A Guide to Hosting Programme

We’re very happy to get your submission for a programme item this year! Before you submit, however, please check out the information in this guide. It concerns technical specifications for possible spaces, as well as some clarification on what the organisers are responsible for, and what you need to bring yourself. It also has good information if this is your first time presenting or creating something at Solmukohta.

Who can host?

Any participant can host an item – and we very much encourage you to try, if you’ve never hosted programme before! Solmukohta and Knud/tepunkt are and always have been collaborative events; the programme team curates and does the scheduling Tetris, but the whole event is made up of what all its participants bring. The programme team makes sure there is an opening ceremony, a closing ceremony, and a big party – the rest is up to you.

Please note that being accepted to host a programme item or give a talk does not entitle you to attend Solmukohta; you must also have a ticket.

How to submit your item

Programme items can be submitted through the Kompassi website.

You need a Kompassi account to submit programme items. The following info is needed to create an account: username & password, first name, surname, birth date, phone number and email address. You can find the Privacy Policy for Kompassi here (in Finnish).

After you have created your account, you can submit your programme item(s). You will be able to edit any info on your submission at least until the end of our Call for Programme period (31.1.2024).

Creating the account and submitting programme can be done at https://kompassi.eu/events/solmukohta2024/programme/new

After you submit, we will be in contact with you by email. Note that this may take a week or two depending on the volume of submissions. The final decisions will be made in February 2024, but we may accept individual programme items before the end of the CFP period. You will get an answer either way.

If you have any questions about the process or the Kompassi website, you can always email us at programme@solmukohta.eu. We are happy to help!

Types of programme items

Talks
Solo talks, lectures, or presentations.

Short talks: multiple shorter talks by different people on a given topic, or lightning talks. If you’d like to organise a programme item with multiple short talks from different people and need help in finding more speakers, please let us know and we can help connect you.

Panel

As the person submitting the panel item, you’re responsible for finding the panelists. This year on the sign-up form we are explicitly asking everyone if they’re interested in being on panels, so if you would like to see if you can get someone who isn’t in your immediate circles but has some knowledge in your topic, ask us and we can help matchmake you.

Roundtable
Facilitated discussions – these are different from a panel in that there is no audience; everyone is audience and participant.

Workshop
An interactive format for presenting, testing and/or discussing techniques or methods in a hands-on way. Generally for limited number of participants (most will have pre-signup).

Larp

Short, chamber-, or black box larps (suggested max length 3:45)
The black box will have appropriate lighting and a sound system. Note we don’t have a budget for props. You can always ask for props or equipment to see if we happen to have something available, but we can’t guarantee anything.

Show

Performances or shows for an audience.

Social/party/ritual
All kinds of social gatherings, including one-hour room parties.

Describing your item

This is the text that participants are going to see. You might only have a vague idea right now as to what the content is, and that’s okay – there will be a chance to modify it. Be concrete about what you’re doing, who it’s for, why, and how. Remember that old-school participants might know you and your work, but first-timers might not, so do write for their benefit.

Themes and tracks

This year’s theme is Kitsch or Camp, if you want to use it as inspiration for your program. In addition, there are several other tracks that tend to arise at Solmukohta, including art, academic, organising, larp design, fundamentals, beginners, player skills, edularp, networking and ritual. If you have a burning idea that fits precisely none of these, still go ahead and submit it.

Timing

The basic time slots are 45 minutes and 105 minutes (1:45) for most programme. You have to end at quarter to the hour and allow the next programme host time to settle in. For larps and workshops we suggest a maximum of 225 minutes (3:45) including preparation and debrief, but we may be convinced to make an exception.

Parties and shows

If your item is a social event, do be as descriptive as possible about what you need to make your thing work. Please note that Solmukohta does not have a budget for props or set, but we can do our best to help you source something.

One-hour room parties are a tradition at SK/KP, and they can be listed in the programme as an item, but you can also surprise people! The point of one-hour parties is that they have a specific theme and they’re limited in time. This keeps the larger party flowing and prevents us from getting stuck behind hotel room doors all night in small cliques. Some parties are listed in the programme, some you’ll find scrawled on the noticeboard, and others just appear out of nowhere. All parties are valid – as long as they’re not held in designated quiet areas.

Content warnings

We expect programme hosts to do their best to give participants a heads-up about sensitive content, so they can make an informed choice about their participation. Potentially triggering depictions of violence (including sexual and psychological violence), war, racism, sexism, homo- or transphobia, shaming of bodies and mental illness, and shaming and violence against sex workers all fall under this guideline. If you’re unsure, we can help you describe it.

The spaces

Scandic Rosendahl is a modern hotel with many conference spaces. (You can check out the rooms at the hotel website.) Note that you don’t get to choose your space, but if you have wishes, you can put them in the text field at the end and we’ll do our best to accommodate.

There is one very large room (Henrika) that will be divided into smaller rooms for many programme items. These dividers are not usually incredibly soundproof, which is why we kindly ask you to note if your programme item is likely to involve a lot of noise – whether that’s whooping and cheering, running around and stomping, or playing a loud video. That’s just so we can try to avoid putting it right next to something quiet. Most floors are carpeted, but if for instance your dance workshop prefers a hard floor, there are some of those, too.

Tech – sound – video – projections – etc.

Most rooms have projectors or display screens (one has a 14-metre media wall, if that inspires you). While these spaces have been newly refurbished with new technology, lighting in conference rooms is always tricky – it’s often hard to get to a lighting state where the speaker is visible, but the room is dark. We recommend you use high contrast images and text for your slides, just in case.

Speaking of slides! It’s great if you can bring your own laptop or tablet; if you need to borrow one, let us know in your signup form. We are aiming to have a few on hand to loan. Bring adapters just in case, especially if you’re on a Mac. We will also have a place where you can upload your presentation as a backup – we recommend you do this, even if you have it on your own laptop. Laptop gremlins love to pick conferences as an ideal time to bork your machine for no reason.

In larger rooms, there will be microphones. Please use them even if you feel your voice is loud, because they are essential for accessibility and documentation. Music and sound playback as well as video should be possible in all the presentation rooms.

Printing
Please bring your own handouts if you are printing any. In a pinch, we can help you, but please let us know in advance.

Documentation (video, photos)
We are looking into getting folks to film programme items as a general documentation of the conference, and perhaps to distribute some talks or events. For that reason we ask you to check if your item can or cannot be recorded. This doesn’t mean that it definitely will be recorded, or that your item will be recorded in its entirety. Our general documentation may be used online in social media and visible to the public.

If you definitely want your talk to be recorded, please be prepared to organise this yourself as we cannot guarantee we have the resources. This can be as simple as borrowing a tripod from the info desk and filming it on your phone, or asking someone to take a couple of photos.

On the programme submission form, we are asking a few things about documenting your programme:
My programme item may be photographed: Our official photographer(s) may take pictures during your programme and use them in public channels.
My programme item may be streamed: Checking streaming means that your item is cleared to be livestreamed for a public audience outside the event itself.
My programme item may be video recorded: Checking video recording means that your item is cleared for the programme team to record and distribute publicly after the event.
My programme item materials (slides, etc) may be shared: Checking material sharing means that we can share your program slides publicly after the event. You will need to send the materials to us before or after the event according to our instructions to be distributed.

Filming for your own records and developing your own work is okay. If other people are going to appear in your video, ask their permission before you start rolling. Let people know exactly what the purpose of the documentation is (“it’s for my thesis”, “I’m putting it on my YouTube larp channel”) and who is going to be able to access it. If you have questions about this, ask us.

Running your item: do’s and don’ts

Getting help before Solmukohta: the mentoring

Mentors for programme is a way to pair up new programme hosts with more experienced ones. In practice, this means a few emails or video calls back and forth with your mentor some weeks or months before the event, where you can ask advice on how to present your work. Mentors can help you organise your information, manage your timing, deal with nervousness, and in general be that sounding board for ideas we all need. Sign up to get a mentor or be one in the Call for Programme.

Getting help during Solmukohta: everyone

Did your laptop bork? Did one of your panelists get sick? Is your space completely wrong? It’s probably fixable – but keep in mind that everyone is a volunteer, and that Solmukohta is co-created, not consumed; a lot of issues that pop up are very easily fixed on the spot with a little bit of hacking. The first question is “how can I or the people around me fix this”? The programme team is your escalation option. During the event you can go to the info desk and a programme team member on call will do their best to help you. Keep in mind that the earlier we know about a problem, the better chance we have to fix it.

What do I do if I have an idea but I don’t want to do it alone?

The Solmukohta 2024 event page on Facebook is a good place to find collaborators.

Ugh, can’t I just be spontaneous?

Of course! If you think of something you want to offer people as something to do, it doesn’t have to be “official” programme. There have been cheese tastings, theory discussions, spontaneous vampire rooms, cuddle puddles, candy exchanges, a room dedicated to Manowar, and many other memorable moments that were never part of the official record.