Public speaking can be one of the scariest things many of us experience in our careers. But it doesn’t need to be.
WordCamps are a great place to get up on stage because they’re incredibly welcoming and relaxed.
To help encourage more people to apply to WordCamp Brighton, we’ve collected some of the most popular questions here.
If there’s anything you feel we’ve missed or something you think is worth adding, please leave us a comment below.
Q: Do I have to be an experienced conference speaker?
Not in the slightest! If you think you have an interesting topic, then we would love to hear from you.
We’re committed to helping you share your experience, idea or knowledge. We hope that everything we’ve put in place will support our speakers in contributing to an incredible WordCamp.
Q: How long does my talk have to be?
We’re currently accepting applications for short and long talks:
- Short lightning talks: maximum of 10 mins with a group Q&A
- Long form talks: maximum of 40 mins inclusive of Q&A
When you apply, you can let us know which format you prefer – or if you have no preference. If your talk is accepted, we’ll then confirm your talk length with you.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have a different session format you think might be interesting!
Q: Is there a speaker’s package?
All speakers will receive a free ticket to the entire event, plus an invitation to the complimentary volunteers dinner.
You’ll also receive a comprehensive pack with everything you need to know about speaking at WordCamp, including details about the venue and timings.
Q: Will there be support for speakers?
Yes! We love to support our speakers, and all speakers will be asked if they would like to participate in the speakers’ mentoring programme. The mentor’s role is to help and support speakers in the lead up to the event.
This can include support overcoming nerves, reviewing presentations, as well as providing general support and encouragement.
Every speaker who chooses will be assigned a mentor in advance of the event, and will be encouraged to be in touch with their mentor for feedback, advice and support as they prepare for their presentations.
Although we encourage speakers to hang out with attendees and enjoy the event, we also understand that sometimes as a speaker, you need space.
We’ve arranged a green room where you can relax and go through your presentation at any time during the course of the event.
Q: What should I talk about?
Anything you like! The WordPress ecosystem and community do such a variety of different things with WordPress – whether that’s designing, writing content, building businesses or adding features and functionality – we want to hear it all!
Tell us your stories of success and growth, but don’t be afraid to also tell us of your worst experiences and how you turned them around. We can all learn from each other.
Q: Does my talk have to be WordPress related?
Not every talk will have WordPress at the core. All the talks we’ve picked in the past – and will be picking this year – are focused on helping the WordPress community be the best it can be.
As a diverse community, we share a range of interests, skills, knowledge and experiences.
Q: How much detail should I include in my speaker application(s)?
As much or as little as you want. As a loose recommendation, we’d suggest you send a talk description of a maximum of three paragraphs.
To get a better idea of what makes an application successful, take a look at some of last year’s successful applications. You should give us a taster of what your talk is about, but you don’t need to give everything away.
Q: Can I apply with more than one talk?
Yes! This will increase your chances of your talk being accepted and gives us a wider variety of talks to select from.
But don’t worry – we’ll never ask you to do more than one talk.
Q: How do I send my application?
Ready to apply? Head to the call for speakers page. Here you’ll find all the ways you can apply.
To make applying to speak as accessible as possible, you can choose how you apply: via the form, with a video, or with a drawing/sketch. Your talk has an equal chance of being chosen, whichever method you use.
We can’t wait to welcome you to the sunny coast and see you on stage at WordCamp Brighton 2017!