What follows are my notes from the Geek Community Center panel held at CONvergence 2009.  Panelists included Charlotte Nickerson, Charles Piehl, Jon Olsen and Michael Lee.

These are purely my personal notes of what I was able to scribble down as the discussion progressed.  This isn’t a comprehensive nor complete list of what is possible for a geek community center, it’s just a place to launch the discussion.

Please feel free to add to or correct these notes in the comments.  There’s a LOT of notes, so please reference the note you’re responding to in your replies.

Thanks!

Geek Community Center Panel, CVG 2009

Notes by Lex Larson

1. – shared back-end infrastructure, space

– location, location, location! (x3)

– map zipcodes of convention attendees to determine central location

– if possible, own the space to keep controlling interest in our hands

– could expand beyond SF&F fandom, example: square dancers renting space

2. – event space: concom meetings, Geek Prom

– Internet access

3. – community communication: events, emergencies

4. – financial challenge: where does the money come from? need a business plan.

– endowment

5. – operational challenge: facility maintenance

– who will shovel the walks? what happens when the furnace breaks?

– can portion of profits be put toward delegated tasks?

– volume of space

– use over time: 50 ppl/wk vs. 100 ppl/month

– nightly events, weekly meetings, monthly performances?

- should have space for artists to work (x2)

– face-to-face interaction among creative folks is important

– artists would be less isolated, more inspired if working near each other

6. – workshop space would be nice

– not necessary to provide tools, space is most important.

7. – financial challenge: how to establish a revenue stream to support facility?

– would users share the cost?  membership dues? sliding scale dues?

– merchandise sales?

– donations?

– space rental?

– state/local grants?

– hold classes as fundraiser?

– capital campaign? Talk to Target, Best Buy, Wells Fargo

– get used to asking for $$ outside of community, not just from membership

– Guests of Honor capital campaign, donor list

– CVG profits are in the tens of thousands, not $100K – $1M arena.

– could fan organizations bring in monthly revenue?

– monthly revenue become maintenance $$, while capital campaign funds initial costs

– could we become venture capitalists, funding other enterprises?

8. – would like performance space, but it may sit idle often.

– rehearsal space and performance space have different requirements.

– rehearsal space could be rented for other uses

– could potentially get revenue from productions

– performance space has specific architectural/lighting, etc. requirements

– networking and talent development opportunities

9. – meetings are a more flexible use of space than other “user groups”

– multi-use spaces, encourage use by younger fans

– Potential user groups: meeting users (concom, board, gamers), event users (geek prom), tech users (blackhat, LAN gamers), viewing users (anime, book/movie club), performance users (bands, improv, Fringe).

10. – storage space

– semi-permanent

11. – library space, populate with donated books

– has specific requirements beyond storage: climate control, etc.

12. – smaller meeting space for gamers

13. – communication avenues important.

– forum or BBS (x3) — (fyi: Lex has forum moderation experience)

– connect with others who have similar interests

– solicit requirements for space/community center needs

14. – building acquisition process

– determine financial capacity early

– requirements must be something people are willing to pay for

– who has skin in the game?

– which uses at what cost?

– requirements first, then discover afforability, be flexible on “needs”

15. – consider the long run

– set aside $$ for endowment

– discussion first, then raise funds

– vision, then $$, then input

16. – example: Sacred Path, pagan community center in St. Paul

– note they have been around 20 yrs, this isn’t a fast process

17. – want to “keep it in the family” of geeks whenever possible

18. – cross-pollination of ideas, cooperative projects

– like writers could find illustrators for their books

19. – facilities administration: consider hiring full-time staff

– scheduling, maintenance

– consider time dimension of space use

20. – focus on community: “As not what your community can do for you….”

– donate time, labor, skills, tools, etc.

21. – geek-of-all-trades: community has appeal to multi-genre geeks

22. – organizational challenge: how will conflict resolution work?

– administration and conflicts are a PITA

– build into org. charter

– MN Council of Non-profits training

– consider “professional” leadership (professional = paid for marketable/transferable skills)

– hire executive director

– development coordinator, hold community workshops

– community planning

23. – have in a “safe” neighborhood, where kids could be dropped off.

– daycare center

24. – parking needed

25. – coffee house

26. – philosophical challenge: keep common vision, mindset, direction

– does being part of the group venture in any way damage the autonomy of the constituent organizations?

– this is something new, but we do not want to subject people to making a choice between starting their own group and being a member of this group venture.

– sounds like Continental Congress, nation-building. Geek nation!

– avoid making this a federation, sovereign entities

– mission statement

27. – this discussion is energizing, happy to be having conversation.

28 – Michael: working to launch community workshop space.  1st & 3rd Weds working meetings.

– www.twincitiesmaker.com