Some thoughts on what we need now for EP 2009

This list is very incomplete, the idea is to add to it as we go along.

We need to get an EP2009 website up

  • Decide format
  • Archive EP2008 site, keep it accessible
  • Get control of europython.org domain
  • set up EP2009 site for Announcement and Call for Papers

This is what is proposed:

  • We have a static site for the basic info: registration, talks etc, much like we used for [ http://www.pyconuk.org ]

  • We have a wiki for planning and participation. The wiki worked well last year.
  • We base this on the python.org site and build tools. That way we get more people who can maintain python.org
  • We use the EP2008/PyCon UK Registration system (it worked) suitably developed
  • We use a new Django front end to the EP2008/PyCon UK Talks submissions system (which worked).

Tim Parkin is preparing a design for such a site

Zeth is working on a Django front end to the talks system

We need volunteers to do a pdf invoicing system running off the registration system, and probably a few other things.

We need to start seeking sponsors now

  • Sponsorship may not be so generous in the current economic gloom

Someone should ask Guido. OK John has just asked him.

We need to decide on Keynote speakers

Keynotes normally involve wider issues than just Python. They are something different at the end of the day.

Please don't go inviting people until we've decided together - we don't want to end up getting 8 speakers and having to cancel 6 of them.

Suggestions of who we could invite:

Non-geeks

  • Prof Sir Tony Hoare

  • Cory Doctorow - Sci-fi author - creative commons - MichaelFoord to contact

  • Jasper Carrot
  • Stephen Fry - Commedian/open souce fan
  • Charles Stross - Sci-fi writer who mentions Python in his books and who lives in Edinburgh

  • Dr John Pugh MP - English politican who often campaigns for open source and so on - http://www.openrightsgroup.org/orgwiki/index.php/John_Pugh_MP

  • Benjamin Zephaniah - Birmingham born poet
  • Clare Short - was famous Secretary of State for International Development, lives in Birmingham

Geeks famous for something not Python

  • Alan Cox - Linux 2.2 maintainer
  • Don Symes - creator of F# programming language
  • Simon Peyton Jones - author of major Haskell implementation

  • Ciarán O'Riordan - Free Software activist, notable campaigner against software patents

Others

  • Mark Ramm (Turbogears 2 BDFL)

We need to Market the Conference

  • This is our weakest point!

  • We need to start NOW! (Well, as soon as we announce it)

  • We need volunteers who are good at this sort of thing