Conference Planning Schedule

This is the general schedule we use for planning the annual Plone conference, which is held in the fall.

For 2026, the conference will be held September 21–27.

  • initial meeting (Nov./Dec. of the preceding year)
    • review the general schedule
    • review major aspects of the conference
    • plan website launch
    • set meeting cadence (monthly, then biweekly beginning in late spring, then weekly in the last month before the conference)
  • conference branding (logo, imagery, website theme, conference t-shirt or similar, signage) (January)
  • develop & track budget
    • sponsor income
    • ticket income
    • expenses (conference t-shirts, trainer housing, venue, services, catering, optional travel support, Plone Foundation)
  • sponsor identification
  • local & regional tourism collaboration
  • website launch (February or earlier)
    • include code of conduct
    • agreement to be photographed
  • ongoing promotion to Plone community, Python, external audiences
  • venues for training, conference talks, and sprint
    • often a university or public institution
    • food & beverage service
    • wifi
    • recording (optional: live streaming)
  • housing (for trainers & attendees) (March)
  • optional: evening party (venue, food, entertainment)
  • travel info, local tourism suggestions
  • ongoing provision of invitation letters & support for visa applications
  • coordinate with Plone Google Summer of Code to invite successful students
  • reach out to possible local Python groups to collaborate or hold joint event
  • highlight WPD - people can submit talk to World Plone Day in April - use that opportunity to ask talks for the conference too
  • keynote speakers (April)
  • call for talks
  • call for trainers
  • Create a promo video for WPD in April. It can be edited fancy marketing video or just you organizers discussing why people should come
  • set up ticketing system or service
    • include agreement to be photographed and to abide by the Plone Code of Conduct
  • release preliminary schedule (without talks) (May)
  • send out survey for training registration
  • early bird tickets
  • regular tickets
  • PSF and EuroPython funding applications should be done 8 weeks before the event (recommend early June)
  • Push Plone people (force, bribe, threat, plead) to submit talks
  • Have the talk schedule in place with at least 75% of talks (June), expect to have some last minute talk submissions in September still
  • review talk proposals, communicate acceptances (August)
  • order t-shirts or similar
  • publish full schedule (including training, talks, Plone Foundation annual meeting, lightning talks, evening party, sprints)
  • sprint organization (September)
  • prepare attendee bag (t-shirt, gifts, handouts)

Tip from Rikupekka:

  • Ticket sales - people will buy tickets even very late. Especially now when the place is easy to reach from Europe. Keep ticket sales open very late and order extra t-shirts -> everything will go and people can buy extra shirts after the conference