Made for volunteer crews.Six kinds of events, one teammate.

Each kind of event comes with a starter pack: the desks it runs on, a list of starter tasks for the plan, and how Ferri should behave. One card in the crew room sets it all up.

Teams build against the clock.

Hackathons

Participants build in teams, mentors help them think, and judges score demos. Technical problems go to the help desk, and scores stay out of participants' groups.

What people ask

  • When do submissions close?
  • What's the wifi password?
  • Can a mentor help us with auth?
  • Our deploy fails with a build error

The desks Ferri sets up

  • Helpopen to everyone

    Stuck on setup, the wifi or a build error? Ferri or the Builder helps. A person joins when it needs one.

  • Judging private Scores sheet

    Judges post scores as they go. Ferri keeps the numbers and never says who's winning.

  • Mentorsopen to everyone Requests sheet

    Teams post what they need. Mentors take a request and close it when it's sorted.

  • Volunteers private Shifts sheet

    Shift sign-ups and swaps, and the same answers for every volunteer to give guests.

  • Check-in private Check-ins sheet

    The door team posts a name and Ferri ticks the guest off the guest list.

#build-night
dev_arjun
@ferri when do submissions close?
Ferri
Submissions close at 7:00 AM on Sunday 22 November. Judging starts at 8:00 AM, after breakfast.
Source: Lantern Build Night schedule (Sunday 22 November)

A day with Ferri

  1. Morning

    The door team posts “checked in Asha” in the check-in desk, and Ferri ticks her off the guest list with the running count.

  2. Afternoon

    A team pastes a build error in the help desk. The Builder asks for the exact error and helps them step by step.

  3. Judging

    Judges post “Team Alpha 8 for innovation”. “@ferri show the scores” posts the ranked totals, counted in code.

5 starter tasks for the planShow
  • Write the judging criteria and the scoring scale
  • Recruit mentors and set their hours
  • Make the volunteer shift plan
  • Import the guest list for check-in
  • Share the wifi details and the submission link

Talks, then time to meet people.

Meetups

A room of regulars and first-timers. Questions about the talks, the order and the timings go by the run of show, and speakers coordinate in their own desk.

What people ask

  • What time does the first talk start?
  • Who's speaking tonight?
  • Is there an HDMI adapter for speakers?
  • Can I come if I didn't RSVP?

The desks Ferri sets up

  • Speakers private Slots sheet

    Slots, arrivals and the running order. Questions about the AV are answered from your info.

  • Check-in private Check-ins sheet

    The door team posts a name and Ferri ticks the guest off the guest list.

  • Volunteers private Shifts sheet

    Shift sign-ups and swaps, and the same answers for every volunteer to give guests.

Example meetup group
Sana
what time does the first talk start?
Ferri
Doors open at 6:00 PM and the first talk starts at 6:30 PM.
Source: Meetup run of show (Talks)

A day with Ferri

  1. Doors

    Two volunteers at the door post names. Ferri ticks each guest off the RSVP list and asks about any name it can't find.

  2. Before the talks

    A speaker says “I'm here” in the speakers desk, so the slot sheet shows who is still on the way.

4 starter tasks for the planShow
  • Confirm the speakers and the running order
  • Check the projector, adapters and mic
  • Import the RSVP list for check-in
  • Ask two volunteers to help at the door

Several rooms, many talks, sponsors to look after.

Conferences

Attendees moving between rooms all day. Questions about talks and rooms go by the schedule, sponsors are looked after in their desk, and anyone with a problem goes to help.

What people ask

  • Which room is the keynote in?
  • Where do I pick up my badge?
  • When is the lunch break?
  • My ticket won't scan at the door

The desks Ferri sets up

  • Speakers private Slots sheet

    Slots, arrivals and the running order. Questions about the AV are answered from your info.

  • Sponsors private Deliverables sheet

    What each sponsor was promised, who owns it and where it stands.

  • Volunteers private Shifts sheet

    Shift sign-ups and swaps, and the same answers for every volunteer to give guests.

  • Check-in private Check-ins sheet

    The door team posts a name and Ferri ticks the guest off the guest list.

  • Helpopen to everyone

    Stuck on setup, the wifi or a build error? Ferri or the Builder helps. A person joins when it needs one.

#example-conf
Tara
@ferri which room is the keynote in?
Ferri
Hall A on the ground floor. Doors open at 9:30.
Source: Conference schedule (Day 1)

A day with Ferri

  1. Registration

    Volunteers swap shifts in the volunteer desk. “Show the shifts” lists who's on registration and the rooms.

  2. Midday

    “What's left for CloudCo?” in the sponsors desk lists the open promises from the deliverables sheet.

5 starter tasks for the planShow
  • Confirm every speaker, talk and slot
  • List what each sponsor was promised and who owns it
  • Make the volunteer shift plan
  • Import the attendee list for check-in
  • Check the AV in every room

A big, busy crowd. Safety first.

Festivals

Hundreds of people, food stalls and a lot of noise. Anything unsafe goes to the person on duty at once, food questions go by the menu and stall times, and lost things go to lost and found.

What people ask

  • Is there a vegan option?
  • When do the food stalls close?
  • Where is first aid?
  • I lost my phone near the stage

The desks Ferri sets up

  • Volunteers private Shifts sheet

    Shift sign-ups and swaps, and the same answers for every volunteer to give guests.

  • Food private Counts sheet

    Counts per meal. Ferri never guesses what's in a dish or whether it's safe for an allergy.

  • Safety private Incidents sheet

    Every report reaches the person on duty and the leads at once, as an urgent case.

  • Lost and foundopen to everyone Items sheet

    Lost and found reports, matched up. Valuables are only described roughly.

Example festival group
Kabir
where is first aid?
Ferri
At the info tent by the main gate, open until the last act ends.
Source: Festival venue guide (First aid)

A day with Ferri

  1. Evening

    Someone posts “found a blue water bottle near the stage”. It goes on the item list, and Ferri points out the matching lost report.

  2. Late

    A volunteer reports someone unwell in the safety desk. It's logged, and the person on duty and the leads get an urgent push.

4 starter tasks for the planShow
  • Make the volunteer shift plan (gates, stalls, cleanup)
  • Confirm the food stalls, the menu and dietary options
  • Name the person on duty for safety at every hour
  • Set up a lost and found spot

Everyone follows along on their own laptop.

Workshops

People working through exercises, each on their own machine. Setup problems are the most common questions, so the help desk, with the Builder, does most of the work.

What people ask

  • Do I need to install anything first?
  • Where are the materials?
  • npm install fails at step 3
  • Is there wifi in the room?

The desks Ferri sets up

  • Helpopen to everyone

    Stuck on setup, the wifi or a build error? Ferri or the Builder helps. A person joins when it needs one.

  • Check-in private Check-ins sheet

    The door team posts a name and Ferri ticks the guest off the guest list.

#example-workshop
kiran
do I need to install anything first?
Ferri
Yes: Node 22 and VS Code. The setup steps are pinned in the help desk.
Source: Workshop setup guide (Before you come)

A day with Ferri

  1. The day before

    The crew asks Ferri to share the setup steps. One OK posts them to every group.

  2. Mid-exercise

    Someone pastes an error in the help desk. The Builder asks what they tried and walks them through, without ever asking for a password or key.

3 starter tasks for the planShow
  • Share the setup steps and the materials a day before
  • Import the RSVP list for check-in
  • Test the exercises on a fresh laptop

Players move between tables. Hosts teach the games.

Game nights

Regulars, newcomers and a stack of board games. Players looking for a game are pointed to the tables desk, and anything left behind goes to lost and found.

What people ask

  • Where can I play Codenames?
  • Any free seats?
  • Can I bring my own game?
  • Did anyone find a dice bag?

The desks Ferri sets up

  • Tablesopen to everyone Assignments sheet

    Hosts post their game and free seats. Players find a table.

  • Check-in private Check-ins sheet

    The door team posts a name and Ferri ticks the guest off the guest list.

  • Lost and foundopen to everyone Items sheet

    Lost and found reports, matched up. Valuables are only described roughly.

Example game night group
Rahul
can I bring my own game?
Ferri
Yes. Tell a host when you arrive and they'll find you a table.
Source: Game night house rules

A day with Ferri

  1. Start of the night

    Hosts post “Table 3: Catan, host Ravi, 2 seats free”. A player asking where to play is pointed to a table with free seats.

  2. Closing up

    A dice bag left behind goes on the lost and found list, described so its owner can claim it.

4 starter tasks for the planShow
  • List the games people are bringing and who hosts each table
  • Plan the table layout and the number of seats
  • Import the RSVP list for check-in
  • Set up a lost and found spot

What every pack shares

One card. Every room the event needs.

Say @ferri set up the desks for a hackathon in the crew room. Ferri lists every room on one card. “Make them” makes them, “Don't” makes nothing.

  • Real channels on your app. Each desk is a private or open channel on the crew room's platform, with Ferri, the right people and a kickoff message.
  • Sheets kept from what people say. Scores, shifts, check-ins and counts land on a sheet. Totals are counted in code, and Desk downloads each sheet as CSV.
  • Answers with a source, in every room. Every desk answers event questions from your info, with the source, like the rest of Ferri.
  • Details stay in their room. Each desk's skill keeps its scores, guests' emails, phone numbers or sponsor terms inside that room.
  • Starter tasks on the plan. “Make them” also adds the pack's instructions to the event and its starter tasks to the plan.
Read the desks guide
ferri-crew
Set up the hackathon desks for Build Night?
  • #bn-help
  • #bn-judging
  • #bn-mentors
  • #bn-volunteers
  • #bn-checkin
Plus 5 starter tasks on the plan.
Make themDon't
No desk fits? Describe one.

@ferri make a desk for the rangoli judges where they post scores per entry, with arjun has Ferri write a new desk skill and show all of it on a card. “Make it” saves it and makes the room.

Every pack is yours to edit.

Packs and desks are markdown skills. Change one on Desk's Skills page, with versions and “Reset to default”.

Your next event, with a teammate.

Try Ferri on the page with a made-up hackathon, then run your own with one command. It's free and open source.

Ask Ferri a question Set it up freeEverything Ferri does