So You Want to Be a WordCamp Speaker: A practical workshop for beginners

with Kathryn Presner and Tammie Lister in the Community track

Sunday, November 16, 9:30 am-noon – special 2.5 hour hands-on workshop

Have you considered presenting at a WordCamp but thought you didn’t know enough or felt like an imposter? Does the idea of speaking in front of a group set your knees quivering and your heart racing? During this hands-on session we’ll look at what’s stopped you from speaking in the past – and explore how to move past your fears. We’ll delve into practical techniques for choosing a topic, writing a proposal, crafting presentation content, and making great slides. We’ll discuss how to avoid common public-speaking mistakes and techniques for battling stage fright. We’ll help you navigate the dreaded post-presentation Q&A session and gather post-talk feedback. Each participant will come out of the workshop with a WordCamp or meetup talk proposal – and more confidence to submit it.

Check out http://getspeak.in/ for a sneak peek.

Learning Outcomes

  • feel more confident about applying to speak at a WordPress meetup or WordCamp
  • understand common speaker pitfalls and how to avoid them
  • know how to brainstorm and choose presentation topics
  • know how to submit a solid talk proposal and bio
  • know how to craft solid content for a presentation
  • know what goes into crafting a great slide presentation
  • have practical strategies for battling stage fright
  • know how to handle post-talk Q&A and how to ask for feedback to help improve