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| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: Speaker Guidelines |
| 3 | +description: | |
| 4 | + Thank you for contributing to PyCon India 2025! Whether you're leading a panel, presenting a poster, or hosting an Open Space, your participation helps make the conference vibrant and community-driven. |
| 5 | + Please review the guidelines below based on your session type. |
| 6 | +layout: page.njk |
| 7 | +--- |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +## Talks and workshops |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +Following are the guidelines each speaker must follow. These are there to ensure the event is neutral and more in the spirit of open source. |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +1. Each slide must not have a logo or equivalent that represents a company/organization. |
| 14 | + *You may have a company logo where you introduce yourself, but speaker details should be more prominent.* |
| 15 | +2. No product or hiring pitches are to be done during the session. |
| 16 | +3. If any external images or resources are used, credits or links to the source must be mentioned on the slide or at the end. |
| 17 | +4. If your session is about a commercial/non-open source product, a major part of your session must be about the technical implementation details of it. |
| 18 | + *This is to ensure that your session doesn’t become a product marketing session and that attendees benefit from your learning.* |
| 19 | +5. Your talk and slides must follow the [PyCon India Code of Conduct](https://in.pycon.org/2025/coc/policy/). |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +*Note that some of these might not apply to the sponsored sessions.* |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +### Tips |
| 24 | +Here are some of the best practices that would help you make your sessions better. |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +1. Have an introduction slide where you talk about yourself. |
| 27 | + *This helps the attendees get to know you, why you are talking about the topic, and also helps them answer “Why should they listen to you?”.* |
| 28 | +2. Add interactive elements to your talk, this can be as simple as asking a show of hands or a quick quiz. |
| 29 | +3. Keep your demos recorded & make slides available offline. |
| 30 | + *This can save you at times when things just break, you don’t have Internet connection and so on.* |
| 31 | +4. Bring your own laptop along with **any adapters** required for presenting via an HDMI connection. |
| 32 | +5. Add slide numbers, this helps attendees to take notes during the session. |
| 33 | +6. A must-read: [Accessible Speaking Best Practices](https://www.deque.com/blog/accessible-speaking-best-practices/) this also has actionable steps. |
| 34 | + 1. Ensure the font size is large enough so that it is visible to the attendees from the back. |
| 35 | + 2. Consider using a light theme for slides, as the contrast and visibility of the light themes is more in general. |
| 36 | + 3. If you are showing code live, close all sidebars, extra tabs etc. to make it distraction free. |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +--- |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +## Panel Discussions |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +**Duration**: 30 minutes (including Q&A) |
| 43 | +**Format**: Group discussion with 3-4 panelists and a moderator |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +### Responsibilities |
| 46 | + |
| 47 | +**Moderators**: |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +* Coordinate with panelists in advance. |
| 50 | +* Prepare a clear agenda and set of discussion questions. |
| 51 | +* Ensure balanced participation and respectful dialogue. |
| 52 | +* Facilitate audience Q&A. |
| 53 | +* Consider setting the questions in a way to ensure the panel discussion caters to all levels of audience. |
| 54 | +* Conclude the discussion with takeaways or highlights. |
| 55 | + |
| 56 | +**Panelists**: |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +* Keep remarks concise to allow time for others. |
| 59 | +* Respect diverse viewpoints and foster inclusive discussion. |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +### Tips |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +* Focus on discussion, not presentations. |
| 64 | +* Encourage audience interaction—pose questions, use polls, or open the floor. |
| 65 | +* Avoid self-promotion; prioritize community insights and shared learning. |
| 66 | + |
| 67 | +--- |
| 68 | + |
| 69 | +## Poster Presentations |
| 70 | + |
| 71 | +**Duration**: 1-2 hours (during dedicated poster session) |
| 72 | +**Format**: Visual display + informal, one-on-one or small-group discussions |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +### Guidelines |
| 75 | + |
| 76 | +* Design a clear, readable poster (recommended size: A0 or 36"x48"). |
| 77 | +* Include: title, names, affiliations, problem statement, approach, results, visuals, and contact info. |
| 78 | +* Be present at your poster during the scheduled session to discuss your work. |
| 79 | +* Provide a QR code linking to your code, paper, or project website (optional but encouraged). |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +### Tips |
| 82 | + |
| 83 | +* Use visuals over text. Keep explanations simple and engaging. |
| 84 | +* Prepare a 1-2 minute “elevator pitch” for passersby. |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | +--- |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +## Lightning Talks |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +**Duration**: 5 minutes maximum (strictly enforced) |
| 91 | +**Format**: Fast-paced, single-speaker presentation |
| 92 | + |
| 93 | +### Guidelines |
| 94 | + |
| 95 | +* Arrive 10 minutes early with your presentation on a USB drive or cloud link. |
| 96 | +* Stick to the time limit—there will be no extensions. |
| 97 | +* Use no more than 3–5 slides. |
| 98 | + |
| 99 | +### Tips |
| 100 | + |
| 101 | +* Focus on one idea: a project, tip, or call to action. |
| 102 | +* Be energetic and engaging—lightning talks are crowd favorites! |
| 103 | + |
| 104 | +{% aside %} |
| 105 | +Note: Talks exceeding 5 minutes will be politely cut off. |
| 106 | +{% endaside %} |
| 107 | + |
| 108 | +--- |
| 109 | + |
| 110 | +## Open Spaces |
| 111 | + |
| 112 | +**Duration**: 30–60 minutes (flexible) |
| 113 | +**Format**: Self-organized, participant-driven discussion or activity |
| 114 | + |
| 115 | +### Guidelines (Facilitator/Host) |
| 116 | + |
| 117 | +* Define a clear purpose or goal for the session (e.g., “Brainstorming Python in Education”). |
| 118 | +* Create a welcoming space for all attendees to participate. |
| 119 | +* Manage time and wrap up with key takeaways (if applicable). |
| 120 | + |
| 121 | +### Tips |
| 122 | + |
| 123 | +* Have a round of introductions as it gives a chance to everyone to speak up and works as an ice-breaker. |
| 124 | +* As the room is shared, respect time limits and clean up afterward. |
| 125 | + |
| 126 | +{% aside %} |
| 127 | +Remember: Open Spaces are community-powered. Come ready to share, listen, and collaborate. |
| 128 | +{% endaside %} |
| 129 | + |
| 130 | +--- |
| 131 | + |
| 132 | +## Dev Sprint |
| 133 | + |
| 134 | +**Duration**: Full-day |
| 135 | +**Format**: Collaborative coding and onboarding |
| 136 | + |
| 137 | +### Guidelines |
| 138 | + |
| 139 | +* Represent your open source project or community initiative. |
| 140 | +* Prepare beginner-friendly issues (labeled “good first issue”). |
| 141 | +* Provide clear setup instructions and documentation. |
| 142 | +* Be approachable and welcoming to newcomers of all skill levels. |
| 143 | + |
| 144 | +{% aside %} |
| 145 | +Goal: Help others contribute meaningfully and grow your community. |
| 146 | +{% endaside %} |
| 147 | + |
| 148 | +--- |
| 149 | + |
| 150 | +## General Guidelines for All Speakers & Hosts |
| 151 | + |
| 152 | +* **Code of Conduct**: All sessions must adhere to the [PyCon India Code of Conduct](https://in.pycon.org/2025/code-of-conduct). |
| 153 | +* **Accessibility**: Use clear language and describe visuals. |
| 154 | +* **Recording & Consent**: Sessions may be recorded. Inform participants if you plan to record your Open Space or Dev Sprint activity. |
| 155 | +* **Arrival Time**: Arrive at least 10–15 minutes before your session starts. |
| 156 | +* **Contact**: Reach out to the help desk or volunteer coordinator for any support. |
| 157 | + |
| 158 | +--- |
| 159 | + |
| 160 | +Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion with the Python community! |
| 161 | +We can’t wait to learn from you at PyCon India 2025. |
| 162 | + |
| 163 | +For questions, email: [email protected] |
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