Python conference to be held in August

Sam Varghese
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 12:46

Business IT - Open Source

Enthusiasts and users of the open-source Python programming language will gather in Sydney in August for the two-day PyCon AU, the second such conference to be held Down Under.

Chief organiser Tim Ansell, a games developer, said the conference was  being held in the same city two years in a row to reduce the overhead on organising; if a fresh set of organisers had to learn the ropes every year, it took far more time and effort to get things done.

The first PyCon AU attracted around 200 people, Ansell said, adding that the organisers had expected half that number. The idea to hold a conference dedicated to Python came during an Open Source Developers Conference where people realised that there was sufficient interest to warrant a Python-only meet.

Further, there are plenty of developers who use Python on proprietary platforms and such types would obviously not attend something like the OSDC, Ansell said.

He said 90 per cent of the attendees at the first conference had been from Australia and New Zealand. He did not expect too many people from other countries as Singapore hosts a PyCon AsiaPac during the year.

This year, around 250 people are expected to take part in the conference which is scheduled to be held at Sydney's Masonic Centre on August 20 and 21.

The keynotes will be delivered by core developer Raymond Hettinger, long-time enthusiast Mary Gardiner and PyLadies founder Audrey Roy.

There will be talks on web programming, business applications, game development, science and mathematics, social issues, education, design, testing and documentation among others.

Beginners will be catered to with a series of tutorial-style presentations such as Python 101, Python's Dark Corners, and Python for Science and Engineering.

Corporate attendees are being charged $440, other regulars $198, and students $44. The student fee does not include a ticket to the conference dinner which can be bought for $77.

Richard Jones is program chair for the event, Ryan Kelly is handling registration and Neil Davenport is looking after the finances.

Google, ComOps, Microsoft, Anchor, Enthough, Linux Australia and the Python Software Foundation are sponsoring the event.