Add Speaker Guidelines (#1327)

Co-authored-by: pre-commit-ci[bot] <66853113+pre-commit-ci[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Mia Bajić <[email protected]>

Author: 3 people

src/content/pages/guidelines.mdx

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+---
+title: Speaker Guidelines
+subtitle: Are you presenting a session at EuroPython this year? We can’t wait to see it!
+---
+
+# Speaker Guidelines
+
+> Are you presenting a session at EuroPython this year? We can’t wait to see it!
+
+Below we have a number of suggestions to help make your session a success. Of course, these are just
+guidelines - the most important thing is that your session reflects the story you want to tell in
+the most authentic way possible!
+
+If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to [email protected].
+
+## Making great slides
+
+Remember that slides are there to back up the story you want to tell the audience, not to be the
+star of the show (that’s you!). As such, try to think about how you can keep the attention of your
+audience on what you’re saying, not what is on your slides. Some guidelines that can help with this
+are:
+
+* Try to minimise the amount of text on your slide. Audiences will automatically start reading any
+  text on a slide, and not listen to you while they’re doing so.
+* Use simple animations to display parts of the slide at a time, so that it is clear to the audience
+  what you want them to pay attention to.
+* Try to “show, not tell” by using images or simple diagrams instead of text.
+* Don’t put anything on your slides that you don’t intend to explain.
+* Try not to cram too much on one slide. There are no hard and fast rules about how many slides to
+  have in a talk, as long as the slides naturally flow with your spoken narrative and don’t overwhelm
+  your audience with information.
+
+This [wonderful blog
+post](https://distinct-browser-08c.notion.site/purplecon-tips-for-writing-a-good-conference-talk-cab51d9bfd474e26ae4b021a7a12f38b)
+goes into a lot more detail about how to really polish your slides.
+
+If you’re in any room except for Forum Hall (the main room), please try not to present any important
+information in the lower third of the slides. Due to how the rooms are set up, this section may not
+be visible to people at the back of the room.
+
+## Making sure everyone can hear you
+
+We will be using the microphones in the podiums for talks and tutorials. For optimal audio quality
+and recording, adjust the microphone's height and angle to aim directly at your head (not your
+chest), especially if the previous speaker was significantly taller or shorter.
+
+Maintain a consistent distance of 15-30 cm from the mic; this captures your voice clearly whilst
+minimising distracting plosives or breathing sounds. Crucially, stay in front of the microphone and
+near the podium throughout your talk, as moving away will mean the audience (and livestream) might
+not hear you properly.
+
+If a question is asked from the audience without a microphone, please repeat it clearly into your
+microphone before answering. This ensures everyone in the room, as well as those on the livestream,
+can understand the context of your answer.
+
+## Presenting code effectively
+
+Please make sure that the code in your editor or IDE is big enough for the audience to read, and to
+be readable on the livestream and video recording. Use a font of at least **size 24**, or a zoom of
+at least **175%**. Please also use a light theme.
+
+As with the slides, please do not show any code you’re explaining on the lower third of the screen
+(unless you are presenting in Forum Hall), as people sitting at the back of the room may not be able
+to see it.
+
+Remember that this will be your audience’s first time seeing the code you’re sharing. Try not to
+show too much code at a time, and go through it bit-by-bit to make sure your audience is following
+what you’re trying to convey.
+
+If you’re planning on doing live coding, we advise recording a video as a plan B. Nerves can get the
+best of all of us, and in the case you mistype your code may not work. We also advise having a local
+backup of anything you need rather than relying on the internet: while we do have dedicated ethernet
+cables on the podiums, Murphy has a special nose for materials needed during live sessions.
+
+## Making your session accessible for everyone
+
+We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable at EuroPython. As such, it’s important that your
+session is accessible for all of your audience members.
+
+In order to make accessible slides, you can check the following guidelines. In general, please
+consider the following:
+
+* Use a simple, sans serif font with enough spacing between letters, with at least an 18-point font
+  size. Examples include Calibri, Franklin Gothic Book, Lucida Sans and Segoe UI.
+* Use enough spacing between lines of text, and limit the amount of text per slide.
+* Use high-contrast colours, but please avoid red-green combinations. Try to use an off-white or
+  cream background instead of bright white. This tool can help to select accessible colour
+  combinations.
+* Avoid using images with text that might be hard to read.
+
+Some people may be sensitive to loud noises, flashing lights or strobing effects. If you plan to use
+any of these, please give a warning beforehand.
+
+Remember that many people in the audience are not native English speakers. Please try not to speak
+very quickly and speak as clearly as you can, in order to give everyone a chance to follow you.
+
+## Managing your time
+
+Talks include a 5 minute Q&A, meaning you will have 25 or 40 minutes to deliver your content. You
+may opt out of questions and use this entire time for your talk, but please let your session chair
+know that you want to do this before you start. You will be given a hard stop at the end of your
+session time in order to allow people to change rooms.
+
+There is at least 10 minutes between each talk. Please arrive at the beginning of this 10 minute
+slot to set up for your talk and to make sure you have plenty of time to iron out any technical
+issues.
+
+For tutorials, please arrive at least 20 minutes beforehand to make sure you have everything set up.
+Note that all tutorials include a 15 minute coffee break (check [the
+schedule](https://ep2025.europython.eu/schedule/tutorials/) for more details), so please plan
+accordingly.
+
+## Setting up on the day
+
+We do not provide computers for the presentation, so please bring your own device.
+
+Each room will have the following connectors at the podium:
+
+* A HDMI cable to connect to the projector. We will do our best to have USB-C to HDMI adapters for
+  all of them, but we strongly encourage you to bring your own if you need one.
+* A wired ethernet cable. Please bring your own USB-C to RJ45 Ethernet adapter if your laptop
+  requires one. You can of course use the Conference Wifi that all attendees use as well.
+* A power outlet to connect your charger with a [Type E plug](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schuko).
+  Please note that Macbooks can enter power saving mode if they are not plugged in, even with a full
+  |battery, leading to them having issues sending signals  to the projector. As such, it’s safest to
+  have your Macbook charger handy.
+
+For all rooms except the Forum Hall, technicians usually arrive around an hour before the first
+sessions start. Please feel free to come by your room to test your setup. In the case that no one is
+there, they are likely to have just popped out, so don’t despair! Come back until you catch them.
+
+**Meeting Room 241** will be available as a Speaker Ready Room. There will be a monitor with an HDMI
+cable if you want to check the set up for your presentation.
+
+## Preparing for any technical difficulties
+
+Even the best programmes can fail (we know this better than anyone!), and in a high pressure
+situation like a live talk or tutorial, it’s safest to prepare ahead.
+
+We strongly recommend converting your final presentation slides to a universally viewable and
+WYSIWYG format such as PDF, and back this up both locally and in a place that can be easily
+retrieved from another device. This will not only give you a backup on your own device in case your
+presentation software or the connection to the cloud fails, but also allow you to quickly share it
+with a friend and use their device in case of complete failure.
+
+In the case your session may require a special technical set up, such as playing audio or video, or
+needing extra devices such as a screen reader or an instrument, we ask that you please contact the
+Programme Committee ([email protected]) ahead of the conference. We can then set aside a
+specific time at the conference for you to test your setup before your session.
+
+## Sharing your content
+
+Please upload your slides directly to Pretalx before your session using the Resources section.
+
+You can also optionally share your slides, and any other resources, during your session using a QR
+code.
+
+Sharing your content allows attendees, especially those with vision impairments, to follow your
+content on their own devices. It also means they can easily follow up on anything interesting you
+shared as part of your talk!
+
+## Knowing how many people to expect in your session
+
+Each of the session rooms has a different capacity. You can find how many people your room will hold
+below. Please note that this is the maximum capacity: as there are many sessions running at the same
+time, your final number of attendees is likely to be smaller than this.
+
+<div class="md_table">
+| Room | Maximum capacity |
+|------|------------------|
+| **Talks**               |
+| Forum Hall | 700        |
+| North Hall | 210        |
+| South Hall 2A | 210     |
+| South Hall 2B | 210     |
+| Terrace 2A | 160        |
+| Terrace 2B | 120        |
+| **Tutorials**           |
+| Club A | 100            |
+| Club B | 40             |
+| Club C | 40             |
+| Club D | 40             |
+| Club E | 100            |
+| Club H | 100            |
+| **Open spaces**         |
+| South Room 221+222 | 30 |
+| South Room 223+224 | 30 |
+</div>
+
+## Specific advice for tutorials
+
+Please note that tutorials are intended to be a hands-on experience for the attendees, rather than a
+long talk. This means that a substantial component of the workshop should involve exercises that
+your participants can complete on their own machines at their own pace. In the case you intend to do
+live coding, this should be either done slowly enough that attendees can follow along, or be able to
+be replicated in a later exercise.
+
+Please keep in mind that if attendees need to download materials for your tutorial, it is better to
+give them a heads up at least a couple of days prior. Bandwidth will be limited, and many public
+resources have some kind of rate limiting set up.
+
+If you will need helpers for your session, please add them to your session in Pretalx or contact the
+Programme Committee ([email protected]) ahead of the conference, as we’ll need to create
+tutorial tickets for them.
+
+To keep a more relaxed learning atmosphere there will be no video recording of your tutorial. Please
+note that this also means that participants cannot scroll back if they miss something, so if in
+doubt, go slow and be clear.
+
+## Specific advice for posters
+
+Posters need to be printed on size A0 paper with a portrait orientation. Please take care of the
+poster printing yourself ahead of the conference. We will provide a freestanding poster board you
+can stick your poster to. Please bring something to stick your poster to the board which will not
+damage it, such as Blu Tack. (We might have some at reception, but can not guarantee that.)
+
+Poster sessions will take place in the hallway, close to the open space desks.
+
+Please check the schedule for your assigned slot. This is the expected “minimum time” for you to be
+with your poster, but you are naturally welcome to stay for longer, or organise specific additional
+times for people to come and discuss your poster. As many things are happening at the conference at
+the same time, you might get a lower turn out during your actual poster session, but you can drum up
+interest in your poster throughout the whole conference - maybe even in a lightning talk!
+
+It can feel a little awkward being in your poster session at first, but try to relax and have fun.
+As you see people walking around the session, or even looking at yours, start a conversation in a
+non-intrusive way (a friendly “Hey there!” is a great opener!). Ask a few questions about why
+they’re at the conference, and gently steer the conversation towards your poster. Before you know it
+you’ll be having a blast!

src/data/links.json

@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@
           "name": "Tracks",
           "path": "/tracks"
         },
+        {
+          "name": "Speaker Guidelines",
+          "path": "/guidelines"
+        },
         {
           "name": "Speaker Mentorship",
           "path": "/mentorship"