Hi all,

Happy New Year to you all! We hope 2017 is a great year.

We have been busy elves and are prepping for the 2017 conference, happening on the May 5-7th 2017. We hope that you've all got great ideas brewing to submit a proposal. That brings me onto great news:

## Mentorship scheme

We are now offering a mentorship scheme, to all those who have never spoken at a conference. This is to help with how to submit a proposal. This is the first year, and only PyData to be running this. The aim is to ensure we stay open and welcoming to all those newer to the community. You are only eligible if you haven't spoken at a conference before as places are limited. More information is attached and can be found [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5BjkAS4uSYTRXBWaUltdEpfT2M/view?usp=sharing)

If you'd like to get involved see ....

Never spoken? [Signup to be a mentee](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSefUTf3lijP9L-6gpP-QNNzq1qUxrJYj_i-Me3IigVSSHI2GA/viewform)

Spoken before? [Signup to be a mentor](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeqxX8_OWDL0CGcUijk_vUKIdc8ArGO8Pqj3SJENa_1KFSHyg/viewform)


## Volunteer for the 2017 Conference

Yes we are offering volunteering positions for the conference. If you're interested and would like to find out more, please [sign up](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdE_q8ESMq-W2VBJTGt5jXh-D5Hi2uycnwIU9xEB-1y7sMzCQ/viewform). We will be in touch with you soon!

## Building the Community

In 2017 we aim to make PyData one of the most diverse conferences that exist, and we need your help. So either signup to be a mentor, or alternatively, find someone to help learn Python, and bring them into the community!

## Sponsorship

In new year, we have new budgets. If you can't help out through mentoring, why not consider sponsoring us! We have packages that suit all budgets. Nudge your boss/marketing dep ;) Please do reach out on london@pydata.org


On behalf of us all, Happy New Year!

Ian, Emlyn, Ruby, Florian, Alina, Marco, Calvin, Agata, Cecilia, Slavi, Steve, Prashant and Priya

## PyData London Team

london@pydata.org
[http://pydata.org/london2017/](http://pydata.org/london2017/)
[http://london.pydata.org/](http://pydata.org/london2017/)