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Your speakersRachel Andrew
rachelandrew.co.uk | @rachelandrew
This talk was crowdsourced
Survey Stats: Employment
Survey Stats: Gender
*Of those who declared their gender. Other includes non-binary, non-conforming male and other.
Experience and frequency of talks4 Experience ranged from 1 year to 20 years as a
speaker
4 Respondents had spoken for 1 through to 40 events in the past year
4 One person had spoken at over 100 in the last year!
Lifecycle of a conference(from the speaker point of view)
The Call for Papers or emails to potential
speakersThis is your first impression make it a good one!
"Evidence that the conf organizers are going to dot their I's, cross their T's,
and generally take care of their business efficiently."
When and Where is the conference?
Who are the audience?
"The best had a demographic breakdown of the audience,
including jobs, level of experience, and areas of
interest at the conference."
Experience level of the audience
Estimate of audience numbers
Number at the event. Likely number attending an individual talk.
What do you offer speakers?
Travel, accomodation, speaker dinner ...
If you do not cover expenses say so
Be honest. It is a reasonable expection that travel, accomodation and ticket are covered. If not, say so.
Speaker fees
How long does it take to prepare a talk?In my survey the response was remarkably consistent.
Between 40 to 80 hours or "2 weeks work" was a very common answer to a freeform question.
What does it cost to speak (assuming travel/accomodation is covered)?4 for self-employed people 2 or 3 days of work while at the conference
4 child or petcare to pay for
4 employees may have to use vacation time
4 food and drinks at the event
What does it cost to speak?For a self-employed person many of the costs are in losing opportunities for billable work.
4 10 days of prep
4 2 days of travel
4 3 days at the conference
4 plus extra expenses due to being on the road
"2 days of conference cost me the paid time off that it takes 7 weeks to save up."
"Mostly just holiday time, so much so that in the last 2 years all of my holiday
has been taken around conferences."
"... so much strain on family that it causes my wife to
forbid future conference talks. [My spouse] shoulders most of the additional burden & there's not a dollar figure on it."
Recognise the cost to speakers
Show opportunities for them to get extra value from their stay.
What do you expect of speakers?
Unique talk? Length of talk. Extra events.
Will you be recording talks or livestreaming?When and how will they be distributed?
Your Code of ConductAlso details of how this is enforced.
Call for Papers4 When is the deadline for submission?
4 When will speakers hear if they have been accepted or not?
4 What is the selection process?
4 Will you use the submitted abstract as the talk description on the site?
Emailing speakersBe clear if this is an invitation to speak or an invitation to
apply to the call for papers.
Emailing speakersBe personal - tell them why you want
them specifically to speak at your event.
"Why I, rather than some other expert, would be an important addition to the
conference."
Emailing speakersMany speakers have information on
their websites - read that first!
The selection process
Email everyoneDon't let rejected speakers find that out by seeing the line-
up announced.
Offering rejected speakers a discount is a nice touch
Especially if they might have missed the early bird discounts.
The run up to the event
Booking TravelBusy speakers can have complex schedules!
If you are booking flights4 ensure you have the correct legal name of your speaker for the booking
4 and make sure that name is only used for the booking, not on the event site
4 if there are a number of flights ask your speaker their preference
4 find out if they will want to check a bag if there is an extra charge
Arranging VisasCan your speaker travel to your country?
Booking Accomodation4 check arrival and departure dates
4 does the speaker have any special requirements - for example an accessible room
4 will the speaker be travelling with a family member?
4 would they prefer to arrange their own accomodation?
How many nights should you cover?
"I once got picked at a 4 day conference to give a tutorial on the first day, and a talk on the last day, but their speaker's package only covered 3 nights hotel. It was an interesting conversation, but was made right in the end when they agreed to cover the full 4 nights."
How many hotel nights?
Skimping on hotel stays may risk a talk
A missed flight connection could mean the speaker missing their talk!
Encouraging speakers to speak & run
"Recently I had a conference want to send me back on a flight the last day of the conference meaning I would miss it, that made me sad."
If you have a strict budgetOffer speakers fewer nights in the pricier hotel or more
nights in a budget one
Consider the location of the hotel and transport options4 Not all speakers will be comfortable travelling alone
around a strange city.
4 If the chosen hotel is some way from venues, arrange safe transport.
Technical information4 slide format and resolution
4 availability of internet connection from the podium
4 will playing audio or video present a problem?
4 any notes based on your knowledge of the venue / setup
4 if you want speakers to present on a conference laptop*
Using the "conference computer"
The all you need to know email
"Two weeks before the conference they sent a
reminder with all my travel details in it and a 9-page speaker briefing pdf."
PDFs can be lovelybut emails are more easily accessible in transit
Your contact detailsDetails of a point of contact that will be responsive when the
speaker is in transit and while at the event.
Travel information4 How am I getting to the city?
4 What is the address of the hotel?
4 How am I getting from the airport to the hotel?
4 What should I do on arrival?
Personal Schedule4 What time is the speaker dinner and where do we meet?
4 What time is registration at the venue?
4 Is there a technical check?
4 Where should I present myself before my talk?
4 What other commitments do I have?
4 What time and where is the after party?
Other useful to know things4 What costs at the hotel are covered?
4 What is not covered?
4 If there are meals at the event outline what is provided, especially if your speaker has explained any food allergies.
4 local travel information
4 tips on local sights to see if the speaker has half a day after arriving
Speakers are arriving!
Be ready to help outMake sure someone is watching the contact email address and
phone number.
"One event said they'd send a car to pick me up from the airport — but it didn't arrive. And couldn't contact the organisers on the day either. Added a lot of stress to getting to the venue on time.
"
Speaker Gifts"Do not buy me a parrot"
They came hand-luggage only
Avoid hampers of artisanal jam, bottles of spirits, anything heavy or huge
Some things are like marmite*
*don't give them marmite
People like practical gifts4 A hoodie
4 An umbrella when rain is forecast
4 Travel power adapters - correct for the speaker's origin
4 Sim cards and mifi devices
4 Portable batteries
4 lipsalve and moisturizer
Thoughtful, personalized items and experiences4 A city walking tour or trip to a local attraction
4 Putting something in the gift bag a speaker has mentioned hoping to try
4 Small hand crafted items
4 Food gifts that can be eaten or shared during the conference
Treat all speakers equally
"I spoke at a conference with tiered speaker perks. So
speakers would ask me if I was going to an event and I would be surprised and embarrassed to say I didn't know anything about it."
"I think a really great speaker dinner goes a long way to making everyone feel comfortable and
welcome. Too many events, I feel like I walk in, speak, and leave without really interacting. Those dinners,
when they do happen, can be gold."
"The speaker dinner allows me to get to know a few people from both the organisers and the other speakers. If
this is in a city I'm not used to, it makes me feel more confident for the rest of the conference as I at least have a couple of people I know."
Tips for speaker dinners4 Not too late!
4 Check food restrictions, preferences and allergies
4 If "dinner" is more "nibbles" let speakers know
4 Relaxed and social is generally more important than expensive and flashy
Speaker dinners let you check in with each speaker
Is everyone well and happy, can you help anyone?
Alternate ideas to a dinnerArrange a fun event for speakers and attendees
Make contact with all speakers4 Make sure you have been in touch with every arriving
speaker
4 Have they everything they need?
4 Let them know of any changes to the schedule or setup
"I once spoke at a conf in Prague where the organizers didn't make
themselves known to the speakers. It was totally anonymous. There
where two evening events, still none of the organizers bothered to say hi
to a speaker."
The Conference
A Speaker Room4 Providing a quiet room with wifi can be helpful to
speakers.
4 Especially where the conference is not in the same location they are staying.
4 In my experience they encourage speakers to stick around, rather than hiding in the hotel.
"There have been a few conferences where I've never even met the
organizer and there appears to be no staff or volunteers. You show up, find your room, set yourself up, give a talk, and just kind of fade
away."
Introducing Speakers4 Explain what will happen
4 Should they be on stage or walk on after the intro?
4 Check the details of the intro
4 Be enthusiastic - why are you excited they are at the conference?
"Once an organizer gave me a really half-hearted intro in which he said something that basically suggested he wasn't sure why they'd asked me to speak in the first place but maybe I'd be good."
A/V Setup and Support
"Despite being promised the ability to do a technical check (it's in my contract), at my most
recent talk the A/V person wasn't in the room before I went on. I had to set up everything myself."
"At my first ever Event Apart the projector was blank for the first 5 mins of my talk. I had no idea what to do or what went wrong, but I saw Toby and Mike quietly but quickly making their way to the stage and all the
cables to sort out whatever had went wrong. Realizing that they had my back in that
moment and were on top of finding a fix was extremely reassuring."
Speaker Feedback
Unhelpful feedbackDid you like this talk? Yes / No
Helpful feedback4 structured
4 broken down
4 filtered through the organisers before passed on to speakers
"CocoaConf 2012 made gave people that turned in speaker feedback raffle tickets with good prizes. It got me over 50 responses to a talk with 100 people attending, and I received all the feedback only 15 minutes after my talk was done. It was really helpful."
When things go wrong
Code of Conduct ViolationsHave a plan in place for what you will do if you are informed
of a code of conduct violation.
"I was bullied at a conference by a sponsor
and the coordinators told him I told them."
"I brought up something with organizers once (an attendee didn't seem dangerous, just a
little lecherous) and they waved it off with 'oh, him–he's a nice guy, just confused'."
"At a Ruby conference in Florida, myself and two other speakers were harassed. [The conference organizers] dismissed our report of harassment by the male attendee because "he is a good guy and has a family and didn't mean it that way." I actively encourage my peers to
avoid that conference."
"At a meetup I felt the behaviour of an individual went against the coc - I did feel
very uncomfortable doing so, but they handled it so well. They made me feel very comfortable in approaching them and that it had been the right thing to do. They kept my identity
anonymous through the rest of the process when approaching the individual and dealing
with the issue."
"I've never spoken to organizers about a problem. It's such a small community and I wouldn't want to
endanger my ability to speak."
Useful links4 http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Conference_anti-harassment/Policy
4 http://www.ashedryden.com/blog/codes-of-conduct-101-faq
4 http://www.ancestralhealth.org/general-information/staff-guidelines-handling-code-conduct-violation
4 http://the-orbit.net/almostdiamonds/2014/04/10/so-youve-got-yourself-a-policy-now-what/
It is not enough to have a code of conduct
You need to have policies around what happens if people don't stick to it.
Speaker illness or emergencies
"Once I had a horrible cold right before the conference (Smashing Conf in
Oxford), so I let the organizers know, not because I was going to cancel, just as a warning that my voice wasn't going to be great. Cat brought me tea, honey, lemon, and various medicines to help me
feel better."
"An old injury flared up, and the organizer insisted on immediately setting me up
with a same day medical appointment and personally covered the expense of it."
"One time at Agile Manchester I was due to speak, but was ill. I dragged myself there not really feeling up to it and this was pretty obvious to the organiser when I got there.
Within 30m the organisers had arranged an alternate speaker, and sent me home. They still covered expenses, accommodation,
etc.despite me not speaking."
After the Event
Ensure that a contact person is still available as speakers travel home
Email speakers with feedback and links to
coverageAsk for their feedback on the event too. You can use positive
feedback when advertising your CfP next year.
Pay expenses and fees promptly
Remind speakers to submit invoices and receipts as required
Have you ever been promised a fee and not paid?
Have you ever been promised expenses and not paid?
Big Takeaways
New speakers need your attention more than your
rockstars
Speakers from diverse backgrounds may need
extra helpThey may not be used to travel
They may not have much cash, or credit cards to fall back on
Expenses and fees are a diversity issue
You have huge privilege if you can afford to speak for free or cover your own travel and accomodation
Expenses and fees are a safety issue
This is where the conversation gets hard.
"These things are preventable in actionable
ways that have nothing to do with a code of conduct."
How can we make this safe?4 properly cover food and travel costs
4 "buddy" system
4 cover a +1 to attend
4 24/7 contact number in case someone gets stranded
4 lots of reminders that the number is to be used for anything
Doing it right doesn't mean doing it expensively
"I really appreciate it when the organizers facilitate getting
to know the area and also meeting other speakers who are there. Help me figure out public transportation."
"Goodie bags with snacks when you arrive after a day
of travel is so appreciated!"
"For my first conference, I arrived at my hotel feeling like an imposter a small
welcome pack a note from the organisers made me feel really welcome and at home. "
"+1 ticket for a friend, so I can give it to a friend who wouldn't otherwise see the
event"
" InfoShare sent me a zip of all the photos that had been taken of me at the conference by the official
photographer."
"Small things like RT's of speaker slides from the conference account were
very appreciated."
We all want the same thingA successful and enjoyable event for everyone
