So you want to be a speaker at Alt Summit. But maybe your topic is too niche to work for a panel. Or maybe you get stage fright and would rather sit comfortably at a table. We get it. The great thing is, we have six different types of sessions that require different styles of speaking and teaching. Here’s the rundown:
Panel
If you have a group of ladies you’d like to present with, this is the session type to apply for. Each panel member gets time to present, all bringing their insights to the same topic, and then the audience gets to ask questions.
When you pitch a panel, consider who among you would make a good moderator for the discussion. You can pitch a panel of up to 4 people (including you).
Roundtable Leader
This one might be the least familiar format to you. Our roundtables each feature a presenter at a table (it’s round, of course!), ready to share their knowledge on a specific topic. Roundtable sessions last 90 minutes and happen on Tuesday during the conference, then repeat on Thursday. (There are lots of different roundtables to choose from and attendees like the chance to attend a whole bunch — that’s why we repeat them on Thursday.)
During each 90 minute session, the time is split into three 30-minute segments, and it works like this: Attendees come to a presenter’s table, the presenter talks for 15-20 minutes, and then discusses things with their roundtable attendees for another 10 minutes or so. At the 30 minute mark, attendees choose another table, and presenters will start again with a new group. This happens three times in the 90 minute session on Tuesday and three times in the 90 minute session on Thursday.
If you’re doing the math, that means each Roundtable Leader will present their topic in 30 minutes sections, six times — and if their table is full each time, they’ll get to personally connect with 60+ attendees interested in their topic.
Leading a roundtable is ideal for niche topics and any topic that lends itself to a small group discussion.
Stand Alone Talk (TED-talk style)
This one needs little explanation. One speaker, fifteen minutes, a well prepared talk with slides, and a clicker in your hand.
Our Stand Alone Talks are grouped by topic. For example, if you pitch a Stand Alone Talk about Instagram, you could be part of a 1-hour session with the topic of Social Media, that features four different Stand Alone Talks, 15 minutes each. And each presenter would take the stage one at a time.
As you know if you’ve ever watched a TED talk, 15 minutes doesn’t sound very long, but actually allows for a fairly deep dive into one topic, while keeping the audience’s full attention.
Expert Desk
Expert desks are set up specifically for attendees to come looking for answers. No planned presentations from the expert, they’re just there to help. The topics for Expert Desks are wide and varied. We’ve featured experts on graphic design, manufacturing, legal matters, accounting, writing, marketing, entrepreneurship, and more.
If you don’t have a ton of time to prepare a talk, but you’re an expert on a particular topic, this would be a great fit for you.
The way it works? You sit at a desk for 90 minutes, Alt Summit provides a sign with your name and topic, and attendees line up for one-on-one discussions with you. If you have a long line, you can keep the meetings to 5 or 10 minutes each. If you have a shorter line, you can extend the conversations as needed.
Oh. One more thing. If you an editor looking for pitches, an Expert Desk is the perfect opportunity for attendees to pitch you their ideas.
Workshop
Workshops are for skills that are best taught as a hands-on class, like photography and food styling and modeling and writing. Workshops are also a great format for learning practical business skills in a hands-on way — like an email marketing workshop where attendees create their list-building paths right there in the class.
Arts and Crafts Demo
We have a gorgeous Maker Space that is set up for attendees to come and sit and create with Arts & Crafts Demonstrators leading the way. In the Maker Space, every hour there’s a new demo, and attendees get to walk away with the simple project they work on during the demo.
While the workshops we mentioned above are typically focused on business-building and content creation, Arts & Craft Demos are different. They are a fun way to take a break from thinking about revenues and brand building, and learn to make something pretty with your hands.
