How to write winning speaker applications

We received 374 applications from 216 people for WCEU 2018, which we narrowed down to 52 sessions from 65 speakers. After going through so many great applications, we noticed a number of different things that the stand-out applications had going for them. These are relevant for WCEU applications, but also for any local WordCamp or conference application. In this post, we’ve highlighted six great ways to make your speaker application shine.

If you’re curious about the breakdown of the different applications, as well as our selection process, have a look at our article that explains further.

#1 Attention to detail matters

One of the very first things that makes an application stand out in a negative way is a lack of attention to things like spelling, capitalization, and those other small details. Make sure to review it carefully, and use spell check liberally! If you aren’t a native speaker, have someone else review it.

#2 Share the right information

When reviewing applications, we’re looking to assess a number of different things.

What is this session about?

Give organizers a good overview of your session structure: talk about what points you plan to cover, why this content is important, how technical you expect the session to get, and what the expected audience is.

Is the content that you describe going to be enough to fill the time slot?

In reading through the application, we’re considering if the points you share are going to be enough to fill the timeslot – or if it’s too much information for the timeslot. Make sure there’s enough information for organizers to get a feel for how long your session will take.

What is the audience going to learn from this session?

Talks are meant to educate, so being clear on key takeaways is important. Here’s a great key takeaway, from Morten Rand-Hendriksen’s session The Ethics of Web Design:

“A methodology, based on four moral philosophies, of how to make ethics part of the decision process in web design and beyond.”

#3 Structure

Structure is one of the most important things to consider when writing your application. After reading hundreds of applications, it’s important that we don’t have to search for the “meaning” of your application. Rather, at a glance we can understand what are some of the key points.

Having a good application structure will get you through the door, and grab our attention. Here are some tips on how best to structure your application.

• Don’t over complicate your introduction. Being creative is always a plus – however, prioritize clarity over creativity. If you have a title and introduction that is abstract, we might not be able to understand the value of your talk.
• Bullet points are a great way to highlight the most important key takeaways in your presentation.
• In our previous paragraph, we mentioned sharing the right information. The order in which you do that can make a difference. Here is what we suggest:
  • What is the session about?
  • What are your key takeaways?
  • How are you going to fill the time slot?
  • Why should we pick you?

A final tip from us; the conclusion is your opportunity to be different. Use your conclusion to WOW us, and unleash all your creativity.

#4 Make it relevant

WCEU is a large, regional stage – it’s important that the topics are relevant and interesting to a wide audience. Consider if the subject is broad (or deep!) enough to be relevant to WCEU, or if it would be a better fit at a local WordCamp.

Is this content new and fresh, or is it something that has already been seen a number of times? Is it worth the time and attention for our audience if you have already done this talk elsewhere?

#5 Avoid (product) sales pitches

So you’ve found this great new tool that helps you – awesome! There’s a fine line between talking about the Great New Tool in a way that will help share knowledge and having it sound like a sales pitch. Audiences are watching talks at WCEU (and local WordCamps) to learn – otherwise, you’ll want to check and see if there are sponsor tracks available.

The same goes for project reviews: if it’s a good case study with great educational value, then by all means. But, if it’s a way to simply promote your company or sell a tool, then it won’t be a good fit for a WordCamp talk.

#6 Why should we pick you for this topic?

We receive so many excellent submissions, which often overlap when it comes to certain topics. As great as these submissions may be, there’s no point to having multiple talks about the same subject at the same WordCamp – it’s not useful for the audience. At that point, we need to figure out which application is the best … and we look at the speakers themselves to determine who would be the best fit.

To stand out, you’ll want to highlight your strengths. What makes you the best person to give this talk? Do you have any specific knowledge or experience? How much speaking experience do you have? You’ll want to find that balance between explaining why you should be chosen while avoiding over-the-top self-promotional language.

This sounds like it’s in direct contradiction to the previous section on avoiding sales pitches. The difference is that while we aren’t looking for product or service pitches, we do want to know why you’re the best person to talk about this subject – so tell us!

---

Wrap-up

Looking back over all of these points, it can sound like we’re being picky. The thing is, we receive so many applications and want to choose the very best for the WCEU audience; these tips are meant to make your application even better. Remember to:

• Make sure the application quality is spot on and have someone check it for you.
• Tell us all of the relevant information about your session in a well-structured application.
• Explain why you’re the best person to talk about this subject.

The WordPress community is founded on helping each other grow. When you submit a session, make sure that you’re applying for the right reasons like wanting to teach people something new.