Sponsorship Prospectus

Sponsorship Prospectus

Concept

Write the Docs (https://www.writethedocs.org/) is a three day conference focusing on documentation systems, tech writing theory, and information delivery.

Writing and maintaining documentation involves a multidisciplinary community of technical writers, designers, librarians, typesetters, developers, support teams, marketers and many others. This group of people can be collectively referred to as “documentarians”.

Write the Docs creates a time and a place for this community to share information, discuss ideas, and work together to improve the art and science of documentation.

For too long, people who care about documentation have felt alone in the world, not able to connect with their community. Write the Docs is a magical experience for many of our attendees, allowing them to feel like they have found their place. We believe this is the most important thing that our event can do, and we aim to provide that experience again this year, and make it better than ever.

Demographics

We hold two conferences yearly, one in Portland, USA in May, and one in Prague, Europe in September. Attendance is approximately 400 in the USA and 250 in Europe, and we expect both conferences to sell out.

Our audience is made up of:

  • Technical Writers (50%)
  • Developers (15%)
  • Support Staff (15%)
  • Managers (10%)
  • Community Contributors, Enthusiasts & Other Folks (10%)

Why Sponsor

By supporting a Write the Docs event, your company will gain not only visibility and credibility with front-line documentarians, but also valuable insights that will help you get the most out of your own documentation efforts. If you’re hiring for docs positions, Write the Docs is also an excellent opportunity to meet top-notch talent.

Our conferences are run by teams of volunteers, and we work hard to keep ticket prices affordable for a broad range of attendees. Your sponsorship makes it possible for all sorts of documentarians to attend our events, whether they’re a freelancer, a student or out of work. Becoming a sponsor demonstrates your commitment to and support of good documentation, and the people who build it.

Sponsorship Packages

The following options are suggested sponsorship levels. We are happy to discuss adjustments and custom packages.

First Draft

The First Draft package is only available to startups (under 15 employees), non-profits, and open source organizations.

  • One (1) ticket
  • Small logo & link on the Write the Docs website
  • Name included in welcome announcement in email newsletters and social media
  • Display 1 promotional (“Swag”) item on the conference swag table (provided by sponsor)
  • NOTE: A table at the job fair is now included in this sponsorship

The First Draft package costs €750. You can buy it directly on our ticket website.

Second Draft

The Second Draft package is great for companies looking to hire or promote a product.

  • Two (2) tickets
  • Medium logo & link on the Write the Docs website
  • Name included in welcome announcement in email newsletters and social media
  • Display 1 promotional (“Swag”) item on the conference swag table (provided by sponsor)
  • One featured job posting in our Newsletter (2,500 subscribers)
  • NOTE: A table at the job fair is now included in this sponsorship

The Second Draft package costs €1500.

Publisher

The Publisher package is great for sending a team and getting to know the community.

  • Five (5) tickets
  • Large logo & link on the Write the Docs website
  • Name included in welcome announcement in email newsletters and social media
  • Display 2 promotional (“Swag”) item on the conference swag table (provided by sponsor)
  • Two featured job postings in our Newsletter (2,500 subscribers)
  • A table at the job fair

The Publisher package costs €3500.

Patron

Limit 2

The Patron package highlights your company as a force in the industry and community:

  • Ten (10) tickets
  • Small table in the main conference hall
  • Small logo included on videos
  • Full size logo & link on the Write the Docs website
  • Name included in welcome announcement in email newsletters and social media
  • Display 3 promotional (“Swag”) item on the conference swag table (provided by sponsor)
  • Three featured job postings in our Newsletter (2,500 subscribers)
  • A featured table at the job fair

The Patron package costs €7500.

Keystone

Limit 1

The Keystone package highlights you as our main community partner:

  • Fifteen (15) tickets
  • Large table in the main conference hall
  • Dedicated table for staff
  • Large logo included on videos
  • Full size logo & link on the Write the Docs website
  • Name included in welcome announcement in email newsletters and social media
  • Display unlimited promotional (“Swag”) item on the conference swag table (provided by sponsor)
  • Five featured job postings in our Newsletter (2,500 subscribers)
  • A featured table at the job fair

The Keystone package costs €13000.

Other Sponsorship Opportunities

The following a la carte offerings are available either independently or combined with one of the previous packages to increase visibility at the event.

Job Fair

Our job fair is a wonderful place to connect with the talented Write the Docs attendees. We’ll have over 300 people in attendance for our conference, and many of those people will come to our job fair to look for new roles and positions.

It is included in all sponsorship packages this year.

  • Logistics: The Job Fair will be Tuesday morning in Aero Hall, ground floor. You can see the timing details on the schedule.
  • Layout: Every participant will have a table and two chairs reserved for them. Giveaways/flyers are welcome, please make sure everything fits on your table.

Note that the Code of Conduct and Sponsors, affiliates, and exhibitors apply to the Job Fair as well as to the rest of the conference.

Lanyard

Provide your branded lanyards for our badges. This makes your company name visible to each and every attendee at the conference!

€1500

  • Logistics: Sponsor is responsible for shipping lanyards to organizers at least two weeks before the event starts.

Writing Day

Sponsor the Writing Day on Sunday, where we get together to help improve the documentation of many projects. This is great for any company that is looking for contributors to their open source projects.

€1500

  • Logistics: The Writing Day runs 10-5 on Sunday.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to our sponsorship team at:

Payment

We expect all invoices to be paid within 21 days of invoice receipt, as many of our expenses must be paid up front.

Run of Show

A quick overview of the spaces:

  • The Main Ballroom is where talks and most sponsorship activity happens.
  • The Unconference Room is across from the main ballroom. This is where the Unconference & Job Fair happens.

An overview of the conference schedule:

  • The Writing Day is on Sunday, in the main ballroom. You are welcome to run a documentation sprint here if your documentation is open source.
  • The main conference & sponsorship days are on Monday & Tuesday in the main ballroom.
  • The Job Fair happens Tuesday morning.

The Schedule contains the most up to date information about the timing of events.

How do I get the most out of my sponsorship?

Come prepared to engage with our community, and to learn just as much as you teach. Engage with our event as attendees as well as sponsors. Send technical staff who can chat with people on the interesting things your company is doing, and get value from the vast amount of insight in the room. We do have some decision makers in the room, but soft sells will work better than hard sales in the environment we strive for.

Who is my primary contact?

Eric Holscher <eric@writethedocs.org> will be your primary contact, but our team is available at <sponsorship@writethedocs.org>. If you have a time sensitive inquiry, please email the entire team to ensure a timely response.

What are the dates that sponsors need to know about in advance?

  • SUNDAY: The swag tables are available during the Writing Day, if you want to put out swag items early.
  • MONDAY: Doors open at 9am, so we recommend arriving around this time to get the most interaction with attendees. This is the official start of the conference. The conference will run until around 5pm.
  • TUESDAY: The Job Fair will be in the morning, setup will start 30 minutes before the job fair starts. Sponsor tear down in the main hall will be 4pm on Tuesday. That will be the end of the conference, so feel free to book travel home that evening.

How do I use get my free tickets?

You should have received a unique URL with a discount code for your free sponsorship tickets. We are happy to send it over again, just ask!

What do I need for the job fair?

The job fair will be a low key event. Every participant will have a six-foot table and two chairs, in a different room from the primary conference. Giveaways/flyers are welcome, but please keep your setup requirements simple.

What happens with my swag items?

We will have a few “swag tables” that are placed around the back of the main ballroom. This will be where sponsor and community stickers & swag will be located, so that attendees are free to pick it up.

How do I ship items?

Prior to the event, if you’d like to ship swag, we will send you the mailing address 3 weeks prior to the event. We can’t receive packages before that. Anything sent to us will be available at the venue on the day of the event.

Sponsors

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