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Important dates
Speaker responsibilities
Selection process
Session types
Participant types
Abstract writing tips
Proposal preparation
Submission details
Technical difficulty levels
CFP walkthrough
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October 10, 2016: Call for proposals opens
December 2, 2016: Last day to submit a proposal *Extended to Friday, December 16, 2016
January, 2017: Proposal decisions sent
February, 2017: Agenda published on redhat.com/summit
May 2-4, 2017: Red Hat Summit in Boston, MA
ALL DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. VISIT REDHAT.COM/SUMMIT FOR UPDATES.
By submitting a proposal, you agree to (if accepted):
*This includes authorization for travel and expenses. Please speak with your manager to be sure you are approved for travel, if applicable.
Participants: 1 lead presenter, up to 2 co-presenters
A 45-minute stage presentation with slides, videos, and/or demonstrations. Limit to a specific topic, which can range from high-level to customer or partner stories to detailed business or technical. Plan to leave 10 minutes at end for audience questions. The lead presenter should be an expert on the topic, with up to 2 co-presenters to support or add unique experiences or insights.
Participants: 1 moderator, up to 5 panelists
A moderated 45-minute discussion between panelists with shared experience or expertise. The moderator, generally a Red Hat expert or industry analyst, has communicated the topic with the panelists beforehand, and all should have a general idea of the conversation’s direction. Panelists are customers, partners, project participants, or the like, each with a unique voice on the topic. Slides should be limited to one deck, and should only include introductions of the participants and illustrations of specific ideas discussed. Plan to leave 10 minutes for audience questions.
Participants: 1 presenter
A quick (5-10 minute), high-energy talk, grouped with several talks around the same general subject. Slides should be very limited, and must be submitted well in advance of the conference.
Participants: Up to 2 moderators with audience participation
An informal, 45-minute conversation with audience members that doesn't typically have an outline or prescribed direction. Audience members will ultimately decide the direction of this session. Up to 2 moderators will introduce themselves and offer a few talking points on the topic, then act as guides to ensure the conversation stays on topic. Slides should be limited to introductions of the moderators and possibly talking points if the conversation lags.
Participants: 2 lead presenters, up to 3 co-presenters
A 2-hour hands-on learning experience on a very specific, technical topic. Attendees will learn how to do something with the help of 2 lead presenters and up to 3 co-presenters. Lead presenters should be the experts on the topic, with support of the co-presenters. Red Hat Summit lab audience size is limited to the number of seats (with hardware provided) available, and pre-registration is required. Slides are recommended for step-by-step instructions or to illustrate ideas.
Note: Lab speakers will need to work closely with event staff to identify technology requirements--internet connectivity, bandwidth, machine set-up, etc.
In addition to specifying the session type, you'll also indicate whether your session includes the following elements. All are optional.
Roadmaps show the direction a product or technology is headed in the near future.
Demonstrations show hands-on use of a technology, and are usually performed live (though recorded backups are encouraged in case conference wi-fi is unreliable).
Including a success story helps attendees see how a concept might be applied in the real world, at a high level.
Did Red Hat consulting, training, certifications, or support play a part in the story?
The owner is usually the person that submitted the proposal. Only the owner can make changes to the submission.
The lead presenter is the primary expert on the session's subject, and this person will do most of the talking.
Co-presenters support the presenter and add their own unique experiences or ideas to the session.
Moderators of panels and birds-of-a-feather sessions have slightly different roles.
Panelists are customers, partners, project participants, or the like, each with a unique voice on the topic.
Why is this topic important?
Give some context to your subject matter. Start with 1-2 sentences about the state of the market, IT trends, or recent announcements that make your topic relevant.
What makes your presentation special?
Do you have an exciting implementation story, a live demo, or new ways to use a tool? Why should we choose your abstract over others on your topic?
What will the attendee leave with?
Tell the attendee what they'll do or learn in the session. List 3-4 takeaways, for example:
Speak to the potential attendee
Write as if you're describing your session to someone who's already sitting in your audience. E.g. "We will talk about ways to speed up development times."
Keep it concise
Ideal title length: ≤60 characters
Ideal abstract length: 100-150 words
Know your audience...
...and make sure they know what to expect. If your abstract promises a high-level customer story, but you spend 30 minutes knee-deep in code, your audience will be frustrated, and the audience you should have had will be in another room.
Include a TL;DR
Write a 1-sentence version of your abstract for the mobile version of the agenda.
Don't worry about polish. We'll help.
If your proposal is accepted, our editors will help you get the abstract into shape before the event.
Choose from a list of Red Hat products, as well as an option for community projects. Choose up to 3.
If your session incorporates Red Hat training, certification, support, or consulting, say so here.
Choose 1 primary and up to 3 supporting.
What technology features most prominently in your session?
The rest of this guide will walk you through the account registration and submission in the call for proposals (CFP) process:
Step 1: Register a new account
Step 2: Start a submission
Step 3: Tell us about your session
Step 4: Add participants
Part 1
19
Step 4: Add participants
Part 2
Step 5: Review and submit
Step 6: Check status (and/or submit again)
Step 7: Look forward to January