AWS Midwest Community Day has been organized to share our passion for all things AWS. As a volunteer-led event, we rely on our fellow AWS user group members to provide educational information for attendees and count on them to not use this speaking opportunity to pitch their products and services. We appreciate your time and passion in preparing for your speaking session!

Each speaking slot is 30 minutes for a talk, with 25 minutes of content and 5 minutes for q&a. We hope to include as many talks and speakers as possible, so we will schedule sessions back-to-back. Speakers can take additional q&a into the hallway or common areas after their session time ends. If the timing allows we will also have 10 or 15 minute lightning talks and a track for hands-on workshops.

The AWS user group community is very interactive. For the long form talks, we recommend that you plan on roughly 25 minutes for your actual talk, leaving 5 minutes for Q&A. This is a community driven event and the content, slides, conversation, etc should not be sales related. We also require all speakers, sponsors, and attendees to abide by the Code of Conduct: https://www.midwestcommunityday.com/code-of-conduct/

FAQs: 

What topics / experience ranges will attendees have?
We will have everyone from pros to beginner. Please at least cover basic overviews of technologies before jumping in. A variety of topics/levels are welcome.

What should I talk about?
+ Experiences or failures and what you learned
+ demos/workshops involving AWS services
+ testing out a new AWS service with a demo

What can I NOT talk about?

Please do not submit AI slop.
Limit AI to only assist you on content. Use your own voice and experience. We will not review generic AI content or repurposed general content. 

Do not pitch your company, services, or solution
This is a community driven event so all content should not be sales related. Please avoid anything that may seem like a sales pitch. Only mention your company or product if it is directly related to the AWS services used. 1 slide with 'background' at most.

Did my talk get approved?
We are gathering talks now. We hope to get as many talks as possible. The organizing committee will select the best content and let you know as soon as we finalize the lineup. Our aim is to set the speaker lineup by May 11, 2026.

Where is the event?

Hyatt Regency Indianapolis
1 South Capitol Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46204-3400

How long can I talk?  
You have a 30 minute time slots for total time in the room. We recommend 25 minutes of content and 5 minutes for q&a. Sessions will be back-to-back. 

Can I submit multiple talks?
YES! You can submit as many talks as you'd like. We will likely only pick one.  It does help organizers know you're prepared to jump in if there are last minute speaker cancellations. 

Do I need to send in my slides early?
Yes. You will be asked to submit your slides before the event to check for blatant sales pitches and to post them online before the event. You will project from your own device but the A/V team may require slides beforehand. We will provide a slide template, mainly for consistency with the title/cover slide, but you can use your own slide templates. 

Why should I speak?
+ Complimentary ticket to AWS Midwest Community Day
+ speaker swag
+ Recognition on website and printed materials
+ Exposure to the AWS community as a thought leader
Please note that as a volunteer, non-dues-paying organization we are unable to provide speaker honorariums or expense reimbursement.

As a speaker, we ask that you:
+ Submit your slides and AV requirements for consideration.
+ Be responsive to organizers and confirm your participation. 
+ Limit AI. We will not review AI content or repurposed AWS content. 
+ If chosen, please do not deviate from your submitted topic.
+ Provide your knowledge to our audience and not include a sales pitch, either overt or veiled.
+ Be in your speaking area not later than 15 minutes before your session is to begin.
Speaker substitutions are highly discouraged. If an emergency arises, please clear your substitute with the event organizers.

Do you have any guidelines?
Each speaking slot is 30 minutes for long form talks or 15 mins for lightning talks.
The AWS user group community is very interactive. We recommend that you plan on roughly 25 minutes for your actual talk, leaving 5 minutes for Q&A.
Should your audience not engage in Q&A, please thank them for their time and release them to their next session.
Please do not read directly off of your slides. There is no such thing as being over-prepared!
Less slides always make for a more engaging session. For a 30 minute talk, aim for 1 slide for every 3-5 minutes.
Don’t make your slides too cluttered. 24 pt. type and above works well.
Try to keep each slide focused on only one point or thought at a time.
We will provide a slide template, mainly for consistency with the title/cover slide, but you can use your own slide templates. 

Have fun!