Speaking at WDC, what to expect

This is here as a reference more than a blog post and is provided to give any speaker an idea of what to expect when being asked to speak at WDC.

Fees

I can’t afford to pay speakers fees, the event doesn’t make enough money to do so.

If you can’t speak without being paid a fee then I totally understand and will never hold it against you for doing so.

I will never make a speaker pay for a ticket to the event, that’s just stupid!

Expenses

I will cover your hotel and travel expenses to and from Bristol for WDC.

The hotel

I normally make a group booking at a hotel located in the centre of Bristol which is close to the main venue and add your name to one of the rooms. This saves you the hassle of booking a hotel and also means every speaker is in the same location.

The room is booked for 2 nights. The night before and the night after the main event so you don’t have to rush getting to Bristol.

Travel

I will cover your travel to and from Bristol. As all speakers are based in the UK this is mainly train travel. If you are based in Scotland/Ireland it is normally cheaper to jump on a plane, quicker too.

I do require reciepts or an invoice for travel costs, my accountant gets angry otherwise!

Meals

I can’t cover meals aside from the speakers dinner the night before and the breakfast on the Saturday morning (if not eating at the hotel).

Arriving in Bristol

I am normally around Bristol the entire day before so I can meet you at the station or provide directions if needed.

If you’re really early I can also be great company over a coffee or lunch (honest!).

Timing

Please consider when travelling to Bristol the following:

• Hotel check-in is normally after 2PM
• The speakers dinner is normally booked for about 7:30PM the night before
• The main event runs from 9am-5pm, if you’re speaking later on in the day please let me know if you’re not going to be there from the start so I don’t panic.

This is very much a WIP so feel free to keep checking back.