Everything you need to know about having a gig at Nomadbase

First of all, thank you so much for offering your contribution to the Nomadbase event. Speaking at the event is a lot of fun and is a way to grow your influence and continue to establish your expertise. In order to have an incredible event, you do need to prepare, and we are here to help you with this as much as possible.

This is a guideline on how to get ready for your talk. Please read it carefully, and if you have any questions, ask Dori, who will be helping you with anything you need.

Formats

Keynotes

While your speaker slot is 30 minutes long, this time has to fit your introduction and a Q&A session as well, so please plan your speech to fit in 20-25 mins. This helps us keep our tightly scheduled program on track.
Keynote sessions are short but should be packed with valuable information. The content of your talk should be based on your own experiences and knowledge. Sharing your expertise / story / case studies should help members take action.

Workshops

In general, workshops can be either 60 or 90 minutes long and the exact duration will depend on what we agree on when we finalize the details of your gig.
This is an interactive session where you should get your attendees involved and practice on the spot. The aim is to make them take action and actively participate so they can apply the new knowledge immediately. Please also make sure to leave enough time for questions.

General Advice

We’re looking for advanced topics with practical information and examples. Attendees should leave your session with a step by step guide on how to act on your ideas. They are looking to improve what they are doing, rather than looking for a basic how-to.

The content of your presentation

Please make sure your talk/workshop has a clear message. The sessions should have specific and actionable items that you will share with your audience, rather than secret tips that you aren’t willing to reveal.
Remember the golden rule, less is more. Take out the parts of your speech that are not necessarily leading you to your message and don’t try to share everything you know about the topic.
We all like to see facts and case studies that prove your message so we encourage you to show examples during your presentation.
At the end of your talk/workshop please summarize 2-3 main takeaways that will help your audience remember the core message of your presentation.
In the beginning of your talk please only share information about yourself that is supporting the conclusion of your talk.

Please don’t use the talk as a promotion for your services. Promotion and buzz about your company will naturally flow from delivering a high quality session.

Structure

There are different ways to deliver your message but here is a suggestion of a keynote structure we’ve found to work well:

Introduction: The introduction is a crucial part of your talk.

Start by making your audience care, using a relatable example or idea. You could start with:
– a clear statement
– a surprising fact
– a personal story

Don’t focus too much on yourself.
Don’t open with a string of stats.

Body: Present your topic and evidence.

Explain your idea/topic clearly.
Make a list of all the evidence you want to use. Bear in mind the two different sources: items your audience already knows about and the things you’ll need to convince them of. Be brief about items that your audience already knows and spend more time on new information.
Order the items in your list based on what a person needs to know before they can understand the next point, and from least to most exciting. Now cut out everything you possibly can without losing the integrity of your argument.
Address any doubts your audience might have about your topic.
Don’t use too much jargon.

Conclusion: Find the landing point in your presentation that will leave your audience feeling positive.

Tell them how your topic might affect their lives if they implement it.
Summarize the biggest takeaways from your talk.
Try to avoid ending with a pitch.
Give a call to action that will make them take action.

Preparing Your Slides

There is a screen and projector available for all talks/workshops therefore we encourage you to prepare a few slides that will support your session. Please have it online so we can access it easily. You can use Google slides / Canva or any other tool you like and it is available online.

You will need to send Dori your presentation by the 31st of October to dori@nomadbase.com!

A few things to keep in mind regarding the design:

Please make sure it’s easy to read (colors, font size). Remember that some people will sit in the back and they should be able to read it as well.
One slide = one point.
Reduce the copy: If your audience is reading, they are not listening. Please use bullet points and keywords, don’t put a whole paragraph on your slide. Otherwise it will distract your audience from listening to your words.
Use clear visuals, pictures/videos to make the presentation more interesting.
The most important rule for slides: keep it simple.

Best examples from the past:

Santiago Sosa – Online Marketing Hacks:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15s_6wPgrOoeXwsznG23VTdPPaGet1c4C/view?usp=sharing

Alienor – The Pursuit of (Nomad) Happiness:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f4xsaXgiA9fss7Xk7ZQn03ZMA4NuZ6m6/view?usp=sharing

Rehearse

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Rehearse alone, in front of your friends, a small group or a big one if possible. Keep rehearsing, and focus on talking like you’re speaking to just one person in a spontaneous one-way conversation.

Time yourself. The schedule is very tight therefore it’s important you get the timing right. Practice with the clock winding down in front of you.

On The Day of Your Talk

We have a tight schedule therefore we ask you to arrive 15 minutes before your talk is scheduled so we can get you all set up and ready for your session. As timing is so tight we have to insist that you please keep to your allotted time so the program stays on track.

Technical Information

Internet

You will be able to connect to the wifi provided by the venue but if you would like to show a video maybe it’s best to download what you need before the event to make sure there is no technical issue during your talk.

Projector & mics

There is a screen and projector available for all talks. We have hand mics, please be prepared for them.

Speaker Briefing

We will have a speaker call via Zoom on October 19th, Wednesday, at 6 pm (Berlin time). We’ll go through the most important need-to-knows together. Please mark it in your calendar. We’ll send you the Zoom link and more information a week prior to the call.

We will also do a live briefing at the venue on November 7th at 10.30 am. Here you can test the mic, your slides and discuss all the tiny details with our team.

Next steps

Please put the time of the speaker call in your calendar: October 19th, 6 pm (Berlin time).
Please prepare your presentation based on our guidelines and send it to us by the 31st of October to this email: dori@nomadbase.com.
Please buy your flight ticket and book your accommodation in Cape Town if you haven’t done it yet.

Thank you again for your contribution! If you have any questions just let Dori know. You can send her an email to dori@nomadbase.com.