As we're ramping up preparations for an in-person PyCon US 2022 in Salt Lake City, the PyCon US organization wants to take a moment to talk about the decisions we made, the precautions we are taking, and what we are expecting from attendees to have a safe event. The main decision we've taken is to hold an in-person event, with significant measures to protect health and safety. We understand that there are tradeoffs to each part of the decision we've made, and that each person's decision of whether and how to participate is an individual one. Overall, given the current circumstances, we believe that we can hold a safe, valuable, and enjoyable PyCon US that benefits the community.
One thing that was very clear after last year was that it is just as much effort to set up a good virtual event as it is to organize an in-person PyCon US, but that it’s a very different kind of work. Practically speaking there is only a small amount of overlap between a purely virtual and an in-person event. When it came time to start preparations for 2022 and we had to choose between an in-person event, a purely virtual event like 2021, or a hybrid event, we decided we did not have the time, staff or expertise to pull off a good hybrid event. With the on-going vaccine rollout in the US and many other places, and many areas coming off lockdowns, we decided to plan for an in-person PyCon US in 2022, keeping open the option of switching to another virtual event if the situation warrants it.
We also want to do it safely! Safely for everyone involved: staff, volunteers and attendees, but also their loved ones, housemates, family members, coworkers, and for society as a whole. We think safety is absolutely paramount. We canceled the in-person PyCon US 2020 because it was not safe. We made PyCon US 2021 a virtual event from the start because we did not think it would be safe. For PyCon US 2022, when we started preparations, we thought it would probably be safe. We still think it will be, but we’re keeping a very close eye on it, and we’re taking a lot of precautions.
In order to allow for vaccine validations by ShareMyHealth, we’re closing the online registration a few days before the conference, and unlike previous years we will not have on-site registration. We simply can’t process proof of vaccinations fast enough to allow for same-day registration.
We’ve also made changes to the conference itself. We originally selected the venue expecting 3500 attendees, but the venue can comfortably hold many more. We’re now also expecting fewer people. This not only leaves more room between attendees during the tracks, but it also avoids cramped spaces in hallways. The expo hall is laid out with more room between booths and distinct traffic patterns, and we have separate entrances and exits. We’ve dropped events like the conference dinners, and we’re changing conference lunch services from buffets to boxed lunches, with a lot of room for people to take their lunches and eat in small, well-spaced groups.
Lastly, we’re offering a virtual PyCon US ticket, which will live-stream the talk tracks and keynotes. We’re using the same platform as last year, which allows for virtual attendees to chat with each other during presentations or in separate chat rooms, to try and replicate the hallway track. It won’t be the same experience as the in-person conference, but hopefully still a reasonable alternative.
As mentioned, we are keeping a close eye on the COVID-19 situation, but we’re hopeful that the situation remains stable enough that we can see many of you in-person at a safe, enjoyable PyCon US 2022.
Preparations for PyCon US
Organizing a large event like PyCon US takes many years of planning and preparation. Host city selection usually starts three years before the event, with a thorough evaluation of potential sites, combined with our best estimates for conference size and needs. Salt Lake City and the Salt Palace Convention Center were selected well before the pandemic started. PyCon US 2020 and 2021, which would have taken place in Pittsburgh, had to be turned into virtual events because of the pandemic (but we’re going back there for 2024-2025). All of the staff and volunteers worked hard on that switch, and a lot of effort went into PyCon US 2021 to provide a good experience with the same community impact as an in-person PyCon.One thing that was very clear after last year was that it is just as much effort to set up a good virtual event as it is to organize an in-person PyCon US, but that it’s a very different kind of work. Practically speaking there is only a small amount of overlap between a purely virtual and an in-person event. When it came time to start preparations for 2022 and we had to choose between an in-person event, a purely virtual event like 2021, or a hybrid event, we decided we did not have the time, staff or expertise to pull off a good hybrid event. With the on-going vaccine rollout in the US and many other places, and many areas coming off lockdowns, we decided to plan for an in-person PyCon US in 2022, keeping open the option of switching to another virtual event if the situation warrants it.
A safe community conference
PyCon US has always been a big deal for the PSF, for the staff and volunteers working on it, and, we hope, for all of the attendees. An in-person PyCon US has much more impact. We want to put on a worthwhile, welcoming, community conference, where everyone can meet new people and learn new things, connect with old friends and tell people about their projects.We also want to do it safely! Safely for everyone involved: staff, volunteers and attendees, but also their loved ones, housemates, family members, coworkers, and for society as a whole. We think safety is absolutely paramount. We canceled the in-person PyCon US 2020 because it was not safe. We made PyCon US 2021 a virtual event from the start because we did not think it would be safe. For PyCon US 2022, when we started preparations, we thought it would probably be safe. We still think it will be, but we’re keeping a very close eye on it, and we’re taking a lot of precautions.
Precautions taken at PyCon US
We’ve already mentioned in the announcements, during registration and on the website that we will require full vaccination as well as masks at PyCon US 2022. We’re working with ShareMyHealth to implement the vaccine checks, following CDC guidelines for full vaccinations. ShareMyHealth was chosen because they have a lot of experience in this area, they can support international attendees, and they have good privacy safeguards. We also have a local health consultant with a lot of local knowledge and experience involving large events and COVID-19. They’re keeping us informed with biweekly reports, which we’re sharing on the PyCon US website.In order to allow for vaccine validations by ShareMyHealth, we’re closing the online registration a few days before the conference, and unlike previous years we will not have on-site registration. We simply can’t process proof of vaccinations fast enough to allow for same-day registration.
We’ve also made changes to the conference itself. We originally selected the venue expecting 3500 attendees, but the venue can comfortably hold many more. We’re now also expecting fewer people. This not only leaves more room between attendees during the tracks, but it also avoids cramped spaces in hallways. The expo hall is laid out with more room between booths and distinct traffic patterns, and we have separate entrances and exits. We’ve dropped events like the conference dinners, and we’re changing conference lunch services from buffets to boxed lunches, with a lot of room for people to take their lunches and eat in small, well-spaced groups.
Lastly, we’re offering a virtual PyCon US ticket, which will live-stream the talk tracks and keynotes. We’re using the same platform as last year, which allows for virtual attendees to chat with each other during presentations or in separate chat rooms, to try and replicate the hallway track. It won’t be the same experience as the in-person conference, but hopefully still a reasonable alternative.
Choosing to attend PyCon US 2022
Of course, attending an in-person event is a personal choice, and everyone’s considerations are different. For those coming from outside Salt Lake City, there’s the matter of travel to PyCon US, which we have no control over. For people at risk themselves, or who would risk infecting loved ones who aren’t vaccinated or are otherwise at risk, or who simply are uncomfortable exposing themselves or others to the risk of COVID-19, there’s the question of whether the risk is worth it. For others, the measures we’re taking may make attending the conference difficult or impossible, like those who need to bring along young children, those who can’t be vaccinated, or those who rely on lip reading during conversations. We’ve always done our best to make PyCon US as inclusive as possible, and we regret that in the current circumstances, we can’t quite meet the standards of previous PyCons. We will continue to evaluate, to find opportunities to improve the situation for everyone, at PyCon US 2022 or in the future. We very much welcome your suggestions and feedback at pycon-reg@python.org.As mentioned, we are keeping a close eye on the COVID-19 situation, but we’re hopeful that the situation remains stable enough that we can see many of you in-person at a safe, enjoyable PyCon US 2022.
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