Facebook’s Communities Summit will gather Group admins Zuck wants to empower

Mark Zuckerberg’s humanitarian manifesto from February outlined his desire to “build more tools to empower community leaders . . . to run and grow their groups the way they’d like.” On June 22nd and 23rd in Chicago, Facebook will hold its first free Facebook Communities Summit to celebrate group admins and better equip them to lead their flocks. Only Facebook Group admins are permitted to apply here, and several hundred will be chosen to attend.

Facebook explains that:

“You’ll hear from Facebook executives about new products we’re building  to help admins grow and manage their groups.  You’ll have an opportunity to participate in workshops  and give the Facebook team real-time feedback on what will make groups better for you.  And you’ll get to meet other admins from across the country who are building remarkable communities through groups.”

Applications will be open for a limited time to Group admins from the US, though their communities can be international. Up to three admins can apply together, though only one application per Group is allowed. Some Groups will be explicitly invited to send admins with a nomination process they’ll receive information about. Applicants should hear back in May.

The Summit itself is free, and Facebook will cover the cost of hotel accommodations and food so as long as the admins can get to Chicago, it will be affordable for anyone to participate. That’s critical to ensuring a diverse set of attendees that can disseminate the strategies learned at the Summit to every community.