Today, we started accepting presentation topics for Ignite Boise | 03. See: Submit a Talk.
To submit a talk, you don’t need to submit a copy of your completed presentation or even an outline. All we need is a “presentation description.” While you could submit a single sentence “presentation description,” we highly recommend that you “pitch” it to us in that “presentation description” space.
Why? We try to have a diverse set of presentations for the audience. Thus, you aren’t necessarily competing for 16 spots, you might be competing for 2 spots (e.g., we might decide that we only want two presentations on food topics). You need to write a pitch that sells us on what you want to speak about. Make us believe that your presentation will really ignite Boise. Make us see your passion for the topic. First impressions are important.
If someone did the same topic (or a similar topic) at the last Ignite Boise…you’ve got a HUGE uphill battle in getting us to have a same/similar topic again. Consider picking a different topic.
If you pitched the exact same topic last time (and didn’t get picked)…you might consider either rewriting your pitch or choosing a different topic rather than merely resubmitting the exact same pitch worded the exact same way. If what you submitted didn’t work the first time…it’s probably not going to work the second time.
If your presentation is about what you do for a living, is about your business, or is about your product/service…it’s probably not Ignite material. On the other hand, if your presentation is about what you are passionate about (or passionate against) in your free time…now we’re talking!
If we sense that your presentation is a sales pitch (e.g., you should hire me, you should invest in my company, you should buy my product), you won’t make the first cut. Guaranteed.
Finally, here is a link to an excellent Ignite presentation (Ignite Seattle) on how to give an Ignite presentation (including how to pick a good topic): Scott Berkun on Why and How to Speak (at Ignite).
