The Tech Ideas Speakers Bureau is a membership group intended to nurture new speakers, encourage experienced ones and support new ideas in web & tech.
Update: The Speakers Bureau is now part of the Mavens Exchange, a members-only group. We are accepting applications for membership through July 15th for Round 1 and through August 28th for Round 2. To request an application, email contact@webmavensdc.com with your full name and email address.
Why Join?
Develop Your Speaking Skills
Participate in workshops where you’ll learn tips and tricks on becoming a presenter. Attend presentation nights where you practice. Once you are ready, you can join our Recommended Speaker List.
Note that you don’t have to speak to be a member.
Practice and Improve Your Presentations
You’ll have a chance to practice your presentations in a supportive environment, to share your knowledge and to join the Recommended Speaker List.
Be Listed in the Speaker Recommendation Bureau
As you evolve, you’ll become a part of the Recommended Speaker List, where we can offer recommendations when DC area groups are looking for speakers.
Idea Sharing
Participate in Practice Nights, where members practice presentations, Presentation Nights, where members present more finished presentations, Pitch Nights where members share ideas and discuss tech & web topics (online and in person). Join our Slack group where people can work out topic ideas and share information on web, technology and other interest areas.
Community Building
Come to happy hours and chat nights where the group gets together to socialize and share ideas. Participate in our discussion group where people can work out topic ideas and share information on web, technology and other interest areas.
Events
You can come to whichever seem relevant to you. Additional events may be organized by group members.
Pitch Workshop
Do a 3-7 minute pitch. Get feedback from the group. Give feedback to others.
Pitches can be: the introductory paragraph of a presentation, a topic idea, a conference where you’d like to speak, an idea you want to flesh out, etc [see below for more pitch ideas & info]
Next event: Our next session will start May 2017. Membership is open through May 15 2017.
Practice Session – Lightning Talks
Come prepared with a 5-7 minute talk. Attendees are not will not critique you or your presentation – this is just practice. However, attendees will jot down any “tics” they noticed (repetitious habits or distractions).
Talks can be: the introduction to a longer presentation, an abbreviated version of a 20 minute talk or a full lightening talk.
Next event: Our next session will start May 2017. Membership is open through May 15 2017.
Speaker Night (with other people!)
Present your talk to a supportive audience if you want. Or just come and watch others. Talks range from 5-15 minutes.
Next event: Our next session will start May 2017. Membership is open through May 15 2017.
Workshops & Happy Hours
Next event: Our next session will start May 2017. Membership is open through May 15 2017.
April 27 – Happy Hour: Idea Exchange
May 11 – Online Pitch Workshop, Lunch
May 12 – Online Pitch Workshop, Evening
July 27 – Pitch Workshop, Evening
Join the Bureau
This group is all about participation. Inaugural members don’t have to renew membership as long as they stay active. Later members who take on an organizer task will have renewal fees waived.
Bureau Member
Membership in the community with a newsletter, discussion groups, access to our events, and the option to participate in Presentation Nights.
Online Only
Online only option for those outside of DC. Includes access to our online tools and online events, practice nights and workshops.
More Details
The group will host a mix of events. Happy hours, brown bag lunches and online/webinar events will generally be free. Evening events will usually have a cost, though we’ll try to keep those low. If we get sponsors, we’ll have more options. Evening events will generally start at 7pm. Happy hours will start earlier but you can arrive late.
When you join, you’ll get more information about how to get involved, an invitation to join our email list and our Slack group (with instructions for using Slack) AND information on our first happy hour and other events.
The Slack group will have a number of channels (gigs, newtech, events, etc). You can subscribe to all or just to those that interest you.