Why should you give a talk at PyCon UK 2025?
16 Mar 2025Have you ever sat in the audience at a tech conference, work event, or community meetup, listening to a talk and thought, “That could be me up there!”? Or maybe you’ve got an idea bubbling away, but you’re not sure if it’s “talk-worthy”? (Spoiler: It almost certainly is! 🎤✨).
PyCon UK 2025 is calling for speakers, and we’d love to hear from you—yes, you! Whether it’s your first time ever or you’ve dabbled a bit in public speaking previously, this is a fantastic opportunity to share your knowledge, ideas, experiences, and enthusiasm with a friendly, welcoming and respectful crowd.
Why is giving a talk at PyCon UK 2025 a great thing to do?
- You have something valuable to share: Whether it’s a cool project, a hard-earned lesson, or a fresh perspective, the PyCon UK 2025 team and the Python community want to hear it.
- It’s a brilliant way to grow: Getting up in front of an audience and speaking publicly is a big deal, but there are lots of positives! Public speaking builds confidence, communication skills, and even deepens your understanding of your own topic.
- You’ll meet amazing people: You’ll get the chance to meet with other speakers and attendees who share similar interests—who knows where this could lead you! Maybe new collaborative partnerships, maybe a job opportunity, or perhaps some new friendships 💛
- You’ll inspire others: Your talk might just be what someone in the audience has been waiting to hear—people out there will relate! Your talk is also a fantastic way to raise interest in a project, find people to collaborate with, or draw attention to a problem or challenge you care about.
Have we convinced you to submit a talk? If the answer is no, that’s totally fine! Maybe you’re still feeling a bit apprehensive, especially if it’s your first time doing this type of thing. If that’s the case, Julia Evans has a fantastic blog post on why you should give a talk and why it will be awesome, that might help ease some of those nerves—we’d recommend giving it a read. You can also check out our page on why submitting a talk is a really great thing to do, for you and the Python community.
What makes a great talk proposal?
The best proposals aren’t about showing off expert knowledge; they’re about making an idea interesting, accessible, and engaging for the audience. Here’s some key points on crafting a strong proposal:
- Be clear and concise: What’s your talk about, and why should people be excited about it? Cut any waffle and stick to the essentials.
- Focus on a single, strong idea: A talk doesn’t have to cover everything—sometimes the best talks dive deep into one well-defined topic.
- Tell a story: People remember narratives more than dry facts. Where did you start, where did you end up? Did something weird and/or wonderful happen along the way? Tell us!
- Be yourself: You don’t have to be an “expert” to give a good talk, and your perspective, your experiences and your situation are all unique; that’s what makes them so interesting and valuable.
For more advice on submitting a great proposal, check out our submission guidance and this excellent blog post by Owen Campbell on how to write a successful talk proposal.
What makes a great talk?
So you’ve submitted a proposal (yay!) and it’s been accepted (double yay!). Now what? The best talks tend to have:
- Clarity and structure: A well-organized talk is easier to follow and more impactful.
- Engagement: Whether it’s humour, great visuals, or a compelling story, you want to hook your audience, reel them in and keep them there.
- A strong takeaway: What do you want people to remember after they leave the room?
- Authenticity: You don’t have to be the most polished speaker—be yourself up there and speak with enthusiasm.
For more tips, Owen Campbell has another great post all about what makes a memorable talk.
Need inspiration?
We’ve got you! You can take a look at past talks from PyCon UK conferences on our YouTube channel to see the wide range of topics and styles people brought to the stage. You can also take a look at the schedule from previous years—2023’s schedule is here—to read the abstracts of successful talk proposals.
Talks not your thing? Run a workshop or inspire young coders!
If your idea works best with live coding, interactive exercises, or group problem-solving, a workshop or collaborative session is a great way to engage people directly. Whether it’s teaching a new tool, automating workflows, or hacking on hardware, this is your chance to get people learning by doing!
If you want to spark excitement about Python amongst our younger participants, why not consider submitting a proposal for a Young Coders’ event? These hands-on workshops (for ages 8–16) are all about fun, creativity, and exploration—think building games, programming robots, or solving puzzles. The best part? At the end, participants get to showcase their creations to the wider conference!
PyCon UK is about sharing knowledge in all kinds of ways, so whether you want to teach, facilitate, or inspire, there’s a place for your ideas in our programme.
Lastly, you’ve got this!
Perspectives and experiences of new (and seasoned) contributors are incredibly valuable to the community. You might surprise yourself with how much you have to offer. PyCon UK is a supportive space and our team is here to help you. We want you to remember the experience as a positive one, and we want you to repeat it.
🐍🚀 So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to our CfP page and submit that proposal. We’re really looking forward to hearing from you! 🐍🚀
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