Lightning Talk Applications Open | BoS Conference USA 2016

7 and a half minutes to make a talk we say? Easy! You say. Not so much, we say.

Get your idea heard on the Business of Software Stage. The BoS Lightning Talks 2016 are open for public application now.

Lightning Talks follow a simple format – every speaker gets 15 slides and 30 seconds per slide to talk about a subject of their choice. The slides advance automatically.

Fair warning: lightning talks are a devilishly tricky challenge! The payoff? Lightning Talkers have a special place in the hearts of the BoS audience and many people have made the jump to more speaking gigs at BoS and other events.

But the fun does not stop there. Oh no! Lighting Talk Competition entrants receive a free pass to the Business of Software Conference where they will speak, the chance to share an idea they care about with a live audience of 400, and the respect of their peers. Don’t underestimate the last one.

Apply to give a lightning talk at BoS 2016 here

What some of our previous lightning talk speakers had to say about their experience:

“It was terrifying. It was awesome.” – Elizabeth Ayer

“Exhilarating and one of the most satisfying talks I have given. It helped crystalise my ideas into a 7 minute presentation. It was the best buzz ever. The BoS community were very engaged and gave constructive feedback and ideas! To have the chance to give a talk at one of the best conferences was a wonderful opportunity.” – Precious Lunga

“Taking part in the BoS Lightning talks was a brilliant experience. The BoS team supported me in the run up to the talk, the audience were great on the day of the talk and I’ve made many new connections as part of speaking at BoS Europe. Giving a BoS lightning talk is hard, but satisfying work and should be something that’s on every aspiring speaker’s bucket list. You’ll be in great company”. – Mark Dalgarno

“Giving a lightning talk at Business of Software was an intense and rewarding experience. It’s a great exercise in distilling your thoughts down to the most important elements, and figuring out a compelling way to illustrate them. It’s like giving a normal conference talk squared. The enthusiastic and supportive audience provides a great safety net, making it even more fun. I’d totally do it again if I had the chance”. – James Archer

“I’ve never ever wanted to jump out of an airplane (on purpose or by accident) alas, giving a Lightning Talk is the closest I’ve gotten! Good news: I had time to prepare for the free fall. Better news: the ground really does come up to meet you!” – Tania Katan

How to Apply

If you would like to submit a Lightning Talk, submit your application here.

For the Tenth BoS USA in Boston, submit before Midnight PST on July 29^th.

Please note submissions from third parties including marketing departments, speaking agents etc will be ignored.We only want submissions from people that care enough to do their own stuff. This is a chance to stand up in front of a bunch of people and share an idea you love.

Apply to give a lightning talk at BoS 2016 here

Need inspiration? See all of last years entries, as well as some classics in the playlist below:

Even if you don’t submit an idea, why not think about what you would talk about in 7.5 minutes? Strange as this might sound, lots of our attendees do, even if they have no interest in standing on stage. Thinking about the essence of what you are passionate about can be a very good way of helping you work out what is important to you. J Wynia wrote an excellent blog post on the process of creating a lightning talk and what he got from it here.

Apply to give a lightning talk at BoS 2016 here