Speaking at the SQDG is a great opportunity to share your experience and insights on software quality with the local community. We want to hear from you!

In developing the schedule for an SQDG season, there are two ways individuals may be selected as speakers.

1. SQDG Contacts a Speaker - Depending on the theme for a given season, SQDG may choose to contact a presenter who offers a unique perspective through their experience, industry, etc.
2. Abstract Submission & Selection - An individual interested in presenting, submits a presentation proposal for review and is selected to present.

If you are interested in presenting, we encourage you to submit an proposal. No previous presentation experience is required.

To submit an abstract, please send an email to the Programme Director with your abstract and outline your interest in presenting at the SQDG.

Abstracts should be based on personal experience and are to be a maximum of 250 words. Your abstract should provide a short summary describing what you will be presenting on, highlight the learning from your experience, and share the outcomes attendees can expect to learn.

If writing an abstract is a new experience for you, please feel free to email the Programme Director with any questions you may have.

Abstracts will be reviewed and feedback will be provided, if required, to ensure comprehensive and diverse topic coverage for the theme of the SQDG season. We are committed to responding to all submissions.

Once a proposal has been selected, the presenter and the Programme Director will confirm the date for the session. Presenters will then be asked to provide the Speaker Submission Requirements.

In order to advertise your session the following specifics are required:

• Presentation Title
• Presentation Abstract (maximum 250 words)
• Presentation Materials (to be posted on the website in PDF format)
• Presenter Bio (maximum 250 words)
• Presenter Picture (high resolution image)
• Company Name (if applicable)
• LinkedIn Profile (if applicable)
• Website or Blog URL (if applicable)

Events are posted on the SQDG website, SQDG newsletter, SQDG LinkedIn Group, and as a LinkedIn Event. In the event there is any contact information you do not wish to have published, please let us know.

To assist in effectively advertising your session, submission deadlines will be provided for each of the requirements above. This helps to ensure there is sufficient advance notification to the SQDG members and local community.

Please consider the following guidelines as you prepare your presentation:

• Sessions are 60 minutes long. One of the SQDG Directors will spend a couple minutes introducing you, your topic and may have some general announcements.
• Spend approximately 40 - 45 minutes presenting your content. Dedicate approximately 3 minutes to building the bridge between the content you have shared and realistic next steps the attendees can take to implement what they have learned. Reserve 10 minutes for Q & A.
• If you are giving a case study, avoid the temptation to tell the audience everything about your company. Give them enough information to understand your unique situation and the basis for your case study focus.
• Refrain from personal or sale promotion. This is an educational forum, and therefore marketing is not appropriate.
• Provide as much concrete information as you can, connecting theory with best practice and your experiential knowledge.
• Please ensure you have a backup copy of your presentation available in the event of laptop failure or other unforeseen circumstances.
• Joint presentations are welcome.

Please see the Location page for specifics on the location for the current season. In the event your session is being held at a different location, please see the Schedule for details on the location of your session.

SQDG sessions are scheduled from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm; doors open at 11:30 am. Please arrive at 11:30 to allow for time to set up and prepare.

The session room is set up theatre style with rows of chairs and a central podium. The room set up may not be altered. The room contains the following AV equipment:

• Computer projector unit and connection cable
• Projection screen

The room does not include a laptop computer. Please be sure to bring your own laptop computer and all your own connectors, mouse, and power cables.

During the season SQDG may host a session comprised of "Lightning Talks". Lightning talks provide an excellent format for covering diverse topics and generating interesting discussion.

A "Lightning Talk" is a 5 minute talk given by a presenter on a specific topic. Since the time allotted is only 5 minutes, presenters are asked to present on a small slice of their chosen topic. The talk is timed and when the 5 minute period runs out, the presenter is asked to finish their sentence and the talk ends. Another 5 minutes is allocated for Q&A about the presentation. After the Q&A session has completed, another presenter is called and the same process starts again.