As we open our Call for Speakers for WordCamp London 2019, we are publishing this list of FAQs to encourage applications from across the WordPress community.
We have included some of the most frequently asked questions about the process and covered what is involved in speaking at a WordCamp. If there is anything you feel we have missed, or something you think is worth adding to this post – please contact the team by email. We will update the information in the coming weeks.
Q) What topics are welcome?
A) We want to consider a full spectrum of session materials. We encourage you to submit ideas for talks, panels and workshops.
We have published a call for topics to encourage suggestions from the wider WordPress community.
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 talk about your failures and what you have learnt from them. We can all learn from each other!
We want to focus on accessibility and sustainability for WordCamp London. If your idea for a talk incorporates these themes, we would welcome this.
Q) Does my talk have to be about WordPress?
A) In short no, at least it need not be solely about WordPress. The goal of the event is to aid the WordPress community and members to be the best they can, so talk submissions that link to WordPress in some way are all very welcome.
We appreciate that the WordPress ecosystem is very wide-ranging and lots of diverse areas impact on our community. If you feel you have something to share that others would benefit learning more about, then please do submit an application.
Q) What form do the talks need to be in?
A) We’re aware that not all talks fit into the same format and timings, and to that end we have the following four commonly used categories.
Long form talks
The most popular types of talks at a WordCamp. At WordCamp London our long form talks are up to 40 minutes long, inclusive of a Q&A at the end of the talk. Here’s an example from WordCamp London 2018.
Lightning talks
These should be a maximum of 10 minutes long and have a group Q&A (with other lightning talk speakers). Lightning talk example from WordCamp London 2018.
Panels
These will consist of up to four panellists all answering questions from the audience about a specific topic. Our panel sessions will last a maximum of 40 minutes. Panel example from WordCamp London 2017.
Workshops
These sessions will be run by an instructor covering a specific topic within WordPress. They will run for a maximum of 40 minutes.
Other formats
Are you considering something we don’t have listed here? Let us know.
Q) Do all talks and workshops have to be in English?
A) Yes please, all talks are to be presented in English.
Q) I’ve never spoken at an event before, would this be an issue?
A) Not at all, in fact we welcome submissions from first-time speakers. Likewise please don’t be put off if you’ve spoken at London or other WordCamps many times before.
Regardless of your experience we will be there if you need support. You will also be able to join our speaker’s mentor programme. This programme can provide you with a mentor who will be able to review your presentation and provide opportunities for dry-runs and feedback.
The expectation is that speakers should be knowledgeable and embrace the principles of the WordPress project.
Q) Do I get a free ticket or expenses?
A) Each speaker will be able to book a free conference ticket to the event, including the social.
There will also be the option of registering for free use of the on-site child care facilities. More details will be provided.
WordCamps do not offer payment for speakers nor are they able to cover travel expenses. The event is volunteer-run.
Q) What sort of information should be included in my application. Do you have some examples?
A) You should include a title and a brief summary which describes what is in your talk and what attendees can gain from attending it. As a rough guide, summaries should be a maximum of three paragraphs in length.
Below are a couple of summary examples to give an idea.
Example 1
WordPress Coding Standards have been around for a while, yet many developers don’t write code with them, let alone know they exist. This was the case with me until September 2015 when I made the switch, and now I wish I’d dived in earlier! In this talk, I will explain what they are, how they will help you write better, cleaner and more secure PHP code and why you should be using them for all WordPress projects. Then I will show you how to introduce these into your development workflow using two of the most popular IDEs around — Sublime Text 3 and Atom Editor on OSX— along with the necessary tools required to get up and running with the minimum of fuss.
Example 2
Not sure what user experience (UX) is? (Neither am I). Or whether it matters to you? (It totally does!) Or why it’s important? (Let’s find out!).
I’m not a UX expert, but I don’t think you have to be: we should all be thinking about how people interact with the things that we make. Let’s take a really (really!) simple web app, tear it apart, and realise that UX is hard, very important, and definitely worth thinking about.
Expect tips, links, resources, door handles, cars, and possibly a little WordPress.
Q) What’s the deadline for submitting a talk?
A) Application submissions will close at 23:59 GMT on 21 February 2019.
Q) Can I submit more than one talk?
A) Absolutely. Don’t worry though, we will not ask you to actually present more than one talk.
You will need to submit a new form for each talk. This gives each submission an equal chance.
Q) How do I submit my talk(s)?
Talk applications can be completed by submitting the form.
Q) Are there any additional resources or guides to help me prepare my application or my presentation?
A) Yes, there is a lot of information to help you.
We have an informal mentoring programme which offers speakers guidance and support. Our mentors work alongside small groups of speakers and can also provide more one to one assistance for first time speakers. They provide help with your presentation and tips on public speaking.
It can be possible to arrange peer support, as part of a group, or one to one specific mentoring, for first time or nervous speakers.
Advice and tips for potential WordCamp speakers on applying, preparing and presenting
Presentations will usually be recorded and may be featured on WordPress.tv. They will be promoted on social media and the web to support the WordPress community and encourage learning and sharing of skills. You will be able to link to your presentation if it is published on WordPress.tv or other channels.
Q) What is the speaker selection process?
A) The speaker selection process used by WordCamp London involves several steps. Some which need to be repeated in order to ensure the final schedule is representative of the diverse community.
Broadly, this is the way the process works:
- ‘blind voting’ – the organising team assign points to each talk based solely on the session title and description
- group discussion – the organising team reviews each talk (even the applications which scored the lowest average score)
- tuning and iteration – the organising team takes into consideration representation across the community, ensuring we have equal representation across genders, skill-level, speaking experience, companies, etc.
It is crucial for the organising team to be able to have a group discussion after the blind voting part of the process and to keep reiterating on the schedule as we go along; blind voting alone is not a reliable way to ensure equal representation.
Q) Any other questions?
A) Niels, James, Todd, Abha and Barbara on the organising team are ready to help you with your questions. You can reach out to the team by email or direct message on Twitter @WordCampLondon.
We hope that the above has been useful and you feel encouraged to apply to speak at WordCamp London 2019. You can follow our Roadmap for details of calls, tickets and much more.
Images: courtesy of pixabay/ Geralt