PyCon Canada with Francis Deslauriers and Peter McCormick

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 Hello and welcome to Podcast.__init__, the podcast about Python and the people who make it great. I would like to thank everyone who has donated to the show. Your contributions help us make the show sustainable. For details on how to support the show you can visit our site at pythonpodcast.com Linode is sponsoring us this week. Check them out at linode.com/podcastinit and get a $20 credit to try out their fast and reliable Linux virtual servers for your next project We are also sponsored by Sentry this week. Stop hoping your users will report bugs. Sentry’s real-time tracking gives you insight into production deployments and information to reproduce and fix crashes. Check them out at getsentry.com and use the code podcastinit at signup to get a $50 credit! Hired has also returned as a sponsor this week. If you’re looking for a job as a developer or designer then Hired will bring the opportunities to you. Sign up at hired.com/podcastinit to double your signing bonus. Visit our site to subscribe to our show, sign up for our newsletter, read the show notes, and get in touch. To help other people find the show you can leave a review on iTunes, or Google Play Music, and tell your friends and co-workers Join our community! Visit discourse.pythonpodcast.com for your opportunity to find out about upcoming guests, suggest questions, and propose show ideas. 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