WCOC14 Speaker Submission Tips

So, you want to submit a speaker presentation, but don’t know what to submit.  If you are having trouble thinking of ideas here are some tips:

  • Go with what you are currently passionate about. One ingrediant that will always make a great presentation is enthusiasm.
  • Go with what you are currently learning. The best way to learn is to teach!
  • Go with your biggest fail. Tales of woe are always useful; let others learn from your mistakes.
  • Chat with WordCamp organizers, WordPress buddies, or folks at meetups to brainstorm ideas. The initial submission does not need to be 100% figured out. If it is a solid foundation, we are happy to work with you to iron out a presentation idea.
  • Submit more than one idea! We love it when people send multiple ideas. Make it tough for us to choose.

Here are some things to remember when developing submission ideas:

  • Remember that everything you know about WordPress, you did not know at one time. So while a topic may seem simple to you, there are scores of folks who are behind you on the learning curve who will benefit from your knowledge.
  • We are not looking for experts in all things. You don’t have to know all the answers. Present what you do know and don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something. The point of WordCamp is to share knowledge and build community, not to just have the top players in WordPress tell us how it is.

Finally, I’ll share a bit about our selection process. These are a few things we look for when selecting presenters for WordCamp:

  • Is the person passionate about the subject? If you are excited, we are excited.
  • Did the person fill everything out? If you can not take the time to fill out the bio section, how much effort will you put into your presentation?
  • Submit early, do not wait until the last minute. We are looking at the submissions as soon as they come in. The more time we have to consider and vet your proposal, the better chance it has of being selected.

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