PyCon 2015 Checklist

PyCon Reset

• [April 27, 2014] Create a new PyCon repo (wiki, etc)
• [April 28, 2014] Thank you blog post
• [April 28, 2014] Solicit post-mortem feedback from staff
• [May 1, 2014] Enter PyCon 2014 expenses
• [May 1, 2014] Backup PyCon 2014 Wufoo data
• [May 1, 2014] Add the PyVideo & Slidedeck links to the PyCon 2014 schedule pages
• Fill existing PyCon staff roles (use wiki, since site isn't launched yet)
• Identify and fill new staff roles
• Review the past PyCon survey results
• Determine tentative dates (attendee focused)
• Determine tentative milestones (staff focused)

PyCon Staff

• Reset/cull staff mailing list (pycon-staff@python.org)
• Update staff page on the site
• Schedule monthly staff meetings
• Succession planning
• Collect staff phone numbers and mailing addresses before PyCon

Budget

• Brainstorm fun ideas
• Determine budget for design
• Determine budget for website
• Determine budget for childcare
• Determine budget for 5k fun run
• Determine budget for charity auction
• Determine budget for financial aid
• Determine budget for explore montreal
• Determine budget for the pycon dinners
• Determine budget for open spaces
• Determine budget for swag
• Determine budget for t-shirts
• Determine budget for the opening reception
• Review budget with the PSF board
• Enter all PyCon expenses

Communications

• Ditch the press releases entirely?
• Email all attendees 1 month before PyCon
• Do two email blasts to user groups (call for proposals, registration)
• [June 16, 2014] Update the @pycon twitter account bio with the new PyCon dates
• [June 2, 2014] Blog call for launch day sponsors
• [July 31, 2014] Blog site launch
• [August 4, 2014] Blog call for proposals - talks
• [August 4, 2014] Blog call for proposals - posters
• [August 4, 2014] Blog call for proposals - tutorials
• [September 24, 2014] Blog call for proposal reviewers
• [September 12, 2014] Blog financial aid
• [September 12, 2014] Blog call for proposals reminders
• [September 2, 2014] Blog registration opens
• [September 12, 2014] Blog childcare
• [October 16, 2014] Blog early bird ticket warning
• Blog keynote selection
• [December 16, 2014] Blog accepted talks, tutorials, and posters
• Blog call for proposals - startup row
• [December 30, 2014] Blog financial aid reminder
• [December 16, 2014] Blog tutorial schedule and registration
• [January 8, 2015] Blog talk schedule
• [January 8, 2015] Blog accepted posters
• Blog explore montreal registration
• Blog 5k fun run registration
• Blog pycon dinner registration
• Blog young coders registration
• Blog accepted startup row participants
• Blog passover apology
• Blog sold out warning
• Blog sold out
• [December 13, 2014] Blog education summit
• [December 2, 2014] Blog sprints
• Blog about sponsor workshops
• Blog after parties
• Blog passports required
• Blog about mobile options in Canada
• Blog about tutorials, final registration push
• Blog about the opening reception
• Blog about the open spaces
• Blog about onsite lightning talk selection
• Blog about the PyLadies auction and lunch
• Blog about the PyCon mobile app
• Blog about the location of PyCon 2016 & 2017
• Blog PyCon re-cap
• Blog Thanks!
• Monitor twitter on-site during PyCon
• Tweet events as they happen on-site during PyCon

Sponsors

• [June 2, 2014] Call for launch day sponsors
• [June 15, 2014] Review & update sponsorship prospectus
• [June 17, 2014] Email past sponsors about being launch day sponsors
• Create guidelines for sponsor swag
• Create ad guide for sponsors (sizes, formats, etc)
• Create sponsors manual
• Update sponsor information on the site
• Email sponsors - encourage them to add their job postings to the site
• Email sponsors - encourage them to participate in the job fair
• Email sponsors - encourage them to participate in the pyladies auction
• Email sponsors - reminders about print program assets
• Tweet each sponsor as they sign-up
• Collect the sponsor assets for the print program
• Help coordinate sponsor after parties
• Help answer the emails from sponsors with questions
• Thank sponsors on-site during booth setup
• Send out a sponsor satisfaction survey

Website

• [May 19, 2014] Make past PyCon site static
• [May 2014] Branding & design pass
• Stand up new PyCon site
• Compile a wish-list of website improvements
• Determine who will be making these improvements
• [July 14, 2014] Replace all references to 2014 with 2015
• Review all content to make sure it's current (English)
• Review all content to make sure it's current (French)

Misc Tech

• Move the PyCon blog off blogger
• Solve the mass email problem (mailgun?)
• Update pycon.org site to be more current
• Password manager
• Notify Freenode as soon as we know our IP for the conference

Keynote Selection

• [May 1 2014] Ask the community for input
• Have a committee determine the keynotes
• Reach out to the keynotes
• Collect the keynote bios and headshots
• Update the keynotes page on the site
• Create talk proposals for the keynotes, so that they can be scheduled
• Assign someone to be "responsible" for each keynote (as in keynote happiness)
• Book the keynote hotel rooms
• Reimburse keynotes for flights
• Select a keynote master of ceremonies
• Thank the keynotes

Financial Aid

• Reset the pycon-aid@python.org mailing list
• Determine the financial aid ticket price
• Determine the financial aid tiers
• Determine the financial aid selection criteria
• Update the financial workflow in the app
• Update the financial aid page on the site
• Use consistent naming on the website: financial aid, not assistance
• Review the financial aid applications
• Generate financial aid promo codes for registration
• Make sure financial aid recipients can register for one tutorial at a reduced rate
• Make sure financial aid recipients know about the free sponsor workshops
• Draft & send the accept/decline emails
• Save those emails in this repository for future reference
• Be prepared to answer a lot of email from financial aid recipients with questions
• Update the room sharing site, since we will not be pairing people going forward
• Let financial aid recipient know to get their invitation letters and visas ASAP
• Determine how grants will be distributed (cash, paypal, cheque)
• Figure out how we can make grant distribution less hard
• Get money from the bank (on-site)
• Determine precise dates, locations for on-site grant distribution
• On-site grant administration
• Put money back in the bank (on-site)

Registration

• Reset the pycon-reg@python.org mailing list
• Determine which events will use the PyCon registration system
• Determine which events will use something else like Eventbrite
• Determine this year's conference prices
• Update the registration pages with prices etc
• Make sure the registration system supports Unicode characters
• Make the registration page "looks" better
• Add a registration FAQ to the registration menu
• Help answer misc emails to the registration mailing list

Talks

• Reset the pycon-pc@python.org mailing list
• Update the call for proposal pages
• Enable talk proposals on the site
• Review proposals
• Provide proposal feedback
• Draft & send the accept/decline emails
• Save those emails in this repo for future reference
• Determine the talk schedule
• Publish the talk schedule
• Email all speakers with A/V requirements etc before PyCon
• Save that email in this repo for future reference
• Create registration for a program committee lunch

Tutorials

• Update the call for proposal pages
• Enable tutorial proposals on the site
• Review proposals
• Provide proposal feedback
• Determine tutorial stipend amount
• Communicate the stipend amount in the accept emails
• Draft & send the accept/decline emails
• Save those emails in this repo for future reference
• Create a form to collect instructor info (address, tax info, etc)
• Schedule the tutorials
• Publish the tutorial schedule on the site (without room numbers)
• Monitor attendance numbers, cap tutorials, etc
• Update the tutorial schedule on the site with room numbers, based on enrollment
• Email all instructors with A/V requirements etc before PyCon
• Save that email in this repo for future reference
• Prepare a tutorial survey
• Create registration for a tutorial instructors lunch
• Drop printed material (or an alternative) off in each room
• Take tutorial attendance
• Distribute tutorial survey link

Poster Sessions

• Update the call for proposal pages
• Enable poster proposals on the site
• Review proposals
• Provide proposal feedback
• Determine how many posters we can accept
• Draft & send the accept/decline emails
• Save those emails in this repo for future reference
• Publish the list of accepted posters
• Make sure a bulletin board is ordered for each poster presenter
• Make sure a table + chair is ordered for each poster presenter
• Make sure the presenters know that they will not have access to power
• Create a poster session map for the print program
• Supplies for hanging the posters?
• Email all presenters with the bulletin board dimensions etc
• Save that email in this repo for future reference

Sponsor Workshops

• Only one day this year? (the Thursday)
• Enable workshop proposals on the site
• Have each sponsor enter a bio and workshop proposal
• Accept the workshop proposals
• Schedule the sponsor workshops on the site
• Create registration for the sponsor workshops

Lightning Talks

• On-site selection only (update the proposals page to reflect this)
• TODO
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Open Spaces

• On-site selection only
• TODO
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Sprints

• Update the sprints pages on the site
• Encourage projects to have a list of easy tickets ready and publish them beforehand
• Brainstorm ways to make sprints friendlier to new contributors
• Make sure sprint supplies have been ordered
• Create the sprint room allocation boards
• Make sure sprinters know when & where lunch is so food isn't wasted
• Check the temperature of the sprints rooms

Young Coders

• Determine who will teach the Saturday class
• Determine who will teach the Sunday class
• Update the Young Coders page on the site
• Create registration for Young Coders - students
• Create registration for Young Coders - TAs
• Publicize Young Coders locally
• Order the necessary tech
• Setup and teardown volunteers
• Content needs to be sent to the printer
• Contact sponsors about books for the kids
• Contact all students before the event
• Save that email in this repo for future reference
• Consent forms need to be printed
• Save that consent form in this repo for future reference
• Contact all students after the event
• Save that consent form in this repo for future reference

Education Summit

• TODO
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Language Summit

• This is largely handled by the core developers, just facilitate

5K Fun Run

• Determine a free location for the fun run
• Determine when the fun run will take page
• Determine which charity the fun run money will go to
• Create registration for the fun run
• Update the 5k fun run page on the site
• Determine how bibs and timing will happen
• Make sure insurance was purchased
• Water
• T-shirts
• Transfer money to the charity
• Email all participants before the race with logistics
• Save that email in this repo for future reference
• Email all participants after the race with results
• Save that email in this repo for future reference
• Announce the 5k fun run winners in a plenary

PyLadies Auction

• Update the PyLadies auction page on the site
• Encourage sponsors to submit items for the auction
• Create a list of items that are well suited for the auction
• Seed the auction with some fun PSF stuff?
• Create registration for the auction
• Staff the auction
• Determine how payment will work
• Determine how to collect the registration fee at the door
• Auction supplies
• Thank sponsors and auction winners

PyCon Dinners

• Determine how many PyCon Dinners we'll have
• Determine the cost of each dinner
• Determine where those dinners will be held
• Determine the dinner themes
• Determine who will host those dinners
• Create registration for the dinners
• Update the PyCon Dinners page on the site
• Arrange and communicate the A/V requirements, layout, etc
• Check-in with the dinners hosts in the weeks prior to the conference
• Have the registration desk print off the dinner attendee lists at 5pm before the dinner
• On-site dinner ticket collection (two PyCon volunteers per dinner)
• Thank the dinner hosts

Explore Montreal

• Determine which days Explore Montreal will happen
• Determine the Explore Montreal activities
• Update the Explore Montreal page on the site
• Need a meet here sign near the registration desk
• Create registration for Explore Montreal
• Email all participants before PyCon with logistics
• Save that email in this repo for future reference

PyLadies Lunch

• Update the PyLadies lunch page on the site
• Create registration for the PyLadies Lunch

Swag

• Design PyCon stickers
• Order PyCon stickers
• Design PyCon swag bag
• Order PyCon swag bag
• Brainstorm a fun PyCon souvenir (travel mug, etc)
• Water table during swag bag stuffing
• Music during swag bag stuffing
• Better box cutters for opening swag boxes
• Add volunteer slot to swag bag stuffing setup
• Lego!

Expo Hall

• TODO
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Job Fair

• TODO
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Startup Row

• TODO
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Opening Reception

• TODO
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Childcare

• Determine who will be providing childcare
• Determine the cost per child per day
• Update the childcare page on the site
• Create registration for childcare
• Email people registered for childcare just before PyCon
• Save that email in this repo for future reference

Outreach

• TODO
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Code of Conduct

• Add photography policy to site
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Volunteers

• Update the volunteer pages on the site
• Do not reset the organizers mailing list pycon-organizers@python.org
• Help answer emails on the organizers mailing list
• Create the on-site volunteering spreadsheet (reg desk, swag had out, etc)
• Email volunteers before PyCon with more details, where they should meet etc
• Save those emails in this repo for future reference

Session Chairs & Runners

• Add session staff sign-up to the schedule - the [s] buttons on the schedule
• Call for session chairs and runners
• Make sure those session volunteers have registered and are still attending
• Email all session chairs and runners before the conference with more info
• Save that email in this repo for future reference
• Make sure session staff know about any messages that should be announced

Opening & Closing Messages

• Determine who will give the opening messages
• Determine who will give the closing messages
• Have the survey ready for the closing messages
• Raffles?
• Awards?
• Announce 5k fun run winners

Staff Room

• Staff room supplies
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Green Room

• Green room supplies: flipchart paper, 4x150 post-it notes in different colors, pens, printer, printer paper, large analog clock
• Prepare staff + speaker check-in board
• Prepare and print session staff + speaker information sheets ("Green Room" folder in Google Drive)
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A/V

• Determine which company will be doing the A/V
• Who's creating video splash screen?
• Video Editing?
• Create new YouTube channel for the current year under the PyCon account (David Wolever has login info)
• Create spreadsheet with YouTube video titles + descriptions for A/V crew to copy+paste into YouTube; video crew will paste YouTube video URLs into this spreadsheet.
• Make sure that spreadsheet includes the DO NOT PUBLISH flag
• Ping PyVideo with URL for the spreadsheet (Will or Sheila)

PyCon Videos

• PyVideo
• YouTube account
• Slides?

PyCon Pictures

• Create a flickr group for PyCon pics
• Tweet that group from the PyCon twitter account
• Create a slide-show with those pics (closing ceremony)

Food

• Publish menu online this year, so that people know what they can eat etc
• Ask the convention center to label the food so that people know what they can eat etc
• Menu: Language Summit, Morning Break
• Menu: Language Summit, Lunch
• Menu: Language Summit, Afternoon Break
• Menu: Education Summit, Morning Break
• Menu: Education Summit, Lunch
• Menu: Education Summit, Afternoon Break
• Menu: Tutorials, Day 1, Morning Break
• Menu: Tutorials, Day 1, Lunch
• Menu: Tutorials, Day 1, Afternoon Break
• Menu: Tutorials, Day 2, Morning Break
• Menu: Tutorials, Day 2, Lunch
• Menu: Tutorials, Day 2, Afternoon Break
• Menu: Conference, Day 1, Breakfast
• Menu: Conference, Day 1, Morning Break
• Menu: Conference, Day 1, Lunch
• Menu: Conference, Day 1, Afternoon Break
• Menu: Conference, Day 2, Breakfast
• Menu: Conference, Day 2, Morning Break
• Menu: Conference, Day 2, Lunch
• Menu: Conference, Day 2, Afternoon Break
• Menu: Conference, Day 3, Breakfast
• Menu: Conference, Day 3, Morning Break
• Menu: Conference, Day 3, Lunch
• Menu: Sprints, Day 1, Lunch
• Menu: Sprints, Day 2, Lunch
• Menu: Sprints, Day 3, Lunch
• Menu: Sprints, Day 4, Lunch
• Menu: Opening Reception
• Menu: PyLadies Auction
• Menu: PyLadies lunch
• Menu: PSF lunch
• Menu: Program Committee lunch
• Menu: Tutorial Instructors lunch
• Menu: Staff room coffee etc
• Menu: Green room coffee etc
• Menu: Water in the hallways

Venue Room Allocation

• Storage
• Staff Room
• Green Room
• Plenary
• Talks
• Tutorials
• Sponsor Workshops
• Young Coders
• Language Summit
• Education Summit
• Childcare
• Open Spaces
• Sprints
• Misc Lunches
• PyLadies Lunch
• Expo Hall
• Lunches
• Breaks

Signage

• Order easels from the venue
• Registration desk branding
• Podium branding
• Floorplan signage, with accessibility info
• Meter board for Special Events
• Meter board for breakout 1
• Meter board for breakout 2
• Meter board for breakout 3
• Meter board for breakout 4
• Meter board for breakout 5
• Blank Signs with sleeve to use for directions etc
• Poster Session & Job Fair Signs
• Startup Row Banner
• Swag Bag Distribution Sign
• Meter boards for Wednesday Tutorials
• Meter boards for Thursday Tutorials
• Expo Aisle Hanging Signs
• Opening Reception sponsor banner
• Open spaces sponsored by banner
• Coffee break sponsored by banner
• Expo hall cocktail table stickers
• Pycon Poster for Auction
• Sign for Poster Session
• Print open space sign-up board on foam core
• Print sprint room sign-up board on foam core
• T-shirt signs (when unclaimed t-shirts will go on sale, etc)

T-shirts

• Determine a printer
• Publish the sizes & t-shirt brand in advance
• Design
• Staff shirts
• Fun run shirts
• Order them

Lanyard & Badges

• Badge Design
• Lead retrieval considerations
• Different badges for different attendee types

Print Program

• Determine who will be making the print program
• Print program cover design & review
• Create dropbox folder for content
• Have the print designer create a floor plan
• Welcome message from the chair
• Expo hall booth map
• Email all speakers asking them to make sure their bios and desc are current
• Save that email in this repo for future reference
• Email sponsors multiple times about the print program deadlines
• Save those [generic] emails in this repo for future reference
• Export content from app
• Create a spreadsheet for print program change requests
• Have someone review the print program
• Determine how many print programs to order
• Order them

Printed Schedule Handout

• Compile a list of all events (rooms, times)
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Mobile App

• TODO
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Visa Letters

• TODO
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Feedback & Thanks

• Have survey ready before PyCon
• Have thank you blog post mostly written before PyCon
• Have staff thank-yous ready before PyCon
• Don't forget on-site volunteers