PyCon India 2025
Volunteer Guide - Join the Team and Make PyCon India 2023 Unforgettable

Sanchit Balchandani (@inovizz)

May 20, 2023

PyCon India is a grass-roots, volunteer-driven conference. What that means is every year for the past 14 years, Python communities across the nation have come together to help plan, organize, manage, and run the conference. The conference is operated entirely by volunteers from planning to finding the speakers to managing call for proposals to handling the mega event successfully without fail.

Things to Know Before Volunteering

Before you dive into the exciting world of volunteering for PyCon India 2023, here are some important points to keep in mind:

  • Volunteering requires a significant amount of time and effort. Some tasks, such as running outreach and social media, building content, and finding speakers, demand more commitment than others. Make sure you can allocate sufficient time to your volunteering efforts.

  • While volunteering, you may be occupied with tasks during conference sessions, which means you might miss attending those sessions. Being available to assist others is crucial. Plan your conference schedule accordingly.

  • Volunteering does not provide free access to the event. At PyCon India, everyone, including organizers, needs to purchase a ticket. We volunteer because we are passionate about the Python programming language and the community, and we want to contribute to making this event exceptional.

Benefits of Volunteering

You might be wondering what you'll gain from helping us make the conference better. Besides having a say in the conference's decisions and direction, there are numerous benefits to volunteering:

  • Networking: You'll have the opportunity to meet exceptional individuals, including recognized experts in their fields. Additionally, you'll interact with Python enthusiasts, developers, and contributors to various open-source communities. This networking can provide valuable insights and foster new collaborations.

  • Practical Experience: Volunteering at PyCon India offers hands-on experience in event management, teamwork, and the open-source development ecosystem. You'll gain insights into large-scale, real-life projects and become a vital part of the machinery behind community events. Working alongside talented individuals can provide invaluable learning opportunities.

What's Expected from Conference Volunteers

All aspects of the conference are managed by volunteers. You can choose to contribute to various workgroups, including:

Review

Technology

Platform

Promotions/Communications

Mentorship

Diversity

Design

Content

Sponsorship

R&D (brainstorm new ideas like: poster presentation, digital swags)

Finance & Tickets

Code of Conduct

There are no specific requirements for volunteers. Contributions that enhance any area of the conference are welcome. If you need assistance with your work, feel free to reach out to any of us at our Zulip channel.

Workgroup leaders and volunteers hold weekly meetings to discuss progress and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Getting Started with Volunteering

Now that you understand what it means to volunteer and the impact you can make, follow these steps to get started:

  1. Fill out our Volunteer form to let our team know you're interested in helping out. The leads from your chosen workgroup will reach out to you.

  2. Join the mailing list to stay updated on all conference happenings, discussions, and progress.

  3. Join our Zulip channel and follow the workgroups you'd like to contribute to. This is where you can connect with other volunteers, discuss ideas, and share your work.

  4. Proactively "Watch" the following GitHub repositories to stay up-to-date with task progress and contribute where you can:

Weekly Check-in Call Details, feel free to join

  • Weekly check-in calls happen every week online on Thursday at 8:00 pm IST.
  • Download the calendar invite here.
  • Join the call via Jitsi using the following link: Jitsi Link

Additional Volunteering FAQs

  1. Where can I contribute?

    • Review the list of Zulip workstreams for different WorkGroups (WGs) here.

  2. How many WGs can I contribute to?

    • If it's your first time, try to focus on no more than two WGs.

  3. What are the roles and responsibilities of a volunteer?

    • As a volunteer, your roles and responsibilities may vary depending on the workgroup you choose. Each workgroup has specific tasks and goals.

  4. When should I get started?

    • Join your interested workgroups and be patient. Workgroups kick off their tasks at different times, so keep an eye out for updates.

  5. What is the conference format?

    • The conference spans four days, including one day of workshops, two days of conference sessions, and a final day dedicated to devsprints.

  6. When is the conference?

    • The conference will take place from September 29 to October 2. Workshops will be held on September 29, conference sessions on September 30 and October 1, and devsprints on October 2.

  7. Do I need to still buy a ticket if I volunteer?

    • Yes. PyCon India is a conference built for the community, by the community. Everyone from the speakers to volunteers, to even the organizers have to pay for their own tickets to attend the conference. Nobody makes a dime during the whole event. All proceedings from the ticket sales go towards making the conference even better for everyone.

    • Here is a beautiful article by Jesse Noller about the same http://jessenoller.com/blog/2011/05/25/pycon-everybody-pays.

Feel free to explore the various workgroups and their specific responsibilities. Additionally, we expect all volunteers to adhere to the Code of Conduct, which promotes a respectful and inclusive environment for all participants. Further details on the Code of Conduct can be found on our conference website.

If you have any further questions, please reach out to the mailing list. Ensure to check the mailing list archives for previous discussions before posting.

Happy volunteering!

Credits: Parts of the article were inspired by:

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