[ONLINE] MautiCon Working Group Meeting (12:15 p.m. UK time)

The team discussed preparations for MautiCon 2026, including the private sale starting March 2nd and early bird tickets launching March 16th. Ruth provided updates on sponsorship efforts, noting that Friendly has signed up, and DropSolid will make a decision by the end of the week.

The team explored the possibility of offering a special discount for International Women's Day (March 8th) and discussed venue arrangements, including a potential community sprint lunch at the Dog and Duck pub.

They also touched on the upcoming hands-on session with Mautic, which has 15 participants signed up, and considered alternative keynote speakers if Rory Sutherland cannot be secured.

Next steps

• Ruth: Ping Sven to set up the Stripe account and follow up on the private sale setup by February 28th

• Ruth: Provide sponsorship update by the end of the week/early Monday

• Barsha and Margareth: Develop a plan for International Women's Day (IWD) promotion and determine whether to offer pre-sale or actual sale

• Ruth: Check in with Hadrian about fixing the meeting notes/Etherpad bug

• Team: Brainstorm alternative keynote speaker options if Rory Sutherland is unavailable

• Ruth: Book the pub venue for community sprint lunch

• Sven and Ekkehard: Review and adjust PreTalx questions once private sale is live

• Barsha: Create social media content for the March 2nd private sale announcement

• Team: Book a venue host (approximately 200 GBP) for managing attendee movement during the event

• Team: Arrange for two security personnel for evening events

Summary

Private Sale Launch Preparation

The team discussed the upcoming private sale launch on March 2nd, which will be handled by Sven and Ekkehard. Ruth's follow-up email about Mautic fundraising was mentioned as a helpful touch for the team. The group encountered issues accessing meeting notes from the previous week due to a bug with the Etherpad system, which Ruth confirmed is being fixed by Hadrian.

Private Sale and Event Planning

The team discussed the upcoming private sale starting next Monday, with Ruth confirming that Sven will set up her account for Stripe integration. The private sale is contingent on Stripe setup and needs to be completed by Friday, the 28th, to go live on Monday. The team also noted that early bird tickets for a specific event will go live on March 16th, 2026, and Ruth mentioned she would follow up on applications for the sponsorship and marketing role.

MautiCon 2026 Ticket Sales Plan

The team discussed the upcoming MautiCon 2026 event, including the announcement of early bird tickets on social media platforms on March 16th. They reviewed the timeline for ticket sales, with a private email sale running from March 2nd to March 13th, and discussed the need to revamp previous designs for the 2026 event. The team also considered the timing for the call for speakers, initially planned for February 27th or March 2nd, but decided to potentially move it a few days later due to ongoing setup work for PreTalks.

Sponsorship Updates and Outreach

Ruth reported on sponsorship progress, noting that Friendly has agreed to sponsor and requested an invoice, while DropSolid will confirm their tier by the end of the week. She mentioned that she will follow up with other sponsors in March, as they are unable to provide a response at the moment due to their current workload constraints. Ruth confirmed she has been contacting previous sponsors individually via email and HubSpot, offering a 10% discount that expires February 28th, and Margareth requested information about early bird communication methods to potentially send a final reminder post.

MautiCon Sponsorship and Discount Planning

The team discussed updates on sponsor sign-ups and early bird discounts, with Ruth confirming she would provide an update by the end of the week on member and sponsor commitments. They explored the possibility of offering extra time for early bird sign-ups or accepting letters of interest with firm commitments. Margareth suggested a special discount for International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8th to encourage more women to attend MautiCon, though Ruth noted the community doesn't typically celebrate IWD. The team agreed to consider promoting the event in the Women of Mautic Slack channel, with Ekkehard suggesting it could be a good way to show visibility and drive attendance, though it wasn't prioritised as a top action item.

Event Planning and Speaker Selection

The team discussed plans for an upcoming event, including a pre-sale period from March 9-19, venue arrangements, and potential keynote speakers. Ruth provided an update on the venue, which can accommodate 150 attendees without needing an additional room, and mentioned a potential community sprint lunch location. The team agreed to develop a plan for IWD sales and pre-sales, with Barsha and Margareth to collaborate on this. Ruth also updated on the Mortic hands-on session, which has 15 people signed up and is being hosted by Bastion Hammer. Ekkehard suggested exploring alternative keynote speakers, including celebrities from the open source world or GitHub's open source team.