PyCon US survival guide#
Hey, this year PyCon US is back in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: the home of the “Ketchup Museum” and The Andy Warhol Museum. If this is your first time going to PyCon US, you may wonder what you should do, how it is different from your local conference, and how to make the most out of it. This will be my fourth time going, so let me give you a few tips.
Talks and workshops are great, but there’s more than that
You may have heard that the competition for speaking at PyCon US is fierce because there are many Python experts and celebrities attending the conference. Well, this is true - but don’t feel discouraged if you are new to the community. Other than learning from the experts in the community, you can also participate in a lot of beginner-friendly or self-organised activities. Here are a few of them:
Open spaces are for everyone
Personally I found that open spaces are the most fun in PyCon US, I have not experienced open spaces at other conferences that are quite like those at PyCon US. Open spaces are organised by anyone at the conference. Just pick a slot and tell us what activities you plan to do in your open space. Not only can you have a discussion with other Pythonistas about interesting Python topics, you can even share any topic that interests you. In the past, we have had groups of folks practicing juggling and yoga in their open spaces! Do you wanna find out what open spaces I will organise this year? Come to PyCon US.
How about giving a lightning talk?
If you have a topic you want to talk about, but it didn’t make it past the CfP, you can give it another try by signing up to give a lightning talk. Lightning talks are shorter (only 3-5 mins) and easier to prepare. Perfect to talk about Python community work, your hobby project, what you learnt recently or pitch your hot takes in Python.
Meeting communities around the world
PyCon US’s participants are not only from the USA. Every year there will be folks, many of them are local community organisers across the globe, participating. There are also community booths and tables at the conference where you can meet communities that you may not have heard of before. It is a great opportunity to make new friends and learn from people who may have a different cultural background. This is part of the beauty of being in a global community.
Join the discussions that you care about
Being a new participant at PyCon US doesn’t mean that you cannot express your opinion. There are plenty of interactive sessions which give you opportunities to be part of the discussions. Other than the open spaces that are mentioned above, there are also summits (some of them require registration and are by invitation only) which you can join. Please see the event tab on the PyCon US webpage.
Other than the official program, usually the most interesting discussions happen in the hallway (which we call a “hallway track”) and dinner tables. Don’t be shy to join them! For folks who are PyCon regulars, please remember the “Pac-Man rule” and welcome new folks to join the conversation.
Looking for new opportunities?
Part of the advantage of joining Python community events is to grow your professional network. PyCon US is one of the best places to do so! Whether you are looking for a new opportunity, it’s always good to be there to talk to sponsors who will be leading in using Python in the tech industry. You can understand how the industry is doing, learn about what’s new and get inspired. For those who are actively looking, there will be a lot of opportunities to talk to potential employers, as there will also be a job fair.
Remember to stay for the sprints
Another one of my favourite activities in Python conferences is the sprints! Sprints are days of the conference (usually free to attend) when participants sit together to work on open-source projects. At PyCon US, maintainers of popular Python libraries and core developers of CPython are usually there to lead the sprints. This means it is a golden opportunity to learn from the experts in the Python community, a good way to contribute to your favourite Python libraries and gives you the chance to give back to the open-source software that you used.
PyCon US is for (mostly) everyone#
Students, academics and educators are welcome
If you are a student or an educator working in an educational education, you can get a discounted ticket which is much more affordable.
For students, not only does PyCon US provide a lot of opportunities to meet working professionals, but there will also be a job fair where you can be assisted to start a career in Python.
For educators, there will be an Education Summit and the Education and Outreach working group member will also be there to meet you all and to see how we can help in Python education.
PyCon US is welcoming
As someone who has been in the Python community for years, I deeply understand being welcoming is essential to the community. Everyone attending the conference agrees to follow the code of conduct, and there will be a team to ensure it is respected and actions will be taken if someone violates it.
Last year, at PyCon US, we saw that the organisers made special arrangements for those who are in need. For example, there are ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters on-site and assistants are available to help visually impaired participants to enjoy the conference.
If you have any special needs or have any questions about accessibility facilities at the conference, please contact pycon-reg@python.org
International visitors? PyCon US tries their best to help
As an international visitor visiting the US myself, I understand that there is a lot of information out there at this “interesting” time that may discourage traveling to the US. After all, it is a personal decision whether or not you feel safe to visit another country. PyCon US has also implemented special refund policies and information for international travelers.
My decision? I will be attending PyCon US this year. I also know a lot of my friends from outside of the US will be going too. In this sensitive time we have to take care of each other and stay in touch while traveling. If you need special assistance, please contact the PyCon US team (pycon-reg@python.org).