Call for Presenters

📅 CLOSED (July 20)

photo of speaker

As part of providing a platform for new voices in our industry, we are running a public Call for Presenters. The final lineup for the conference will consist of speakers we invite and CFP submissions. The highlights are:

  • Talks are 25 minutes long with no Q&A following the talk.
  • CFP closes at 11:59 PM Pacific US time on July 20, 2018.
  • We cover all expenses (conference ticket, travel, lodging expenses, incidentals).
  • You commit to work with us on the talk and practice it several times.
  • We'll support and mentor you in whatever way you need!

Some of the best talks given at past CascadiaJS events have come from folks giving their first conference talk. Every developer has a story: about how they got into this industry, how their team solved a problem, how they used the open web to create an amazing experience. We hope that you’ll tell us about yours!

Please review the information below before you submit to the CFP.

Requirements

Anyone who hasn't given a big conference talk is eligible. Meetups, smaller events, school talks are all OK, but we are focusing the CFP on providing a platform for new voices, especially those from the Pacific Northwest and from underrepresented groups (URMs) in our industry. If you're not sure if you're eligible, just ask!

Please review our Code of Conduct. Everyone who participates in our conference agrees to the enforcement of our CoC, and includes our friends, speakers, staff, sponsors, and attendees.

Perks

If we accept your proposal to speak, the following items are taken care of by us:

  • One ticket to the conference
  • Lodging for 3 nights in Seattle
  • Travel to/from Seattle
  • A few surprises 😊

Topics

We are looking for talks that help us all learn something about building for the open web and creating a healthier and happier environment to do this work in. Check-out the talks from 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 to get a feel for what kind of talks we gravitate towards.

There are a few things we are NOT looking for:

  • Product pitches (How to use product X)
  • Intro talks (Getting started with framework Y)
  • Negative talks (All the things I hate about Z)
  • Comparing frameworks (Why I think E is better than F)

What we are looking for:

A great talk tells a story -- it can address issues that developers struggle with, break down and explain complicated topics, and cover new ground in web technology. Below are a few topics that we think are interesting, but it’s more about you and the story you want to tell.

  • Progressive Web Apps
  • Latest additions to the web platform (Web Assembly, Service Workers, etc)
  • Accessibility
  • Developer Ethics
  • Security, Privacy and Trust
  • Building, deploying, monitoring web applications
  • Serverless
  • Decentralized Web (IPFS, dat, etc)
  • Functional JavaScript
  • Makers (visual art, hardware, robots, music)
  • Building more inclusive technical communities and a healthier industry
  • Web/JS performance (especially mobile)
  • Going beyond touch & text (e.g. AR/VR, voice interfaces)

How to Submit a Proposal

First, make sure you're available to attend the conference. It will be held on November 15-16, 2018.

Second, we’re changing things up this year! We were very inspired by the DeconstructConf CFP and after speaking to the organizers have decided to switch from written proposals to a video submission.

Talk submissions will be done as 2 minute videos. Your goal here is not to produce a perfectly executed mini-talk, it is to describe your talk idea informally. What's the topic? How do you want to approach it? Why is it interesting?

We won't make the videos public, so no need to worry about random Internet people seeing them. But we feel this is a good opportunity to start building a comfort level with talking about your idea in front of an audience.

If you're hesitant about the video, here's a suggestion. Forget recording for now. Stand up, in a place where no one can hear you, and describe your talk idea out loud. When you're done, start over and do it again, ten times in a row. With a two-minute limit, ten tries only take about 20 minutes. After your tenth try, you may feel much more confident.

Once you’ve recorded your 2-minute video, just upload it to a public but obfuscated place. Some suggestions: Youtube (mark as unlisted), Dropbox, S3, your own web host.

We’re Here to Help!

There are a million reasons why you might not think you’re qualified or capable of giving a talk, let alone at CascadiaJS. We are here to prove you wrong. If all you have is a gut feeling that you have something important to share with people, we are here to help you hone your idea and craft a great submission. We are happy to connect you with experienced speakers to help prepare your submission. Just join our Slack and head over to the #cfp channel.

If you need more encouragement, check out the following resources:

Once your talk has been accepted, we will commit to working with you to give an awesome talk. This includes reviewing and advising on slides and helping you practice giving your talk. We can hook you up with local groups or set up a stage for you and a bunch of friends in advance, so you can practice in front of a friendly crowd. Again, whatever else you might need, we’re here to help.

The Selection Process

Submissions close on July 20th at 11:59PM PDT. We will get back to all speakers by Monday, August 13th.

You’ll Do Great!

If you have any questions about this process, need more information or need assistance with travel and/or lodging, don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].