Getting there

There are lots of ways to get from Budapest airport to the city centre. The 100E and 200E buses are popular and cheap - you can read more about the options here.

Akvarium Klub, where the event will be held, is in downtown Budapest and easily accessible via public transport.

Three of the four metro lines in Budapest (M1, M2, M3) intersect at Deák Ferenc Square, directly outside the event venue. All four lines are open from 4:30am to 11pm. Remember to validate your ticket in one of the orange machines before travelling.

Depending on where you're staying, the fastest route may be by bus. Look out for any of the following buses to Deák Ferenc Square: 9, 15, 16, 105, 115, 100E, 909, 914, 914A, 916, 931, 950, 950A, 979, 979A, and 990.

There are also 40 tram lines that run through the centre of Budapest. The ones that go to Deák Ferenc Square are 47, 48 and 49.

Bolt (formerly Taxify) and Főtaxi are the major taxi providers in Budapest should you need a lift.

If you want to download an app to help you get around, BKK Futár (free) is popular and has iOS and Android versions.

Accommodation suggestions

The following recommendations, which are all within a 15-minute walk of the venue, are commonly found on lists of the best reasonably priced hotels in Budapest. We recommend you book your travel and accommodation early to avoid disappointment.

Prices are based on two people sharing and walking estimates are provided by Google Maps. If you have any questions, email [email protected].

The Magazine Hotel - from €60 a night
7-minute walk to the venue

Gerlóczy - from €89 a night
8-minute walk to the venue

Hotel Rum Budapest - from €94 a night
15-minute walk to the venue

Brody Land - from €130 a night
13-minute walk to the venue

Masterclasses (descriptions are subject to change)

There will be five three-hour masterclasses running in parallel during Engagement Explained Live: Building resilience. Participants are asked to specify the session that they are most interested to attend when completing the registration form.

No product manager? No problem: A 101 guide to product thinking for community-driven news organisations

The best products try to meet people’s needs and solve their problems. So how do we absorb this way of thinking into community-driven journalism? Learn how to incorporate product thinking and lean methodologies into your organisation’s routines and your own daily work to create journalism that serves users’ needs and brings more value back into your organisation.

This masterclass is for you if you:

• are planning to develop a new product
• are thinking of how to monetise an existing offering (a vertical, a project)
• don’t have a product person in your organisation and need a practical guide for incorporating product methodologies and techniques into your work

Funding journalism through reader revenues: A checklist for sustainability

Asking your community to support your journalism isn’t only about getting their credit card details. Whether you’re developing crowdfunding, membership or subscription, learn how to create a clear value proposition, market your product, drive loyalty and retain customers.

This masterclass is for you if you:

• have committed to pursuing reader revenue but don’t have a strategy or resources to implement it
• have reader revenue (on a basic or advanced level) and want to evolve/expand your offering

What does it take to build and lead resilient teams?

News organisations that collaborate with their communities require different skillsets, motivations and internal structures than traditional news organisations. Learn how to structure, grow and lead your team to create impactful and resilient relationships both internally and with your community.

This masterclass is for you if you:

• are in charge of personnel or managing a team in the organisation
• are conduct training or facilitate learning in your organisation

NB: This masterclass is not focusing on the skills required to be a good leader. It is about good leadership as a result of the actions a team leader can take in regards to team structure and skills.

Be the change you want to see: Creating an internal culture of community, participation and inclusion in your organisation

A healthy internal culture is important for any news organisation - not least those that want to reflect internal practices with how they work within communities. Learn effective approaches that you can adopt and share so that everyone in your organisation can contribute to decision-making, business development and other processes in an open, adaptive and collaborative environment.

This masterclass is for you if you:

• are working on a project that will benefit from new processes, input and participation
• are in a role that requires extensive communication and collaboration across teams
• feel you don’t have the confidence or ability to contribute to your organisation beyond your direct role

Pathways for participation: How to turn your community members into the best advocates for your work

People support an organisation for a variety of reasons and, in turn, supporters have different expectations and needs in regards to what they get in return for their involvement or financial investment. Learn simple but powerful approaches to encourage community members to engage in, and advocate for, your organisation’s work in more meaningful ways.

This masterclass is for you if you:

• want to better understand the needs and expectations of community members and the reasons why they are supporting you
• want to more effectively move your community members from being ‘passive’ to ‘active’ supporters
  

Criteria for participation

This event has been designed to benefit news organisations that put community engagement (geographical or topical) at the centre of their ownership, reporting, distribution, impact and revenue. As such, we expect participating organisations to:

- Demonstrate a community-driven approach to journalism
- Send two colleagues in order to make the most of, and participate in more than one of, the masterclasses
- Undertake a short pre-event activity (no more than one hour) which will help participants get the most value during the event
- News organisations from anywhere in the world can register to attend, however, we will give priority to organisations from Europe as necessary