How to organize Fedora events

Organizing FWD takes effort and in this section, we’re going to lay down the foundations of how to organize one. Anyone can help organize a local or virtual event organized by the DEI team. This guide shows you how you can get started and run a smooth, inclusive event.

Pre-Planning (3-6 months before)

Before anything else:

  • Decide on event format (virtual / local / hybrid)

  • Brainstorm a theme or focus (e.g. "Stories from the Community", "First Contribution Day", “open Source journeys”, “Fedora Around the World”)

  • Create a Fedora DEI GitLab ticket. Use this to request support for the FWD activities.

  • For funding support, follow the process outlined by the Fedora Mindshare Committee. Budget requests should go through them. Be sure to plan early and clearly explain what you need.

  • Think about what you’ll need: speakers, hosts, swags, venue or platform?

Coordinate with the Fedora DEI Team

Then these steps below are mandatory and important to follow in that order:

  • Open a ticket in the Fedora DEI GitLab repository.

  • Discuss your ticket during the Fedora DEI bi-weekly meeting to get feedback, guidance, and alignment.

  • Stay connected via Matrix for follow-up questions, coordination, and real-time updates.

(For any event that requires funding, swag, or promotion help - the DEI GitLab ticket is the first and most important step.)

Recommended timeline

It is easier to manage your event when you have a clear timeline beforehand. Below is a recommended timeline to help you stay on track from concept to post-event wrap-up.

Timeline Task

5–6 months before

Propose event via GitLab DEI ticket

4 months before

Confirm date, format, venue(if in-person) speakers & visuals

3 months before

Request support (promotion, mentorship, or budget) via your GitLab ticket

2 months before

Launch call for participation (optional)
(Invite community members to participate)

1 month before

Promote your event on social media and Fedora channels

1 week before

Send/post final reminders, do a tech check or dry run

Event day

Run the event! 🎉

1–3 days after

Share blog recap + community highlights

Promote your event

Make it easy for people to find and join your event:

  • Use hashtags like #FWD(year, eg. FWD2025) or one relevant to your event.

  • Add a picture or poster if you have one. Make sure it’s easy to read and not too crowded. In case you don’t have a designer in the team - reach out to the design team to create one for you.

  • Tag relevant Fedora accounts and other people or groups who might be interested.

  • Write clearly – tell people what the event is, when it is, who should come, and what they’ll learn.

  • Post in multiple places : Fedora Discourse, Matrix, X(twitter), Instagram, Mastodon, and in local communities.

  • Post more than once – share early, remind people a few days before, and post during or after the event too.

  • Coordinate with the Fedora Marketing Team early, as they’re really helpful in supporting and amplifying your event.

Contributor roles

It is good to divide and assign tasks, meaning clear roles make sure everyone knows what to do - and it gives new contributors a chance to step up.

Typical roles include: Project management, Event production, Speaker management, Content and promotion and Design. Check the Week of Diversity GitLab README for more.

You don’t need a huge team - a few people can make it happen.

(These roles are adopted from Fedora Week of Diversity(FWD), which has successfully used this structure to organize FWD events.)

Post-Event Wrap-up

You did it! Now it’s time to document your impact and celebrate your team.

  • Thank speakers, organizing team and attendees

  • Share a short blog post or Discourse recap (with photos or quotes), check FWD2024 recap.

  • Submit your GitLab wrap-up note with:

    • What worked

    • What could be improved

    • Participant feedback (if any)

This will help us all learn and grow - and it makes your event part of Fedora’s living history.

Want to help? Learn how to contribute to Fedora Docs ›