How to Organize a Small Apache Event
How to Organize a Small Apache Event
This guide covers everything you need to run a local event — a hackathon, sprint, meetup, BarCamp, or community gathering — with Apache branding. You don’t need permission from ComDev to start planning; just follow the steps below.
What counts as a “small event”?
Any community gathering of 5–100 people organized by or for an Apache project community:
- Contributor sprint — a day of focused hacking on a specific project
- Hackathon — multi-project working event
- BarCamp / unconference — participant-driven talks and discussion
- Meetup — an evening or half-day of talks and networking
- Release party — celebrating a major release
Step-by-step
1. Pick your format and date
Decide what kind of event you’re running and pick a date at least 4 weeks out. Weekend events are common but weekday evenings work for meetups.
2. Find a venue
Good options (often free):
- University classrooms or lecture halls
- Company offices with community spaces
- Coworking spaces
- Libraries with meeting rooms
- Conference side-rooms (if co-locating)
You need: tables, chairs, power outlets, WiFi, and ideally a projector.
3. Identify a coordinator
Every event needs one named person who is the point of contact. This person should be:
- An Apache committer or PMC member on at least one project, OR
- Working with the support of a committer/PMC member
4. Create your event page
Copy the event page template and submit a PR to this repository. The template has all the fields you need.
Alternatively, email dev@community.apache.org with your event details and we’ll set up the page for you.
5. Handle trademarks
If you’re using “Apache” or any Apache project name in your event title or materials:
- Review the Third Party Event Branding Policy
- For small community events organized by committers, this is typically lightweight — just ensure you’re not implying ASF endorsement of a commercial product
You do NOT need to wait for trademark approval to start planning. Just make sure your materials comply before publishing them.
6. Promote the event
- Post to your project’s dev@ mailing list
- List it on this site (via the event page you created in step 4)
- Share on social media using #ApacheCommunity
- If there are local meetup groups, reach out to them
8. Run the event
See the Day-of Checklist for a printable checklist.
9. After the event
- Post a brief report to dev@community.apache.org (attendance, what worked, what you’d change)
- Add photos to photos.apachecon.com if you took any
- Update your event page with an “Outcome” section
- Consider writing a blog post for blogs.apache.org
Resources
- Event page template — copy this to create your event page
- Day-of checklist — printable logistics checklist
- Sprint in a Box — everything you need for a contributor sprint
- Speaker support — coaching for presenters
- ASF event branding policy
FAQ
Do I need to be an ASF Member to run an event? No. Any committer can organize an event. Non-committers can too, as long as they have the support of a project PMC member.
Can I charge admission? Events using Apache branding should be free or at-cost (covering venue/food). Profit-making events need separate approval per the branding policy.
What if my event is virtual? Same process. Note the timezone, platform (Zoom, Jitsi, etc.), and maximum capacity on your event page.
Who do I contact if I get stuck? Email dev@community.apache.org — someone from the community development team will help.