Everyone can contribute.
We try to get together every 9 months or so to get face-time with one another, build community, and reinforce our values. Since our team is scattered all over the globe, we try to plan a different location for each GitLab Contribute.
Contribute is not a mandatory trip or a department offsite, nor is it a vacation or incentive trip. It's a chance for everyone to meet fellow GitLab team-members across all departments and regions: part team building, part education, part community building, and hopefully all fun. This is a work trip with fun mixed in.
The goal of Contribute is to get to know the people in the GitLab community better. The better you know people, the easier it is to collaborate. We want to reinforce our values and build trust between groups. The purpose is not to spend time with fellow team members you already know or focus mostly on colleagues in your function.
All team members of the GitLab company, Core Team, contributors, the board, press, and anyone in our community that is interested in joining.
General guidelines and information are on this page but our official Code of Conduct policy is outlined on this page.
As soon as dates and a location are confirmed, we'll open our registration. Registration cuts off 2 weeks before the event takes place. New GitLab team-members who are scheduled to start in the weeks and days before Contribute will be sent communications and instructions on getting ready for Contribute, with the template found in the Employment project. New GitLab team-members may purchase flights and prepare to submit reimbursement Day 1. On their first day, they may register for the event and workshops through the invitation that will have been sent to their GitLab email. Hotel rooms are being held for these new hires. They will be able to access the Contribute App to see the full schedule and information without logging in.
We aim to run the event every 9-12 months. Note that the timing is also dictated by the size of this event. We are constrained by availability and budget. Events season ramps up in Q3 and Q4 so it is a busier event season industry-wide so it is harder to find venues then. With a group of our size we are pretty limited on places that can fit us in regardless of the time of year. We also avoid end of quarters and major global holidays.
This is the largest (attendees and budget) self hosted event we run all year and it will often need to take priority over other smaller events dates that are often more flexible due to the group size.
We have observed from the past that contributors who have chosen to bring children spend significantly less time collaborating with GitLab team members. If you need to travel with family members, you are expected to fully engage in as many group activities as you are physically able, invite team members to join you during meals, attend all company meetings, and recognize that Contribute is an investment in the continued growth of the organization. All GitLab sponsored activities are 18+. This includes workshops, keynotes, excursions, and team dinners.
You are encouraged to take pictures and post on social media. If you take pictures of people not on the podium please ask their permission. Please consider using the hashtag #GitLabContribute. Our social media guidelines still apply.
GitLab Contribute has variety of sessions: workshops, presentations, etc. Contribute isn’t a conference, it's a "meeting of minds”. It's a place to connect and collaborate in an environment where everyone can contribute. We don’t present to our users and customers, or schedule special/VIP time with them. They are expected to join in the overall program.
This is scheduled time for teams to have team-only time to discuss their work, strategize, and problem solve.
The following are measures of a successful workshop.
You can see a list of workshops and their slides in the project issue tracker.
The following should be assigned and/or arranged a month before Contribute:
Great WiFi is essential to the success of Contribute. We can't have everyone in one location and not have excellent internet.
Read about being in GitLab leadership at Contribute