From andy at reportlab.com Fri Dec 10 07:15:25 2004 From: andy at reportlab.com (Andy Robinson) Date: Fri Dec 10 07:15:28 2004 Subject: [python-uk] UK Python Conference, 20-23 April 2005 - getting started Message-ID: Hi everyone. It's once again time to begin planning the Python track at the ACCU conference. I should have started this sooner :-) It's the same place, Randolph in Oxford on 20-23 April 2005. I am sending out a call for papers concurrently with this. I would like to attempt at least a pretence at democracy by running through what we plan now, to let anyone air their views. Call for papers is going out now, and we will try to get some Python-specific web pages together next week. I will be at an ACCU planning meeting today and they will want to start publicising this heavily from 2nd January. Here are some issues I should throw out: 1. Is this the UK Conference? Are there others? Last year some people suggested there should be a UK event which is more community-oriented, elsewhere. If so, that would be great, and if they feel strongly it should take over the title of "UK Python Conference" then I don't want to stand in their way. However, barring howls or concrete plans for another event, I would like to brand this "The UK Python Conference". 2. Committee and Volunteers Two gentlemen kindly volunteered to help at last year's event. If they are on this list, please ping me - I lost your details! If not we will probably find you through a mailing to the attendees. The ACCU normally chooses and solicits talks in committee and insisted on this last year. This year we're doing a Call for Papers for the Python tracks, as you'll see with the concurrent emails. Tim Couper, myself, John Lee, and (if we can find them) the two volunteers will form a committee to look at the talks. If anyone else wants to join, say so. Be warned there will be no financial perks for the committee - if you want to get in free, you have to have a talk accepted. ACCU committee members all follow the 'pay or speak' rule. 4. Format This is largely set. We have 3 days and 3 90 minute slots on each, plus lunch and evening events. Slots can be divided in two. We must therefore aim for a small number of high quality talks of interest to most programmers. We could add a second track if (a) we could demonstrate there were likely to be more than 50 people and we needed to split rooms AND (b) if there were too many great talks. But last year most people really wanted one track to avoid tough choices. 5. Price Not set but expected to be similar to last year (approx ?100 per day). This year has 'Security' as the rotating special subject, so we won't have an Open Source track and the corresponding massive crossover with Python. As always it will be cheapest if you join the ACCU. 6. Extra events If people want to hold sprints, open days, tutorials or anything else around the event, let us know soon. It may be possible to find cheaper space within the University before or after the event. The event is provisionally Thu-Fri-Sat which would make sprints or tutorials on Tue-Wed feasible. If lots of people want to show what they are doing and meet up at lower cost, one possibility is a Python community open day on the Tuesday, All comments are welcome Best Regards, Andy Robinson CEO/Chief Architect ReportLab Europe Ltd p.s. I am on holiday this week and getting email sporadically until 8th December. From andy at reportlab.com Fri Dec 10 07:27:16 2004 From: andy at reportlab.com (Andy Robinson) Date: Fri Dec 10 07:27:18 2004 Subject: [python-uk] UK Python Conference - 20-23 April 2005 - Call for papers Message-ID: The UK Python Conference for 2005 will take place at the Randolph Hotel, Oxford on 20-23 April 2005. We hereby invite speakers to submit proposals for talks. About the event =============== This will once again be held as a track within the ACCU conference. The conference site is here, and more details on the Python track will appear shortly. http://www.accu.org/conference/ The ACCU event is one of the foremost conferences for programmers, attracting the inventors and/or leading proponents of C, C++, Java, .NET and Python over the last few years. Past Python speakers have included Guido van Rossum, David Ascher, Alex Martelli, Armin Rigo, Paul Everitt, Marc-Andre Lemburg and many others, and the ACCU now treats Python as being fully on par with Java and C++. The event is priced midway between commercial and community events, at approx. ?100 per day, and is professionally managed. It is located in a historic hotel in the centre of Oxford and is ideal for anyone wanting to combine a holiday with a conference. Conference Format ================= The Python conference will span THREE days, with ONE track. The first slot each morning is taken by the cross-conference keynote. This was the overwhelming preference of those we polled last year. (There will NOT be a separate Open Source track this year; the "rotating special subject" is Security. As a result, Python-related security talks would be of interest) You may propose 90 minute or 45 minute talks. The ACCU's general preference is for a small number of high quality, well prepared talks on subjects of broad interest to programmers, and the Python track will follow this. There will also be space for less formal lunchtime talks, evening BOFs and other events. Speakers' compensation is yet to be confirmed, but in the past those doing 90 mimutes (or 2x45 minute talks) will be eligible for 4 days paid accomodation and admission to the 4 day event; 45 minute speakers will gain 1 day's admission. Where possible, we will attempt to allocate resources to ensure that the best speakers are able to attend irrespective of circumstances. Submission Procedure =================== Please send an email to pyuk2005_talks@reportlab.com not later than 26th December, with the following information: Your Name Short Biography Talk Title Talk Synopsis This is a simple mailbox; the committee will review and acknowledge submissions a couple of times a week. If this shows promise, you will be given a chance to refine the details through a web based system later. Committee ========= A small committee will be formed to scrutinize talk proposals including those whol volunteered last year. This includes myself, Dr. Tim Couper and Dr. John Lee. General discussion about the event should be directed to the python-uk list (python-uk@python.org) ReportLab Europe Ltd. is managing parts of the event infrastructure and will be providing some staff time to provide a guaranteed point of contact. --- Best Regards Andy Robinson CEO/Chief Architect ReportLab Europe Ltd tel +44-20-8544-8049 From chris at simplistix.co.uk Wed Dec 15 18:22:42 2004 From: chris at simplistix.co.uk (Chris Withers) Date: Thu Dec 16 11:31:39 2004 Subject: [python-uk] UK Python Conference, 20-23 April 2005 - getting started In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <41C072E2.9@simplistix.co.uk> Andy Robinson wrote: > way. However, barring howls or concrete plans for another > event, I would like to brand this "The UK Python Conference". Sounds good to me... cheers, Chris -- Simplistix - Content Management, Zope & Python Consulting - http://www.simplistix.co.uk From andy at reportlab.com Thu Dec 23 15:10:06 2004 From: andy at reportlab.com (andy@reportlab.com) Date: Thu Dec 23 15:10:16 2004 Subject: [python-uk] UK Python Conference and sprint/followup events Message-ID: Hi all. This is taking shape fast. There seems to be interest in a week-long PyPy sprint the week after the Oxford conference, which would assure a good turnout of top python developers from around Europe being here. (24-31 April - ish). This would ideally need a cheap location with a room that can handle 15 or so. I will investigate Oxford (university & schools, mostly) after the holidays, but I wonder if anyone else has suggestions - preferably not many hours away? Sadly, ReportLab's office and business centre won't work for these numbers. If we can find space, we could perhaps even arrange a budget-priced "Python open day" for those who find the ?300-plus conference a stretch, or tack on some training events. Best Regards, Andy Robinson From andy at reportlab.com Thu Dec 30 17:25:33 2004 From: andy at reportlab.com (andy@reportlab.com) Date: Thu Dec 30 17:25:37 2004 Subject: [python-uk] UK Python Conference - 20-23 April 2005 - Last Call for talks Message-ID: The UK Python Conference for 2005 will take place at the Randolph Hotel, Oxford on 20-23 April 2005. This is the FINAL CALL for talks. The original deadline of 26th December has been extended to 6 January, to help all those folks who were concentrating on the PyCon deadline of 30th December. Recycled PyCon talks are acceptable. About the event =============== This will once again be held as a track within the ACCU conference. The conference site is here: http://www.accu.org/conference/ Python track information will be reachable from here once talk selection is complete: http://www.accu.org/conference/highlights.html#python The ACCU event is one of the foremost conferences for programmers, attracting the inventors and/or leading proponents of C, C++, Java, .NET and Python over the last few years. Past Python speakers have included Guido van Rossum, David Ascher, Alex Martelli, Armin Rigo, Paul Everitt, Marc-Andre Lemburg and many others, and the ACCU now treats Python as being fully on par with Java and C++. The event is priced midway between commercial and community events, at approx. ?100 per day, and is professionally managed. It is located in a historic hotel in the centre of Oxford and is ideal for anyone wanting to combine a holiday with a conference. We aim to hold a Python 'masterclass' the day before, and are working to arrange a PyPy sprint the week after. Conference Format ================= The Python conference will span THREE days, with ONE track. The first slot each morning is taken by the cross-conference keynote. This was the overwhelming preference of those we polled last year. (There will NOT be a separate Open Source track this year; the "rotating special subject" is Security. As a result, Python-related security talks would be of interest) You may propose 90 minute or 45 minute talks. The ACCU's general preference is for a small number of high quality, well prepared talks on subjects of broad interest to programmers, and the Python track will follow this. There will also be space for less formal lunchtime talks, evening BOFs and other events. Speakers' compensation is yet to be confirmed, but in the past those doing 90 minutes (or 2x45 minute talks) will be eligible for 4 days paid accomodation and admission to the 4 day event; 45 minute speakers will gain 1 day's admission. Where possible, we will attempt to allocate resources to ensure that the best speakers are able to attend irrespective of circumstances. Submission Procedure =================== Please send an email to pyuk2005_talks at reportlab.com not later than 6th January (this is the FINAL deadline!), with the following information: Your Name Short Biography Talk Title Talk Synopsis This is a simple mailbox; the committee will review and acknowledge submissions next week. If the talk is selected, you will be given a chance to refine the details through a web based system in January. Committee ========= A small committee has been formed to scrutinize talk proposals including those whol volunteered last year. This includes myself, Dr. Tim Couper and Dr. John Lee. General discussion about the event should be directed to the python-uk list (python-uk at python.org) ReportLab Europe Ltd. is managing parts of the event infrastructure and will be providing some staff time to provide a guaranteed point of contact. --- Best Regards Andy Robinson CEO/Chief Architect RepoortLab Europe Ltd. tel +44 20 8544 8049