How to prepare your SpaceUp talk

What should you talk about during a SpaceUp ?

Obviously, you have to talk about a space-related subject, which is actually a very large field – from astronomy to launchers technology, through state policies and commercial space business plans.

We are sure your head buzzes with ideas, so we recommend you one criteria to choose the one you will present: choose the one you feel most passionnate about!

Also keep in mind that your session will be in “competition” with other sessions on the program grid (see the photo on the spaceup.fr landing page to see what it looks like, or on spaceup.org in the Flickr gallery on the right hand side). This means you have to give your session an enticing subject.

@SpaceKate during her SpaceUp talk at SpaceUp Paris 2013

Which format can your talk take?

T minus 5

One of the most exciting parts of SpaceUp is T minus 5, a series of short talks in the Ignite format. Each speaker gets 5 minutes to talk, with 20 slides that rotate automatically every 15 seconds. It’s a fun format that’s more like karaoke than giving a presentation; it’s tough to keep up with your slides, but the friendly crowd cheers you on.

All the T minus 5 talks will occur in plenary sessions, with all SpaceUp participants to watch them!

For examples of T minus 5 and other Ignite format talks, see Andy Cochrane’s amazing talk Space Is Boring at SpaceUp San Diego, or Scott Berkun’s talk about how to give an Ignite talk.

20 minutes session slot

Both days will be split in 20 minutes sessions where 4 talks will happen simultaneously in 4 different rooms, with the SpaceUp participants split between the rooms according to their preferences. The format of such a session is completely up to you, the talk giver: it can be a powerpoint-based presentation, or simply based on drawings and ideas quickly thrown on a paperboard, or an informal talk around a table, or even sitting on the floor in a circle – these are only examples, you can invent a new format if you feel it will better help convey your passion to attendees ! (all the sample photos were shot during SpaceUp Europe in September 2012)

How to prepare your talk?

The most demanding talk is definitely the T-5, which will require not only preparing the slides but also rehearsing again and again the talk – but it is also the one kind of talk where the potential impact of your presentation will be the biggest !

Whatever the format of the session you plan to host, remember to make sure it fits in the 20 minutes format (as for T-5, WE will make sure the 5 minutes are respected!). Do not prepare 154 slides. Go to the core message.

And remember : it’s not about you, it’s about the attendees. Make sure that your session is all about engaging them, connecting with their passion and make them yearn to act for space !

Now that you know all about what to do, just come and participate with us to the next SpaceUp in France.