PyCon JP 2025 Chair's Daily Report Back to Home

March Tasks for the Program Team

Japanese version is available here

This is a daily report published by @nishimotz, the Chair of PyCon JP 2025.

PyCon JP 2025 will be held at Hiroshima International Conference Center on September 26-27.

We are recruiting organizing members. Please apply through the Organizing Member Application Form. We are also accepting applications from overseas members, but please note that we cannot guarantee travel expenses.

With about 7 months remaining until PyCon JP 2025, below is a summary of the key tasks for the Program Team to address in March.

1. Finalizing Keynote Speakers

We aim to send formal invitations to keynote speaker candidates and finalize them by the end of March.

• We aim to reflect PyCon JP 2025’s theme and concepts, incorporating opinions from as many organizing members as possible.
• We will create a list of keynote speaker candidates and prioritize them.
• We will ultimately confirm one keynote speaker from within Japan and one from outside Japan.
• In 2024, keynotes were 60 minutes (with no parallel sessions).
• Based on the candidate list, we will create and send invitation letters, then await responses.
• We will collect information from confirmed speakers (profiles, talk outlines, etc.).
• We will announce the confirmed keynote speakers.

2. Preparing for Call for Proposals (CFP)

For 2025, we plan to start accepting proposals in the first week of April and close in the second week of May.

In 2024, the CFP started on April 23 and closed on May 31, but we would like to proceed a bit earlier this year.

Types of Proposals to Solicit

• We anticipate two types: talks and posters.
• Talks are expected to be 30 to 45 minutes.
• Poster sessions will be offered as an option for presentation style diversity. A core time when poster presenters can meet participants will be necessary.
• In 2024, shorter talks (mini-talks) were solicited, but mini-talks are not mandatory.

Guidelines, Selection Process, and Review Criteria

• We will start the CFP with a review system and selection process in mind.
• Speaker selection will be conducted with a process that emphasizes transparency and fairness.
• Diverse perspectives and new ideas are important for the community.
• In speaker selection, we will continue efforts to open doors to new applicants, not just those with past experience.
• To eliminate bias as much as possible in the selection process, we will ensure fairness by measures such as masking applicant names until necessary.
• We published the 2024 selection process in Behind the Proposal Selection. This publication helps increase transparency in the selection process.
• While considering transparency and fairness, we will also explore ways to meet community needs, such as soliciting talks related to the host city.
• We will create guidelines to announce during the application period. In 2024, the blog announcement stated: There are no strict rules for presentation themes. If you think it’s interesting for Pythonistas, please apply.
• We will create review criteria to announce during the application period. The following are the review criteria announced in 2024:
  1. Relevance: Is the content related to the Python community?
  2. Clarity: Is the talk content clearly written?
  3. Expertise: Is the content based on personal experience or specialized knowledge?
  4. Practicality: Is the content interesting or useful?
• We will create a post-acceptance workflow (handling withdrawals, supporting accepted speakers, etc.)

Required Information for Submissions

We will consider the information required for submissions (fields, character limits, expected content, public/private status, etc.).

Examples include:

• Presentation language (Japanese or English)
• Title
• Submission type (talk, poster, etc.)
• Track (type of submission)
• Summary
• Detailed description
• Notes
• Reason for choosing this topic
• Target audience and experience level
• Speaker information
• Additional speakers
• T-shirt size, etc.

CFP Platform Setup

• Selection and setup of the submission platform. In 2024, Pretalx was used.
• Creation of a submission form with necessary input fields.
• Testing to ensure the submission process functions smoothly.
• Confirmation that submissions can be accepted in both Japanese and English.

CFP Announcement and Promotion Preparation

• Announcements for accepting submissions in both Japanese and English.
• Creation of CFP announcement text for blogs and social media.
• Guidance for potential speakers (tips for successful proposals, etc.).
• Planning promotion strategies to reach diverse speaker groups.

3. Considering Invited Talks

• If deemed necessary, we will proceed with invitations for featured talks after finalizing keynote speakers. This is not mandatory.
• Creating a candidate list by March is not mandatory.
• This will be determined by the Chair and Program Team.

4. Planning Tutorial Sessions

• If there is demand, we will plan tutorial sessions.
• We anticipate multiple tracks for tutorials.
• They are expected to be held at the venue or nearby, either the day before, during, or the day after the conference.
• We will consider policies and themes, and if external instructors are needed, we will select and invite candidates.
• Finalizing the content by March is not mandatory.
• This will be determined by the Chair and Program Team.

5. Tasks Requiring Inter-Team Coordination

The Chair team will primarily coordinate the following tasks between the Program Team and other teams:

• Session venue requirements - Venue Team
• CFP promotion and announcements - PR Team
• Timetable publication - PR Team
• Distributed materials and venue displays - Venue Team
• Budget and accounting - Chair Team

The Chair team will support coordination between the Program Team and Participant Management Team for the following:

• Confirming that speakers have purchased tickets and are properly registered. However, the method and price for speaker tickets are subject to discussion.
• Handling cases where speakers have applied for travel support
• Handling cases where speakers from outside Japan require VISA assistance
• Managing reception at the venue on the day of the event

The Chair team will also support the Program Team in addressing the guidelines presented in the organizing member training materials.

Tasks for April and Beyond

Proposed Schedule

• April: Finalize keynotes, begin call for proposals
• May: Close call for proposals, review, finalize invited talks, finalize tutorials
• June: Send talk acceptance notifications, finalize program details
• July: Publish timetable
• August: Speaker support, preparation for various events
• September: Final preparations, conference execution, request for publication of presentation materials

Planning the Development Sprint

We will begin planning for the development sprint scheduled for September 28.

• Setting the format and goals for the development sprint
• Considering methods for participant recruitment
• Identifying necessary environments and resources

Planning Lightning Talks

We will consider how to implement lightning talks.

• Deciding on the format and time slots
• Considering application methods and selection processes
• Confirming necessary equipment and space

Planning for Simultaneous Interpretation

We will plan for arranging simultaneous interpretation for keynote sessions.

• Meeting with interpretation service providers
• Confirming preparation and day-of-event flow

Planning Opening and Closing Ceremonies

• Considering the content and flow of ceremonies
• Selecting necessary speakers and MCs
• Planning for preparation of materials and videos to be used

Update History

• 2025-02-28: First version published