Hosting a workshop for The Fifth Elephant or Rootconf community: Venue Guidelines

Hasgeek’s workshops are hands-on, practitioner-led sessions where participants work through a technical topic in depth. Workshops are typically 3–6 hours and are capped at 30–40 participants to maintain the quality of instruction and interaction. They are held on weekday evenings, or on Saturday mornings or afternoons.

This page is for anyone considering hosting a Hasgeek workshop at their space, or for confirmed venue hosts preparing for an upcoming event. Guidelines for meet-ups are covered separately.

Hosting as a partnership, not just a venue arrangement

When Rootconf or The Fifth Elephant communities approach a company or organization to host a workshop, it is an invitation to be a partner in the workshops — not a request to borrow a room.

Venue hosts bring their own practitioner community alongside the Hasgeek community. The workshop becomes a shared learning space for both audiences. In practical terms, this involves shared audience aggregation: the host organisation shares the workshop with its internal teams and external networks, and encourages wider participation.

How hosting for workshops works

In lieu of providing the venue and facilities, the workshop host get five seats for their employees to participate in the workshop. Hasgeek will confirm the number of complimentary seats available based on the workshop capacity.

If your organization wants Hasgeek to bring a specific practitioner audience to your space, that is a sponsorship conversation — write to us at sales@hasgeek.com.

What hosting involves

Hasgeek handles programming, instructor curation, registrations, and livestreaming. Here is what we need from the venue host:

Space and capacity

• A room arranged in a workshop or classroom-style layout — tables and chairs facing the presenter area, with enough table space for participants to have their laptops open. Plan for approximately 30 participants unless Hasgeek confirms a different number.
• The space must be available for setup at least 1 hour before the workshop start time, and for pack-up for at least 30 minutes after it ends.
• Attendees must be able to enter and exit freely. Walk-ins are part of how Hasgeek events work and must be accommodated.

Power and internet

• Power points: Sufficient power sockets or extension boards for participants to charge their laptops throughout the session. Workshops are hands-on and participants will have their laptops running for the full duration.
• Power backup: UPS, inverter, or generator backup is required. This is essential for livestreaming continuity.
• WiFi: Stable WiFi for all participants and the instructor. Please share network name, password, and connection instructions in advance so they can be included in attendee communications. Arrange for A4-sized printed WiFi details to be placed at the entrance and at prominent locations inside the venue.

AV and technical setup

Hasgeek brings its own recording and livestreaming equipment (camera, AV cube, audio mixer, cables). The venue needs to provide:

• Display: A TV display or projector and screen. Please send a photo of the display and confirm HDMI connectivity. Share details of any HDMI cables available on-site, including photos and cable lengths.
• Audio: Confirm the audio arrangement available with the display. If the venue does not have a microphone, confirm whether the built-in speakers are sufficient for the room size. If a microphone is available, confirm whether it is compatible with an XLR or ¼" connection to Hasgeek’s audio mixer.
• Presenter table: A table at speaker height for the instructor’s laptop, positioned near the display. This doubles as a podium if needed.
• AV console table: A separate table and chair for Hasgeek’s AV equipment (camera, AV cube, audio mixer), positioned so it does not block participants’ view but is central for cable access.
• Whiteboard and markers: Required for most workshops. Confirm availability; Hasgeek’s organiser will confirm if needed for a specific session.
• Venue technician: A technician available for the full duration of the workshop to manage the display and audio. Share their name and contact number in advance.

If Hasgeek needs to deploy its own technician to resolve issues with the venue’s equipment, this will be billed to the venue separately.

Recording and livestreaming

All Hasgeek workshops are recorded and livestreamed. By confirming as a venue host, you confirm that:

• The space may be filmed and livestreamed without restriction for the full duration of the workshop.
• You have the right to permit filming in the space (for example, no third-party lease restrictions that prohibit recording).

To help Hasgeek prepare cable runs and equipment placement in advance, please share:

• Photos of the room showing suggested locations for camera placement, AV cube placement, and the presenter area.
• The approximate distance between the display and the AV cube placement, and between the AV cube and the camera placement.

Videos are produced and owned by Hasgeek. Links are shared with venue hosts and instructors for resharing from their own channels.

Check-in and entry

• Share clear details about entry, parking, and building access 7–10 days before the event, so they can be included in attendee communications.
• Hasgeek will share the attendee list (names only) 24 hours before the event, with a final update 3–4 hours prior for late registrations. Attendees will be asked to show a valid ID at check-in.
• The venue’s admin team or assigned volunteers will manage check-in, including walk-ins. Walk-in attendees sign in with their name and contact details on an attendance sheet.
• After the event, the attendance sheet must be returned to the Hasgeek team for our records.
• Hasgeek does not share attendees’ personally identifiable information (PII) with venue hosts without explicit attendee consent.
• Share the name and phone number of the venue’s on-site point of contact for the day, so attendees who have trouble locating the venue can reach someone directly.

Facilities for participants

• Drinking water throughout the session.
• Clean washrooms, with sanitary napkins available in the ladies’ bathroom.
• Venue hosts are expected to provide drinking water access for attendees.
• Tea/coffee and a light snack (such as samosas or sandwiches) is welcome but optional.
• For full-day workshops, the workshop organizer will discuss meal arrangements separately.

Volunteering opportunities

Hasgeek’s workshops are community-run and rely on volunteers for roles such as ushering, coordinating with the instructor, photography, and live social media updates. We encourage venue hosts to share these opportunities with their teams. Hasgeek provides guidance and training for all volunteers.

What Hasgeek provides

• Full programming: instructor selection, content curation, editorial review, and rehearsals.
• Event page on hasgeek.com, including all registrations and attendee communications.
• Recording and livestreaming equipment and operator.
• Promotional communications to the Hasgeek community: email, social media, and the event page.
• Brand acknowledgement for the venue host across event communications and on the event page.
• A post-event metrics report and structured community feedback.

Before confirming as a venue host

If you are considering hosting, check the following first:

• We have a room that can seat 30 participants in a classroom/workshop layout with table space for laptops.
• We have sufficient power points and extension boards for all participants to charge their laptops.
• We have UPS or generator backup for uninterrupted power during the session.
• We have stable WiFi for 30+ simultaneous users.
• We can provide a display (TV or projector) with HDMI connectivity.
• We have a technician available for the full duration of the workshop.
• We can allow filming and livestreaming without restriction.
• We can manage attendee check-in and accommodate walk-ins.
• We have drinking water, clean washrooms, and sanitary napkins available.
• We can provide tea/coffee for attendees.
• Building entry and parking details can be shared with attendees 7–10 days in advance.
• We are willing to share the event with our internal teams and external networks to bring our own audience.

If you can check all of the above, write to us at sales@hasgeek.com with the name of your organisation, your city, the approximate capacity of your space, and the type of topics your community works on.

This page applies to Hasgeek workshops. Requirements for meet-ups are covered separately.