EuroPython Blog

EuroPython 2016 is now over and was an overwhelming success thanks to everyone who helped make it happen.

Since EuroPython would not be possible without the help of our volunteers and organizers, we’d like to say

Thank You !!!

to all the individuals who invested time and effort into the event. Please meet your

EuroPython 2016 Team

We run EuroPython with a number of workgroups, many of which work remotely and only meet in person at the conference, the EuroPython Workgroups:

On-site Team WG

• Oier Echaniz Beneitez (Chair)
• Borja Ayerdi Vilches
• Darya Chyzhyk
• Ion Marqués
• José David Nuñez
• Alexandre Savio
• Luis Javier Salvatierra

Conference Administration WG

• Marc-Andre Lemburg (Chair)
• Borja Ayerdi Vilches
• Vicky Twomey-Lee
• Stéphane Wirtel

Finance WG

• Borja Ayerdi Vilches (Chair, EPS Treasurer)
• Darya Chyzhyk
• Marc-Andre Lemburg
• Anthon van der Neut (EPS Treasurer)
• Stéphane Wirtel

Sponsors WG

• Fabio Pilger (Chair)
• Alexandre Manhães Savio
• Borja Ayerdi Vilches
• Ricardo Manhães Savii
• Raúl Cumplido
• Marc-Andre Lemburg

Communications WG

• Marc-Andre Lemburg (Chair)
• Darya Chyzhyk
• Raúl Cumplido
• Alexander Hendorf
• Kerstin Kollmann
• Leire Ozaeta
• Vicky Twomey-Lee
• Chris Ward
• Stéphane Wirtel

Support WG

• Ernesto Arbitrio
• Christian Barra
• Anna Bednarska
• Aisha Bello
• Oier Beneitez
• Darya Chyzhyk
• Raúl Cumplido
• Marc-Andre Lemburg
• Anthon van der Neut
• Alexandre Savio
• Stéphane Wirtel
• Alejandro Villamarín

Financial Aid WG

• Darya Chyzhyk
• Vicky Twomey-Lee
• Manuel Graña Romay
• Stéphane Wirtel

Marketing/Design WG

• Darya Chyzhyk
• Marc-Andre Lemburg
• Alexandre Savio
• Miren Urteaga Aldalur

Program WG

• Alexandre Savio (Chair)
• Alexander Hendorf  (Co-chair)
• Christian Barra
• Raúl Cumplido
• Moshe Goldstein
• Dougal Matthews
• Chris Ward

Web WG

• Christian Barra (Chair)
• Oier Beneitez
• Patrick Guido
• Marc-Andre Lemburg
• Alexandre Savio
• Stéphane Wirtel

Media WG

• Anthon van der Neut (Chair)
• Luis Javier Salvatierra

Code of Conduct WG

• Darya Chyzhyk
• Marc-Andre Lemburg
• Anthon van der Neut
• Leire Ozaeta

If you are interested in helping with EuroPython 2017, we invite you to join the workgroups. Please go to the EuroPython Workgroups page and follow the instructions there to get signed up. Many thanks !

In addition to several of the EuroPython Workgroup members, we usually have quite a few attendees helping us as Beginners’ Day or DjangoGirls trainers, session manager, room manager, at the registration desk, bag stuffing and during set up and tear down of the conference, our on-site volunteers.

On-Site Volunteers

The following people helped on-site with EuroPython 2016 (in alphabetical order):

• Achim Domma
• Agustín Herranz
• Alejandro Villamarin
• Aleksey Kutepov
• Alessandro Amici
• Alexander Hendorf
• Alexandre Saint
• Alexandre Savio
• Andreas Klostermann
• Anjana Vakil
• Ankit Bahuguna
• Anna Bednarska
• Axel Rosen
• Christian Barra
• Christian Trebing
• Conrad Ho
• Danny Engelbarts
• Dougal Matthews
• Eider Sanchez
• Ernesto Rico-Schmidt
• Gilberto Goncalves
• Harald Armin Massa
• Harry Percival
• Helen Sherwood-Taylor
• Helen Williams
• Hugo Suarez
• Izarra Domingo Cansino
• Izaskun Boada Garcia
• Javier Bores
• Jean-Cristophe Leyder
• Juan Luis Cano
• Justyna Janczyszyn
• Justyna Kaluzka
• Ken Hu
• Leire Ozaeta
• Leticia Hernández
• Lorena Mesa
• Maarten
• Mai Gimenez
• Maider Alberich
• Maksim Sorokin
• Mariano Anaya
• Michal Bultrowicz
• Mihai Iachimovschi
• Moshe Goldstein
• Nick Tollervey
• Paola Katherine Pacheco
• Pawel Lewtak
• Peiken Hu
• Peter Hoffmann
• Philipp Konrad
• Rachel Willmer
• Ralph Heinkel
• Raphael Pierzina
• Ricardo Bánffy
• Sathvik Katam
• Sebastian Neubauer
• Stephane Wirtel
• Steven Van den Berghe
• Tiago Montes
• Tom Viner
• Uwe Schmitt
• Victoria Martínez de la Cruz
• Yamila Moreno

Many thanks to all of you. We are looking forward to to seeing all of you again next year for EuroPython 2017.

Photos are courtesy Sergio Hernandez.

With gravitational regards,
–
EuroPython 2016 Team

EuroPython 2016 is almost over and so it’s time to ask around for what we can improve next year. If you attended EuroPython 2016, please take a few moments and fill out our feedback form:

EuroPython 2016 Feedback Form

We will leave the feedback form online for a few weeks and then use the information as basis for the work on EuroPython 2017 and also post a summary of the multiple choice questions (not the comments to protect your privacy) on our website. Many thanks in advance.

With gravitational regards,
–
EuroPython 2016 Team

We are very grateful to the Python Software Foundation (PSF) as our financial aid sponsor. Together with the budget we allocated, this has allowed us to provide finance aid to people who otherwise would not have been able to attended the conference or give a talk.

We are glad to announce that funds devoted to financial aid have risen by 30% compared to 2015.

Some statistics

• Totals
  Total requested applications: 166
  Total accepted grants: 67 (40% of submitted applications)
  Total financial aid budget: EUR 25,000
  EUR 13,310 from the PSF, EUR 11,690 from the conference budget.
  

• Grant types
  Ticket grants: 36
  Accommodation grants: 33
  Travel grants: 19

• Countries
  Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France,
  Germany,  Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain,
  Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, USA.

• Grantees
  Speakers: 42%
  Students: 48%
  Unemployed: 3%
  First time attending EuroPython: 66%

With gravitational regards,
–
EuroPython 2016 Team

We would like to draw your attention to the following sessions by the EuroPython Society and the Python Software Foundation, two of our Python community organizations working for you.

EuroPython Society Sessions

The EuroPython Society (EPS) is organizing the EuroPython conference series and working with the EuroPython Workgroups, including the on-site team, to run EuroPython conferences.

Each year, we are running our General Assembly at the conference, reporting on our activities and, probably more interesting for many of you, a session to introduce the organization concepts we’re using to run these conferences.

• EPS General Assembly - Thursday, July 21, 14:30, Room A2
  

• EuroPython 2017 - Help us build the next edition ! - Thursday, July 21, 14:00, Room A2
  

Both sessions are open to all EuroPython attendees.

If you’d like to help us with the organization, please attend the EuroPython 2017 session. You can also become a member of the EPS and then vote at the General Assembly.

Python Software Foundation Session

The Python Software Foundation (PSF) is the organization behind Python itself. It holds the IP rights, runs PyCon US and tries to help the Python community world-wide to run events, user groups, workshops or Python related programming projects by giving out grants.

This year, we’re again having a PSF Members meeting at EuroPython, where the PSF reports on its activities, new plans and organizational changes.

• PSF Members Meeting - Wednesday, July 20, 15:45, Room A2
  

The meeting is open to everyone, so if you want to learn more about the PSF activities, please join in.

With gravitational regards,
–
EuroPython 2016 Team

Many of our sponsors are looking for new employees, so EuroPython 2016 is not only an exciting conference, but may very well also be your chance to find the perfect job you’ve always been looking for.

Sponsor job board

We will post sponsor recruiting offers on the job board of our website:

Sponsor recruiting messages

If you want to receive the sponsor messages directly to your inbox, please log in to the website and enable the recruiting message option in your privacy settings.

With gravitational regards,
–
EuroPython 2016 Team

For this year, we have reconsidered the way we give out badges to try to reduce the queue lengths and your waiting time.

Badges distributed based on ticket ID

To make finding badges easier, we have printed the ticket ID on each badge and will distribute badges based on ticket ID ranges. Each queue will be for one ticket ID range.

Finding your ticket ID

We will send all attendees an email with their ticket ID, but you can also look on the website to find your ticket ID. Simply log in and then check the ticket page to find your ticket preview:

The ticket ID is listed at the bottom of the ticket preview.

If you forget your ticket ID, no worries. We will have a number of volunteers at the registration desk with a mobile app to quickly search the ticket database for your ticket. Simply ask them to help you find the right queue and you’re all set.

Should they have trouble finding your ticket in the database, you’ll be asked to visit the registration counter to sort out any issues.

Please check your ticket

Please note that in order to find your tickets, the person who bought the ticket will have to have assigned the ticket to you, as we’ve outline in a previous blog post.

We already know that there are a number of tickets which have not been assigned to the final attendee, so please double check that you can see your ticket on the ticket page after logging in to the website.

If you cannot find your ticket on that page, please ask the person who bought the ticket for you. The process for assigning the ticket is described in our blog post on the topic. If all else fails, simply write to our helpdesk@europython.eu for help.

Opening times of the registration desks

These are the planned opening times of the registration desks where you can pick up your badge (or buy conference tickets or day passes).

Sunday, July 17

In the afternoon at 16:00, we will open the registration desk at the main conference venue, the Euskalduna Conference Center (ECC). It’ll stay open until around 19:00. You will be able to pick up the badges for your already purchased tickets as well as buy new ones at this registration desk.

Monday, July 18

The registration desk at the conference venue, the Euskalduna Conference Center (ECC), will open at 08:00 on Monday.

Conference bag distribution

We will do the bag stuffing on Sunday, starting at around 16:00 at the ECC. You’re welcome to come and help. The stuffed bags will then be distributed starting on Monday.

With gravitational regards,
–
EuroPython 2016 Team

We’re experimenting with a new format at this year’s EuroPython conference: a maker area reserved for attendees who want to build things in hardware, controlled by Python, e.g. robots, sensors, remote controls, electronic badges, mesh networks, etc.

For this purpose, we have created a zone with tables, power outlets and chairs in the exhibit hall, where you can get working on your projects during the conference: the

EuroPython 2016 Maker Area

Maker workshops

We will also have a few workshops in this area to create some more excitement around it, but in the end,

it is YOU, the attendees,

who’ll have to make it work.

Show off your work

We hope you enjoy the spirit and possibilities and hey, can then show off your cool gadgets to more than a thousand Python friends - in a lighting talk, an open space session or directly at the maker area.

Bring your tools and gadgets

You will likely have to bring along some tools and electronics for the maker area, so this blog post is also meant as reminder to add these things to your packaging list for EuroPython 2016.

We have found a few shops near the venue where you can buy things you may need. They are listed in the conference app and will also go on the maker area web page.

(Photo reference: https://www.flickr.com/photos/othree/14080032327/)

With gravitational regards,
–
EuroPython 2016 Team

EuroPython is not the only attraction in Bilbao to attend in July. The city also hosts the famous Guggenheim Museum, featuring modern art in an amazing building designed by Frank O. Gehry.

>>> Please see below for a special deal we have for EuroPython attendees

You can also find the Fine Arts Museum in Bilbao, with exhibitions of Tucker and 50s fashion in France, in addition to other masterpieces. It is very close to the conference venue.

We have compiled more information about these two museums on these pages:

• Guggenheim Museum

• Fine Arts Museum

Special offer for EuroPython attendees: Avoid long queues

If you want to avoid long queues at the Guggenheim Museum, you can benefit from getting a ticket at the conference desk.

We have acquired a block of tickets and will give them away for free, if you donate at least EUR 10 to the EuroPython conference financial aid budget for next year.

That’s less than the regular ticket price and you get the additional warm fuzzy feeling of helping others as bonus :-)

Donations can be made in cash at the conference desk.

With gravitational regards,
–
EuroPython 2016 Team

We will be switching to the on-desk rates for tickets tomorrow, so today is your last chance to get tickets at the regular rate, which is about 30% less than the on-desk rate.

Day Passes

As in the past, we will also sell day passes at the conference venue.

To make things more affordable especially for students and other people who want to attend the Beginners’ Day or the sprints, we have split the day pass prices into ones valid from Monday-Friday for the main conference days and ones for the weekend days.

Day passes for the first Sunday (Beginners’ Day) and the sprints weekend (valid for the day when they are purchased):

• Student weekend day pass: EUR 25.00
• Personal weekend day pass: EUR 70.00
• Business weekend day pass: EUR 110.00

Day passes for the main conference (valid for the day when they are purchased):

• Student conference day pass: EUR 50.00
• Personal conference day pass: EUR 140.00
• Business conference day pass: EUR 225.00

All prices include 10% Spanish VAT. Please see the registration page for full details of what is included in the ticket price.

With gravitational regards,
–
EuroPython 2016 Team

The EuroPython website supports buying tickets for other people (friends, colleagues, etc.). As a result, it is necessary to assign the tickets you buy to either yourself or someone else. The assignment process is explained below.

Please tell us your preferences

The reason we’re interested in you applying this configuration as soon as possible, is that the tickets include a number of preferences which we need to know about in order to properly prepare the conference.

When assigning tickets you will fill some fields, telling us your t-shirt size and cut (women or men style) and your diet preferences. If you don’t provide this information, we cannot assure we’ll have the right t-shirt available for you. Likewise, if you are vegetarian, it is important to mark this in the preferences, so that we can order enough vegetarian food.

How to assign tickets to attendees

First you need to log in and go to your profile and, if you already bought your tickets, you will see something similar to this. Click on View your tickets.

After you have navigated to the tickets, we need you to assign the ticket: simply hover over the ticket and you will see two options. Please select, if the ticket is for you or for someone else.

Remember: Before assigning the ticket the other persons, these must be registered on the website. Otherwise, the assignment won’t work.

If you have assigned the tickets to someone else, please let them know. The system will send out automatic emails, but it’s safer to send a separate email so that the information doesn’t get lost in a spam filter.

How to edit the fields of the tickets

After assigning the ticket, each attendee will need to fill out the ticket preferences using his/her profile page (don’t forget to click save to store the settings):

Some additional help for the preference form:

Tagline: This line will appear after you name. Be original!

Diet: Omnivorous, Vegetarian or Other (we’ll try to provide food for other diets as well)

Python experience: Whats your experience level with Python? You can also enter “no comment”, if you prefer not to make this information public.

Dates: Which days do you plan to attend. This is not binding in any way, it just helps us to better prepare for the conference.

With gravitational regards,
–
EuroPython 2016 Team