[101-newcomers] IETF 101 Newcomer's Resources and Events

[Alexa Morris <[e-mail]>]

We are looking forward to seeing you soon in London for IETF 101!

You are receiving this email because you indicated during registration that you’ve attended fewer than five IETF meetings.  As a relative newcomer (and perhaps even first-time attendee) we want to make sure that you are aware of the various resources we’ve developed to get you up to speed. 

1. Before the Meeting:

a. Attend a Webinar: There are two options to participate in the IETF Newcomer’s Webinar next week.

- Monday, 12 March at1 5:00 UTC (8 AM PDT / 11 AM EDT / 4 PM CET / midnight JST) 
- Tuesday, 13 March at 1100 UTC (4 AM PDT / 7 AM EDT / 12 noon CET / 8:00 PM JST)

During this session we will provide a brief overview of how to prepare for the IETF 101 meeting week.  More importantly, we will give you the opportunity to ask any of the questions you may have. Join here: https://ietf101.conf.meetecho.com/index.php/Newcomers_webinar.

b. Read Ahead:  If you’ve not done so yet, please take a few minutes to watch the excellent “Top 10 Things to Know Before Your First IETF Meeting” video embedded on this page, under Attending a Meeting: https://ietf.org/about/participate/get-started/meetings/.  We also strongly encourage you to review The Tao of the IETF, which is available online at https://www.ietf.org/tao.html. 

c. Find a Mentor: Would you like the opportunity have a seasoned IETF attendee introduce you to the ways of an IETF meeting? The IETF Mentoring Program matches experienced IETF participants with newcomers in order to aid their integration into the IETF community. You can find more information at https://ietf.org/about/participate/mentoring/mentoring-participant-faq/ and you can request a mentor via this Google form: https://goo.gl/forms/vuyXCcObBAfrTSJn1.

Additional Resources: Additional IETF 101 resources for newcomers are available here: https://ietf.org/how/meetings/101/newcomers/. 

2. During the Meeting
Below are highlights of the newcomer-specific events during the IETF 101 meeting week.

a.  Events on Sunday, 18 March 
- A Newcomers Orientation is from 12:30-13:30 in the Blenheim room of the Hilton London Metropole. If you are unable to attend on Sunday, you can access an online version of the Newcomers Orientation via https://ietf.org/about/participate/tutorials/newcomers/.

- The IETF “Quick Connections” (formerly known as Speed Mentoring) is from in 15:00-16:00 in the Sandringham room. NOTE: Pre-registration is required and space is extremely limited. Quick Connections is a simple and effective way for you to be introduced to a variety of experienced IETF attendees — often working group (WG) chairs — who can help you get more involved in your areas of interest. We will send a separate email with a link to register for the Quick Connections session, so look for that soon. 

- A Newcomer’s Meet-and-Greet with WG chairs and other IETF leaders is from 16:00-17:00 in the Sandringham room.  Only newcomers and IETF leadership are invited to this informal and laid-back gathering; there will be no speeches or presentations. Beer, wine, soda, and light appetizers will be provided. This special reception provides a valuable opportunity to mingle with WG chairs, mentors and other leaders before the meeting week gets started.  If you are hoping to speak with a particular WG chair, you may want to check out our photo directory: https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/photos/. The Meet-and-Greet will end promptly at 1700.  At that time, you are encouraged to remain in the Sandringham room for the official IETF 101 Welcome Reception. This reception is open to the entire community, and it’s considered by many to be the informal kick-off of the week’s meeting. 

b. Events on Monday, 19 March
- An informal Newcomer’s dinner is at a nearby restaurant (location still TBD). If you are interested in joining, please rsvp to [e-mail] no later than 14:00 on that Monday the 14th.

c. Events on Thursday, 22 March
- A Newcomer’s Feedback Session is from 8:30-9:30am in Hilton meeting rooms 1-4 and a hot breakfast will be served. We are always eager to get feedback on the effectiveness of our newcomer related activities. What do you wish you’d known before you arrived? Which programs or activities were especially helpful and which programs or activities need to be revised? We’d like to hear from you, so please plan to attend.

Finally, for general logistical information (e.g. how to get from the airport to your hotel) please check out our meeting wiki at https://trac.ietf.org/trac/ietf/meeting/wiki/ietf101. If you have information to share, please create an account and contribute. 

Safe Travels,

Alexa Morris
IETF Executive Director