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Speaking Guidelines

Speaking Guidelines

Thanks for inviting me to speak! I've made a a list of personal guidelines that I follow to make sure my talk goes as smooth as possible.

Preparation

I'm passionate to talk about topics that are important to me, but also try and tailor my talk to your event. It would be great if you could give me some information before the event.

The sooner you get in touch about your event, the better. Upcoming events are listed on the speaking page so you can see my general availability. I usually plan ~6 months in advance.

Availability

The events that I'm attending and speaking at are listed here but that doesn't cover it all. I also run workshops in-house and lecture at the amsterdam university. Not sure if I'm available? Ask me!

When I started teaching I did a ton of free speaking at local meet-ups and guest lectures and companies. Creating and giving a talk is a massive commitment and time investment. Not to mention the research, content preparation and traveling time. That's why I have become quite picky on which events I speak at.

Guidelines

I only speak at events that have a code of conduct and actively enforce it. Your event should have a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all. Your venue should be accessibile for all. Your line-up should be diverse. I'll usually volunteer to speak at schools, local communities, local meetups and universities.

I use a ton of gestures to support my speech.

My fee can change based on the type of event. If I have to create a new talk and slide deck, then I expect to be paid for the the time that goes into preparing it.

I donate my time to support nonprofits and local and dedicate my time to speak for free if the dates work with my calendar and aligns with my personal values. I ask a speaker fee for "for-profit" conferences.

I never pay to speak at an (commercial) event. I never speak because of a 'free ticket' or 'exposure'.

It should be both my and your (organiser) job to actively seek and review that my talk fits the scope and theme of the event.

Resources

If the talk is recorded I expect it to be available for free to everyone, not behind a paywall. If the slide deck doesn't contain any confidential information I'll usually share it publicly along with all the examples and external resources. I'm happy to provide the deck in advance.

I will use my MacBook (jup the one with USB-C only ports, dongle life) to control my deck created with slides.com. I present best when my speaker notes are visible to me during the talk, if possible, trough a speaker monitor on the ground (ted style).I take care and pride in the design of my deck so they are good looking and readable to all.

Life can be messy and I reserve the right to pull out. I always try to do it well in advance and notify you. I try to find a replacement speaker.

Rates

Generall ballpark around 2-4 your commercial ticket price for profit and private talks. Usually 3-5 the ticket price if I have to prepare a completely new talk for your event. I'll likely waive my fee and donate my time for educational (guest-lectures), non-profit (community events) and low-cost conferences (€50 ticket prices).

Expenses

I expect to be paid to speak at a commercial event. Travel expenses (flights, ground transportation and accommodation) are expected to be covered up front. I’m an independent creator, my costs are not covered by a 'E Corp' that I work for.

Speaking is not a big part of my income, I would always prefer to do a workshop over public speaking.

Promote

I will help to promote your event trough my social channels. I'm available to attendees for the entire duration of the event and will attend social activities surrounding the event.

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