<div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">I'd like to strongly support this grant request. PyCon US is a major </span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">gathering in the Python community and a large number of the core Python </span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">developers, contributors and community members attend. (I believe it is the </span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">largest such gathering of Python programmers anywhere in the world?) It </span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">would definitely be great to have a strong Australian contingent for all the </span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">reasons that Chris listed and many more.</span><div>
<br></div><div>I also believe this would help cement the idea that Linux Australia does represents more than just Linux and is supporting the whole Open Source community.</div><div><br><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Tim</span></div>
</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 7 October 2013 09:23, Chris Neugebauer <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:chrisjrn@gmail.com" target="_blank">chrisjrn@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Hi Council & LA Membership,<br>
<div class="im"><br>
Date: 7 October 2013<br>
<br>
Project Name: PyCon US Financial Aid program/sponsorship<br>
<br>
Aim of Project: To increase the number of Australian/New Zealander<br>
</div>delegates who can be funded to attend PyCon US in Montréal [0], April<br>
<div><div class="h5">2014.<br>
<br>
Person Responsible for Request: Christopher Neugebauer<br>
<br>
Request:<br>
<br>
I request that Linux Australia, on behalf of the PyCon Australia 2013<br>
team, make a sponsorship contribution to PyCon US, equivalent to a<br>
PyCon US Startup/Small Business Gold Sponsorship ($3,500 USD) [1].<br>
<br>
PyCon US is the largest community Python conference in the world, and<br>
expects to attract around 2,000 delegates from around the world.<br>
<br>
PyCon US runs a generous financial aid scheme [2] to enable delegates<br>
to attend PyCon, regardless of whether they are financially able to do<br>
so. This includes covering some of the costs of travel, accommodation<br>
and registration. PyCon Australia ran a similar scheme in 2013 with<br>
great success.<br>
<br>
There are many Australian and New Zealander Python community members<br>
who would benefit from attending PyCon US; however, as the conference<br>
is half-way around the world, the costs of air travel alone are<br>
significantly higher than they were in 2012 and 2013. This limits the<br>
number of people from our region who can attend PyCon.<br>
<br>
I propose that Linux Australia contributes through the PyCon Financial<br>
aid programme for two reasons:<br>
<br>
1) Potential applicants would only need to apply once for funding.<br>
2) PyCon Australia & Linux Australia would be recognised as sponsors<br>
of the conference, including significant publicity [1] around the time<br>
of the PyCon Australia 2014 CFP.<br>
<br>
I have confirmed that a contribution made by LA would be eligible for<br>
the Small Business/Startup sponsorship rates in correspondence with<br>
</div></div>the PyCon US director of sponsorship. I have also confirmed that a<br>
<div class="im">sponsorship contribution made by LA would be earmarked towards our<br>
goal of increasing the available financial aid funds for Australian<br>
and New Zealander delegates.<br>
<br>
</div><div class="im">Making such a contribution would allow us to confidently market the<br>
financial aid program to deserving members of the local Python<br>
community, in the knowledge that there's a good chance that the aid<br>
program can afford it.<br>
<br>
</div><div class="im">The publicity benefit for PyCon Australia arising from a strong<br>
Australian contingent is also substantial. As a result of attending<br>
PyCon US 2013 via the financial assistance program, we substantially<br>
increased the number of presentation proposals from international<br>
speakers, as well as the generation of multiple sponsor leads.<br>
Increasing the Australian contingent at PyCon US should increase this<br>
valuable exposure.<br>
<br>
</div><div class="im">I request also that the sponsorship branding on the PyCon US website<br>
and sponsor materials be for PyCon Australia, and not Linux Australia<br>
generally. This is because PyCon Australia is a more recognisable<br>
entity in the worldwide Python community, and is likely to benefit<br>
directly from exposure as a sponsor. Linux Australia would be<br>
mentioned in our sponsor blurb on the PyCon website, as well as on the<br>
PyCon Australia website, which would be linked from various points on<br>
the PyCon US website.<br>
<br>
</div><div class="im">Finally, I note that the amount requested exceeds the amount that the<br>
council usually allocates to grants. I request you consider the above<br>
amount, firstly because it approaches the amount granted to PyCon<br>
Australia 2013 by the Python Software Foundation (PyCon US's parent<br>
organisation); and secondly because the grant will reach multiple<br>
deserving Python community members.<br>
<br>
I also note that PyCon Australia 2013 made a return far exceeding the<br>
amount requested in this grant.<br>
<br>
I am happy to answer any questions about the nature of this grant<br>
request, as well as any questions about PyCon Australia and PyCon US.<br>
<br>
Thanks for your consideration,<br>
<br>
--Chris<br>
<br>
(Disclosure: I am an elected member of the Python Software Foundation,<br>
the parent organisation of PyCon US; I have applied for a<br>
travel/registration grant through the PyCon US financial aid<br>
programme)<br>
<br>
</div><div class="im">[0] Yes, PyCon US is in Canada in 2014. I know.<br>
</div><div class="im">[1] <a href="https://us.pycon.org/2014/sponsors/prospectus/" target="_blank">https://us.pycon.org/2014/sponsors/prospectus/</a><br>
[2] <a href="https://us.pycon.org/2014/assistance/" target="_blank">https://us.pycon.org/2014/assistance/</a><br>
<br>
</div><div class="im">--<br>
--Christopher Neugebauer<br>
<br>
Jabber: <a href="mailto:chrisjrn@gmail.com">chrisjrn@gmail.com</a> -- IRC: chrisjrn on <a href="http://irc.freenode.net" target="_blank">irc.freenode.net</a> --<br>
AIM: chrisjrn157 -- MSN: <a href="mailto:chris@neugebauer.id.au">chris@neugebauer.id.au</a> -- WWW:<br>
<a href="http://chris.neugebauer.id.au" target="_blank">http://chris.neugebauer.id.au</a> -- Twitter/Identi.ca: @chrisjrn<br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
</div>linux-aus mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:linux-aus@lists.linux.org.au">linux-aus@lists.linux.org.au</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/linux-aus" target="_blank">http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/linux-aus</a><br>
</blockquote></div><br></div>