Villages-FAQ

Villages-FAQ

What is a village?

A village refers to a specific area or section within the event space, where activities and workshops related to a particular theme or topic are conducted. Villages provide an environment for learning, collaboration, and networking among attendees who share common interests in that domain.

Villages are usually staffed by experienced professionals or enthusiasts who volunteer their time to organize the content, facilitate discussions, demonstrate techniques, and assist participants throughout the event. They also serve as a central hub for attendees to gather, exchange ideas, showcase projects, seek advice, and build connections within their area of interest.

In summary, A village is a group of people who want to camp together and more or less organize themselves. Sometimes a village also wants to organize or display sub-events or hackspaces/town halls for their village. Some villages might set up a small data center, hack-tent, fancy lights, workshop/talking place, etc.

What is a village not?

A village is not a low-cost opportunity for your company to advertise or recruit during the event. While it's perfectly acceptable to support a village with goods or financial contributions, it's important to minimize overt commercial or governmental presence within the event. Villages are intended to foster community-driven collaboration and shared learning, rather than serve as promotional platforms.

How do I get/make one?

By organizing thoughtfully and communicating your vision, you'll set the stage for a successful and impactful village!

1. Get organized: Begin by planning the basics. Decide how many people you want in your village, what activities or themes you want to focus on, and how much space you'll need.

2. Define your goals: Clearly outline what you want your village to achieve—workshops, discussions, displays, or community gatherings—and how you'll make it engaging for participants.

3. Set up a Wiki page: Create a village page on the event's wiki to share your plans, gather interest, and coordinate with others who might want to join or contribute.

4. Ask for support: If you're planning something big or unique, or if you're unsure about what's feasible, don’t hesitate to reach out. Contact us to discuss your ideas and explore possibilities.

I want to do something special! Now what?

That’s cool! We’re excited to hear about your ideas and see what you have planned. Let us know what you’re envisioning and what you’ll need to bring it to life.

While you’ll likely need to handle most of the arrangements yourself, we’re here to assist with essentials like placement, power, networking, and space. Don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help make your vision a reality!

Can we select a location for our village?

While you can specify the fields where you’d prefer your village to be located, we cannot guarantee placement in your chosen area. We’ll do our best to accommodate your preferences, but final placement decisions depend on overall event logistics and space availability.

How does Village placement work?

• Villages select a preferred location and field. Please try to balance the 'usage' of each field.
• Villages put lots of information about their village into the Village-Form (click the 'edit with Form' button).
• Villages forming Clusters will be placed next to each other if possible.

Due to the high number of requests and conflicting requirements, many villages will need to be moved around within the fields. While we’ll do our best to accommodate preferences, adjustments are inevitable to address space and logistical constraints. Thank you for your understanding!

The village orga team will try to consider as much of your requirements as possible.

When will we know our final location?

The timeline for finalizing village locations is still being planned. This process depends on gathering and coordinating extensive information from other villages and teams. We appreciate your patience as we work to organize everything!

We want to bring some heavy/bulky stuff for our village. Can we deliver right to the village location?

It depends. Driving is only permitted on paved roads, and access to the campsite will only be available before and after the event. Details on delivery logistics will be shared once finalized.

In the meantime, please reach out to us as soon as possible to discuss your needs and ensure proper arrangements can be made!

How is waste-disposal arranged?

By planning responsibly, we can all help keep the event enjoyable and sustainable as possible!

1. Regular waste: Everyday trash (in trash bags) can be disposed of in the many bins provided around the fields.

2. Larger items: For non-household trash (e.g., furniture, construction materials), you must take home everything you bring to WHY2025. Leaving such items behind costs valuable volunteer time and money—resources that could be better spent on creating a more enjoyable event!

3. Plan ahead: When organizing your village, keep in mind that all items you bring must be removed from the field when the event ends. No items—like old couches or construction materials—can be left behind.

Is there any place for Campers?

Yes, but space for campers was limited, and tickets were available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re interested, please check the current availability for more information.

Bringing Heavy or Bulky Items / Need Special Vehicle Access?

If you’re planning to bring large or heavy equipment and require vehicle access to the campground, please get in touch with us in advance. We’ll work with you to find the best solution and ensure everything runs smoothly.

🏕️ Village Location 🏕️

- All registered villages will be assigned a location on July 1.
- Once finalized, your village's location will be published on the event wiki for everyone to see.
- Stay tuned, and make sure your village information is up to date!

🚚 Arrival & Setup 🚧

Early buildup will be possible, but please keep in mind that we need to limit the number of people on the field in the days leading up to the event.

To help things run smoothly:
- Plan your setup carefully so you can complete it in a single day if possible.
- Vehicle access is restricted to paved roads only, so be prepared to carry your gear from the drop-off point to your village location.

Thanks for your cooperation—we’re all working together to make this event amazing!

🔨 Buildup Schedule & Guidelines

For larger villages, early buildup begins on T-(date still needs to be determined) at (time also needs to be determined) and ends on Day 0 at (time also needs to be determined). After this time, no vehicles will be allowed on the field.
🚗 Important Vehicle Guidelines:
- Driving is only permitted on paved roads.
- There is a limited number of vehicles allowed on the field at any given time.

🧭 Arrival Assistance:
Our Village Guidance Angels will escort you to your designated village location and guide you back to the entrance.
Please ensure quick loading and unloading to keep things moving smoothly for everyone.

Thanks for helping us make setup safe and efficient!

🧹 Teardown & Departure Guidelines

Teardown begins on (date & time needs to be determined).
🚫 After 22:00, no vehicles will be allowed on the field until 06:00 CEST the following morning.

Teardown ends on (date & time needs to be determined).
By this time, all visitors must have left the site—only volunteers and the organizing team may remain on the field.

🚗 Leaving the Site: 🚗

✅ Before You Go:
- Take everything you brought with you—no items may be left behind.
- Leave your area as clean (or cleaner!) than you found it.

Thanks for being awesome and helping keep the space tidy and respectful for everyone!

Once you’re fully packed and ready to go:
- Drive your vehicle to the entrance.
- A Village Guidance Angel will escort you onto the field as soon as space is available.

(Please note: there’s a limit to how many cars can be on the field at once.)