[Linux-aus] Grant Request: Travel grants for PyCon US (Montréal, April 2014)

[Chris Neugebauer]

Hi Council & LA Membership,

Date: 7 October 2013

Project Name: PyCon US Financial Aid program/sponsorship

Aim of Project: To increase the number of Australian/New Zealander
delegates who can be funded to attend PyCon US in Montréal [0], April
2014.

Person Responsible for Request: Christopher Neugebauer

Request:

I request that Linux Australia, on behalf of the PyCon Australia 2013
team, make a sponsorship contribution to PyCon US, equivalent to a
PyCon US Startup/Small Business Gold Sponsorship ($3,500 USD) [1].

PyCon US is the largest community Python conference in the world, and
expects to attract around 2,000 delegates from around the world.

PyCon US runs a generous financial aid scheme [2] to enable delegates
to attend PyCon, regardless of whether they are financially able to do
so. This includes covering some of the costs of travel, accommodation
and registration. PyCon Australia ran a similar scheme in 2013 with
great success.

There are many Australian and New Zealander Python community members
who would benefit from attending PyCon US; however, as the conference
is half-way around the world, the costs of air travel alone are
significantly higher than they were in 2012 and 2013. This limits the
number of people from our region who can attend PyCon.

I propose that Linux Australia contributes through the PyCon Financial
aid programme for two reasons:

1) Potential applicants would only need to apply once for funding.
2) PyCon Australia & Linux Australia would be recognised as sponsors
of the conference, including significant publicity [1] around the time
of the PyCon Australia 2014 CFP.

I have confirmed that a contribution made by LA would be eligible for
the Small Business/Startup sponsorship rates in correspondence with
the PyCon US director of sponsorship. I have also confirmed that a
sponsorship contribution made by LA would be earmarked towards our
goal of increasing the available financial aid funds for Australian
and New Zealander delegates.

Making such a contribution would allow us to confidently market the
financial aid program to deserving members of the local Python
community, in the knowledge that there's a good chance that the aid
program can afford it.

The publicity benefit for PyCon Australia arising from a strong
Australian contingent is also substantial. As a result of attending
PyCon US 2013 via the financial assistance program, we substantially
increased the number of presentation proposals from international
speakers, as well as the generation of multiple sponsor leads.
Increasing the Australian contingent at PyCon US should increase this
valuable exposure.

I request also that the sponsorship branding on the PyCon US website
and sponsor materials be for PyCon Australia, and not Linux Australia
generally. This is because PyCon Australia is a more recognisable
entity in the worldwide Python community, and is likely to benefit
directly from exposure as a sponsor. Linux Australia would be
mentioned in our sponsor blurb on the PyCon website, as well as on the
PyCon Australia website, which would be linked from various points on
the PyCon US website.

Finally, I note that the amount requested exceeds the amount that the
council usually allocates to grants. I request you consider the above
amount, firstly because it approaches the amount granted to PyCon
Australia 2013 by the Python Software Foundation (PyCon US's parent
organisation); and secondly because the grant will reach multiple
deserving Python community members.

I also note that PyCon Australia 2013 made a return far exceeding the
amount requested in this grant.

I am happy to answer any questions about the nature of this grant
request, as well as any questions about PyCon Australia and PyCon US.

Thanks for your consideration,

--Chris

(Disclosure: I am an elected member of the Python Software Foundation,
the parent organisation of PyCon US; I have applied for a
travel/registration grant through the PyCon US financial aid
programme)

[0] Yes, PyCon US is in Canada in 2014. I know.
[1] https://us.pycon.org/2014/sponsors/prospectus/
[2] https://us.pycon.org/2014/assistance/

-- 
--Christopher Neugebauer

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