It is December. Djangonaut Space Session 3 is wrapping up it’s final week. It makes me happy knowing that the program helps transform a lot of potential into real results.

I want to share my most proud accomplishment as a Session Coordinator — putting together the Djangonaut Showcase event! I’ve never organized events before, and this was a great learning experience for me.

Djangonaut Showcase

It started when I added a small agenda item added to our organizer meeting notes that said:

Ideas:

  • Showcase event

That item got the ball rolling! During the meeting, I briefly explained that the motivation for this event came from my own desire to have a similar event when I was a Djangonaut. I wanted to share what I learned and to connect with my peers. There were also several sources of feedback that we received during the current session where people expressed the same desire! I was excited to know that I wasn’t alone.

Once I explained the idea behind the event, the organizers were onboard! Then, I spent time during a weekend co-writing session to draft up the proposal. I shared the proposal during the next organizer meeting, and we had a very good discussion to refine the logistics and details. After the discussion, I created a list of action items. Then, it was time to execute!

Send out announcement. Get people to sign up. Send out instructions. Schedule time slots. Check-in to make sure everyone was on track. Prepare to host the event. I made sure to stay organized by putting information on a spreadsheet along with due dates. Timeliness was important every step of the way.

We had a dry-run to make sure I knew how to use Zoom as a host. I practiced delivering the introduction. I’m not very good with speaking and having conversations. My co-organizer suggested writing up a script. So after the dry-run, I wrote up a script and practiced. I recorded myself and played it back several times until I felt comfortable with all the things I had to say and the transitions from one topic to another. The evening of the event, I made sure to go to bed early and get a lot of rest.

The event was a huge success! Two successes, actually! We had two events to accommodate timezones and availabilities. Officers, Stars, and Astronomers showed up to support the Djangonaut speakers. Djangonauts were excited to share their learnings and experiences. Everyone got swept away during the Q&A sessions.

I’m so glad to have a lot of help from the organizers to make this event successful. Was it perfect? No, and that’s ok. Is everyone feeling inspired and motivated and more connected? I think so!

I’m looking forward to seeing the community continue to grow. I’m looking forward to seeing more collaboration among Djangonauts, Stars, Astronomers, Organizers, etc., including myself. I’m personally looking forward to making more contributions, both in code and community organization. My favorite part is working with wonderful, smart, kind people!

Organization Process

Here is breakdown of the steps I took to organize this small, yet impactful, event. It’s a process I will adapt and apply to other events and technical projects, too.

  1. Have an idea for an event in your head.
  2. Sit down to some quiet time during a co-writing session and write the proposal for the event. Have details about the logistics and also the goals.
  3. Share your written idea with other organizers to get feedback and refine the details.
  4. Write up action items. Create a list of things that need to be done. Assign deadlines. Note details about things you need, such as permissions to accounts/tools (zoom, email, etc) to send out communications.
  5. Execute. Be mindful of timelines.
  6. Keep an eye on the sign ups and participation level. If not enough interest is being express, take action early and make announcements. Make sure your messaging is explicit about the expectations for the participants during the sign up process and the event itself.
  7. Prepare for hosting the event. Write up an outline of how the event will flow. Write up a script for what you will say. Write up backup questions to ask in case there is a lull in the audience. Practice, record, practice. Have a dry-run with the help of your co-organizers. Lean into them for feedback and support.
  8. Make sure to get a eat well and sleep well before the event.
  9. Host the event!
  10. Celebrate your accomplishments with friends.
  11. Follow up and collect feedback on the event, if possible, so you can learn from the results and improve on the next iteration!