Grants:PEG/WM CZ/Exhibition presentation/Report
Project Goal:
The goal of the project was to equip the Wikimedia Czech Republic with a insufficient repertory of presentation tools to use them during various occasions when the association presents Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects to public.
Description of actual activities:
The original intention of using all grant funding for the purchase of presentation equipment had to be corrected in the coming months after because of new circumstances. We had an option to use more different sources for purchasing the equipment besides the grant, as we received a special financial help from the Wikimedia Foundation Public Outreach department as well as several sponsorship donations.
The association received a portable exhibition pop-up wall with the logos of Wikimedia projects (size 2×3 meters) and two Wikipedia logos as 3D self-adhesive labels (about 80 cm in diameter). We also used several multimedia devices, that various partners lent to us like plasma television and multi-touch MS Surface table by Microsoft with applications that use the content of Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons).
All these multimedia devices enabled us to perform interactive real-time demonstrations of Wikipedia processes, its editing and use of its content. The portion of the grant funds, that had been selected for multimedia presentation first, were eventually transfered to cover the operation costs of this sponsors-provided equipment and its connection to Internet.
The grant funds, the special WMF help and a sponsorship donation served for printing of nearly 30,000 leaflets (five different kinds) and 600 copies of two editions of the magazine Wikimedium. The five kinds of leaflets were:
- a brief presentation of Wikipedia;
- detailed description of Wikipedia including the instructions how to edit it and how to use its content;
- presentation of diversity of Wikimedia projects;
- presentation of the Wikimedia Commons;
- presentation of Wikimedia Czech Republic.
What lessons were learned that could help others succeed in similar projects?
The variety of presentation equipment is very useful. Various repertoire allows the best individual selection for any space and purpose requirements. Before the basic level of variety was achieved, the association had to use a compromise solution several times.
Possessing a sufficient repertoire of presentation equipment, on the other hand, places considerable demands on storage and transport capacities. If a chapter wants to use the presentation equipment effectively, it can not consider only a single purchase cost, but also of transportation, participation fees, energy etc. and possibly the storage costs.
In this context, we strongly recommend to choose an equipment that can be easily disassembled and transported. At the same time, it is worth to add such equipment that provides a possibility to attach specific information as is currently needed (like grease boards).
What impact did the project have on WMF mission goals of Increased Reach, Increased Quality, Increased Credibility, Increased and Diversified Participation?
In total, leaflets and presentation equipment were used at least at ten events, the largest of them being:
- In 2009:
- the Autumn Book Fair in Havlickuv Brod
- Libri Book Fair in Olomouc
- the first Czech Wikiconference in the Municipal Library of Prague
- a lecture at the American Cultural Centre in Prague
- 2010:
- an open-source conference LinuxExpo in Prague
- the Book World Fair in Prague
Total attendance of these events exceeded 50 thousand people, the attendance of the Wikimedia Czech Republic booth is estimated at least 4,000 people. Exhibition presentation served for attracting the attention to the chapter's booth and subsequently to inform the public about Wikipedia, and Wikimedia projects and activities.
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The Wikimedia Czech Republic booth at the Autumn Book Fair in 2009. In the picture center, there is the pop-up wall, donated by sponsor. -
The Wikimedia Czech Republic booth at the Book World Fair 2010. The pop-up wall on the right, the self-adhesive logo on the left on the wall behind the Microsoft Surface. -
Leaflets and the Wikimedium magazine.
Detail of expenditures:
Of the grant funds (USD 2000), around USD 480 was used for following purposes:
- Multimedia presentation ... USD 177
- Accessories and administration ... USD 35
- Leaflets ... USD 268
Further USD 1925 from the WMF Public Outreach department special financial help was spent to print other leaflets.
Amount underspent in US Dollars:
USD 1520 was not spent. The discrepancy between the allocation and spending is determined by the acquisition of some parts of the presentation through sponsorship. Usual purchase price of the portable exhibition pop-up wall is approximately USD 1,200 and the price of self-adhesive logos is approximately USD USD 1,000, both items are now owned by the chapter.
Will you be requesting re-allocation of remaining grant funding?
We request the unused funds transferred into the consolidated "Outreach and presentation" grant being prepared now in cooperation between Wikimedia Czech Republic and Wikimedia Foundation as the funds will serve similar purposes there and they can be used to complete the presentation with more items to add variety or to renew consumable items (leaflets etc.).