No, pitching is not a requirement...

… but is highly encouraged! We know pitching can be daunting, especially for first time attendees or speakers. We have worked incredibly hard to foster an environment where you are supported to pitch and feel safe to do so.

In the past we’ve had people who weren’t intending to pitch be inspired to stand up to add their voice to the discussions and first time presenters be invited to major conferences to talk afterwards. So you may be surprised just how much you have to offer.

Even if your session is not voted in, you will have many opportunities throughout the day to discuss your ideas. Most talks only narrowly miss out, so there is a big chance many people in the audience might spot you throughout the day and pick your brain.

There is no Ottolenghi zinger of a recipe for a pitch, but maybe seeing the prompts on a previous pitch sheet might help? This is what the 2023 Perth pitch sheet looked like. If you're passionate about your topic, state what it is and who it's for, and you're already on the right track.

Might also be good to know:

• You do not have to have your pitch fully prepared.

• You’ll be given some time on the day to fill in an online form

• You can also use your own notepad or prepared notes, we just need the form to help with voting and scheduling

• You’ll have just 1 minute to pitch, so keep it succinct!

Absolutely! You and your bestie are most welcome to pitch and talk together. You might want to run a group discussion or workshop, too!

We encourage you to be yourself and be a true designer raging against the machine. We can be your group therapy.

As with anything, be mindful of those around you and the supportive space we’ve created. We don’t condone unlawful discrimination and harassment, and we expect all participants to be treated with dignity and respect.

Also, if you are only pitching to promote yourself, your business or your product(s), the audience will likely not vote for your session.

You don't have to prepare your talk before hand, but that is commonly what people do and what is voted for. It also helps with your pitch if you know what your key messages are.

People typically prepare a few slides, but if you have a video, demo, etc. go for gold! No deck, no problem - if you prefer not having any digital visual aids, that's also okay. Props, printouts, games, etc. are all also welcome. Essentially, bring what you need for your audience to be immersed in your world.

We encourage you to be you and talk about what you want to. Examples of sessions could include:

• A workshop or research technique that you like, e.g. empathy mapping;

• Your point of view on a topic, e.g. accessibility;

• A group discussion about an issue, e.g. dark patterns; or

• A case study from a recent work, uni or personal project.

We want to hear what you are passionate about! You also don't need to present something that no one has ever heard of. Share what you already know, do and enjoy. You'll be surprised how much you can teach. You can also find examples of previous sessions from Perth’s YouTube channel, but don't be too distracted by them.

UXCamp Copenhagen has put together a great resource on '5 ways to make a great session'. We recommend you read the full article (and keep in mind we do things slightly differently). Their top tips are:

• Sell your session well;

• Sell to the right audience;

• Involve the participants;

• Have something in your pocket; and

• Turn your session into a firework.

We typically recommend two options; 20 minutes and 45 minutes. This enables us to schedule tracks together into total allocated times of 1 hour blocks.

Remember, we need to move people around, allow for bathroom stops and chats in between the session blocks.

Completely optional, but if you have an idea how long your session will be or what you're aiming for, you can always ask the room volunteer upfront to give you a wave 5 minutes before that duration if it helps keep you on track.

You do not have to have slides ready, but most prepared talks do. Focus on the message, not the slides.

Our rooms will have a HDMI connection and USB-C adaptors. It's best to use a laptop you're familiar with.

A room facilitator and venue IT will help you set up, facilitate follow up questions and discussions, and guide participants to their next session.

Yes.

We want to provide additional value for those attending and speaking by recording sessions for sharing later on social media. Not to mention our future marketing activities!

By purchasing a ticket you agree to any photographs being used in subsequent year's marketing materials and agree to be filmed if your talk is selected.

Note: there will be an option to opt out if you want.