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Handbook

Speak at Our Meetup

We're always looking for speakers, and we'd love to hear from you: no experience necessary. Whether it's your first time on stage or your hundredth, our meetups are a warm, supportive place to share what you know.

Who should speak

Everyone has something worth sharing. You should consider speaking if you:

  • Have learned something with Python (or an adjacent tool) and can walk others through it
  • Built a project, solved a tricky problem, or discovered something you found useful
  • Want practice presenting in a friendly, low-pressure setting
  • Have never spoken before: we especially encourage first-time speakers

You do not need to be an expert, have a novel topic, or hold a particular job title. If you’re unsure whether your idea is a fit, ask us: the answer is almost always yes.

What to talk about

Anything in or around the Python and open source world: a library or tool, a project you built, a concept explained simply, a career or learning story, data science, web, AI, testing, automation, whatever you’re excited about. Beginner-friendly topics are very welcome.

Talk formats

  • Lightning talk: 5 minutes
  • Standard talk: 15–30 minutes
  • Workshop: up to 2 hours, hands-on

How to submit

We collect talk proposals through Sessionize. Submit your idea here:

Submit your talk idea

You don’t need a polished abstract to start a conversation: if you’d rather talk it through first, reach out in the #city-vancouver channel on the PyLadies Slack or email vancouver at pyladies dot com.

How to prepare

  • Aim your talk at a friendly, mixed-experience audience: assume curiosity, not expertise.
  • Practice your timing so you fit your slot, leaving room for questions.
  • Bring your slides on your own laptop if you can; let us know your adapter needs in advance.
  • Share your slides with us afterward: we like to link them from the event recap.

What we provide

  • A welcoming, engaged audience and a friendly room
  • A projector / screen and the basics for your talk
  • Support before and during the event: we’ll introduce you and help you feel at ease
  • A spot in our event recap and a thank-you to you and your work

What we expect

  • Talks that are welcoming and inclusive of a diverse audience
  • That all speakers follow the PyLadies Code of Conduct
  • A heads-up as early as possible if your plans change, so we can adjust the program

More ways to participate

This guide is part of the Handbook. You can also host a venue, donate or sponsor, or help organize.