There are three ways to propose a topic at DevOpsDays. Multiple proposals are welcome!

• A 30 minute talk presented during the conference, usually in the mornings.
• An Ignite talk presented during the ignite sessions. These are 5 minutes slots with 20 slides that change every 15 seconds.
• Open Space. If you’d like to lead a group discussion during the attendee-suggested open space breakout sessions, it is not necessary to propose it ahead of time. Those topics are suggested in person at the conference. If you’d like to demo your product or service, you should sponsor the event and demo it at your table.

What helps your proposal get accepted?

• Make sure your abstract is sufficiently long and detailed.
• Hint not only at the problem, but also at the solution.
• Touch on why your experience matters and give data points where helpful.
• Telling a story of success or failure, both equally important! Hearing what worked is great and hearing what didn’t work and what you learned from it is even better.
• A time you drove change through your organization
• If you have spoken before, include links. If you have never spoken publicly, tell us that, too. We’re looking for a mix of new and experienced speakers.

Selection Guidelines

Choosing talks is part art, part science; here are some factors we consider when trying to assemble the best possible program for our local audience.

• All presentations must conform to the code of conduct.
• Dev and Ops: We are keen to help bridge the Development and Operations worlds, so talks that focus not just on Operations concerns, but also developer tooling and perspectives are encouraged. Examples where both Devs and Ops people and skills were needed to solve an issue at hand.
• Broad appeal: How will your talk play out in a room of people with a variety of backgrounds? Technical deep dives need more levels to provide value for the whole room, some of whom might not use your specific tool.
• New local presenters: You are the only one who can tell your story. We are very interested in the challenges and successes being experienced in our local communities.
• Under-represented voices: We want to hear all voices, including those that may speak less frequently at similar events. Whether you’re in a field not typically thought of as a technology field, you’re in a large, traditional organization, or you’re the only person at your organization with your background, we are interested in your unique experience.
• Original content: We will consider talks that have already been presented elsewhere, but we prefer talks that the local area isn’t likely to have already seen.
• No third-party submissions: This is a small community-driven event, and speakers need to be directly engaged with the organizers and attendees. If a PR firm or your marketing department is proposing the talk, you’ve already shown that as a speaker you’re distant from the process.
• No vendor pitches: As much as we value vendors and sponsors, we are not going to accept a talk that appears to be a pitch for your product.