How to Submit a Talk to a Conference

I’ve been on both sides of the proverbial conference table. I have been the one submitting proposals, hoping against hope that they will pick mine, and I have been on the selection committee, struggling to choose between hundreds of awesome proposals when you only have a few talk slots available. Through these varied experiences, I’ve learned a few things about what works and what doesn’t when submitting a conference proposal. Continue reading “How to Submit a Talk to a Conference”

tek13 Debriefing

We just finished tek13, and it was an amazing time! We hit a few bumps in the road, as all events do, but all in all, everything ran very smoothly. This was the first php[tek] conference with musketeers.me (Kevin Bruce, Oscar Merida, Sandy SmithEli White, and myself), and despite having big shoes to fill, I think we nailed it. Continue reading “tek13 Debriefing”

Whirlwind Tour

I’m starting to learn just how much work it is to be a speaker at conferences. I always thought you just showed up and spoke. Now that I’m on the other side of this, I realize just how much work it is to find flights, coordinate the hotel, make sure that none of your trips overlap, and finally, see if you can afford to attend if the speaker package doesn’t cover your travel expenses. So, be sure to take a moment and thank your favorite conference speakers. It really is a labor of love for all of them. Continue reading “Whirlwind Tour”