Conference --- Creative Marketing, Content and PR Team

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What about doing something like "blahblahblahcon" hosted by Wrongplanet.net

or Wrongplanetl.net Presents "blahblahblahcon"

Keeping WP in it, but at the same time opening it up to others who are not on the forums, as well as professionals, etc. To guarantee we have enough attendees, we will want to advertise to other auties on other forums, other groups, etc. If we make it just a "WP meet and greet" I'm not sure how many people will actually buy tickets, etc.

I'm just trying to come up with a solution in which WP members get what they want and we can get funding and make this event something exciting and unique.

Posted this in the other thread, posting it here in case it gets lost over there.


Planning

Finance

Prepare budget
How are we handling payment to vendors, speakers, etc?

***Budget will be dependent on location, once we pick a location Finance will be responsible for communicating with the other team to evaluate budget needs



Program

Brainstorm program and activity ideas
Contact speakers
Contact companies needed for activities
Prepare daily schedule of programs
Communicate with Technical about audio-visual needs of speakers, programs
Communicate with Accommodations about when meals will take place
Create back-up plan in case of emergency in which speakers are unable to attend

***The best thing to do at first is to come up with program ideas for all attendees. Remember we are going to have activities for autistic adults and kids, as well as family members, professionals, and HR employees

Accommodations

Set block reservations at hotel
Plan meals for participants, agree upon which meals will be included
Communicate with management about accommodating guests with autism

***We need to agree on a location, which may be decided upon by what hotels are willing to give the best discounts for us and guests.

Logistics

Transport for speakers, volunteers, etc to and from airport, around town, etc.
Come up with sight-seeing, night life, activities to do outside of the convention

***This is contingent upon a location, so once that is set this team can start

Technical

Plan audio-visual need
Plan paper products: printing of materials such as schedules, nametags, room signs, folders, presentation materials, signs, etc.

***We need to research a list of materials we will need and who can give us the best deal. Perhaps we can get a discount or sponsorship from a printing place? For now, we need a good list on printed materials that will be needed so that Finance can work it into the budget.

PR
Contact media, both local and national and keep them informed about event
Plan special seats and accommodations for media reps
TB is on top of this, any others who have contacts make sure to contact him. We are coming up with a uniform way to approach media in order to clearly portray our cause.

For the conference name, I was kinda thinking of WPCon or AutoCon. Or wait? If we're gonna have a mascot, how about AlienMeet, PandaMonium, MonkeyMeet, or something like that?

WrongPlanet is a horrible name. It is silly and pessimistic.

AutisticPlanet, NeurodivercePlanet, AutiePlanet, are better.

Yes, "Neurodiversity Movement" is great.

We want to promote awareness, acceptance, inclusion, tolerance, advancement, happiness, fun and enlightenment, right?
Surely it is inappropriate to put such concepts under the heading "Wrong Planet", right?

I had a brainstorm about the logo this morning.

It seems like there is an image that is commonly used with autism: multicolored puzzle pieces. Yet I'm rather fond of the neurodiversity images that incororate multiple colored / styled brains.

So, why not put the two together? I'm thinking to make the AutWorld title very large, crisp and bold (in white with a very solid black outline) In front of a cloud of multicolored brains that will form a border for the title. With the "celebrating neurodiversity blahstuff" byline floating underneath the cloud.

Literally, a brain-storm of neurodiversity. I don't know about you, but I'm into literalism. :D

I LOVE this.

I've read through this thread twice and I'm still not 100% sure what is going on but I think I get the gist (I'm probably wrong) if you need a website I can offer that (with free hosting). Also the first name that came to mind was Autastic - combination of Autistic and fantastic and then perhaps a logo could be created in such a way that the two words could be merged so that the main name was prominent. I'll make something quickly as a picture may make my idea clearer.

Right just threw this together, I hope it explains what I mean better then in my last post;

A Brainstorm of Neurodiversity! That is awesome!! !! ! So freaking great!

I think Brainstorm should be in the title of the event that word is just perfect. BrainStorm!

You rock!

I can see your point. If people feel its negative then thats enough to rule it out, its important to get it right.

It may be wrong for your conference but I thought I would say what I like about Wrong Planet. I like Wrong Planet, as to me its a fun, existing brand (then a strapline states the serious purpose). Brand continuity is important. It does indeed say that autistics are on the wrong planet, but that is clearly absurd so its a playful metaphor. One that encapsulates autism as differently thinking and not a disease.

It suggests a different community and seeing autistics as a whole, not as pitiable individuals with a disease. The public perception is the latter. Acceptance, inclusion, tolerance, advancement, etc are key but they fall out of the realisation you are an eloquent, organised, differently thinking community. And quite a lot differently thinking, not just a little bit, NTs and autistics are indeed from different planets - in the same way men and women are - and such happy unions can be made. One can't overstate how badly informed people are about autism and the idea of self-advocacy, so if Wrong Planet is not the brand, well you need a good one.

I also liked the Autastic idea, but then kids in UK are sticking "tastic" on the ends of words at the moment to stress super coolness, so that might work best for kids. I like it as a word, its dynamic and fun.

I'm just gibbering during a tea break.

Edit - BrainStorm is cool

I strongly disagree. I think the name "Wrong Planet" is a very good name. It does have a light-hearted fun ring to it, but I wouldn't call it silly. "Autism Self-Advocacy Movement" is also a good name but sounds very serious.
I have noticed that when it comes to branding, I have noticed that "light-hearted fun" seems to generate a better response than serious. I guess what I am trying to say is that "Wrong Planet" is a damn good brand.

The puzzle pieces are usually used by curebies.
The Neurodiversity movement usually opposes the puzzle pieces:
http://www.salon.com/2009/04/27/autistic_culture/
http://chaoticidealism.livejournal.com/32509.html
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4104/5087 ... a255_b.jpg
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4085/5087 ... 0593_b.jpg

The Neurodiversity movement tends to use the multi-colored infinity symbol:
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4105/5087 ... c26e_b.jpg

Great! Go for it!
I wonder why...

Autastics is already taken by an Autistic group in San Francisco:
http://www.autastics.org/

Since you are in Cambs, perhaps you are interested in Autscape 2012?
It will be in Suffolk, in July:
http://www.autscape.org/
They may need help with their website.