Intro
Hi there! I'm delighted that you're interested in having me speak at your event. I truly love what I do, and I'm always excited for another opportunity to share my knowledge and viewpoints with others.
That said, I do have some requirements and standards for accepting an offered speaking slot, submitting to an open CFP, or engaging in any kind of promotion for an event (yes, including on social media, which I use very little).
Code of Conduct
Your event must have an explicitly-defined and enforced Code of Conduct, which must be linked publicly on your event's website. It should include a clear, readable description of what behavior is and is not acceptable, at least one way for someone to report a violation, and should document the adjudication process. A paragraph of legalese buried in the Terms of Use is not sufficient to meet this requirement.
If you need inspiration, the Kubernetes Code of Conduct is a great place to start.
Speaker Diversity
Across your entire event, there must be adequate representation of races and genders. The exact requirements fluctuate a bit based on the size and location of the event, but generally, at least 30% of your total speaker lineup should be people who are not cisgender white men. I prefer not to see singular representation (i.e., only one Black speaker), though this preference is more flexible at very small or hyperlocal events.
Making room for new speakers is also important to me; I want to see at least one slot reserved for a person who is not already well-known on the speaking circuit.
For panels, Birds of a Feather, or any other speaking arrangement consisting of three or more people on stage at a time, there must be at least one speaker who is not a cisgender white male. All-male or all-white speaking groups are not acceptable.
I prefer events that clearly communicate each speaker's preferred pronouns, both on the conference website and on badges.
Accessibility
All areas of the event (including any auxiliary events like official afterparties or co-located events) must be accessible to those who require mobility aids, including stages.
Captioning should be provided, ideally live by a trained professional. If there is absolutely no other option, auto-generated captioning is not the greatest but will suffice.
Costs for Speakers
No part of the cost of attending your event should be placed upon speakers. I expect this to be true for all announced speakers at an event.
While it is common for larger companies to cover travel costs for their emploees when the conference theme or attendee demographic is one that aligns with the company goals, this is not always the case and should not be expected.
As a small business owner myself, I no longer have the privilege of a large company paying my way to every event.
So, for me to speak at your event, you must cover reasonable travel expenses (standard fare on an airline of my choosing, or business class train tickets within Europe) as well as a hotel near the conference venue and reasonable local transportation costs to/from the venue.
If your event is a significant time zone change from me (CET), I will ask that my arrival flight be booked a day or two before my speaking slot so that I can acclimate and bring my best self to your stage.
Speaking Fees and Honorariums
I generally do not require a speaking fee or an honorarium to speak at non-profits, community events, or events where there is no cost to attendees.
For community events with significant corporate sponsorship, please contact me and I will be happy to discuss my speaking rate based on your size.
For large-scale corporate events where the organizing company stands to make a profit, and for private internal corporate events, my fee is negotiable based on the size of the event and whether or not I am a keynote speaker. At these events, if I am paid, all other speakers should be compensated as well.
For low-cost events held by non-profits or educational institutions, I may choose to waive my speaking fee, or ask that any honorarium be donated to a non-profit that supports civil rights on my behalf.
Intellectual Property
You may record or stream my event, but I retain ownership over all intellectual property within the content of the talk, and reserve the right to give the talk at other events at my discretion.
Recordings cannot be paywalled (unless I give express, written permission, such as if you have paid me for a private corporate event), and I reserve the right to ask that any recording, audio or video, as well as my likeness, be taken down at any point in the future for any reason of my choosing.
If you record or stream a presentation, ensure that it is captioned.
You MAY NOT use my photo, voice, or any piece of my presentation to train a generative AI or LLM.
You MAY NOT use my photo, voice, or any piece of my presentation in a way which implies an endorsement of your products (unless I give express, written permission).
Location Policies
Your event MUST be held in a location that is safe for gay and transgender people to travel to and attend. This is non-negotiable.
Your event should be held in a location that is supportive of women's reproductive rights and of all LGBTQI+ people's right to privacy and equality.
I may elect to speak at events in unsupportive locations, though in such situations I am more likely to give talks about privacy and security and the importance of diversity in open source communities.
It is unfortunate that regional and political instability in certain areas of the world means that the list of locations I will speak at is not static.
Airborne Disease Policies
Your event should encourage masks. Yes, even in 2025. COVID isn't the only serious airborne illness, and events should be accessible to individuals with compromised immune systems or long-term respiratory complications from COVID.
If masking is required at your event, it should be actively enforced by conference staff.
I understand that some jurisdictions have made it illegal to require masks or proof of vaccination. If your event is in a place where cases of any highly contagious disease are spiking, I will take additional precautions for my own health, up to and including withdrawing from the event.
Regardless, I will always take a rapid test at least once before entering the conference area, and I will wear a KN-95 or better mask when inside a public area, and not eating or on stage, during my trip.
Cancellations
Cancelling a speaking engagement is something I try very, very hard to avoid. That said, global events and uncontrolled outbreaks of diseases mean that a cancellation is possible.
In the case of a surge of any highly-contagious disease affecting the conference region or my ability to travel to it, I reserve the right to pull out of your event for my own safety and the safety of others. In that case, I will make my best effort to offer a remote presentation. If that is not possible and it is appropriate to do so, I may suggest an alternate speaker take my slot.
Contacting Me
Want to have me speak? Cool! Reach out to me via email with the name, dates, and website for your event, as well as any confirmed speakers and an idea of what you want me to talk about. If your event fits into the corporate events category, please also include your speaker budget.
Thanks for reading!
Derived from Kat Cosgrove's Speaker's Rider. Original source
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License