Are you ready for MozCon 2014, July 14-16th, in Seattle? We've been up to our elbows in planning since December and about knee-high since the last MozCon. Before we go any further, you have bought your MozCon 2014 ticket, right? These tickets will sell out...
In 2012, we started the community speaker program, where we take speaking submissions from community members (that's you!) and select the four best pitches to go up on the MozCon stage. These sessions are extremely popular with the audience, and in our feedback, you ask us to bring back the program every year.
Last year, speaker submissions were open for a week and a half, and over 130 of you sent in pitches! You did such a great job that the MozCon selection committee had a crazy hard time selecting four amazing people to present their ideas in front of the whole audience. I wrote a bit last year about what makes a great MozCon community speaker pitch. One important point: Do keep in mind that these talks are only 15 minutes long. Make your pitch reasonable for that time limit, as you'll only be able to pack so much breadth and depth of information into that time frame. And, I expect even more greatness from you this year. :)
2013 Community Speaker A. Litsa talks about increasing conversions in email marketing.
The details about the community speaker submission process:
- Your pitch must be submitted by Friday, April 11 at 5:00 p.m. PDT.
- Please submit only one pitch. We're looking for the best of the best.
- Presentations will be 15 minutes long with an added ~5 minutes for questions. Please frame your topic with that in mind.
- Topics can range the online marketing spectrum, so submit something you're passionate and knowledgeable about.
- No matter whether you've never spoken before or have spoken hundreds of times, we want to hear from you.
- Where these presentations fall on the MozCon schedule is TBD. So please plan to attend all of MozCon, July 14-16.
- Widescreen-format slide decks are due Tuesday, July 1, before MozCon.
- If you are selected as a community speaker and you already have a MozCon ticket, we will refund your money or transfer it to someone else; and if you don't have one, we'll comp you one! (You will still have to book your own hotel, flight, and other transportation.)
- You will be invited to attend our speakers' dinner on Sunday, July 13. And pre-dinner, there will be time to walk on our stage.
- You must be at MozCon in person. Sorry, no Skype, Google Hangouts, or other video conferencing.
- Our community speaker selections are final. Everyone who tossed their hat in the ring will be notified via email whether or not they were selected.
- At this point, we're still finalizing the 2014 agenda, so you won't know exactly what the other speakers are talking about. However, I do encourage you to look at the lineup and see what's missing or already covered. Pretend you're me or another committee member, and find the holes.
Thank you to everyone who has already submitted their community speaker ideas for MozCon 2014. We'll be in touch very soon!
Submissions are closed for 2014. May the odds ever be in your favor for those who've pitched.
I can't wait to see all the awesome submissions for potential community speakers. And, a big thank you to our past MozCon community speakers, who've made this such a success: Darren Shaw, Dana Lookadoo, Fabio Ricotta, Jeff McRitchie, Sha Menz, Mike Arnesen, A. Litsa, and Kelsey Libert.
Dive in and submit your pitch today! You can do it. Photo credit: Hallam Internet Limited.
If you haven't snagged your MozCon ticket yet, do it now! It's going to be an incredible summer in Seattle.
Hi Erica, thanks for posting this! My company, Stratigent, is looking to submit for this and I have a question - after reading the tips on what makes a great MozCon speaker, I was instructed to find the topical gaps in the agenda. However, the agenda/session topics have not been released yet (or am I missing this?). Would you be able to post a list of the topics or at least just send them to me, hahaha (jk... or am I?) Thanks!
That's a great question, and something that I was going to ask too.
Having just one pitch to propose, it would be a shame if it was about the same topic some of the confirmed official speakers will be touching, even though - it's true - the same topic can be touched from a different perspective.
For instance, I touch many topics here, in my speeches in other conferences or in State of Digital that are very close to the Dr Pete ones... citing the last Rand's WBF, the "MozCon Slog" could be quite big if I see that what I pitched is the same thing or quite similar to what one of the speakers is going to talk about, because I know that that will (possibly) diminish my opportunities :).
Said that, for all those ones who are doubting if to pitch or not, do it. Do it also if you still have to pay for the flight and hotel, because the ripple effects of talking at MozCon are simply outstanding. And because MozCon sincerely is a great opportunity: very very few conferences are so good, and I've done quite many.
Ok... now thinking what to present. In Spain we say: "A la tercera va la vencida" (something like: The third time's the charm); let's cross fingers it will be so for real :D
Hi Lauren,
While we don't have finalized topics -- currently working that with them, like wrangling cats :) -- I suggest looking at who's speaking and making some assumptions about topics or general stuff a speaker might cover. For instance, Annie Cushing is known for her Excel hacks and making crazy beautiful charts, so it's easy to say that she's covering that at MozCon. :)
Also, since a 30-60 minute talk (how long the other speakers will have) can't cover everything in one broad topic say Local SEO or email marketing, there's plenty of wiggle room. The more specifics you can give the better.
Hope that helps! And may the odds ever be in your favor. :D
Thanks, Erica! That makes sense, I'll take the speakers and their breadth of knowledge into account. And I've henceforth crumpled up my paper on excel chart beautification.
wow nice
is amazing the mozcon, perfect idea to grow the family MOZ
i like too the especial greetz for my compatriot (Fábio)
Muito bom !!
Erica, we were too late to submit for a speaking opp, but would love to support MozCon. Possible to provide a giveaway or something to your attendees or sponsor in some way?
We don't have traditional sponsorship opportunities. But you can reach out to Charlene [email protected] if you'd like to talk more. Thanks and hope to see you at MozCon this summer!
I’m really excited because I just barely squeezed in before the deadline. Whew! I’m sitting on the floor of Chicago Midway Airport and connected to a rickety Internet connection. Having typed furiously for ten minutes, I hope my application doesn’t have too many typos, haha.
Woohoo for making the deadline! Oh, but I hope for some auto-correct goodies. ;)
Having a very, very serious chat with my wife about the ethics behind abandoning her and a two-month-old baby to go to (and pitch for) this. I originally told myself that I'd wait until MozCon 2015, but this is so, so tempting...
I think your wife can survive with your toddler for 5 days without you :).
More over, you can always propose her:
1) To return from Seattle with tons of great little cute stuff for the baby (and her);
2) That you will take care of your kid at least for 5 days (or more) your wife would like to spend out with friends, and so to "pull the plug" from her duties as a mom;
3) Whatever...
It was the same for me when I started attending MozCon (or other conferences out of town, which means almost every conference I attended), but it was clear for both of us that if I really wanted to "upgrade" in my career I had to attend conferences like MozCon. And that that would be translated in a better opportunities for all the family.
I like it - thank you!
Another thing I've just thought of: invite her! She could do some sightseeing with the baby while I'm at the conference. Might be a bit too much though...
Gianluca, the baby will be two months old, not two years old, so not a toddler just yet. :)
Indeed, Keri - big difference between two-months-old and two-years old... Don't think the latter would be too big a concern!
I'd wait for MozCon 2015. You know, if you want to grow old with your family. ;)
Hey Erica! I was just wondering if your had a rough date for when you will be notifying the selected speakers. #Eager
Ideally, by the end of the month. Though we do have a larger selection committee than in the past, and I'm going to actually unplug and take a vacation, so it may be more realistically in early May.