[pydata-outreach-staff] PyData event planning and ToDo tasks before 16Dec.

[Asheesh Laroia]

On Fri, 7 Dec 2012, Vid wrote:

> Hello Folks,
>
> I am so excited that the PyData even is finally happening and glad to
> see so many women sign up to volunteer for the PyData event-staff
> list. Thank you!
> Below, I am listing out the current status so all of us can be on the
> same page.
>
> 1.] The main wiki for announcement,
> <https://github.com/svaksha/PyData-Workshop-Sprint/wiki>
> I created a github repo so that I can give easy access to anyone who
> wants to maintain/update it or create new pages for task-related
> stuff. Also women in other US cities are interested in holding such
> events so it would be very easy and useful if they can fork and
> conduct such events themselves and use our ideas. Fun!

Great!

I will make some pages there in the near future with a laptop setup guide 
in particular, so that attendees can have high-clarity, reliable 
instructions to get a development environment working.

I'd also love if other people on the list could test those instructions 
before the event.

> 2.] <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsHHfv9TpNAUdDJ1UVpvbHJCdjFwX2x4Q3VobEd3dXc>
> contains a list of all the people who expressed an interest in the
> survey I conducted to see if there might be any interest at all before
> approaching the core-devs for the workshop. Not all of them have
> registered on eventbrite and I am unsure if its considered polite to
> poke them about registering for the event (since I've spammed all the
> usual mailing lists and irc channels AND blogged and tweeted about
> it). I plan to mail them just once, as a gentle reminder, but its the
> holiday season and people may have other plans. Am I mistaken about
> emailing them a reminder that the googledoc was not a registration?

It's definitely polite to get in touch with them. We need to do more 
outreach. (-:

In fact, I was thinking I would write up a short, exciting two-paragraph 
intro to the event, and we could then work on getting the word out via 
email lists like PyLadies NYC.

Does that sound good to you? I can get on that and have it ready by Sun 2 
PM or so, or hopefully sooner, depending when I get to bed. (-:

> 3.] Lunch
> The PSF is sponsoring our lunch (mostly pizzas and fizzy drinks), the
> finances and co-ordination of which will be handled by Asheesh and OH,
> his non-profit. Anyone who wishes to help him out with planning that
> please feel free to chime in here. He will be coming from Boston, so
> it will be nice if someone can co-ordinate that before hand.
> FWIW, I am new to your city so I've been asking around and was given
> the following tips:
> - Pivotal is located in Manhattan, with easy access to good pizzerias
> nearby, who will take care of the delivery (dont forget to tip them -
> thumb rule, 15% if you eat out and 20% if they deliver).
> - Dont forget to ask for tissues/napkins, plates, forks, glasses (for
> the drinks), etc.. Usually it comes free from the place you order
> food.
> - Preferably keep Vegan, Vegetarian and gluten-free options in food
> (personally speaking, I have eaten a vegan pizza and didnt enjoy it
> much, so I dont know how you folks plan to handle this. As for gluten,
> wheat has it in copious amount *sigh* I wish we had the funding to
> accommodate everyone :/)
> - Dont order more food than necessary -- as in, No.of pizzas ==
> [{number of registered attendees) / (2 slices per person, avg)]
> - If there is any leftover food or drinks leave them in the Pivotal
> lab fridge. They will use it.
> These are the tips that are fresh in my memory and I hope you will
> find something useful. Feel free to fork it as you wish.

w/r/t this, I'd say, we should ask our actual attendees this information. 
The way I usually do this is to send a Google Spreadsheets form asking 
about this, and other necessary information, to our attendees. Would you 
be OK with me making a form for that, presenting it here, and if you're OK 
with it, sending it to people as they sign up?

I should be able to put that together by tomorrow (Sun) noon or so.

> 5] Visiting the Pivotal Lab space a day or two before the event. I plan 
> to do that sometime next week, so if anyone wants to join me, please 
> holler.

I'd love to hear your report! I'll work on booking my travel shortly, and 
if I can join you, I will!

-- Asheesh.