CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

The conference schedule will entail the following major activities:-

• Conference Assembly / Official Launch
• Conference Sessions
• Unconference Sessions
• Lightning Talks
• Demonstrations
• Hackathon
• Site Visit
  
  
• Evening Gala Dinner 
  
  

Schedule

The conference will be structured in a semi-unconference format - each conference date will comprise with a number of pre-determined sessions/events, followed by open slots for the audience to propose sessions of their choice.

Please Note: The schedule is dynamic, thus keep a look out for changes.

Propose Session Ideas

• Unconference Sessions - One-hour group discussions on a topic of interest to the group. Have a suggestion for something that should be discussed in one of these sessions? Submit your session idea(s) on our Unconference Session - Talk Thread

• Lightning Talks - An hour-long session where a dozen presenters each get no more than 5 minutes to stand up a present to the group. We get introduced to some of the great work the community  is doing in the lightning talk session. These are a great way to introduce work or ideas to the community to spark greater interest. If you have something you'd like to share, make sure you can fit your ideas within the strictly enforced 5-minute limit and propose your lightning talk on our Lightning Talks - Talk Thread

• Demonstrations - The demonstrations session is an opportunity for people to set up a "booth" (e.g., a laptop ± any materials) in a room and demonstrate their ideas/work to small groups visiting each demonstration. You would end up giving a brief presentation multiple times to small groups of attendees with the opportunity to answer their questions and discover new collaborative opportunities. If you want to demonstrate your work, register your interest on our Demonstration - Talk Thread

Hackathon

The traditional OpenMRS hackathon will be held during the 2 days after the event, 7th - 8th December 2018. The hackathon is free for developers to attend, but separate registration is required because space is limited.

If you are attending the OMRS18 Hackathon, join the discussion on hackathon ideas on Hackathon - Talk Thread

Site Visits

We are currently finalizing a list of implementation sites that attendees will be able to visit. More details will be updated.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

If you are attending OMRS18 or wish you could but cannot and want to keep in touch with people at the conference:

Talk

• Follow talk posts related to the conference
  • #OMRS18 Talk Posts

Twitter

• Follow us on Twitter
  • Tweet using the #OMRS18 hashtag

Facebook

• Follow us on Facebook!

Telegram

• Join the Telegram group

Email Update List

• Sign up for our email update list!

TRAVELLING TO KENYA

Invitation Letters & Visas

The OpenMRS and HELINA conference will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from 3rd December to 8th December 2018.

As an attendee to these conference and not residing in Kenya, kindly consider the visa information provided  "HERE" to guide your travelling plans.

NOTE: Visa Processing takes 3-4 business days.

Vaccinations

If traveling with prescription medication, check with the Government of Kenya to ensure that the medication is legal in Kenya. Always carry your prescription medication in original packaging with your doctor’s prescription.

The Government of Kenya requires proof of yellow fever vaccination for travelers who are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever.

For more information on vaccines and medication required when travelling to Kenya, please review this link "HERE".

Accommodation

Accommodation is not included in conference registration fees. Thus find the following:-

Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Nairobi  (OpenMRS Conference Venue)

A 5-star hotel that charms with its African design, uplifting atmosphere, open spaces, cool features and panoramic views. Situated in the popular Westlands district, Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Nairobi is the perfect base to explore Kenya’s capital while staying for business or leisure. Dine in the spectacular 360-degree revolving restaurant that complements two more restaurants, two bars and a lobby lounge. Offers a swimming pool, spa and health club among other facilities.

Room Rates

Bookings

Make your Mövenpick accommodation bookings via the link HERE!

Available rooms are ‘Superior’ rooms.

1. All participants can use the given booking link to reserve an accommodation - Booking Link 6.
2. Participants are requested to be precise on the number of people and number of rooms they wish to book. I.e 
   1. 1 room 1 adult = 150USD, 
   2. 1 room 2 adults = 170USD.

Note:

Participants wishing to book a twin room will reserve a Superior room and correctly state the number of adults in the given parameters via the booking link issued above who thereafter will be required to email reservations at Hotel.Nairobi@movenpick.com using the code #OMRS18 as part of the subject line, stating in the email body that they wish to book for a twin room, providing details of both participants who would like to share the given room.

Communication on accommodation for participants who were awarded the OMRS18 scholarship was sent out to the awardees via email by the OMRS team. Kindly refer to the email for more information.

In case of any inquiries kindly email reservations at Hotel.Nairobi@movenpick.com using the code #OMRS18 as part of the subject line.

Meals

Meals will be provided at the venue, part of the registration fee. This includes:

• Tea/Coffee Breaks with snacks (4th to 7th Dec 2018)
• Lunches (4th to 7th Dec 2018)
• 1 Gala Dinner (Tuesday 4th December 2018)

Transportation

We will be providing airport transportation to and from the venue for all registrants staying at the conference venue. This is a complimentary service provided by OpenMRS and the Kenyan team. In order to help us coordinate pickup, please tell us your flight details by filling up this form.

NOTE: Airport pickup organised by OMRS18 begins on Saturday, 1st December 2018 instead of Sunday 2nd December 2018.

Transport will be provided to and from site visits.

Cell Phones

You can get sim cards at the airport, on entry, both Safaricom and Telkom shops are available. If you miss that, seek assistance from the hotel.

Travel Grants

Closed on: 19^th October 2018

Thank you for all of those that applied for a travel grant.  

Our application period is now closed and awardees have been notified of their grant.  We unfortunately could not afford to support all of the applicants this year, but recognize all of the applicants' valuable participation in the community and are enthusiastic in your continued contributions.  

If you have any questions about the travel grants, please contact events@openmrs.org.

SPONSORSHIP

Event Sponsorship

Sponsorship packages begin at $5,000.00 USD and can be customized based on the goals and available budget of the sponsoring organization. 

Sponsorship packages can include the following:

• Complimentary conference registrations 

• Sponsor ribbon 

• Prominent sign recognition in conference registration area 

• Name or logo on screen before plenary sessions

• Named sponsor for lightning talk or cultural entertainment event 

• Named sponsor for coffee and tea breaks

• Recognition during keynote talks

• Organization listed on "conference sponsor" section on website including logo and 

• website link 

• Logo on conference t-shirt or lanyard

We have tiered sponsorship packages that can be seen here.

Business Sponsorship

Business sponsorship is available to those registering four participants without additional cost. If your organization is only sponsoring 3 participants, the cost will be an additional $200 USD to be a business sponsor; if only 2 participants, there is an additional cost of $300 USD; for one participant, there is an additional cost of $400. As part of your business sponsorship,  there will be an area to have a display to share information at a designated location and time during the meeting. If you are interested in this option, please contact events@OpenMRS.org.

EVENT PLANNING

Resources

The Planning team meets on every Tuesday at 4.00PM EAT. 

Below is a list of planning resources.

1. Communication Channel is Slack: omrs-18.slack.com
2. Meeting Notes can be found here.
3. Task Tracking spreadsheet can be found here.
4. Planning conference guide can be found here.

Session Action Items

TBD

Other Event Information Source:

Talk: #OMRS18 Talk Posts

Contact Email: events@openmrs.org 

Contact Phone: