As we do PiterPy — European conference on Python in St. Petersburg
My name is Mitya and I'm a member of the program Committee PiterPy. It's a cool European conference on Python in the Northern capital.
Want to tell you about it?
the
What is PiterPy
Most it-conference in Russia is done by a handful of people, and it is easy to know them all. For example,
the
-
the
- Fedorov jugru.org (Joker, JPoint, HolyJS, a Heisenbug), the
- Bunin (Highload++, RIT, RootConf, Frontend Conf, Whale Rider), the
- Makeev (RIT, Web Standards Days, pitercss), the
- IT-People (DUMP, PyCon Russia, CONVERT, and FailConf), the
- sea Otters IT-Events (HR API PiterPy, Linux, Piter, IT-Challenge). And that's just within PiterPy his person is me.
What we PiterPy different from other conferences?
We are about Python
It is a great language with some interesting challenges. He deserves your tender love!
More importantly, around Python has a rich ecosystem and a friendly community. Better region for the conference do not find at all desire.
We live for the sake of communication
Developers don't like a conference-deservedly so. Will come, and then the crowd of marketers pour water and herds hrs trying to santity. Is this the case?
PiterPy mission is to be a place of live communication between techies.
We are a window to Europe
With a persistence worthy of a better cause, Russia is trying to shoot himself in the foot. Take a course on isolation. In the age of globalism, it is hurting like no other field :(
Time to remember why Peter the Great created this city!
We are to resist the negative trend, as can friends of the participants from different countries and speakers demonstrated that in St Petersburg is cool and safe. We have all, to foreigners was good. And this year we even have listeners from Europe.
We are a cozy
Python and Petersburg — the two most beautiful things in my life. Where they occur, are born comfort and warmth.
On your PiterPy you among its. Believe me, it's a feeling worth experiencing, even if you're a hardened sociopath.
We are hardcore
The program Committee is carefully monitoring reports. For example, EuroPython takes softcore presentations like "how to timido admit his mistake" or "how to change the gender balance in our company", we don't. All of our reports should be technical.
(It is possible, however, that ever with the growth of the scale of the conference will begin to take and softcore.)
How tempered PiterPy
PiterPy #1 (2014)
Oh. In the reports we dragged everything that any suited on the subject. The conference was a day and small.
As it was photos, videos.
PiterPy #2 (2015)
In the second year have already arrived the first foreign speakers, and immediately became our favorite. Hynek Slovak from Germany and Armin Ronacher (author of Flask and fellow Sentry) from Austria. From that moment, konfa and began to develop. However, Chinese and Armin at that time it was wildly boring all in Russian, including materials, and our audience is extremely shitty spoke English. Even the main organizer (Denis Kalanov) did not know English absolutely. PiterPy was still a day.
As it was photos, videos.
PiterPy #3 (2016)
Here I have participated as speaker, my first peterby. He first two days (yay!). And for the first time since the first all English thread (but without translation), the second stream still on Russian. But it was obvious that the speakers interesting that they communicate with each other. Materials and badges are already in English. Foreign speakers had seven people.
The conference since its second time asked the after-party for the speakers, and in a single day. This day tour is arranged either in the city or in any cultural venue. After the tour, spend time in the cosy restaurant.
On PiterPy #3 felt very funny dissonance: it would seem that the tour of the Catherine Palace, and you guide broadcasts in English and you're listening to this with a group of foreigners. When it was over, already a small team of two vehicles headed to the Park of the 300th anniversary, where I drank wine on the Bay and joked in broken English about Russia and our way of life.
As it was foto, videos, impressions one of participants.
the
As we do PiterPy
Who is we?
Looking for speakers
Search speakers is something of a human search team. As Denis Kalanov originally from recruitment, to supply the process was easy.
There are two main ways. First — passive search: hang the ad and wait for respond. So we got about half of the speakers.
And the second option — the search is active. Often we took the already-held speakers with names or familiar to us. There are guys who are always doing very cool papers (like the same Heneka or Armin), we try to take them. This year we were actively looking speakers with EuroPython, voted by the program Committee and then has watched them.
Some small part of the speakers later become organizers — like me. This means that we have an internal vertical mobility. The conference in General push people to do their projects for them in this regard is very proper spirit.
Care about the speakers
We try whenever possible (it is necessary to understand that the budget conference is limited) to cover our speakers, accommodation and transfer. In practice, we cover almost everything. This in part speakers expenses take over their company, becoming the travel-sponsors, thank them for that — it helps us to stay afloat.
For foreign speakers we do business visa for a year. For this we send an official invitation to the Consulate on behalf of the office. It is necessary, in particular, to the speakers fear was gone "suddenly accused me that I had no right to speak on a tourist visa". Probably no one so much does not bother with the documents as we are.
Before, when our konfa was held in Sokos, all foreign speakers at the airport was met by a member of our forum. Walked, talked and even managed along the way from Pulkovo to give you a tour.
Care about the participants and cultivated atmosphere
Between days gets a big informal party. Went down to the restaurant. Noisy table, we vote for reports, talking-talking-laughing is good.
Within the day we are serving good food and have coffee breaks with them!
Each participant may present a lighting talk (3-5 minutes), and we encourage it.
quality Control
This year we're running all the reports. This is a basic measure of paid conferences on quality assurance reports.
In addition, we very carefully deducted slides: try to they were at the highest level.
Traditionally, all the speeches we remove the put in access. See for yourself how over time, increased quality: audio, video; appeared screencast slides "picture-in-picture". Try this time to do even better.
The fire is, of course, our photographers, heresnyh gallery which half attended the conference itself regularly cuts new avatars.
Watch the price of the tickets
No matter you're doing PiterPy or HolyJS, the most frequent question you hear in the community "why so expensive?!"
Okay, let's I will try to answer the arguments.
What you'll need if you want to make a cool conference? The area where the lunch will be delicious, and in the halls will not be stuffy. Quality sound and light. Team serious photographers and operators. Still have to pay the printing and developers of telegram. bot.
Good review, you need to make expensive including from-for foreign speakers. After all, without the interesting reports you will not buy tickets, and then the conference will cost even more. And the speakers still need to bring-to make-to place.
Katherine comes to us from Berlin
The cost of paying speakers at times rises sharply: for example, suddenly accepts the speaker of the United States (Portland, Oregon), and one takes him 150 thousand rubles. However, we have never taken speakers from Australia, I think this is even beyond our budget. For these reasons, preferred Europe.
The layout of the budget PiterPy in 2017 looks something like this:
the
-
the
- 35% of the hotel the
- 15% simultaneous interpreters the
- 15% the cost of the speakers the
- 5% of the photo the
- 7-10% of live the
- 20% other (force majeure, printing, design, purchase/lease absent from Playground equipment)
An open secret: though PiterPy and a business project, but the main benefit from it is still not about the money. There were years when he did the budget close to zero (i.e., not bringing in income).
What to do if you lack money for a ticket or money is a pity?
We have 35% discount for students, 10% group discount. And you get to pay for a ticket to the conference in the company where you work. All decent firms now have a budget for staff training — use it.
the
What's new this year: PiterPy #4
Changes in the program Committee
The most notable rearrangement — this year is not helping us Grigory Petrov (because of congestion in the Voximplant). Grisha, you're brilliant and honored Patriarch, thank you for being our friend. We will be glad to see you again next year.
Instead of Petrova this year PiterPy tell me. Don't worry, will be fine.
Transfer date
The year began with the failure: due to the International economic forum and finals of the confederations Cup had to move the conference from June to November.
How do we react?
the
-
the
- Tried to call and reach out to all the participants and speakers. the
- Gave a public announcement with a detailed explanation of the situation and the reasons: vk, fb. the
- took the unprecedented measure: to everyone who managed to buy tickets to St. Petersburg and book a hotel here, we offset all the costs. (Except for one foreigner, which we have not yet given $ 600, because it is technically difficult to transfer the money. But he will give necessarily).
website Redesign (piterpy.com, piterpy.ru)
it-events.com — open platform, which we also use for their conferences.
It was convenient, comfortable and fast (and orgs, and visitors), the site about a month ago, has received a redesign.
Was:
Was:
You will find any problems, let us know!
Linux Piter: experiment with parallel Konami on one platform
This year we hold the conference at the Crowne Plaza. There have already passed HR API, and it became clear that the site is large and cozy. It is suitable for our tasks a little more than merchants, which we have used before.
In fact, the site even too big for one conference. Hence was born the idea that you can spend PiterPy and LinuxPiter together, killing two woodcock with one shot. The more that these conferences are quite easily compatible: pythonista interesting Linux, linuksoidam interesting Python.
It is also cool in terms of cost. Still want reasonable spending financial and human resources (both our own and borrowed).
Both conferences are completely independent from each other. Just you will have the opportunity to visit them both, having bought the ticket only for one of them. Tickets are exactly the same, except that you get different starter pack with the merch at the entrance.
We will tell, how was this experiment.
English simultaneous interpreters
We already wrote habré, why is it important to hold the conference is in English.
So: PiterPy this year entirely in English. First try transfer all (!).
In each room there will be simultaneous interpreters, each person will have headphones.
Simultaneous interpreters translate origenalno even our complex technical reports. But this very "originalno" has its price.
First, guys seriously this translation is prepared. For a week we send them lots of information, including the slides. Second, a good interpreter is not cheap. According to conservative estimates this year they will eat 15% of the budget.
By the way, we will translate from English to Russian. In fact, we are opposed to this, so here it is again some kind of experiment. Anyone who does not know English — this is your chance to finally hear something really on the level!
anything else?
Yes, there is in the sleeve a couple of surprises. Come to the conference to not miss.
the
we need You
Come yourself, and invite their colleagues from the CIS and Europe. You can boast that in Russia there is an international conference of the European level. People who don't know Russian, we will have to offer.
You can buy tickets here: piterpy.ru
And keep the promo code for 5% discount: habr. Work 15 times.
And yet we seem to find the speaker slot. So if you have something to share with the world, feel free to email us :) If you wonder why the I. T. act, detailed article topic.
