PyCon UK: statistics, pictures and perennial problems
I’m delighted to have attended PyCon UK, even if only for a day. It’s given me lots to think about.
The organisers had kept the prices very low, a decision which must have helped encourage a stronger turn out than they’d even hoped for. They had no problem accomodating the excess numbers: everything ran on time without anyone appearing over-stressed.
I liked the venue, even if it suffered the same over-heating problem I recall from more than one ACCU conference. One nice side-effect of the combination of a generous gap in the schedule and proximity to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery was that I could cool off by visiting the Paula Rego exhibition (even if it meant going past a puerile rugby world cup roadshow).
I half wish I’d got my act together a little sooner and put forward a presentation myself. On the other hand, that would have meant missing someone else’s session. In the event, I managed to squeeze in a 5 minute lightning talk, which solved the problem of missing action elsewhere and meant I could reach everyone at once — and I didn’t even have to fret about that other perennial conference problem, of trying to connect a laptop to a projector (no time for that in 5 mins).
I’ve invented some statistics about the conference.
- 123% better attended than first predicted
- 72% of laptops used were apple macs
- 50% of keynote speakers were female
- 20% of conference organisers were female
- Less than 1% of the remaining delegates were female
- Sessions were 99% punctual
- Virgin trains to and from Bristol were 68% punctual
- Beautiful Code, a book I’d hoped to browse at the book-stand before buying, was 100% sold out just 10% into the conference
Articles