Summary

Aside from the national Python conferences such as PyCon US and EuroPyCon there are a number of regional conferences that operate at a smaller scale to service their local communities. This week we interviewed Peter McCormick and Francis Deslauriers about their work organizing PyCon Canada to provide a venue for Canadians to talk about how they are using the language. If you happen to be near Toronto in November then you should get a ticket and help contribute to their success!

Brief Introduction

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• Your hosts as usual are Tobias Macey and Chris Patti
• Today we’re interviewing Peter McCormick and Francis Deslauriers about their experiences organizing PyCon Canada

Interview with Peter McCormick and Francis Deslauriers

• Introductions
• How did you get introduced to Python? – Chris
• How did you get involved as an organizer of PyCon Canada? – Tobias
• How does PyCon Canada, and other regional conferences, differ from PyCon US, both in terms of scale and overall experience? – Tobias
• How do the audience and presenters differ from the US conferences? Is there perhaps a differen mix of industry versus academia, or maybe different disciplines? Chris
• Are you thinking of trying to hold the conference in different cities across Canada, similarly to how PyCon US moves venues every two years? – Tobias
• In addition to the national and regional conferences, there are a number of special interest Python conferences that take place (e.g. SciPy, PyData, etc.). What kind of relationship do you have with organizers of those events and how do they impact the kinds of talk submissions that you are likely to receive? – Tobias
• There has been a lot of focus in recent years on trying to increase the diversity of conference speakers. What are some of the methods that you have used to encourage speakers of various backgrounds to submit talks? – Tobias
• Organizing a conference involves a lot of moving parts. How do you structure the process to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the attendees? – Tobias
• What are some of the biggest logistical challenges you face as conference organizers? – Chris
• Given that PyCon Canada is a regional conference, how has that affected your focus in terms of marketing and the general theme? – Tobias
• Tell our listeners about your favorite PyCon Canada moments. – Chris
• What has been the most surprising part of organizing the conference? – Tobias

Keep In Touch

• PyCon Canada
  • Twitter
  • Website
  • Email for sponsorship enquiries
• Peter
  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Website
• Francis
  • Email
  • Twitter

Picks

• Tobias
  • Juice SSH
• Chris
  • Chinese Man
  • Stiletto
  • Amazon Echo
• Peter
  • DjangoCon US documentation
• Francis
  • Spam Nation

Links

• PSF Calendar of Events
• Symposion

The intro and outro music is from Requiem for a Fish The Freak Fandango Orchestra / CC BY-SA