SSQA.in.2012: Speaker Ideas, Meeting Format, and Member Involvement

1. Agenda: “SSQA in 2012” • Topic and/or speaker ideas for 2012 • Meeting format • Meeting frequency • Meeting cancellation criteria • Meetup.com site • SSQA member involvement • Officer elections • Speaker return engagements

2. Topic and/or speaker ideas for 2012 • Members become self-sufficient – act as speakers, bring in speakers, submit ideas and contact info, etc. • Speakers on alternate months (more sustainable in terms of getting speakers) • Program Chair be a high level mega coordinator, and each monthly speaker is found by a different member.

3. Issues with commitment of speakers • Lightening talk vs reviews – leave it up to the speaker to decide? • Toastmasters-speak to us in early 2012. Tammy to take this action item. • People more willing to attend when they are out of work (more time, looking for contacts, etc). How can we address this? • Brainstorming sessions-White Board night. Suggestions of best practices, automation tools. However, need a lead.

4. A pool of people to come in to leverage. • Company sponsorship (food!) Is there an ASQ budget to do this? Ken: approval process is too tough. Auditor/Treasurer can possibly handle this. • Groups that get email-can we reach out for more attendees as well as speakers? • MMP would like to be the coordinator of coordinators. • John will be in charge of speaker for Feb.

5. When will we be moving to a new HP location? • Ken suggests a QA hack-a-thon • Meeting room size-smaller needed • Tables amongst the chairs etc. • Food discussed again-there’s a theme • Attendees from Portnov and other local schools / classes • MMP feels 30 is the magic # of attendees

6. Meeting format • Jan-pizza and soda paid for by ASQ. ToastMasters preferred presenter. • Speaker not needed! Discussions groups, networking, lightening rounds, etc.

7. Meeting frequency • If less than monthly, attendance may drop as there are a number of people who just know when it is – they don’t look it up, don’t inquire, etc. • RSUs would not be worth it if only attending bi-monthly etc.

8. Meeting cancellation criteria • Meetup will help facilitate this. • What is the minimum # of people who must RSVP in order to (not) cancel – • Criteria different for each type of meeting. Speaker – 20? • Other type of mtg ? Less • DECISION to be made by that month’s coordinator!

9. Meetup.com site • MMP belongs to a group that uses this. A person joins and RSVPs to a meeting. $144/yr. Encourages networking – people can leave a note. Can leave reviews afterwards. Would be more ‘happening’ Gives us a way to cancel as well. Make it tougher to attend-it is not a freebie-make some effort.

10. Meetup site is permanent, not a ‘per mtg’ site. Can go anytime to look up info on past info and future info as well. • Do a search for QA zip 95126 to find Bay Area Quality Group.

11. SSQA member involvement • MMP needs a small team to assist • MMP Oct plans moved to Nov. • Tammy Davis for Jan • John Bunting for Feb • Ken needs to give presos for website • Carolyn Sims for March. • best practices workshop

12. Officer elections • By-laws: June a small committee meets, nominates, July present, Aug vote. • Start paying attention now and enact this in 2012. Secretary to ensure this is brought to Chair’s attention.

13. Speaker return engagements • John Bach requested to return • MMP does NOT want to see repeats. • The problem is actually getting people who are good to want to come back to speak. • What kind of criteria should be develop: • Topic must be different • Exception is different speakers, different opinions

14. Another example – MMP speaking on Selenium again. • Suggested • 1x/year/main speaker even if different topic • Same topic, see previous entry / coordinate • Drop this issue for now