Call for Speakers
Submission feedback will be sent on the 24th Feb. More info: https://madmimi.com/s/8105951
DevConf 2023
23 May 2023
25 May 2023
South Africa: Day 1 in Cape Town & Day 2 in Pretoria
devconf.co.za
DevConf is a community-driven, professional software engineer-focused, one-day conference that is hosted annually in South Africa. For 2023 the event is one day in Pretoria (25th May 2023) and one day in Cape Town (23rd May 2023).
The aim of the conference is to provide professional software engineers with vendor-neutral and technology-agnostic content on tools, practices and principles applicable to tackling current and future challenges faced by software engineers in South Africa.
DevConf is an event where attendees can learn, network and be inspired regardless of their specific technology stack and programming language of choice.
Style of Talk 👩🏫
We have a single style of talk: a 40min presentation style session i.e. stand on stage, a big screen to show your slides, video and code, and the audience sitting in cinema-style seating. The 40min is the TOTAL time is for everything, including Q&A.
The DevConf audience collectively covers various skill levels, from junior developers to senior management. We encourage talk submissions from everyone from hobbyists to professional developers, students, non-developers and first-time speakers. We have a goal to make DevConf an inclusive and diverse haven for all speakers and attendees. There is no specific tech or vendor association with DevConf - we welcome all technology and tools!
The majority of attendees are professional software engineers. Hence, we find that talks that help them in their careers and focus on exploring tech or solving problems are really well received.
Java, JavaScript and .NET are very popular in South Africa but we would love presentations about other technologies too. Security talks have been consistently rated highly.
Talks that share experience and soft skills are highly valued and we have dedicated slots for these talks.
We also have a small number of slots for more entertainment-focused content which is still relevant to developers. These are great for sharing knowledge and experiences that are not so work-related, for example: flying a drone with VR, machine learning & brewing beer, or integrating hardware to Kerbal using JavaScript are all great talks.
Please see our YouTube channel to better understand the content from previous years.
Note: DevConf is an in-person event and we are not accepting remote/virtual presentations.
When 📆
DevConf 2023 will take place for the seventh year with it being spread out over two days, Cape Town on the 23rd of May 2023 and Pretoria on the 25th of May 2023.
All speakers will be selected to speak at both events.
If you are only able to attend one of the events, please let us know so we can plan correctly (the notes field is great for this).
Accepted Proposals 🌟
All selected speakers to DevConf receive a pass for the events where they'll present, and an invitation to the speakers-only dinner.
Travel and accommodation will also be included for presenters.
International Speakers 🛫
We welcome international speakers to submit talks for DevConf 2023 🎉 We do cover flights and accommodation for international speakers too!
We are a non-profit event so the budget for international speakers is small, thus there is a limited number of slots for international speakers.
If you can assist with your own travel costs, please place that in the notes as it significantly helps.
Process ✅
- We are accepting papers from 4 November 2022 at 0:00 SAST
- We will close the call for speakers on 17 January 2023 at 23:59 SAST
- Every talk will be scored by a diverse panel of reviewers.
- Based on the scoring, a proposed agenda will be drafted in February.
- Selected speakers will be emailed by 20 February 2023 (please make sure you check your spam folder).
- Speakers are to confirm, by email by 27th February 2023. Any speaker who does not confirm will forfeit their slot.
Additional events for speakers 🍽
In addition to the presentation on the days of the event, we will have additional functions for speakers which we believe add massive value:
- The day before each event we will have a tech check at the conference venue from 4 pm. It should take no longer than an hour.
- The night before and after the events we will have a speaker's dinner near the venue and we would love for you to attend and meet the other speakers.
Important: These are highly valuable but we can work with you if you cannot attend them. Do not let this stop you from submitting!
Call for Speakers
04 Nov 2022
17 Jan 2023
What type of content are we looking for? 🔎
Anything that is relevant to developers, be it about code, platforms, technology, methodologies, how to work with people or just things that are cool. We want transparent and real experiences - this isn’t a place for a sales pitch. We want all types of speakers - first-timers or experienced! We have an opportunity for all to speak.
Non-developers are especially welcome to present topics that have relevance for the audience. Talks relating to security, database, UI and other technical experts sharing information that developers should know are often fantastically well attended and rated highly.
We have a track record of helping new speakers and helping make all speakers have the best experience!
Talks we love? 😁
- You can bring a diverse view to a subject
- Content focused on the South African audience is preferred
- You present your own experiences from the field
- Live demos over just slides (if you have a technical talk)
- We do often get multiple talks on the same topic, so add something that makes your talk stand out from other talks. Infuse it with your unique take and experience!
- We do not penalise talks that have been presented elsewhere, so if you have a talk you've done at work or your user group and you ❤ it, then submit it!
Have a look at talks from previous years to get inspired for the content
Talks we shy away from 😢
- Topics that have been covered often - unless there is a twist or deep experience.
- Marketing or sales pitches - rather get a client to share their experience using the tech!
Anonymous Review 👻
This is an anonymous review process so please do not enter personally identifying info in the description.
If you can represent a diverse view please make sure you state that in your notes as we actively aim for having a very diverse set of talks.
How are talks ranked? 🥅
We encourage each reviewer to use their own experience and knowledge to rank each talk. We use the sessionize ranking system, which you can see (and play with) in the test event.
Hints for submission 💡
- Please use normal text in the fields, unfortunately, markdown or HTML is not supported.
- You only need your talk ready next year and you can adjust before then if you are selected.
- The notes field is meant for any special requirements or information which doesn't fit into the description of your talk. Please do not put personal information in that section.
- The track field is used as an aid for the planning, pick which you feel your talk fits best; it won't impact your selection.
Important Notes 📜
- By submitting a CFP, you will be added to our mailing list. This is so we can keep in touch with you, especially if our direct emails end up in your spam. You can always unsubscribe from a link in the emails (although this is discouraged if you are selected, as we use the same platform to communicate important speaker information leading up to and post the event).
- You are allowed to submit at most two talks.
travel
accommodation
event fee
We cover the full expenses for travel and accommodation for speakers. If you can assist with costs, please let us know as we are a non-profit and every bit helps.