Posted by s.aragon on 10 May 2019 - 9:00am Image by Malvika Sharan

By Malvika Sharan, Community Outreach Coordinator at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Heidelberg

We are excited about meeting you at the first European CarpentryConnect taking place in Manchester from 25 to 27 June 2019.

CarpentryConnect events are regional conferences, organised to strengthen local communities by creating opportunities to exchange knowledge and build computational skills. These in-person events allow community members to discuss topics of local interest and get to know about each other's work in an informal setting.

Under the theme "Training Communities: Challenges & Opportunities in Europe", the organisers of the CarpentryConnect Manchester aim to create a diverse and inclusive environment for the regional Carpentries community. In this post you will find important details on accessibility, childcare, emergency contacts, code of conduct, quiet room, and related information that we thought might help you plan your stay in Manchester. This post is taken from a complete A to Z index that covers (almost) all the aspects of this event, which will help you in getting prepared ahead of time. Feel free to add or request any information that we haven't listed there (on GitHub, Twitter: Hashtag #ccmcr19, email, or Slack).

We are looking forward to meeting you at the CarpentryConnect 2019 in Manchester!

A: Arrival, Access, Accommodation

Arrival and Access

The conference is organised by The Software Sustainability Institute and hosted at The Studio Manchester on 25th and 26th June. On 27th June the workshop will take place in the Kilburn Building at the School of Computer Science (University of Manchester). The locations are wheelchair accessible and the access guides are available here.

When you arrive at The Studio Manchester, you can locate the registration/information desk at the conference site. The designated Welcome Team of organisers and volunteers could be recognized by their T-shirts with the conference logo. They will be happy to provide you with any additional support and address any query you may have.

Accommodation

We have listed a number of accommodation options on the conference page. Please make sure that you have made arrangements for your accommodation. You can also use one of these services: Airbnb, booking.com, or hotels.com. The corresponding accommodation providers will give you the required information related to accessibility and availability.

C: Code of Conduct, Childcare

Code of Conduct

As a member and conference participant, you are requested to familiarise yourself with The Carpentries' Code of Conduct. If you believe someone is violating the Code of Conduct, we ask that you report it to the conference Code of Conduct chairs (Malvika Sharan and Tania Allard) at the conference in person, or by email. They will take the appropriate action to address the situation. You can also make an anonymous report via this reporting form or reach out to the Carpentries Code of Conduct Committee by emailing coc@carpentries.org.

Childcare

If you are traveling with infants and children, please contact the conference chair, Aleksandra Nenadic. You will be provided with information on the various resources that you can use for the childcare and planning your participation at the event with your children.

Image by Jason Leung

E: Emergency and Important Contacts

In case of emergency, please contact the organisers via email, Slack or phone +44 (0) 7850 895 256 (it will be active during the conference).

Here is a list of few other emergency contacts:

• Manchester Taxi service: +44 161 270 8701 (Uber is also available in the city)
• Non-emergency number: 101
• Emergency number: 999
• Ambulance and Emergency Services: +44 (0)161 276 1234
• Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) Accidents and Emergency (A & E) Department
• Nearest Hospital: +44 (0)161 276 1234
• Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9WL

Nearest pharmacies:

• Pharmacy & Chemists close to The Studio, Northern Quarter, Superdrug, 7-9 Piccadilly, Northern Quarter, Phone: +44 (0) 161 834 6091
• Pharmacy & Chemists close to University of Manchester, Faith Pharmacy, 59 Booth St West, Manchester M15 6PQ, Phone: +44 (0) 161 232 8044
• Pharmacies with basic supplies are also available is various supermarkets around the conference venues, e.g. Boots, Tesco and Sainsbury’s

F: Fitness, Friends and Family

Fitness

If you are in the city, you use the various running trails to get your daily dose of fitness activity. You can also take walking tours offered by our local volunteer Niall Beard on the evening of day-1 and morning of day-2. Please sign up to join the tour.

Friends and Family

Your partner, family members or guests are invited to attend a number of social events organised during the conference (sign up). Extra tickets for the conference dinner can be purchased on the registration site. Children can attend the conference dinner for free of cost. Please note that the break-out, skill-up, and workshop sessions will be limited to the registered participants only. Contact the organisers for any additional information.

I: Icebreaker

Many people coming to CarpentryConnect will be meeting for the first time. We want to make sure that everyone who comes to CarpentryConnect feels a sense of belonging right from the start. To get a head start to networking, we have planned an icebreaker event for everyone to connect with a small group of people to swap stories about themselves. You will also have several opportunities for face-to-face networking and interaction with other members during the conference.

K: Keynote Speakers

We have fantastic keynote speakers lined up for you at CarpentryConnect Manchester 2019. Our 4 speakers are: Tracy Teal (Executive Director, The Carpentries), Marta Taperek (Data Stewardship Coordinator at TU Delft, The Netherlands), Lex Nederbragt (Head of Education and Training for the Centre for Bioinformatics, University of Oslo), Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel (Associate Professor of the Practice in the Department of Statistical Science at Duke University and a professional educator at RStudio). We are very excited to have these leaders from their fields at CarpentryConnect and are looking forward to their talks. See the official website for more detail.

L: Lightning talks

The lightning talk session will take place on the first day of the conference from 12:00 - 12:30 pm. Each lightning talk presenter will get 2 minutes to present their topics. Please see the conference program for the complete schedule. The presenters will be asked to submit their presentations before the conference. Submissions for this session is closed.

M: Manchester

Photo by Michael David Beckwith

Manchester city in Greater Manchester, England is home to over 545,500 ethnically and linguistically diverse people. This city started the industrial revolution, claims to be the birthplace for vegetarianism in Britain, it’s where the “splitting of atom” was defined, and boasts about being “the first” in several occasions in history (see this blog for bizarre facts!). Clearly, Manchester has a lot to offer to the conference participants during their visit to this lovely city. See this post by the University of Manchester for useful information about the city.

N: New Members, Name Tags

New Members

Are you new to The Carpentries? Do you want to learn more about the organisation and how you can support it? CarpentryConnect is the place for you. It can be quite daunting if you don't know anyone, but the community has a history of being very friendly and inclusive, so don't be afraid to introduce yourself. You will be surprised how many lasting collaborations you will make at the conference. Take advantage of the social events and ice-breaking session, and when in doubt, contact the organisers.

Name Tags

Name tags are a great way for participants to strike up conversations with other participants or volunteers. You can collect your name tag at the registration desk. Don't forget to bring your registration ticket, and if possible a lanyard or badge from a previous conference to recycle (see details). Our name tags will have a section to add your preferred pronoun(s) and add a sticker to indicate if you don’t want to be photographed at the event. As a participant, be respectful to each other by using the correct name and pronouns. Ask – if you don't know how to pronounce someone's name, maybe they will share an interesting story behind their name.

O: Organisers

The organiser of this event is The Software Sustainability Institute. Aleksandra Nenadic, the training lead, is the chair of the conference, who is working with Institute staff and community members to make this conference a success with your participation. The other members of the organisation committee are Selina Aragon, Tania Allard, Ana Costa Conrado, Jez Cope, Clementine Hadfield, Michael Heeremans, Toby Hodges, Vasilis Lenis, Aleksandra Nenadic, Giacomo Peru, Fotis Psomopoulos, Malvika Sharan, Graeme Smith and Peter Smyth. They’ll be wearing a t-shirt with the conference logo. Don’t forget to say ‘Hello’ to them!

P: Pacman Rule

We know that coming into a conference alone or for the first time can be a little intimidating. You may not know anyone but it seems like everyone else knows lots of people. To ensure that everyone feels welcome and gets an opportunity to get to know other participants, we invite you to ‘stand like a Pacman’. Known as ‘Pacman rule’, this idea suggests that “when standing as a group of people [during social breaks], always leave room for 1 person to join your group”. So, stand like a pacman, or maybe create the largest pacman circle of the CarpentryCon Manchester.

Image by Mathew Schwartz.

Q: Quiet Room and Prayer Venues

If you need a quiet place while attending the event, there will be a designated area for you to chill out. Please look for the signage at the venue. We ask that while you are in the quiet room you are mindful of others who may be sharing the space as well. We have also collected information on the prayer venues in and around the conference locations, which you can find on the full A to Z index.

R: Registration

The online registration is open. We will have an opportunity for on-site registration but please let the organisers know in advance. The registration desk will be available on site for the entire period of the conference.

S: Slack, Special requirements

Slack

We’re on Slack: https://ccmcr19.slack.com. Join us there to connect and communicate with the organisers and participants of CarpentryConnect Manchester. We will be actively using the various channels for continuing discussions and documenting them to summarise different aspects of the conference. Also, you can install Slack apps to have access to these channels through your phone.

Special requirements

We want to assist you in all possible ways to make your participation enjoyable and stress-free. Please contact the organisers with any requests related to diet, mobility, medical, childcare or for making special arrangements before your arrival. Do not hesitate to contact the organisers before and during the meeting for any help.

T: Travel/Transportation

If you’re arriving at the Manchester Airport, the best way to get to city centre (or the venues) is by train to Piccadilly Rail Station. Trains run every 10 minutes to or from Manchester Piccadilly, with an average journey time of 20 minutes. There are also various taxi companies that run from the airport. A more detailed transportation information to the two conference venues is available online.  Get information on the local transport at Transport for Greater Manchester. For getting around Manchester, see the travel information and use this traveler checklist to get an extra help in getting ready for your trip to the conference.

U: University of Manchester

With 25 Nobel prize winners, University of Manchester is highly respected for both the quality of education and its incredible infrastructure. The conference is hosted by the University of Manchester in beautiful venues at The Studio and Kilburn. Several facilities of the University such as museum, library, The Martin Harris centre for music and drama, Jordell bank and art galleries are open to the public. Take an opportunity to learn about its resources and explore the campus.

V: Visa

Please make sure that you have the valid documents that allow you to enter the UK. If you need a visa (check if you need a visa), please apply for a Standard Visitor visa which is valid for the business-related activities like attending this conference. In case you need a visa support letter please inform the organisers as soon as possible, who will be happy to provide you with the required document. See the official page for more detail..

W: Weather, Waste minimisation

Source: Accuweather.

Weather

The temperature during the conference, as per the AccuWeather-forecast, will be 12-21 Degree Celsius. Weather in Manchester is subjected to have clouds, sun and a few showers during the conference and it’s not unusual at all to have them all in one day. A good strategy is to resort to layered clothing and to bring waterproof shoes and jackets.

Waste minimisation

Big events are known to produce a large amount of waste at all stages, starting from traveling overseas to using paper cups. We have tried to integrate the philosophy of ‘sustainability’ in our organisation workflow as well beyond software development. We propose to minimise waste by reusing lanyard and badges, not using plastic packaging and cutlery for the catering, reducing the printed materials, and be conscious of efforts made by our participants. We encourage you to avoid buying packaged water bottles and coffee mugs, by bringing your own reusable bottle and coffee mugs at the conference. Read this blog to get more tips on small things you can do to reduce our negative impact on the environment during the conference. Share more tips with us using the hashtag #CCMcr19ReduceCO2 on Twitter.

Y: You!

This event is for you. The success of this conference will be measured by what you gain at the conference and afterwards, in terms of skills, knowledge, and networking. Your contribution will be extremely valuable in shaping this event. Please don’t hesitate to voice your needs and opinion to the organisers.