[Chicago] debrief of your evening at PS1

[Brian Ray]

On Oct 10, 2009, at 1:16 AM, John Stoner wrote:

>
> I just wanted to check in here and ask folks what they thought of  
> hosting your meeting at PS1. This was the first time we've hosted an  
> event for an outside organization (if that wasn't obvious), and we'd  
> like to learn what we can from the experience. So, what did you  
> think? What did you like/not like about it? Did you feel welcome?  
> Was there anything we could have done better to support your meeting?
>
>

John:

Thank you so much for hosting.  In my opinion, PS1 is a brilliant  
venture and provided an excellent detour off the beaten path.

One good things about PS1 in particular was the inspirational spirit  
it brings.  Python indeed has the reputation of attracting those who  
love what they do.  Our speaker was a good example of this in how he  
showed spirit for his (bleep) (bleep) topic ;)  Generally, the space  
was really interesting. I felt a bid honored that you let us into this  
underground world full of interesting toys and ideas.

On the other hand, the set backs for the this particular venue are  
quiet obvious. It is too far from the loop and generally not  
centralized enough. It could have been hard to find for some;  
although, "behind the big red door," helped.  If we had one of our  
larger meetings, it would have been too crowded.  There was not enough  
refreshment.

Personally, as the current ad-hoc JIT organizer of ChiPy, I love  
taking detours such as this one.  It really helps cohesion of the  
group.  Some of our most loyal members made it to this meeting and a  
lot of new people. The open-space like taking session at the end  
really helped others to get to know each other a little easier than  
what I would expect with a bigger meeting packed with presentations.

Thanks again for hosting.  It was really great. Probably our best  
meeting yet. However, our meeting next month (tentatively) scheduled  
at DePaul will provide tough competition.

-- Brian Ray