Speaking at Ignite
PHOTO © RJL PHOTOGRAPHY 2017
Deadline for submissions: TBD
Ready to submit your talk? Awesome. Click the button below to jump to the talk submission form.
Still on the fence? Got a few lingering questions about being a speaker? Please read on. This page is for you.
Speaking at Ignite is an unforgettable experience. You clutch the mic with a sweaty palm, heart thumping, hot blood rushing, hundreds of curious faces staring back at you. Your voice cracks – but for just an instant – then you launch into a fever rant for 300 straight seconds, wearing your passion on your sleeve, barely pausing to breathe. Your time is up! The crowd goes wild.
Public speaking can be scary. We got your back.
The audience at Ignite is generous and patient. They know the Ignite format is difficult, and they realize many speakers are onstage for the first time in their lives. You’re giving them your passion and your vulnerability, and they love you for that. You won’t find a more appreciative audience at any other event.
The Ignite Format
Each speaker prepares a deck of exactly 20 slides. We set up the slides to auto-advance every 15 seconds. Thus, each talk lasts exactly 5 minutes. There is no stopping.
The rapid-fire pace of this format often makes for a frenetic delivery; and the variety of topics means the audience is unlikely to ever get bored. Our motto is, Enlighten us, but make it quick.
Naima Khan, Speaker, 2016; Host, 2016
What should I talk about?
As the energized crowd bustles out of the venue after each Ignite Minneapolis event, the most overheard topic of conversation is, "What would your talk be about?"
When you hear that question, a shiver goes down your spine. You imagine yourself up there, in front of hundreds of people, a hot mic in your sweaty palm, and now you have to talk — about something — for 5 minutes straight. OMG.
Relax. You're the expert here.
There is no central theme for Ignite, so you can talk about virtually anything as long as you can show us your passion for it. What’s that thing you most geek out about? What’s that one topic that quickens your pulse and sets your toe a-tappin’? That’s what we want to hear you speak about.
Idea starters
You've got some deep knowledge about some topic knocking around in that noodle of yours. Here are a few idea starters to help you ignite it:
Scholarly
Demonstrate how-to instructions for something.
Demystify a complex subject.
Clarify a concept many people get wrong.
Highlight a new way to look at something familiar.
Explain a new technology.
Social
Challenge a social norm.
Expose an unseen reality.
Offer a call-to-action.
Illustrate an innovative approach to an old problem.
Awaken a sleeping giant.
Personal
Share a unique hobby.
Flaunt something cool you can do.
Recount a unique story you were part of.
Exult over a personal victory, or concede a devastating defeat.
Reveal your geek-level depth of insight into something.
What not to talk about:
Self-help, life-coaching, or preachy pep talks
We're already "good enough and smart enough," so let's keep this about you and your most passionate ideas. We’re beyond help anyway.Pitching your business, trolling for clients, or selling something
We’re serious about this one. We are interested in ideas and stories, not your super successful business plan or your kick-ass product or service.Topics that require detailed technical explanation
You only have 5 minutes. Try to keep it to a few key ideas that can be understood by us regular folk.
We seek unexpected insight
Following is a good rule of thumb for planning an Ignite Talk. We want to be surprised with new knowledge. We want to see you fly your freak flag. But we don’t want to be clobbered with too much technical jargon or too many complex ideas. So keep this formula in mind:
Nerdy + Non-Technical = Unexpected Insight
We’re all nerds deep down inside. We think deeply on things that we don’t always share with other people. There’s a depth of knowledge that bubbles beneath the surface, longing to get out. If you can tell that story in a way that’s comprehensible and approachable by the lay person, you’ve got yourself a winning idea.
Are you ready? Yeah, you’re ready.
What about a little help?
That’s what our Ignite Workshops are for. We offer two different kinds of workshops, each given by a public speaking coach and one of the Ignite organizers.
How to Ignite Workshop
This workshop is open to the public, but limited in size to about 30 attendees. We’ll cover things like choosing a topic, writing your proposal, pacing your slides with your talk, and we’ll hold a group discussion where we answer all your questions. Not everybody needs this workshop, but if you’re the type of person who needs a little encouragement before taking the plunge, this is for you. Subscribe to our email list to be notified of upcoming workshop dates.Selected Speaker Workshop
This one is a private workshop for the selected speakers of the next upcoming Ignite event. We’ll walk you through the logistics of the event, discuss approaches to slide design, pacing your talk, and bounce ideas off one another. You can even give a practice run if you’ve got something prepared already.
Please note: We used to hold these workshops in-person. Given the uncertainty around the pandemic, some workshops may be held online.
How the speaker selection process works
You submit your talk idea
You’ve got a great idea for a talk? Wonderful. Submit your talk proposal via our online form. Write out as many specifics as you can. We realize you haven’t written the whole thing yet, so give us the thesis and the main highlights.We review all submissions
Our crack squad of event producers and Ignite alumni will carefully review every submission, score them, rank them, and select the best 16 talk ideas.Everyone gets a notification
Usually about 3 days after the submission deadline, the selected speakers and all non-selected submitters are notified by Ignite Minneapolis.30 days to craft your talk
If you’re talk is selected, you’ll have about a month to compose your talk, create your slide deck, and practice practice practice.Attend a workshop
While this is not mandatory, it’s recommended. Ignite staff and alumni will conduct an in-person workshop (but it may still be online this year) wherein we’ll discuss some best practices for talk structure, slide design, and practice techniques. We’ll also go over all the event logistics so you won’t get lost on the day of the event.Deck deadline
A few days prior to the event, you’ll send us your slide deck. We need this time to set up our master presentation files for the show, so this deadline is important.Showtime!
On the day of the event, you’ll arrive at least an hour prior to showtime. Our Stage Manager will greet you, show you around the backstage area, and ensure you’re comfortable and ready to do your thing.
Sawyer Blur, Speaker, 2016
Some featured talks to get you thinking
Each of these Ignite talks offers insights into what can make a good talk into a great talk. As you watch these, try to notice some of the following:
How each speaker has structured their talk into a few key ideas
The number of slides allocated to each key idea
The content of their slides (hint: mostly visuals, with limited text)
How many words a person can reasonably say in the space of 15 seconds
Kelly Prosen giving her talk “Practice Makes Perfect: An OCD Guide to Falling in Love” at Ignite Minneapolis in 2015.
Stephanie Glaros giving her talk “Do Talk to Strangers” at Ignite Minneapolis in 2016.
Fadi Fadhil giving his talk “From the Mideast to the Midwest” at Ignite Minneapolis in 2017.
Aly Wallberg giving her talk “What Sarah Palin Taught Me About Life” at Ignite Minneapolis in 2014.
Tips on getting selected
Before each event the speaker selection committee will read through, score, and discuss somewhere between 70-100 talk submissions before winnowing them down to just 18 selected speakers. To get yours picked, you’ll need to stand out. Here are the main criteria we’ll rank your talk submission against.
Topic. Will the topic be interesting to a diverse audience? Does it have the potential to offer unexpected insights? Is it not overly technical or complicated?
Communication. Does the speaker seem able to communicate the thesis and the concepts of their talk effectively? Is the submission lucid and organized? Does their passion come across?
Known entity. Is there a record of the speaker giving other talks that suggest they’d give a great Ignite talk?
The first two – Topic and Communication – are weighted most heavily. When submitting your talk idea, state your topic, but focus on your talk. Outline some of your key ideas or supporting points. Tell us whether your talk will be funny or serious. Give away your spoilers — nobody is going to see this except the selection committee! Tell us some of your ideas for your slides.
The third criterion – Known entity – is weighted less heavily, but can sometimes give an otherwise modest score a boost in overall appeal. So if you’ve done other speaking gigs about a similar topic, make sure we know about them – include video links.