DjangoCon US 2018 Orientation Event

We’re three weeks out from DjangoCon US 2018. For the third year in a row, we’re pleased to have an Orientation event on the first day. But we promise it’s not like those boring orientations you had to attend in school.

What is Orientation?

Orientation is something we do to help attendees get off to a great start. In the course of organizing DjangoCon US, we’ve solicited and received a lot of feedback. A recurring theme: people attending their first con or attending DjangoCon US alone can feel lost, overwhelmed, or left out. An informal survey of potential new conference attendees also revealed the desire for some sort of “guidance” when attending a conference. There are two primary groups we’re focusing on:

• New or solo attendees: Tech conferences can be overwhelming, especially if it’s your first one or you’re attending on your own. We want to help people coming to their first DjangoCon US or their first tech conference have the best experience possible.
• Traditionally underrepresented groups: If you’re worried that DjangoCon US isn’t for “people like you”, don’t worry. We want to assure you that you are more than welcome, and we want you to be as comfortable as possible.

What to Expect

We’ll have a brief but informative presentation by Kojo Idrissa, our Orientation Chair. We’ll start with some basic housekeeping around maximizing your safety and comfort in a large crowd of strangers. We’ll then get into helping you figure out how to get the most from DjangoCon US for YOU.

When and Where?

The Orientation will be Monday, October 15 at 9 am in Salon A-E. That will give you plenty of time to register and eat breakfast. As an added bonus, the Opening and Keynote start at 9:30 am in the same place. So, you’ll be registered, well-fed, oriented, and ready to start your DjangoCon US adventure!