Rough checklist for running PyCon-style conventions.

This table intends to list every single step required to plan and carry out a conference. Do not remove items from this list, because this isn't the to-do list for any particular year; the list of remaining tasks for a specific conference such as PyCon 2006 would be on other pages. Do feel free to add any tasks that you think of.

The dates are given in terms of time before the conference. Larger conferences need lots of preparation time, and a smaller event can probably compress the timeline significantly.

Timeline

-18-24 months

Select conference city and venue

-18-24 months

Select dates. Important: Check they don't conflict with holidays.

-12-18 months

Book venue

-12-18 months

Finances: estimate costs and draw up a draft budget

-12-6 months

Finances: contact potential sponsors

XXX

Decide upon keynote speaker(s)

XXX

Call for proposals

XXX

E-mail speakers for invited talks

XXX

Review proposals

-6 months

Finances: Set registration price

XXX

Send proposal acceptances

XXX

Create schedule

XXX

Call for financial aid applications

XXX

Set up registration process and open early-bird registration

XXX

Post call for volunteers

XXX

Review/accept/reject financial aid applications

XXX

Arrange for wireless networking

XXX

Plan refreshments

XXX

End early-bird registration

Refereed papers

-9 months

Select program committee

XXX

Set up conference management software

-9 months

Post call for papers

-2 months

Paper submission deadline

XXX

Deadline for paper accept/decline decisions

XXX

Write page giving presentation advice

XXX

Notify paper authors of acceptance

XXX

Determine conference schedule

XXX

Arrange iCal/RSS publication of schedule

XXX

Pick session chairs

BoFs

-2 months

Issue call for BoFs

-2 weeks

Pick BoF topics

Swag

XXX

Determine other giveaways (sponsors may help?)

-90 days

Selecting the swag vendor

-80 days

Creating tshirt order based on size proportions of attendees prior year

-80 days

Calling for volunteer to accept delivery of tshirts and totes in advance of conference

-55 days

Bug graphic designer about images

-50 days

Get T-shirt images from graphic designer

Close of early registration

Chair commits to attendance figure.

-45 days

Get quote from swag vendor (T-shirts, tote bag)

-45 days

Get chair's approval for T-shirt, tote budget

-45 days

Have non-attending volunteers sign up on wiki to get shirts

-45 days

Get tote bag images from graphic designer

-44 days

Ordering tshirts, totes from swag vendor

-44 days

Emailing attendee tshirt images to vendor

-44 days

Emailing staff tshirt images to vendor

-44 days

Emailing tote images to vendor

-44 days

Submit reimbursement request to PSF treasurer

-37 days

Proofread T-shirts, totes at vendor

-30 days

Vendor ships to local volunteer

-30 days

Optionally make a second order if registration numbers suggest it.

-1 day

Stuff the bags

-1 day

Fold T-shirts

-1 day

Hand out some staff T-shirts

Demos

XXX

Post call for demos for demo room

PSF Meeting

-3 months

Request nominees for new PSF members

-3 months

Request nominees for board of directors

-2 months

Send out agendas and proxy forms

Next year's con

-4 months

Write requirements for con sites (like http://www.yapc.org/venue-reqs.txt)

-4 months

Post call for site proposals

-1 month

Check over site proposals

At con

Run a panel / voting session to choose a proposal

Days before conference

  1. Formatting finalized program.
  2. Contracting for printing of individual programs for the delegates' totes, and the presentation boards to go outside each of the session rooms.
  3. Purchasing and printing delegates' name labels.
  4. Preparation and printing of "Session Chair Notes", for distribution to session chairs.
  5. Preparation and printing of "Speakers' Notes", for distribution to speakers.
  6. Delivery of tote bag inserts and stuffing of inserts into totes (normally handled by on-site volunteers).
  7. Organization of registration process and briefing of day one volunteers.
  8. Supervision of everything to make sure there won't be any unforeseen glitches. [This doesn't eliminate unforeseen glitches, it just minimizes them].
  9. [added after IRC communications]: encourage sprint leaders to prepare feedback and prepare to present it at the feedback session.
  10. Preparation and printing of public notices (e.g. signage for registration desk, sponsors' logo sheet).

During the conference

After the conference

Related links

Programming conferences

SF fandom


CategoryPyConPlanning

ConventionHowto (last edited 2009-05-18 20:53:49 by PaulBoddie)

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