conference 2015 have been aligned to the Affiliates’ Agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation. Please note that the criteria have changed compared to last year. [2]
Affiliates must have shown signs of recent activity AND be up-to-date on their reporting by the eligibility deadline (February 28). Moreover, affiliates need to have been officially recognized by the Wikimedia Foundation before February 01, 2015.
Chapters and Thematic Organizations can send two delegates, or up to four, if they have paid staff; User Groups can send one delegate. An overview of the eligibility statuses is published on Meta.[4] Please check this first.
Affiliates are asked to only send delegates that are well-informed in goings-on at the affiliate, able to confidently answer questions about it and share experience from their group. They should also be empowered to commit their group to involvement in proposed projects or initiatives.
We also hope that several members of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and staff, the Funds Dissemination Committee as well as the Affiliations Committee will participate in the conference. We see a huge advantage in having their representatives on site and encourage them to take part in a range of talks and discussions. Please also register via the registration link.
==Travel and hotel booking== We are happy to announce that all participants will be accommodated in the same hotel. WMDE has blocked a number of single and double rooms at the hotel Motel One Leipziger Platz. Affiliates that already have WMCON funding will need to book their travel and hotel rooms individually. Affiliates without WMCON funding will be supported by the WMF for their travel and by WMDE for their hotel needs. Please check Meta [4] for your status.
All participants are requested to register. To which group you belong will be inquired in the registration form.
We would like to express our appreciation and sincere thanks to the Wikimedia Foundation for their collaboration and support.
Wikimedia Deutschland is looking forward to welcoming you in Berlin in May! Please do not hesitate to reach out to us any time via wmcon@wikimedia.de should you have any questions or comments.
Best regards,
Daniela on behalf of the Event Team
Wikimedia Deutschland wmcon@wikimedia.de
[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2015
[2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2015/Registration
[3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2015/Participants [4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2015/Overview_Eligibili...