The Swift Connection Speaker Inclusion Programme is a complimentary initiative designed to encourage individuals from diverse and minority backgrounds to present at Swift Connection.

Being selected for the Speaker Inclusion Programme grants you a speaking slot at Swift Connection.

We understand that presenting to a large audience can be daunting, particularly for speakers who are members of minority groups or come from diverse backgrounds.

To support these speakers, we are launching the Swift Connection Speaker Inclusion Programme. This initiative offers a personal toolkit and tuition aimed at enhancing your experience and confidence as a speaker.

Description and Contents

The Speaker Inclusion Programme is free and includes:

• Four 1-hour workshops with a diverse panel to help you prepare your talk and, specifically:
  1. Refine your subject for the audience
  2. Help you define the talk and presentation structure
  3. Review a first draft of your talk
  4. Final review
• A personalised set of material and exercises to improve your presentation skills and manage stress and anxiety
• A dedicated Slack Channel to communicate and exchange among Inclusion Programme speakers and organizers
• All applicable speaker perks (travel, accommodation, speakers dinner) depending on your location and availability

Condition to Apply

You are encouraged to apply if you:

• identify yourself as part of a minority or a diverse group
• have about one or more intermediate-to-advanced technical subjects related to iOS, macOS or Swift development you are considering to share with a broader audience.
  • If you have more than one, we will help you pick the most adapted one in order to find the best balance across the overall composition of Swift Connection talks.
• have a proficient level of English
• have no previous experience speaking at conferences (excluding meet-ups or internal company events)

Selection Criteria and Process

We all have questions before participating in a CfP, like "Do I have what it takes?" or "Is my subject interesting enough?" Our suggestion: take a chance and submit your proposal. You likely have more to offer than you think!

That said, please note that we can only select two submissions, which means that most proposals will unfortunately not be accepted.

Here's an overview of our selection process:

1. Rolling Applications: We accept applications on a rolling basis until we have selected two valid submissions. The sooner you apply, the better your chances of being considered. Selected applicants will be notified and provided with the necessary support and resources to prepare for their presentations.
2. Review Committees:

   Proposals will be selected by two committees:

   1. Speaker Inclusion Programme Committee: Your application will first be reviewed by Robin Kanatzar and Nicolas Zinovieff, leaders of the Speaker Inclusion Programme.
   2. Swift Connection Content Committee: Audrey Sobgou Zebaze and Denis Poifol will then review the applications to ensure the content aligns with the conference's goals and standards.
3. Review Criteria:
   • No previous speaker experience: as stated before, we'll accept solely proposals coming from individuals having no previous experience of speaking at large conferences (excluding meetups or small/medium-size internal events)
   • Your Content:
     • Practical and Pragmatic Content: Your topic should be primarily related to code and technical practices.
     • Actionable Takeaways: The content should provide elements that can be effectively used in a codebase, offering practical and actionable insights.

FAQ

• I submitted too late and the programme is over: can I join the traditional Swift Connection CfP?

  Yes, indeed, feel free to! That said, you will not be able to receive guidance except for a final talk review that we perform for all talks.

• I don't feel too fluent in English, is that an issue?

  At Swift Connection we welcomed dozens of non-native English speakers and it's never been an issue! We'll be more happy to provide tips and tricks to improve your spoken English level

How to Apply

The Speaker Inclusion Program features a dedicated Call for Papers form where you can outline your background, motivation, and the topics you wish to address. Please be aware that we do not accept submissions from candidates who have previously spoken at conferences.

Apply Now

Do you have more questions? Feel free to contact us on Twitter/X or drop us a line at

editorial [at] swiftconnection [dot] io