Welcome to the Speaker Info page. Below are various resources and bits of information for EclipseCon speakers.
If you have any questions after reading this page, or need help at any time, please email us at speakers@eclipsecon.org.
EclipseCon 2020 Swapcard Stats
Swapcard, the conference platform, provides various stats of interest to speakers in spreadsheet form. We have created a shared Google Sheets document with the most useful ones, in "raw" form. Click on the image for access.
EclipseCon Speaker Guide
The Speaker Guide is now ready; click on the image below to access it.
Speaker Support
This is our first virtual EclipseCon, and for some of you, this will be your first time presenting at a virtual event. One of our top priorities is to make sure that each speaker's experience is positive, relaxed, and as technically smooth as possible. Conference staff is here to support you!
Here is a list of what we plan to provide. If you have other suggestions, please let us know!
- Speaker Guide (best practices, equipment recommendations, etc.)
- Scheduled "Tech Check" sessions to evaluate your setup and equipment
- Technical support for pre-recording
- Moderators in each virtual room during the event
- Tech support personnel in each virtual room during the event
Speaker Data Form
Please complete the Speaker Data form soon; the link to the form is here. We suggest reading this entire page before completing the form. Be prepared to provided your talk URL, information about your computer, general information about your talk, and more. The form also asks you to conduct a simple Internet speed test at this site and enter the results. If you are a speaker on more than one talk, please fill out the form for each talk.
Conference Platform
We are using Swapcard as our conference platform. Speakers will use Zoom to present, and the Zoom broadcast will be live-streamed and made available to attendees via the event we build in the Swapcard desktop app.
Live vs. Pre-Recorded
EclipseCon will feature both live talks and pre-recorded talks. We are asking each speaker to indicate their preference on the Speaker Data form. Even if you pre-record your talk, you will need to plan be online during the broadcast of your talk so that you can answer questions from attendees during the Q&A session at the end. Pre-recorded talks must be submitted by September 21, 2020. (To request a later date for submitting your recording, please send email to speakers@ecipsecon.org .)
We are offering this option as a benefit for both speakers and the conference team. Some speakers may find that pre-recording makes their talk more polished, or helps them keep to the time limit. Mixing live sessions with pre-recorded sessions makes the day-of-event management easier for the technical support team.
Recording Details
If you decide to pre-record, here are the details:
- File size: 5GB or smaller
- Naming convention for file: Room_Day_Start-Time as in “Room2_20_1330” for a talk on October 20 in Room 2 starting at 13:30
- Format: mp4
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080p (full HD) preferred, minimum 1280 x 720p
- Upload to: this drive
Tech Requirements
You will be using your own equipment to broadcast or pre-record your session. In most cases, a laptop with built-in webcam will work well. Talks can often benefit from the use of an external wired microphone or combination wired headset and mic. For specific equipment recommendations, see the Speaker Guide.
You will need a reliable Internet connection. If you will be using your home network, we recommend that you ask other household members to limit their use while you are online as a speaker.
Please email speakers@eclipsecon.org if you have questions or need help.
Time Zones
The time zone for the event is Central European Time. Presentations are scheduled for 13:00 - 18:00 CET each day. We are asking for time zone information for all speakers on the Speaker Data form so that we can schedule your talk appropriately. Please be sure to verify the time of your talk when the schedule is published, and email speakers@eclipsecon.org if you need an adjustment.
Talk Recordings
Shortly after a talk has been presented, the initial recording of it will be available for on-demand viewing in the conference platform. Talks will also be uploaded to the Eclipse Foundation YouTube channel. You gave permission for your talk to be recorded and published when you submitted it. If you have any questions or concerns about recording, please email speakers@eclipsecon.org.
Co-Speakers
Please consider the challenges of having multiple speakers give a talk. It's critical that such talks be well-rehearsed. We highly recommend pre-recording a talk that has multiple speakers. Note that in Zoom, only one person may share a screen at a time. Please email speakers@eclipsecon.org if you have questions or need help.
Speaker Registration
Your registration confirms that you will attend and give the talk, so please register soon. Be sure to select "Speaker" as your registration type. There is no charge to register for EclipseCon this year, so we will not be sending out speaker discount codes.
Speaker Feedback
Feedback from attendees is very helpful for a speaker. After the conference is over, be sure to review what attendees have left on your talk page, both votes and comments.
Speaker Slide Templates
We have slide decks with templates and two informational slides for your use. Note that the templates are simply an option; you may use whatever slide design that you prefer. The two informational slides are used to encourage attendees to leave feedback about your talks, and to remind attendees where we are on social media.
Conference Schedule
If you need to change the day or time of your talk after the schedule is published, please email speakers@eclipsecon.org. If you know of any times during the conference days when you will not be available, please let us know immediately. We will do our best to accommodate your request. Please note that occasionally we need to change the schedule after it is published; we will notify you if we need to change the day or time of your talk.
Please Add Your Photo and Bio
We have a Speakers page on the conference website, but many speakers are missing a photo and bio. Please add these items to your eclipse.org account so that they appear on the website!
Promoting Your Talk
Get more people to your talk! Blog, tweet (@eclipsecon), invite friends and colleagues to attend. Some of you may be contacted by a member of the Eclipse Foundation marketing team about promoting your particular talk. We appreciate your participation in our conference marketing activities.
For badges, icons, and banners that help promote the conference, see the Community Resources page.
Presentation Materials
We encourage speakers to upload the slide presentations to their session pages, either before or directly after the conference.