Theme and Topics 💭

The main theme for our first DACHFest is making a difference, and we want talks that fit this theme well. We’re not limiting submissions to any particular area or stack — we just want to hear about that thing you did that touched people’s lives!

If you want to know more about what kind of talks would be a good fit, read this: The DACHFest Theme: Making a Difference.

Are you helping your community through tech? Tell us about it!

Have you created something that changes the way people work? We’re waiting for you!

You want to tell our participants something that will make a difference in their lives? Please submit right now!

And don’t forget that the examples above are just very rough guidelines. If you’re not sure whether your talk is a good fit, stop hesitating: it probably is! Surprise us!

P.S. If you have more questions about the theme, suggested topics, or the right way to frame your talk, you can always get in touch with our wonderful mentors — more about them in a bit! — or ask @dachfest on Twitter.

Selection Process ✅

Our diverse program committee comprises both generalists and specialists, and we will try our best to make sure that every submitted talk, no matter how narrow, is reviewed by recognized experts from the same field.

We strive for eliminating bias as much as possible, and it means that every submission will be anonymized and evaluated entirely on its merits. We are not looking for hot startups and famous names — we are looking for exciting stories and interesting people.

No matter whether your talk is selected or not, we will always try to provide feedback and give you suggestions if we have any.

Please try to submit your talk as soon as possible, ideally before September 1. September 1 is our cut-out date for the first batch of submissions, and we might pre-select a few speakers early. We really encourage you to apply in the first batch, as it will be confirmed and announced earlier, and there might be additional opportunities to amplify your great ideas.

Guidelines and Tips 📃

• Language: English.
• Brevity: we recommend a single paragraph for the abstract and 3-4 paragraphs for the talk description. Get straight to the point!
• Formatting: submissions with good spelling, no typos, and proper paragraph formatting make the job of our program committee much easier.
• Completeness: you will not have a chance to modify your submission! Read it carefully before sending, make sure it’s complete and has all the information we need to make an objective decision.
• Personal information: submissions are supposed to be anonymous, so please make sure there is no information that can identify you as a speaker, unless you feel like mentioning your name or company is absolutely essential for your talk. The “notes” field is not visible to the reviewers, so it may contain personal information or any references that you think are important.
• Proofreading: ask someone to review your abstract before submission. It never hurts to have a second pair of eyes! Our mentors are happy to guide you and give valuable advice for your entry, but it can also be a friend or someone you know and trust.

Talk Formats 🗣️

Our standard talk formats are:

• Single (lightning talk): 10 minutes.
• EP (short talk): 25 minutes.
• LP (long talk): 40 minutes.

If you want to give a workshop, specify the length in your notes. 2-3 hours is usually the norm.

We are also open to proposals of other formats and lengths! You want to propose a panel discussion or a fishbowl session? Give your talk in 60 seconds or less? Submit an amazing half-day workshop? Finish with fireworks and a magic show? Just let us know.

If you are more comfortable speaking in front of a smaller crowd, please note so in your proposal. We will do our best to listen to your wishes and place your talk in a smaller room.

There is no Q&A by default, but if you want one, please note it in your submission or let your stage manager know before the start of your talk. Talk length will not be extended for Q&As, but feel free to balance the timing on your own.

Support 👩‍💻

Nobody is a born speaker. If you want to submit a talk, you probably have something exciting to tell the world — and that’s enough for us!

If you feel like you could use some help with your submission, reach out to one of our amazing mentors:

• Madlaina Kalunder (@anialdam or madlaina@dachfest.com)
• Martin Splitt (@g33konaut or splitti@google.com)

They are here to give you all the support you might need. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of things they could help with:

• Finding a good talk topic
• Writing an engaging abstract
• Proofreading your submission
• Reviewing slides
• Practicing your talk
• Boosting your confidence
• Putting you in touch with local meetups to practice your talk in front of a smaller crowd

And be on the lookout for your local GDG and WTM events! We are currently looking into organizing a small series of informal meetups focused on public speaking and submitting your first talk.

Travel support: we aim to cover travel and accommodation for all speakers who need it. This applies to both full-size talk formats (25 or 40 minutes), and while travel support for lightning talks is a bit trickier, if it’s absolutely impossible for you to attend otherwise, kindly let us know, and we’ll see what we can do! Please, keep in mind that DACHFest is a non-profit: if it’s at all possible for your employer to cover your costs, it would be amazing if you could ask them first.

Video Recordings 🎥

In order to make the content presented at DACHFest accessible for the wider community, we plan to record all talks (along with the slides or any on-screen content) and release them later for free. If you are not happy with the way your talk went or are uncomfortable with being recorded, just let us know, and we will work things out.

The recordings will be released under the Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license, and we are asking you to release slides under the same (or similar) conditions. If you are uncomfortable with this license, please let us know.

Diversity and Inclusion ❤️

If you come from an underrepresented group, we are happy that you are reading this and highly encourage you to apply! Our dedicated Happiness Team is working hard to make sure everyone has an amazing time at the conference.

We aim to make DACHFest as inclusive and welcoming as possible, and our staff has a zero-tolerance policy against harassment. Submitting your talk means that you have read, understood and agreed to comply with our Code of Conduct.