What makes YAPC::Japan unique

I attended YAPC::Hiroshima 2024 in Japan.

A few people asked me about the distinctions between YAPC::Japan and other Perl events worldwide, prompting me to write below. Before delving into the specifics, I must preface that my experience is primarily rooted in YAPC::Hiroshima 2024, the only YAPC::Japan event I attended. It's important to say that comparing Perl events across different regions isn't about establishing superiority or inferiority; organizing conferences requires considerable resources and effort irrespective of location. Each conference has its unique approach and metrics for success. The observations I offer are purely subjective and reflect my personal views.

Size

  • YAPC::Hiroshima was huge. There were as many as 450 attendees, supported by ~50 volunteers and 50+ sponsors
  • Tickets were sold out
  • Previously, there was a common assumption that YAPC events held in Tokyo automatically got the title of the largest due to the city's size. However, YAPC::Hiroshima proved it is just a misconception. Despite Hiroshima City having a population slightly smaller than Dallas, TX, YAPC in Japan continues to be the biggest worldwide

Name

  • YAPC is no longer called as YAPC in other regions (Wikipedia)
  • Obviously YAPC stands for Yet Another Perl Conference, at the same time they welcomed non-Perl technical people. I met a number of attendees who don't write Perl. There were also a number of talks not specific to Perl (accessibility, SMTP, dealing with EOL systems, engineers' career)

Donations

  • They placed a donation box at the reception area. It's to support The Perl Foundation (not to support the conference itself) and I appreciate that
  • Numerous people generously contributed, resulting in a collective donation exceeding JPY 100,000 (USD 650)

Structure

  • The pre-event was held in one big space where attendees gathered for both talks and refreshments. Within this expansive room, 2/3 of the attendees sat on the chair and listened to the presentations, while the remainder engaged in conversations on the opposite side
  • Main event is condensed into a single day. I was told it's to keep the cost low. Unfortunately more than half of the talk proposals had to be rejected due to this
  • A post-event was held in the same city on the subsequent day. It's called YAYAPC and I will write more below

Volunteers

  • The conference benefited from a significant volunteer presence. For instance, my assigned room was supported by a team of five individuals responsible for tasks ranging from recording to managing lighting and ensuring doors are closed during the talk
  • The organizers developed individualized schedules for each volunteer. Leadership was designed for each site, including reception areas and conference rooms, with volunteers following their assigned leaders diligently
  • The communication across different areas was facilitated through Discord

Minute-by-minute schedule

  • If you know how train schedules work in Japan, it's the same in conferences. If a talk is slated to start at 10:00, it commences precisely at 10:00:00, with attendees expected to be seated and prepared during the brief 5-minute breaks
  • Volunteers hold the same standard of punctuality. For instance, we were scheduled to get together at 7:30 AM, and despite arriving at 7:25 AM, believing I was among the earliest to arrive, I was actually one of the last

Sponsorship

  • YAPC::Hiroshima got a large number of sponsors, including some local businesses such as a bar and cafe. The organizers invested considerable time and effort into develop these partnerships
  • Several sponsors had a booth to recruit or advertise their businesses. Attendees were incentivized to explore these booths, with a prize given to those who visited all of them

Ticket pricing

  • The standard ticket cost JPY 10,000 (USD 65)
  • There was also an individual sponsor program, supported by 40+ attendees
  • Student admission was free of charge, some of whom also got assistance of travel cost

Demographics

  • 99% Japanese, possibly 99.9%
  • Mostly male, reflecting the tech community

Alcohol

  • Like many other venues in Japan, they maintained a relaxed attitude for alcohol consumption
  • Interestingly, beer was distributed early in the afternoon in the event lobby, which enhanced hallway tracks experience
  • "YAPC IPA" was given at the party
  • Despite the presence of alcohol in many occasions, the atmosphere stayed professional and I saw no instances of disruptive behaviors

Post-event "YAYAPC" (Yet Another YAPC)

  • There was a supplementary one-day event at a different venue in the same city
  • Attendance was complementary for the YAPC attendees. The venue cost was covered by one generous individual, who was one of the YAPC key organizers
  • Unlike the main event, the talks at YAYAPC were not recorded. Attendees were also instructed not to discuss the talks on social media. This unique approach made the talks surprisingly interesting and engaging. The talks covered production incidents, bugs, and all the fun stuff I can't write here

Other

  • Best talk awards
  • Lot of free food from breakfast to dinner
  • Lost and found - all were returned

YAPC::Hiroshimaの参加記録 | I attended YAPC::Hiroshima in Japan

日本のYAPCに参加したのは18年ぶり2度目。

イベント参加者として

  • 世界一成功しているYAPCであるYAPC::Japanの運営を見習うためにボランティアで参加させてもらった。一般参加者の切符を買いますと言ったのだが、主催のkobakenさんに固辞された。神のようなお方
  • YAPCという名前はやはり良い

ボランティアとして

  • 朝7:30に集合だった。早めの行動をしようと7:25に着いたらほとんどのスタッフがすでに到着していた。アメリカではありえない
  • メインは部屋の進行係。さらに登壇者向けの受付という重大な任務もまかされて光栄です

TPFの人間として

  • 運営の方がTPFへの寄付を繰り返し呼びかけてくれて、さらに受付でも寄付コーナーを設置してくれてお礼の申しようもない https://blog.yapcjapan.org/entry/2024/02/10/100000
  • もちろん、寄付をしてくださった方にも本当に感謝している

トークについて

  • ボランティアをしていたのでほとんど聞いていない。あとで録画を見る
  • 広島のYAPCのキーノートを誰にしてもらうかという疑問に対して、とほほさんというパーフェクトな答えを出した運営チームは偉すぎる
  • 私がこのコミュニティに入る前から登壇していてまぶしい存在だったcharsbarさんとtakesakoさんのトークをまた見られてありがたかった。かるぱねるらさんが同じようなことを書いている。https://x.com/karupanerura/status/1756575196369260893
  • ずっと前から有名人という点ではmalaさんのトークが聞けてよかった。タイムリーでYAPCにぴったりな内容。弾さんのトークは聞き逃した
  • もちろん新しい登壇者が半分以上で、それもいいこと
  • YAYAPCはYAPC以上に良かった。録画とSNS公開が禁止のトークは実に面白い
  • 私のトークは過去に20分でやったものを5分に圧縮した。ボーナススライドは時間が余れば見せようかと思っていたところまったく無理だった。内容は「日本発のPerlのスローガンを提案する」だった

アメリカのカンファレンス主催側の者として

  • 日本のYAPCが米国のYAPC(最近はTPRCという)より規模が大きいのは、人口が世界一の都市である東京で開催するからだというのがかつての通説だった。その後YAPC::Japanチームは東京から飛び出して他の都市でも世界一大きいなYAPCができるのだということを証明した
  • YAPC::Japanがなぜこれだけ人が集められるかというというのは別記事で長い考察が必要だが、毎年来る人でも10年に一度しか来ない人でも初参加者でも楽しめるイベントであるのは事実
  • スケジュール通りにトークが進行するのは素晴らしい。あれは、参加者が開始前に着席していないと無理。日本人がどうやって5分の休憩時間で遅れなく部屋を移動するのかは謎
  • YAPC::Hiroshimaの広報は優秀
  • YAYAPCでkobakenさんが少しだけ言っていたように、自分は客だという気持ちの入場者がいるのは残念。チケットの売り上げでは全然赤字なのがYAPCなので、一般入場者はお客様ではないのです(これは私の意見)

まとめ

  • 家から広島の会場まで最短でも24時間かかるので移動は大変だったがその価値はあった
  • また来たい

At Perl Station

So I visited Perl. More pictures to follow.

Perl train station at night

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Perl train station during daytime

From the distance. Right Germany, Left Luxembourg, Behind France

IMG_6668.jpg="https://blogs.perl.org/users/makoto_nozaki/perl-stati…

German Perl Workshop

I am just back from German Perl Workshop. The workshop is held every year and I finally had a chance to visit it!

I had these reasons to go:

  • Meet Perl hackers and community members who I have known online for years
  • Talk about TPF
  • Visit Perl, a small town in Germany

I'd like to express my gratitude for the organizers who worked hard to make it happen. They had to change the venue with a short notice and train track repair impacted the transportation but the organizers did a fantastic job.

My talk went well and the material is a…

Barcelona Perl Mongers Meetup!

I had the honor to give a talk at Barcelona.pm Meetup. Perl community rocks as everybody knows; my new friends welcomed me and my family. We felt home, learned new things, enjoyed the nice dinner and it became the most memorable night in Barcelona.

I can't wait to visit Barcelona Perl Workshop.

Slides will be posted once I clean them up.

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