[Conferences] Statistics of all Python conferences

[Mike Müller]

Answering to myself. Top-posting allowed.

Thanks to a suggestion by Carl Karsten, I created a Google
spreadsheet form:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDhvaTF4aE1taEMtY3U2YXhqX21pOWc6MQ

This form has a link to the survey results.

Again, ideas for improvement welcome.

Mike


Am 29.10.2010 14:13, schrieb Mike Müller:
> Hi conference organizers,
>
> The Python conference landscape is steadily growing.
> This is my, certainly incomplete, compilation of conferences
> and conference-like events:
>
> * 3 international conferences (PyCon US, EuroPython, PyCon Asia-Pacific)
> * 12 national conferences (in countries in Europe, South America, Asia
> and Australia)
> * 3 regional events (states in the US: AR, OH, TX)
> * 3 SciPy conferences (dedicated to Python in science: US, Europe, India))
> * 4 Web-specific Python conferences (2x Django, Zope, Plone)
> * 2 Conferences with strong Python portion (OSCON, RuPy)
>
> Some of this conferences are around for some time. Others are pretty new.
> I think it would be great to have some more numbers about these conferences.
> Data like how many times this conference took place, how many people came,
> or how many talks were given would make great material for some statistics.
>
> Besides serving our own curiosity, this would make really nice marketing
> material. Just imaging all those business consultants showing stylish
> graphs in stylish Power Point presentations with growing numbers of Python
> interest predicting, by linearly extending this trend, that Python will be
> the most used programming language by 2020. ;)
>
> Seriously, we do have some hard numbers here that decision makers love.
> Let's gather them.
>
> I started doing this by assembling PyCon US 2010 data. This is the biggest,
> most recently finished, probably best documented conference. Despite that most
> numbers can be found on its website, it took me some hours.
>
> I would like to do this for _all_ Python conferences. Even though Google can
> be a pretty good tool here, there a few obstacles that prevent me from
> coming even close to this goal:
>
> 1. Not all data is published.
> 2. Websites from many past conferences are not available any more.
> 3. I don't even know that the conference took place. Hence don't know what
> to search for.
> 4. It is just too much work for me if I want to do something else during
> the next few months. And I want and need.
>
> Therefore, I would like to ask everybody who has some information about
> Python past conferences to send me information about them.
>
> I think a simple way to do this is to create one ini file per conference.
> I attached an example. This is a partially formalized way to assemble
> information. The given names or keywords (the ones on the left side of the
> equal sign) provide a structure.
> At the same time, you may define new names under section MISC. Furthermore,
> you may include additional information as free text in comments.
>
> Please make sure the ini file can be parsed. Just use the attached script
> to check if the formatting is ok. The script works with Python 2 and 3.
>
> I am well aware that very few files, if any, will be complete filled.
> That's not the point. The goal is to collect as much information as possible.
> The absolute minimum are the name, the location, and the date of the event.
> Next useful would be the number of attendees and the number of talks.
> Reasonable estimates are better than no numbers at all. Please indicate
> if it is an educated guess.
>
> I will process the data and make all sources and the analysis available
> for everybody.
>
> Feel free to suggest improvements on the process. I am open for ideas.
>
> Also, please indicated if you would like your name to appear on the
> list of contributers in the acknowledgment.
>
>
> Mike
>
>
> # Start sample file
> #################################################################
> # Sample file for Python conference data.
> # This is a simple in-file format that can be parser with ConfigParser:
> # http://docs.python.org/library/configparser.html
> # The equal sign `=` separates name and value:
> # `name=value`
> # Sections are all upper case in square brackets.
> # `[SECTION]`
> # We use the Python comment sign `#` for comments.
> # Use `unknown` if no information is available.
> # Use `None` if not applicable. If you are not sure about this, use `unknown`.
> # Please do NOT delete names (keywords), use `None`.
> # You may add more names (keywords) under `[MISC]`.
> # Please add the source of your numbers such as a link or contact information
> # or something else if possible.
> # For corrections and suggestions contact Mike at
> # (mmueller (_at_) python-academy (_dot_) de).
>
> [GENERAL]
> name=PyCon US
> # First day of event.
> start=2010-02-17
> # Last day of event, i.e. inclusive.
> end=2010-02-25
> link=http://us.pycon.org/2010/about/
> organizer=PSF
>
> [LOCATION]
> country=USA
> # Put `None` for most other countries without states.
> state=GA
> city=Atlanta
> venue=Hyatt Regency Atlanta
>
> [CONFERENCE]
> start=2010-02-19
> end=2010-02-21
> # Source: https://us.pycon.org/2010/register/default/attendees
> # There should be more since not all made there name publicly available.
> # The number announced at the conference was 1100.
> number-of-attendees=1084
> number-of-talks=94
> # NOT included in number-of-talks.
> number-of-keynotes=8
> number-of-tracks=unknown
> number-of-parallel-sessions=4
> # Just an example for `None`. Note: not `0` but N/A. ;)
> number-of-bad-talks=None
>
> [TUTORIALS]
> # Please put `None` for all values if there were no tutorials.
> start=2010-02-17
> end=2010-02-18
> # Source: https://us.pycon.org/2010/register/default/charts
> # There might be more because people from canceled tutorials
> # might have moved to other ones.
> number-of-participants=833
> # Given not only offered.
> number-of-tutorials=28
> # Hours per tutorial.
> length=3
>
> [SPRINTS]
> # Please put `None` if there were no sprints.
> start=2010-02-22
> end=2010-02-25
> # Source: http://us.pycon.org/2010/conference/talks/
> number-of-participants=unknown
> number-of-sprints=unknown
>
> [POSTERS]
> # Please put `None` if there were no posters.
> # Poster presented not submitted.
> # Source: http://us.pycon.org/2010/conference/posters/accepted/
> number-of-posters=17
>
> [MISC]
> # Add more information here if you think it is important.
> # Make up your own names (keywords).
> # Write free text as comments if this is easier.
> number-of-open-space-sessions=unknown
> number-of-lightning-talks=unknown
> # This was the biggest PyCon ever.
> # The percentage of women was about 10% this unusually high
> # for this kind of conference.
> #################################################################
> # End sample file.
>
>
> # start Python script
> #################################################################
> """Simple ini file reader.
> """
>
> try:
> # Python 2.x
> import ConfigParser as configparser
> except ImportError:
> # Python 3.x
> import configparser
> import pprint
>
>
> def check(file_name):
> """Print the content of the ini file.
> """
> config = configparser.ConfigParser()
> config.read(file_name)
> for section in config.sections():
> print(section)
> pprint.pprint(config.items(section))
>
> if __name__ == '__main__':
> check('data/pycon_us_2010.txt')
> #################################################################
> # end Python script
>
>
>
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