[Conferences] Statistics of all Python conferences

Fri Oct 29 14:13:11 CEST 2010

Hi conference organizers,

The Python conference landscape is steadily growing.
This is my, certainly incomplete, compilation of conferences
and conference-like events:

* 3 international conferences (PyCon US, EuroPython, PyCon Asia-Pacific)
* 12 national conferences (in countries in Europe, South America, Asia
   and Australia)
* 3 regional events (states in the US: AR, OH, TX)
* 3 SciPy conferences (dedicated to Python in science: US, Europe, India))
* 4 Web-specific Python conferences (2x Django, Zope, Plone)
* 2 Conferences with strong Python portion (OSCON, RuPy)

Some of this conferences are around for some time. Others are pretty new.
I think it would be great to have some more numbers about these conferences.
Data like how many times this conference took place, how many people came,
or how many talks were given would make great material for some statistics.

Besides serving our own curiosity, this would make really nice marketing
material. Just imaging all those business consultants showing stylish
graphs in stylish Power Point presentations with growing numbers of Python
interest predicting, by linearly extending this trend, that Python will be
the most used programming language by 2020. ;)

Seriously, we do have some hard numbers here that decision makers love.
Let's gather them.

I started doing this by assembling PyCon US 2010 data. This is the biggest,
most recently finished, probably best documented conference. Despite that most
numbers can be found on its website, it took me some hours.

I would like to do this for _all_ Python conferences. Even though Google can
be a pretty good tool here, there a few obstacles that prevent me from
coming even close to this goal:

1. Not all data is published.
2. Websites from many past conferences are not available any more.
3. I don't even know that the conference took place. Hence don't know what
    to search for.
4. It is just too much work for me if I want to do something else during
    the next few months. And I want and need.

Therefore, I would like to ask everybody who has some information about
Python past conferences to send me information about them.

I think a simple way to do this is to create one ini file per conference.
I attached an example. This is a partially formalized way to assemble
information. The given names or keywords (the ones on the left side of the
equal sign) provide a structure.
At the same time, you may define new names under section MISC. Furthermore,
you may include additional information as free text in comments.

Please make sure the ini file can be parsed. Just use the attached script
to check if the formatting is ok. The script works with Python 2 and 3.

I am well aware that very few files, if any, will be complete filled.
That's not the point. The goal is to collect as much information as possible.
The absolute minimum are the name, the location, and the date of the event.
Next useful would be the number of attendees and the number of talks.
Reasonable estimates are better than no numbers at all. Please indicate
if it is an educated guess.

I will process the data and make all sources and the analysis available
for everybody.

Feel free to suggest improvements on the process. I am open for ideas.

Also, please indicated if you would like your name to appear on the
list of contributers in the acknowledgment.

Mike

# Start sample file
#################################################################
# Sample file for Python conference data.
# This is a simple in-file format that can be parser with ConfigParser:
# http://docs.python.org/library/configparser.html
# The equal sign `=` separates name and value:
# `name=value`
# Sections are all upper case in square brackets.
# `[SECTION]`
# We use the Python comment sign `#` for comments.
# Use `unknown` if no information is available.
# Use `None` if not applicable. If you are not sure about this, use `unknown`.
# Please do NOT delete names (keywords), use `None`.
# You may add more names (keywords) under `[MISC]`.
# Please add the source of your numbers such as a link or contact information
# or something else if possible.
# For corrections and suggestions contact Mike at
# (mmueller (_at_) python-academy (_dot_) de).

[GENERAL]
name=PyCon US
# First day of event.
start=2010-02-17
# Last day of event, i.e. inclusive.
end=2010-02-25
link=http://us.pycon.org/2010/about/
organizer=PSF

[LOCATION]
country=USA
# Put `None` for most other countries without states.
state=GA
city=Atlanta
venue=Hyatt Regency Atlanta

[CONFERENCE]
start=2010-02-19
end=2010-02-21
# Source: https://us.pycon.org/2010/register/default/attendees
# There should be more since not all made there name publicly available.
# The number announced at the conference was 1100.
number-of-attendees=1084
number-of-talks=94
# NOT included in number-of-talks.
number-of-keynotes=8
number-of-tracks=unknown
number-of-parallel-sessions=4
# Just an example for `None`. Note: not `0` but N/A. ;)
number-of-bad-talks=None

[TUTORIALS]
# Please put `None` for all values if there were no tutorials.
start=2010-02-17
end=2010-02-18
# Source: https://us.pycon.org/2010/register/default/charts
# There might be more because people from canceled tutorials
# might have moved to other ones.
number-of-participants=833
# Given not only offered.
number-of-tutorials=28
# Hours per tutorial.
length=3

[SPRINTS]
# Please put `None` if there were no sprints.
start=2010-02-22
end=2010-02-25
# Source: http://us.pycon.org/2010/conference/talks/
number-of-participants=unknown
number-of-sprints=unknown

[POSTERS]
# Please put `None` if there were no posters.
# Poster presented not submitted.
# Source: http://us.pycon.org/2010/conference/posters/accepted/
number-of-posters=17

[MISC]
# Add more information here if you think it is important.
# Make up your own names (keywords).
# Write free text as comments if this is easier.
number-of-open-space-sessions=unknown
number-of-lightning-talks=unknown
# This was the biggest PyCon ever.
# The percentage of women was about 10% this unusually high
# for this kind of conference.
#################################################################
# End sample file.

# start Python script
#################################################################
"""Simple ini file reader.
"""

try:
     # Python 2.x
     import ConfigParser as configparser
except ImportError:
     # Python 3.x
     import configparser
import pprint

def check(file_name):
     """Print the content of the ini file.
     """
     config = configparser.ConfigParser()
     config.read(file_name)
     for section in config.sections():
         print(section)
         pprint.pprint(config.items(section))

if __name__ == '__main__':
     check('data/pycon_us_2010.txt')
#################################################################
# end Python script

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