AstralCodexTen and Rationality
Meetup Organizers Retreat
TL;DR: Retreat for meetup organizers July 21–24 in SF Bay Area, apply here
Application deadline: April 30, 2022
Why a retreat?
I think we would all benefit from having an international community of rationality and ACX meetup organizers who can go to one another for advice and support. The goal of this retreat is to jumpstart that community. You'll spend time together and help each other solve problems, hopefully forming connections that will allow you to reach out for help even after you've gone back home to your respective cities.
In addition to getting to know each other, you'll be taking part in activities and discussions with the goal of improving your meetup group. I hope that you'll come out of the retreat with a clearer vision for your local community, and concrete plans for how to work towards that vision.
Food, lodging, and travel are covered
We don't want money to be an obstacle preventing anyone from attending, so your travel to and from the Bay will be fully reimbursed, and your food and lodging will be covered during the retreat itself. If you would like to stay longer in the Bay, we by default expect that you will cover your own expenses for that time, but if that's a problem for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
General FAQ
Who is this retreat for?
You're invited to apply if you:
Currently organize ACX/LW/rationality meetups or other rationalist community events, anywhere in the world
Would like to start an ACX/LW/rationality community in a city where none exists, or where the community has been small or dormant for a long time
Formerly organized ACX/LW/rationality meetups and are interested in sharing your knowledge and experience
If you're unsure whether you 'qualify', please err on the side of applying anyway — if we don't think it makes sense for you to come, we'll let you know!
Can more than one organizer from my city attend?
Yes! Anyone involved in organizing is welcome to apply; there's no city-based quota.
How many people will be there?
So far about 85 people have expressed interest. I expect the retreat will ultimately have between 40 and 80 participants.
Might my application be rejected?
Yes, there's some chance that we'll have to turn away people who meet all the criteria for attending, simply because there are too many applicants. In that case we will likely prioritize inviting primary organizers, and making sure the greatest number of communities is represented.
When will I hear back about whether my application was accepted?
TBD. If you need to know very soon, please let me know.
Who is organizing the retreat?
I, Mingyuan, am the primary organizer. I'll likely be working with Lightcone Infrastructure and some independent ops people, but details are TBD. If you have any questions, you can email me at meetupsmingyuan@gmail.com, or DM me on Discord (claire#9721).
Why did you change the date?
I originally said the retreat would be in June, but I've changed it so it's now the weekend before EA Global San Francisco — most of you live thousands of miles away from California, and many of you may also want to attend EA Global, and I didn't want to make people fly to and from the Bay Area twice.
Schedule
When do I have to arrive in Berkeley?
The retreat begins on the evening of Thursday, July 21st, so if you're traveling from out of town, I suggest aiming for a flight that arrives by noon on that day to give you some buffer time.
Can I miss the first day?
We will have an opening dinner on the evening of the first day, so it would be really great if you could be there on the evening of Thursday the 21st, but it’s okay if you can only arrive on the morning of the 22nd. If you aren't able to make it at all on Thursday or Friday, that's more of a problem, but feel free to reach out to me to see if we can make something work.
How much time is it per day?
You should plan to be busy for the entirety of the retreat (Thursday evening through Sunday night). None of the programming is mandatory — we're all adults here — but I expect that you'll get more out of the retreat the more engaged you are.
What will we be doing?
The exact schedule is still to be determined, but here is a rough example schedule to give you an idea of what the retreat might entail:
Thursday (evening only):
Intro dinner
Speed meeting
Friday:
Opening session
Writing exercise: Defining the purpose of your meetup
One-on-one walks
Community infrastructure hack night
Saturday:
Collaborative problem-solving / group debugging
Workshop on moderating discussions
Workshop on recruiting and retaining members
Attendee-led activities
Sunday:
Revisiting the purpose of your meetup
Executing intentions (i.e., self-directed time to act on the thoughts you've had over the weekend)
More attendee-led activities
Closing session
Afterparty with members of the Bay rationality community
Logistics FAQ
This FAQ covers the basics, but please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any logistical concerns that aren't addressed here!
What airport should I fly into?
You should plan to arrive in Berkeley on July 21st. There are three nearby international airports: San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK), and San Jose (SJC). It's easy to get public transit to Berkeley from SFO and OAK, so I recommend that you fly into one of those two, but SJC is fine too.
How do I get my travel expenses reimbursed?
Go to rationalitymeetups.org/get-funding and upload a copy of your receipt to the Airtable form. In the dropdown menu, select “Retreat expenses”. You should receive a reimbursement within a week. Feel free to book tickets even if you are worried about potential travel restrictions. If for some reason you can’t make your flight because of those restrictions, we will still reimburse you. Also, don’t worry too much about the exact price of the ticket, and don’t worry too much about getting the cheapest flight.
Do I need to apply for a visa to arrive in the US?
Most of you should be able to visit the US on the Visa Waiver program (also known as ESTA), which is available to all EU citizens, and some additional countries — the only thing you will have to do is to fill out the electronic ESTA form a few days before you leave for the US. If you aren’t eligible for ESTA for any reason, you might have to apply for a B2 visa. If that is the case, feel free to reach out, and we can help you get anything in order.
Can I arrive early or stay longer after the program?
Yes! We'll cover your travel to and from the Bay even if you're staying for more than just the retreat. By default I'll expect you to arrange your own accommodations for any additional stay, but if you need financial or logistical help, don't hesitate to reach out to me!
Can I also attend EA Global?
The retreat is scheduled for the weekend before EA Global San Francisco, and I expect that many people will want to attend both. If you’re interested in attending EA Global (July 29–31), you will need to apply for that separately, which you can do here.
Where will the retreat be held?
We will be using a retreat venue in northern California, exact location TBD depending on how many people end up attending. If we end up holding the retreat anywhere other than Berkeley, we will arrange group transportation from Berkeley to the venue.
Who should I contact if I have questions?
If you have any questions about the retreat, you can email me at meetupsmingyuan@gmail.com, or DM me on Discord (claire#9721).