If You're Attending MozCon 2017, You Should Definitely Pitch to be an Ignite Speaker

Posted by ronell-smith

Are you a good storyteller, able to hold a crowd at rapt attention for minutes at a time? Do you have a story you’re bursting at the seams to share?

Well, ye olde yarn-spinner, a MozCon Ignite talk sounds like just the thing for you.

The five-minute talks have become quite a hit since being introduced in 2015, with talks leaving folks with belly aches from laughter or tears from personal heartache — and everything in between.

If you have an enticing story in you just waiting for an outlet, we’ll supply the audience.

The MozCon 2017 Ignite talks — one of the signature networking events — take place Tuesday, July 18.

Buy your MozCon 2017 ticket!

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Why should you care about Ignite talks?

Often called “lightning talks” for their emphasis on brevity, Ignite-style talks are five minutes in length and feature slides that automatically advance.

The short stories can pack a powerful punch, however, as anyone who saw Michael Cottam’s 2016 Ignite talk can attest:

One attendee penned a heartfelt account of how Michael’s talk helped him reprioritize his life — it’s well-worth a good read. Make sure you have a tissue handy.

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You can share your story, too, in 2017. There will be 10 speaking slots.

The only rule we have governing stories told during an Ignite talk is that they cannot relate to online marketing or feature anything resembling career advice.

This is your chance to show some personality.

Take a look at the topics covered from 2016:

• Help! I Can’t Stop Sweating – Hyperhidrosis, by Adam Melson
• Life Lessons Learned as a Special Needs Parent, by Adrian Vender
• How Pieces of Paper Can Change Lives, by Anneke Kurt Godlewski
• Prison and a Girl that Loves Puppies, by Caitlin Boroden
• Embracing Fear, Potential Failure, and Plain Ol’ Discomfort, by Daisy Quaker
• A Plane Hacker’s Guide to Cheap *Luxury* Travel, by Ed Fry
• Embracing Awkward: The Tale of a 5’ 10" 6th Grader, by Hannah Cooley
• Hornets, Soba, & Friends: A Race in Japan, by Kevin Smythe
• Wooly Bits: Exploring the Binary of Yarn, by Lindsay Dayton LaShell
• Finding Myself in Fiction: LGBTQUIA Stories, by Lisa Hunt
• Is Your Family Time for Sale? by Michael Cottam
• How to Start an Underground Restaurant in Your Home, by Nadya Khoja
• Flood Survival: Lessons from the Streets of ATL, by Sarah Lively
• How a Cartoon Saved My Life, by Steve Hammer

And, lucky for us all, Geraldine DeRuiter, aka the Everywhereist, will be back as emcee for the third time in as many years.

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The deets: How to pitch for an Ignite talk

• Simply fill out the form below — you’re limited to one submission
• Talks cannot be about online marketing or career-focused
• Current MozCon speakers are not able to pitch
• Previous MozCon Ignite presenters are not eligible
• Submissions close on Sunday, May 14 at 5pm PDT
• Selections will be made by early June
• All presentations are expected to follow the MozCon Code of Conduct
• You must attend MozCon, July 17–19, and be present Tuesday night in person

If selected, you’ll receive…

• Five minutes onstage, Tuesday night at McCaw Hall. (The event lasts from 7–10pm.)
• $300 off the regular-priced ticket to MozCon (If you’ve already purchased a ticket, we’ll refund you $300 for a regular-priced ticket or $100 for an early-bird ticket. Discounts are not offered for super-early-bird tickets.)
• Help crafting a winning talk
• Stage tour of the event space between 5–7pm Tuesday night in advance of the event

Unfortunately, we do not cover travel and/or lodging for MozCon Ignite speaking slots.

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What makes a great pitch?

• A story that’s compelling and that can be told in the allotted timeframe
• Sharing a topic you’re passionate about and able to succinctly share what makes it so great.
• Follow the guidelines. Yes, the word counts are limited on purpose. (Do not submit links to Google Docs or other resources. Multiple submissions will result in immediate disqualification.)

****Include links to any videos of you speaking publicly.

If you’d like to see what an Ignite-style talk looks like, check out these videos from Ignite Seattle 30.

Most importantly, get to work on submitting that pitch to grace the stage yourself at MozCon 2017.

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