Objectives

1. To demonstrate how Malawi is using a multi-partner and multi-funded approach to develop, implement, and support a national implementation of OpenMRS.

2. To expand the OpenMRS community practices to support quality assurance processes (i.e. release testing, stakeholder acceptance testing, module gardening team, etc.)

3. To identify the ways to measure a “successful high quality implementation” of OpenMRS and why it is important to go beyond just software development features and bug fixes.

4. To understand ways in which OpenMRS outputs can be used to positively impact the quality of clinical care and the quality of programs that support care.

Who should attend

• People new to OpenMRS who want to connect to others using the platform around the world
• Experienced OpenMRS implementers who want to share their experiences and learn from others
• OpenMRS platform developers – anyone building systems to integrate with or extend OpenMRS
• Developers of related health and healthcare application software
• Health practitioners, researchers and publishers
• You!

Why you should attend

This event provides an opportunity for developers to collaborate and improve their technical skills in OpenMRS, implementers to share their best practices from implementations, and users to propose and prioritize their top features in future releases of the software. The event will also include visits to OpenMRS implementation sites along with a discussion afterward for participants to share their experience and suggestions

Tickets

We've resolved the complications with Brown Paper Tickets and can be used for those that cannot use PayPal or Wire Transfers. Please see the link here if you want to use Brown Paper Tickets. If you have any questions or feedback, please email malawiomrs17@gmail.com. It's really important that you purchase your tickets within the specified window if you want to take advantage of the discounted rates. For those of you that are being sponsored by your organization and aren't personally paying for your own tickets, we understand and will accommodate any challenges in payment delays.

PayPal

To purchase your ticket using PayPal, please THIS LINK. If you need to use another method of payment beyond PayPal or wire transfer, please contact lorinne.omrs@gmail.com

Registration

To register for OMRS17, please CLICK HERE. Please make sure that you register in addition to purchasing your tickets on Brown Paper Tickets. This helps us keep track of everyone that might have applied for scholarships, are being sponsored by their organization, or are traveling as part of a group. For groups traveling together, please ensure each individual registers using the registration form.

Conference Schedule

The conference will be structured in a semi-unconference format - each conference date will comprise with a number of pre-determined sessions/events, followed by open slots for the audience to propose sessions of their choice. 

The conference schedule can be found here.

Propose session ideas

It’s an unconference! If you've never been to an unconference before, imagine a traditional conference with incredibly useful chats with colleagues in the small breaks between dry presentations with one person talking in from of a room of people checking their email and then take away the dry presentations and fill the conference with the incredibly useful interactions. That's your unconference, where attendees determine the agenda.

If you're attending OMRS17, start sharing your ideas now for sessions you'd like to see at the conference:

• Unconference Sessions: One-hour group discussions on a topic of interest to the group. Have a suggestion for something that should be discussed in one of these sessions? Submit your session idea(s) on our Talk thread here https://talk.openmrs.org/t/propose-ideas-for-omrs17-unconference-sessions/13775.
   
• Lightning Talks: An hour-long session where a dozen presenters each get no more than 5 minutes to stand up a present to the group. We get introduced to some of the great work the community  is doing in the lightning talk session. These are a great way to introduce work or ideas to the community to spark greater interest. If you have something you'd like to share, make sure you can fit your ideas within the strictly enforced 5-minute limit and propose your lightning talk at on our Talk thread here https://talk.openmrs.org/t/ideas-for-omrs17-lightning-talks/13928.
   
• Demonstrations. The demonstrations session is an opportunity for people to set up a "booth" (e.g., a laptop ± any materials) in a room and demonstrate their ideas/work to small groups visiting each demonstration. You would end up giving a brief presentation multiple times to small groups of attendees with the opportunity to answer their questions and discover new collaborative opportunities. If you want to demonstrate your work, register your interest on our Talk thread here https://talk.openmrs.org/t/ideas-for-omrs17-demonstrations/13929.

Hackathon

The traditional OpenMRS hackathon will be held during the 2 days after the event, 15-16 December, 2017. The hackathon is free for developers to attend, but separate registration is required because space is limited.

If you are attending the OMRS17 Hackathon, join the discussion on hackathon ideas at on our Talk thread here: https://talk.openmrs.org/t/ideas-for-the-2017-openmrs-conference-hackathon/13927.

Site visits

We are currently finalizing a list of implementation sites that attendees will be able to visit. More details will be updated shortly.

Social Networking

If you are attending OMRS17 or wish you could but cannot and want to keep in touch with people at the conference:

• Follow us on Twitter!
  • Tweet using the #OMRS17 hashtag
• Follow us on Facebook!
• Sign up for our email update list!
• Join the Telegram chat at t.me/OMRS17

Event Planning Resources

Conference planning and materials can be found on our Google Drive Folder.

Session Action Items

Traveling to Malawi

Visas and invitation letters

If you require an invitation letter please contact us as soon as possible. We will be batch processing your visa requests with the Malawi immigration office and require your passport info as well as a picture of the BIO page emailed to malawiomrs17@gmail.com. Kindly visit this Link to for more information on acquiring a Malawi visa. If you have a local Malawi embassy, please make an appointment to visit them to secure your visa.

Malawi Contact Person: 

Maganizo Monawe
Project Management Team Leader
MoH/Bill & Melinda Gates Kuunika "Data for Action" Project
Central Monitoring and Evaluation Division
Ministry of Health
P.O. Box 30377
Lilongwe 3
Malawi

Cell: +265 (0) 995 450 499

Vaccinations

Recommended and required vaccinations can be found on the CDC website.

Accommodation

Overlooking Malawi Square is The President Walmont Hotel, the first ever 5-star hotel in Malawi. It has a large reception area, beautiful lobby bar, relaxing lounge and is home to the elegant Wild Orchid Restaurant, which serves local and international delicacies and a superb selection of wines. The President Walmont Hotel houses a gym, spa and the Afroma Terrace Bar where sundowners are served in the bar or at the outdoor lounge that overlooks the entire precinct. Please do not attempt to book your accommodation through this site. Please follow the instructions here:

Please send your request to reservations@umodzipark.co.mw and identify yourself with the conference name 'OMRS17'.The hotel is able to take a credit card to secure the room and then charge payment when you check in. Please be advised that payment can be through bank transfer or credit card guarantee and rooms without deposit will be cancelled.

• Shared Room Price: $78/night (per person)
• Single Room Price: $126/night

Meals

Your meals and tea/coffee breaks are provided as part of the conference fee. This includes lunch from Tuesday through Friday and dinner from Tuesday through Thursday which will be served at the conference venue. There will also be snacks provided throughout the conference as well as the Hackathon. For those that are staying at the hotel, breakfast will be included at the venue.

Transportation

We will be providing airport transportation to and from the venue for all registrants staying at the conference venue. This is a complimentary service provided by OpenMRS and the Malawi team. In order to help us coordinate pickup, please tell us your flight details by filling out this form here.

If you are not staying at the conference venue, you are responsible for your own transportation. This is an important clarification because some delegates wish to stay at an alternative hotel, which we don't officially recommend.

Cell Phones

You can get sim cards at the airport, as you are exiting, both TNM and Airtel shops are available. If you miss that, the Umodzi park has a TNM shop, a 3 min walking distance from the hotel. There has been positive feedback for both TNM and Airtel.

Travel Grants

Event Sponsorships

Sponsorship packages begin at $500.00 USD and can be customized based on the goals and available budget of the sponsoring organization. 

Sponsorship packages can include the following:

• Complimentary conference registrations 

• Sponsor ribbon 

• Prominent sign recognition in conference registration area 

• Name or logo on screen before plenary sessions

• Named sponsor for lightning talk or cultural entertainment event 

• Named sponsor for coffee and tea breaks

• Recognition during keynote talks

• Organization listed on "conference sponsor" section on website including logo and 

• website link 

• Logo on conference t-shirt or lanyard

We have tiered sponsorship packages that can be seen here.

Business Sponsorship

Business sponsorship is available to those registering four participants without additional cost. If your organization is only sponsoring 3 participants, the cost will be an additional $200 USD to be a business sponsor; if only 2 participants, there is an additional cost of $300 USD; for one participant, there is an additional cost of $400. As part of your business sponsorship,  there will be an area to have a display to share information at a designated location and time during the meeting. If you are interested in this option, please contact events@OpenMRS.org.

Please contact events@OpenMRS.org for more information.