❓Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Event Organizers

[katiesavage]

Our team will update this FAQ on an ongoing basis. Not seeing the answer to your question here? Let us know.

Planning your Dev Days event

1) Can I host multiple events?

Yes, you can host multiple events as long as they are for different audiences, dates, and/or in different cities.

Please submit a separate registration link for each event.

2) There is already an event in my city. Can I run another event?

Yes, you can run an additional event in the same city if the events are sufficiently different.

Questions to consider:

• Do these events cover the same topics?
• Do they reach the same audience? For example, you may plan to run an event specifically for your user group or school.
• Are the event dates too close?

If the events would be too similar, we suggest reaching out to collaborate with the existing event.
If you have any questions about your prospective event, you can reach out to us for guidance.

3) What should I include in my registration page?

Your registration page should include:

• Event name following the global standard
• Selected event format
• Clear agenda aligned with the chosen format
• Laptop and infrastructure requirements
• Location and access information
• Code of Conduct (see Event Code of Conduct)
• Links so your attendees can sign up to GitHub Copilot and view the event resources

For more guidance, refer to the draft registration page.

4) How to submit your event page to the Luma event calendar

1. Go to the GitHub Dev Days Luma calendar:
   https://aka.ms/githubcopilotdevdays
2. Select “+ Submit Event”
   • If your event page is based on Luma, select “Submit Existing Luma Event”
   • If your event page is based on a different hosting site (e.g. Meetup), select “Submit External Event”
3. Provide the URL and any other requested information
4. Please allow up to 5 business days for our team to review your submission. We'll either request updates or approve your event.

Note: Please ensure your event page uses the event assets from our repository and the proper naming conventions: GitHub Copilot Dev Days | [CITY]. If there are multiple events in the same city, we'll request you to update the event title to include your user group. Additionally, please create your event image using the template in this repository.

5) What type of support can I receive for my event?

TL;DR — GitHub Copilot Dev Days organizers receive:

Included for all events

• Technical content, including:
  • GitHub Copilot overview deck
  • Workshop materials for GitHub Copilot CLI, GitHub Copilot in VS Code, Visual Studio, and other IDEs
• Promotion on official channels
• Swag for attendees

Available upon request (subject to availability)

• Food & Beverage (F&B) budget
• Microsoft venue support

6) How do I use the GitHub Copilot Dev Days content?

Core Content Session (Slide Deck)

The provided slide deck is a comprehensive, all-in-one resource covering major GitHub Copilot topic areas.

👉 You are not expected to present the entire deck. Instead:

• Select the sections that best match your agenda
• Hide or remove out-of-scope sections
• Use the deck as a curated menu, not a fixed script

Workshops

In addition to the core talk, we recommend including one workshop:

• Choose the workshop option that best aligns with your selected topics and audience
• Workshops are designed to be hands-on and practical, reinforcing the concepts covered in the talk
• You do not need to run multiple workshops in a single event, but you can if you want

This approach keeps sessions focused, relevant, and engaging, while still leveraging the full breadth of high-quality content available in the Dev Days materials.

7) Promotion

Your event will be featured on the official GitHub Copilot Dev Days page, including your registration link. The page is promoted across Microsoft and GitHub social media channels.

8) Swag (Stickers and More)

Limited quantities are available for in-person events, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. After your event is approved and your Luma page is published on our event calendar, we will coordinate swag delivery.

9) Food & Beverage (F&B) Support — Limited availability

F&B support is available whether you're using your own community location or a Microsoft venue. Availability depends on current budget and is subject to change.

Key requirements

• You must pay for F&B upfront and submit a receipt for reimbursement. The reimbursement is processed through Plain Sight, a Microsoft vendor. This is the standard process for all organizers, including Microsoft and GitHub FTEs.
• Include your estimated number of attendees and total F&B cost in your event request.
• Support is typically limited to USD $300 per event, on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Requests exceeding this amount may be considered for special cases, depending on budget and event impact.
• Microsoft will not reimburse expenses without prior approval.

10) Microsoft Venue Support — Limited availability

To request a Microsoft venue, please provide the name(s) of local Microsoft FTEs who will support your event in person.

Please note:

• Venue availability is not guaranteed and depends on office capacity, booking cost, scheduling, and local policies.
• Microsoft covers venue-related costs (security, HVAC, etc.) when available.
• Only events held in Microsoft buildings are supported. Third-party venues cannot be sponsored or reimbursed.

11) How should I promote my GitHub Copilot Dev Days event?

When posting about your GitHub Copilot Dev Days event, leverage the graphic assets in our marketing toolkit.
Please include our series hashtag in your posts: #GitHubCopilotDevDays

12) Where can I find more support or ask questions?

We use GitHub Discussions as a shared space for community organizers and contributors to ask questions, share ideas, and collaborate around GitHub Copilot Dev Days.

When to use Discussions
Use Discussions to:

• Ask questions about event content, marketing materials, or organizing guidance
• Share ideas, feedback, or lessons learned from hosting events
• Start conversations about potential improvements to the event kit

If you’ve found a bug or have a specific change request, please open a GitHub Issue so it can be tracked and triaged properly.
For more guidance, please review our contributing guide.

13) What prerequisites are required to organize or attend an event?

GitHub Copilot Dev Days events are open to developers of all experience levels. Different events may cover different topics that are more relevant for a subset of developers. For example, there is a workshop geared toward App Modernization that may be less relevant to beginners.

For organizers

• Clearly define the topics you plan to cover on your registration page.
• Include any additional prerequisites relevant to your event. Make sure to inform attendees whether they need to bring their own laptops or if devices will be provided at the venue (common for events hosted at universities).

For attendees

• GitHub Copilot subscription — A free subscription is sufficient. Sign up here
• Laptop — Required for events that include a hands-on workshop.

Note: Some events may focus on specific topics (e.g., App Modernization) that are more relevant for experienced developers.

During your event

1) What Code of Conduct do I and my attendees need to follow during the event and within the event repository?

We have two Code of Conducts related to the GitHub Copilot Dev Days series.

• The Contributory Covenant Code of Conduct addresses our standards and expectations for conduct within this repository.
• The GitHub Event Code of Conduct addresses our standards and expectations for conduct at GitHub Copilot Dev Days events.

Ensure all attendees and organizers are aware of and agree to the Code of Conduct.

2) Can we include challenges in the event?

Yes, GitHub Copilot Dev Days events are customizable and we have available content to use as challenges. You can include Copilot challenges as part of your agenda or as "homework" that attendees can try after the event.

Do you have a question that's not covered in this FAQ?

Reply to this discussion, and our team will address it!