Call for Proposals

PyData Seattle 2025 will be a three-day event with live talks, keynote speakers, and community events.

The proposal selection process is double-blind, meaning that reviewers will not be able to see your name or other identifying information. Reviewers will see the proposal Title, Prior Knowledge Expected, Brief Summary, Bullet Point Outline, and Description. Please withhold identifying information from those fields.

Speakers will receive a free ticket to the entire event. All presentations will be given live and in person.

Please note that speakers are asked to provide their own travel and lodging accommodations.

We look forward to reading your proposal and appreciate you being a part of the community!

Proposal Deadline: September 1, 2025
Conference Date: November 7–9, 2025

Proposal Guidelines

Talks

Talks are 40-minute sessions including time for Q&A. A talk proposal is a short description of a talk that is aiming to convince someone to part with 40 minutes of their time, in order to learn about something.

A good proposal should disclose:

• The topic (WHAT) and WHY it is interesting
• The audience (WHO) the talk is addressed to
• The type of talk (lots of maths, hands-on, etc.) and possibly the tone (light-hearted, informative, etc.)
• The TAKEAWAY – what attendees will learn

There are two parts to a proposal:

1. Brief Summary – Informs attendees what the talk is about. Discloses the topic, domain, and overall purpose. This is at most a few lines long and will be printed in the conference program.
2. Description – A self-contained statement summarizing the talk’s aspects. It should include:
   - The objective
   - Outline
   - Central thesis
   - Key takeaways
   - Background knowledge expected

While there is no strict template, ensure the audience can understand why your talk is relevant to them.

Tips on How to Write a Successful Proposal

A proposal serves two purposes:

1. Convince the Program Committee to accept your proposal
2. Act as the description of the talk on the schedule

If accepted, you will have the opportunity to further edit and clarify the proposal before publication.

Good proposals include:

• The topic and why it’s interesting
• The audience that will benefit
• The takeaway for the audience
• Any background knowledge needed
• Approximate time breakdowns (e.g., minutes 0–10: X, minutes 10–15: Y, etc.)

Two parts to a proposal:

• Abstract – Short, to the point, answers the above questions, and pitches the talk to attendees. Links to public materials are welcome.
• Description – Expands on the abstract, adds background, outline, and detail. This is for the Program Committee and should anticipate their questions. For example, if the topic seems broad, include a time breakdown to reassure reviewers.

Additional Talk Proposal Suggestions

• Target audience – Identify job roles (data scientist, engineer, researcher, etc.) and experience level.
• Clear title – Catchy is fine, but clarity is better.
• Get feedback – Have friends/colleagues (especially your target audience) review your abstract.
• First-time speakers – Indicate this for potential mentorship opportunities.

Common Pitfalls

Avoid these issues to improve your proposal’s chances:

• Overly long proposals – Keep it simple and clear. Aim for ~200 words.
• Future work reliance – Your talk should already have shaped content.
• Sales pitches – Avoid overly promotional content; focus on open-source and reproducibility.
• Repeated talks – Preference is given to new talks and new speakers.