Dear Wikimedia friends,

Following Christian’s invitation, I will now provide you with information regarding program and next steps of the Wikimedia Conference. A more detailed version of this email can be found on Meta. Please use the talk pages for your questions and comments.[1]

== One core theme: Movement Impact == Wikimedia Conference 2016 will focus on the core theme of “Movement Impact”. All sessions and contributions will have to add to this theme. Throughout the conference, we will work together on the following core questions:

How do we define common impact of the movement? What does impact mean on a global and on a local level? How do we measure impact? How can impact measurement help us to prioritize our actions? What programs have proven to be successful in terms of generating impact? How can they be replicated and how do we scale them up? How do other nonprofit organizations define and measure impact? What can we learn from them?

Cornelius (Program and Engagement Coordinator, PEC) and I will work with the Program Advisors, the Thematic Ambassadors, the facilitators as well as the participants to create the conference program.

== How to select the delegates == WMCON is all about participation. To make the conference a success it will be essential for the invited affiliates to deliberately select their delegates. Participants should come to Berlin to learn and to share, but also to bring the information and learnings back home. We are seeking delegates who will be actively engaged before, during and after the conference and can represent their affiliates. Ideal delegates are those who are involved in the decision making processes in the organization, evaluation specialists, or program leaders.

== Eligibility criteria and number of delegates == To be eligible to attend WMCON16, affiliates must have shown signs of recent activity and be up-to-date on their reporting[2] by January 1. Moreover, affiliates need to have been officially recognized by the Wikimedia Foundation before December 1, 2015. An eligibility criteria overview will be published next week. Chapters and Thematic Organizations can send two delegates, or up to four, if they have paid staff; User Groups can send one delegate.

== How to prepare for the registration == Registration opens December 1 and closes on January 15. Please note that this is a sharp deadline. In the months between the registration and WMCON, the PEC will work with the registered participants on elaborating the program of the Wikimedia Conference. Because we want to build the program to fit participant needs and experiences, we would like to learn a little more about your interests in advance. We have published an overview of questions[3] that we will use in the registration form. Please make yourself familiar with these questions already, as they can also help you to select the delegates.

== What’s next == We will open the registration on December 1 and send out further information on logistical matters such as travel and accommodation booking. Daniela Gentner will be the main contact for all questions regarding the logistics, you can reach out to her via wmcon@wikimedia.de.

I am looking forward to welcoming many of you in Berlin in April next year.

Nicole

[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2016/Program_Design_Pro... [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Reports [3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2016/Program_Design_Pro...