There is no such thing as a scarcity of technical occasions similar to conferences, meetups, trainings, hackathons, and so forth. These occasions are an effective way to study new issues, join with folks, and share data with others. Some of the invaluable and thrilling methods to share data is by giving a technical presentation.
Immediately, we’ll take a look at tips on how to submit a technical presentation for an occasion and get some private suggestions from me, as effectively. Although we’ll particularly gear the knowledge for the NODES 2024 name for proposals, practically every thing mentioned could be utilized to different technical occasions and talking engagements.
Let’s get began!
Occasion Analysis
It doesn’t matter what occasion you have an interest in, do your analysis! Discover out in regards to the occasion, their targets, the viewers, and the varieties of displays they’re on the lookout for. This data will allow you to determine if the occasion is an efficient match, in addition to allow you to tailor your submission to the attendees.
NODES 2024 is dedicated to technical displays associated to graph knowledge and applied sciences, with a particular give attention to group tales and views. The viewers might be on the lookout for content material to encourage concepts, discover ways to do/construct one thing, collect ideas and methods, and add abilities to their toolbelt for enterprise or private initiatives. Builders, knowledge scientists, and different technical professionals are the core viewers.
NODES 2024 Promo
Now let’s determine whether or not to talk.
Audio system Wished!
Deciding to submit a presentation to an occasion is a dedication. It may be intimidating to place your self on the market and share your data with others, plus the time and effort it takes to construct and polish your content material. Nevertheless it will also be a rewarding and invigorating expertise. I all the time remind myself that my expertise and studying journey is exclusive and might hopefully encourage or assist another person. Everybody can contribute worth to a dialog!
As a speaker, you’ll have the chance to share your experience, join with others, and study from the group. Sure, a speaker can (and will) study from attendees. Understanding what issues others are fixing or the place gaps are may help you study extra about your subject, plus enhance your future content material. 🙂
NODES 2024 might be digital, so no journey or logistics are required. The occasion might be held over 24 hours, and periods might be recorded and accessible for attendees to look at on-demand after the occasion. So you’ll have the chance to achieve a world viewers, in addition to promote or present proof in your efforts!
So, if you’re fascinated with submitting a presentation to an occasion, go for it! And when you’ve got determined to submit, congratulate your self on being brave and taking step one. Should you’re nonetheless on the fence, take a while to consider it and contemplate reaching out to the occasion organizers or different audio system for recommendation. I am all the time comfortable to talk about talking and assist others get began!
Deciding on a Matter
Selecting a subject in your presentation could be difficult. You need to decide one thing that you’re captivated with, that you’ve got expertise with, or need to find out about. Attempt to decide stuff you like or love. That enthusiasm will come by way of in your presentation and assist hold you motivated as you put together. Should you’re within the subject, it is doubtless that another person might be, too.
What initiatives or applied sciences are you at the moment engaged on? What issues have you ever solved or try to resolve? What instruments or strategies have you ever discovered useful? What do you would like you knew once you began working with a expertise? What errors do you need to assist others keep away from or study out of your expertise?
For NODES 2024, the occasion is concentrated on graph knowledge and applied sciences to work together with graphs. Listed below are some subject concepts to get you began:
- How graphs remedy a particular drawback (broad or slim)
- The right way to construct purposes that work together with a graph
- How graphs combine with AI/GenAI
- Errors or pitfalls to keep away from with graph databases, instruments, use circumstances, and extra
- The right way to work together with or get knowledge into or out of a graph database
- Working with graphs in a bigger system or structure (together with enhancing operations)
This checklist may proceed on, however hopefully, these give some good beginning factors. Upon getting a subject in thoughts, it is time to write a session summary and submit it!
Session Summary and Submission
The session summary is a brief description of your presentation that might be used to advertise your session to attendees. It ought to be clear, temporary, and attention-grabbing. It ought to give attendees an thought of what to anticipate out of your presentation and why they need to attend.
There are some things I all the time search for once I’m on a program committee selecting periods for an occasion.
Title
Goal for a descriptive phrase that provides attendees an thought of what your presentation is about. In case you have a intelligent or catchy title, that is all the time a plus (however not required), and ensure it nonetheless states your subject.
Summary
That is the core of your submission. It ought to element what you’ll cowl in your presentation, similar to the issue you might be fixing, what features of a expertise are concerned, what instruments may very well be used, and what attendees will study.
Notes for the Committee
Embody any extra data for the committee right here. This may very well be particular necessities or why your content material is an efficient match for the occasion. I like to incorporate why I felt my subject is necessary and/or how my expertise may assist others. Preserve this half temporary, however it may possibly assist differentiate when there are a number of periods with comparable subjects.
Bio
For a bio about your self, hold it brief, however you should definitely define your expertise and specialties. In case you have content material or socials, spotlight 1-2 accounts in order that attendees or program committee members can study a bit about you.
There are additionally a couple of different issues to bear in mind when writing your summary.
Viewers
Who’s your presentation for? What’s their degree of expertise? What’s going to they achieve from attending your session? Select wording and applied sciences that resonate along with your viewers to assist readers join along with your content material.
Format/Size
Will your presentation be a chat, a demo, a workshop, a panel, or one thing else? Are you giving a demo or dwell coding? Generally you choose a format on the submission kind, however it’s also possible to point out sub-formats with phrases like dwell demo, hands-on, interactive dialogue, and many others.
I additionally suggest writing your summary in a textual content editor or phrase processor first. This fashion, you’ll be able to simply test for spelling/grammar errors, and it can save you your work to reuse or reference later. Editors additionally usually embody work/character counting instruments to assist monitor size. Upon getting your summary written, you’ll be able to copy and paste it into the submission kind.
Suggestions and Methods
There are some things that may assist make your summary stand out and improve your possibilities of being chosen. On the flip aspect, there are some things to keep away from that may damage your probabilities.
Be Descriptive + Temporary
Present sufficient particulars inside 1-3 paragraphs so this system committee and attendees get a transparent image of what you’ll current. Should you use jargon or acronyms, clarify them. Even when attendees to your session are aware of them, this system committee might not be, and that may make them really feel much less assured accepting a session. You may all the time clarify acronyms within the notes part if you happen to’re not sure.
Be Inviting
You do not want fancy or fluent language, however a real ardour or curiosity in your subject can go a great distance. In case you are enthusiastic about your subject, it can present in your summary and presentation.
Be Trustworthy
Builders (particularly) do not prefer to be misled. Keep away from hiding adverse features and gross sales or advertising ways. Honesty and authenticity construct respect.
There are additionally some issues to keep away from in terms of summary submissions.
Minimal Effort
Folks can inform when you do not care. One-line abstracts and naked minimal particulars can inform readers that you do not care in regards to the subject or serving to others study. It is okay to be temporary, however ensure that to offer sufficient data to be useful.
In It for Me
Attendees are giving up their time and focus to attend your session, occasion organizers are pouring time and cash into the occasion, and corporations are sponsoring the occasion or workers. They deserve invaluable content material in return. It is not in regards to the speaker, it is in regards to the attendee. Audio system are solely invaluable if they’ve an viewers.
Do not trigger readers to be like Picard and Riker right here. 😉
For NODES 2024, all of this stuff apply, however there are a few extra issues to bear in mind. The occasion is concentrated on graph knowledge and applied sciences to work together with graphs. Make sure to point out how graphs are concerned in your subject (I’ve seen abstracts that do not point out them in any respect!).
Additionally, NODES is supposed to showcase group tales and real-world makes use of, so you should definitely embody your sincere, distinctive expertise or perspective in your summary. Periods are geared for technical audiences, so attempt to embody features similar to structure, demos, code, instruments, options, and so forth. Even if you happen to do not write dwell code, you’ll be able to nonetheless present code snippets or instrument screenshots to assist illustrate your factors.
Wrapping Up!
Immediately, we walked by way of tips on how to submit a technical presentation for an occasion. We mentioned doing all of your analysis, deciding on a subject, writing a session summary, and getting ready in your presentation. We additionally lined some ideas and methods for writing a invaluable summary that may hopefully improve your possibilities of being chosen.
In case you are excited by submitting a presentation to NODES 2024, the decision for proposals is open till June 15, 2024. You will discover extra data and submit your presentation right here.
Blissful coding and greatest needs in your submissions!