This is a guest post by Harper Yatvin, the brand strategy and community partnerships organizer for BarCamp Philly, for which Technical.ly is a proud media partner.
On Sunday, Oct. 19, BarCamp Philly is ready to welcome Philadelphia’s creatives, technologists and designers to speak on what matters most to them.
For more than a decade and a half, this community-run conference has been powered by attendees discussing their favorite ideas and sharing impactful experiences. However, not all of us are built to roll out of bed ready to give a TED Talk.
By its very nature, the event is for the community, our friends, colleagues and fellow fanatics.
With that in mind, we’ve put together this brief guide on how to create a BarCamp Philly presentation — especially if you don’t love public speaking or this is your first time holding a mic.
BarCamp Philly isn’t meant to be intense or intimidating. By its very nature, it is for the community, our friends, colleagues and fellow fanatics. Our community is an easy-going bunch, and we love to support each other and see everyone else succeed. So if you’re feeling any nervousness or your stomach is doing somersaults at the thought of putting together a talk, trust us, you’re in good company.
Now, let’s get into how to put together a BarCamp Philly session.
Step 1: Landing on your session idea
The single most important criteria for a talk is knowing what you want to share with everyone. What excites you? What are your passions? At BarCamp Philly, that can mean anything, which is akin to feeling both the opportunity and dread of staring at a blank sheet of paper.
A good starting place is asking yourself, “What do I want to say?” or “What do I want to accomplish with this platform?”
If you have an idea in your mind, fantastic, go from there. Write it down, see how you can expand it. If your mind goes hazy, try starting at the other end. Consider starting with the prompt “What are the 1-2 pieces of information or action items that I want people to walk away with?” This can include life lessons, key Philadelphia resources, a series of fancy-schmancy AI tools or shining a spotlight on a person, problem or situation that sorely deserves it.
The right answer here is an idea that resonates with you, that you can expand on, and that you are passionate about. As an audience member, if you’re into it, so are we.
Step 2: Imagine your ideal session format and pace
Your overall session idea and goals will likely dictate the ideal format for your session. The event is routinely hosted at Huntsman Hall at the University of Pennsylvania, so the amenities are your oyster.
Many folks opt for a lecture, but that’s only one of many different session formats.
BarCamp Philly has hosted:
round table-style open forum discussions
panel-style Q&As with industry experts
experiential learning where attendees move around the room
real-time technical demos and workshops
community-based problem solving sessions
behind-the-scenes showings of film productions
and everything in between
Sessions are allotted up to 60 minutes, although not every single minute needs to be brimming with content. Plan time for post-talk Q&A, think about which sections are the most key so they can get the most airtime, and make sure to communicate your “best bits.”
Step 3: Logistics are the secret sauce
Failing to plan is planning to fail, as they say. At BarCamp Philly, we encourage the spontaneous spirit, but sometimes coming prepared makes all the difference.
BarCamp Philly sessions are run the most smoothly when presenters bring everything they need for the session when they walk into the conference. Catalog everything you’ll need to put on the session you want, as different talks will have different requirements.
For lectures with a slide deck, we strongly recommend bringing a laptop or tablet with an HDMI adapter, along with a USB backup. Think through what will help you feel comfortable. Some speakers love a laser pointer or a pointing stick, we welcome them in our sessions. Others want to give handouts to the attendees, and printing them out beforehand is the easiest way to ensure they look clean. Many rooms have white boards, but if you want to bring an extra large paper pad and an easel, we support you.
That being said, BarCamp Philly talks do not need to be ultra polished and it is a great place to test out a new idea!
Step 4: Make it fun!
Never be afraid to include a little wit or a little humor. The easiest way to keep your energy up and steel any nerves throughout a session is to make it fun for yourself. That can mean having a co-presenter, bringing a friend along as your support buddy, writing an inside joke into a presentation slide so you’ll crack up when you read it, or anything else that boosts your mood.
Audiences stay engaged when there’s humor. Everybody loves to laugh. It never hurts to get a good joke into the mix. When in doubt, consider the BarCamp Philly audience and think through what would get the room abuzz with laughter. If it makes you smile, it’ll probably make us smile too.
And that’s it! We’re thrilled to be back for our 16th conference, and we want you to be there!
BarCamp Philly
What: BarCamp Philly
When: Sunday, Oct. 19, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: University of Pennsylvania’s Huntsman Hall
Address: 3730 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Cost: $30
Register: barcampphilly.org
To submit an idea for a talk (more info on that process here), arrive at 8 a.m. If you’re interested in volunteering (you can still also present), consider filling out our volunteer interest form.