Notes

Run: Family Jog

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Why We Need to Be in the Same Room – aka Reasons to Attend Events

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Something has been is on my mind lately all the time – or rather, it’s been confirmed by the words of others I respect. People are writing about conferences again. Not about which ones to attend, or how to get a speaking slot, but about why they matter at all. And I think that conversation is worth pulling together in one place, to remind those who have forgotten or those who never learned.

Michael Flarup recently wrote about what he calls The Comeback of Small Conferences. After attending two very different events back to back – Arctic Conference in Oulu, Finland, and the inaugural Tokyo Design Forum in Shibuya – he noticed the exact same thing happening in both places: people travelling long distances, not just for the talks, but for everything around them. The conversations, the shared experiences, the feeling of being part of something, even if only for a few days. What struck him was that these weren’t isolated cases of talented organisers making great events. They were the response to something happening around us. We are living through one of the biggest technological transitions humanity has ever faced, and the uncertainty of where we are headed makes people ask questions. Those conversations happen online, but the environment in fragmented communities on platforms (aka social media) designed for reach often produces more anxiety than closure, in my opinion.

There’s a realness that comes from meeting your peers face to face. All of the fluff that so often surrounds online discourse falls away. There is no hype, just passion. No engagement hook, just curiosity.

Instead of making followers, you make friends. (Michael Flarup)

“Small” events optimise for signal over noise. Fewer people. More conversations. Perspective is hard to get through a screen. It is easier in a room.

Also Sophie Koonin wrote a piece last year already which is simply titled You Should Go to Conferences. It’s direct, it’s generous, and it makes the case plainly: conferences are a fantastic way to not only broaden your horizons when it comes to your job and your skills, but also meet people who might lead you to a new role, or new experiences. She also touches on something I know all too well from the organiser’s side: since the pandemic, everything has become more challenging. Everything is more expensive. Companies have been tightening their belts and people are buying tickets later and later, making it genuinely unclear whether events will sell enough to go ahead. She mentions beyond tellerrand, my own event, specifically and links to something I wrote about the state of events in 2024. It means a lot when people in the community take the time to reflect on these things publicly.

The talks are obviously very important, but one of the best things about conferences is the "hallway track" – that is, meeting and chatting to like-minded folks. (Sophie Koonin)

Well and then there is the recap of my own talk at T3CON24, written up by the TYPO3 team: Why Independent Community Events Matter. It covers territory I care deeply about. At large corporate-sponsored events, feedback is considered in aggregate. At smaller independent ones, individual critique will actually be heard and implemented. And when people see their feedback being listened to, they become more thoughtful about the criticism they offer. That loop, the one between organisers and the community, is one of the things that makes independent events worth protecting.

Those events also have greater freedom to experiment, to welcome underrepresented groups and to provide a platform for diverse voices that may be excluded from corporate events often curated with a particular brand image in mind. That freedom is fragile, though. It depends on people actually showing up. On buying tickets early. On convincing employers that sending someone to a “small” conference has real value, even if the ROI is harder to put in a spreadsheet.

What all three pieces above share is a recognition that something real is happening and needs to happen: a kind of recalibration, a reaching toward contact and community after years of screen saturation. A conference is one of the few places where a scattered online community briefly becomes real. There is no hype, just passion. No engagement hook, just curiosity. Instead of making followers, you make friends, as Michael says.

I am running beyond tellerrand for fifteen years now. [Düsseldorf is coming up this April](beyondtellerrand.com/events/dusseldorf-2026/. If you've been thinking about going to a conference – any conference, not just mine – I want to encourage you to stop thinking and book the ticket now. The community that shows up for these events is the community that keeps them alive. Especially in times where finding sponsors for an event is tough.

Michael also published a longer companion piece, The Conference Playbook, which goes deep on what makes a good conference. Worth bookmarking if you organise events or are thinking about it. And if you know of other articles on this theme, please send them my way.

Links with Tips and Advice for Public Speaking

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Note: This article was originally posted on 18 January 2020, but I updated it several times and last on 1 April 2026 again.

I collected these links to write a blog post at some point, but did not get to the point writing it, yet. Now, to make use of my list already, before getting to the point finally writing a blog post about public speaking, I have sorted my notes and list them here in no specific order. And I am going to let you know as soon as the actual blog post is done. Plus I am, of course, adding new resources any time I find something new.

Writing a Proposal

Writing About Yourself aka Writing Your Bio

Writing and Preparing a Talk

Creating Slides

General Public Speaking Tips (covering the above often as well):

Getting Information to the Organiseres

  • Matthias Ott has written a speaker rider on his own website on which he does what you know from working with bands – if you ever have done this: these are the circumstances under which I come and speak at your event. Friendly, clear, informative – all you need to know as an organiser.
  • It also is important to show the organiser that you did your homework and are prepared. Next to knowing the name of the person you are writing and at least having had a look at the event’s website this means to make up your mind what kind of event you want to speak at. Ethan Marcotte has written this blog post in which he lists his questions he asks any organiser when being contacted.

Books

That's it for now, but I am pretty sure I gonna update it regularly. It would be wonderful, if you send me an email in case you have more links, books or anything that completes this list to learn about public speaking and presenting on stage.

⇾ A “Speaker Rider” – Good Help for Event Organisers

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This is a good page for any event organiser. No question left after reading the speaker rider of Matthias Ott, right?

I directly added it to my collection of useful things for public speaking.

⇾ Visit: A “Speaker Rider” – Good Help for Event Organisers

Ride: Lunch Ride in the Fields

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Ride: Uerdingen >> Rhine >> Meerbusch

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Photos of Web Day Out 2026 in Brighton

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A photo of the speaker’s desk at the event, showing the logo that states “Web Day Out” on three lines

I had a fantastic time. In Many ways. Here are my photos of Web Day Out 2026 in Brighton. (#WebDayOut)

⇾ Congrats to my Friend Gavin Strange for 25 Years of Jamfactory

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Gavin Strange celebrates 25 years of creating under the name of Jamfactory. Wow. And Yay!

I’ve been celebrating as of late, as at the start of the month on the 6th February, it was exactly 25 years since first registering my domain name jam-factory.com, which means it’s been a quarter of a century making stuff under the name of “Jamfactory”! I put together a wee video edit, cataloguing 25 years of passion projects […]

Here is the article and the video.

Congrats on 25 year of “making the all the stuff that absolutely no one asked for” my friend!

⇾ Visit: Congrats to my Friend Gavin Strange for 25 Years of Jamfactory

The Ensh*ttificator

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“The Ensh*ttificator” is a little movie about who it is to blame for all the things getting worse.

This video is part of a campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council for its campaign “Breaking Free” against consumer-unfriendly “enshittification”.

Well, let’s work on it and find that guy!

Podcasting Checklist

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A while ago, when recording an episode for one of my podcasts, I slipped up on a few things that didn’t ruin the conversation or content, but that would have made it a lot more enjoyable to listen to and saved me a lot of editing afterwards.

So, I thought I’d sit down and write out the checklist that I usually keep in my head. It’s (hopefully) a practical list of things for podcasters because I’m sure others have been in the same situation like me, aka “forgetting small details”.

I considered making a separate checklist for guests, but in the end I figured it’s enough for me to have it and simply check in with my guests about the key points. Either via email before the recording or in our chat before. And no, I don’t go through it like an interrogation. That’s just not how I work ;)

A Pre-Talk

I don’t include content preparation in this checklist. A pre-talk, whether written, via email, or a quick (video) call, can even happen right before recording in my opinion.

In this pre-talk, you should let your guest know what they can expect and how you usually run your interview. Tell them how long your episodes typically are or if your format isn’t time-bound at all for example.

It’s also not a bad idea to ask if there are taboo topics or things your guest would prefer not to talk about. This saves awkward pauses during recording, or painful edits later.

Ask whether they’d like to listen to the recording before it goes live, just in case something unintentionally slipped in that makes them uncomfortable. Most people usually say say no anyways, but asking is just nice, isn’t it?

Finally, share the planned publication date.

Your Own Content Prep

Again, I don’t put actual content preparation into the checklist. I focus mostly on the technical stuff here. But of course, doing your homework about your guest is part of being a good host. Especially in interview formats, spending a little time learning about who your guest actually is makes the conversation flow better.

Recording Checklist (For You and Your Guest)

Here’s what I check before and during the recording session:

Mic & Sound

  • Is there a good microphone available?
    • No: What’s the alternative? Usually a headset mic, like the ones that come with an iPhone, sounds way better than most laptop mics. Less room echo, and your guest can wear headphones right away.
    • Yes: Which mic? Make sure your guest knows how to position it. I once didn’t pay attention to this, and my guest spoke into the mic like a stage mic (e.g., Shure SM58), when it was actually meant to be spoken across the side.

Headphones

  • Always use headphones.
    • It doesn’t matter what kind, but not using them risks echo from the guest’s mic picking up your voice. That creates really nasty feedback sounds later which are hard to edit and get rid of.

Room Acoustics

  • Choose a room with as little reverb as possible.
    • Not always doable, sure, but if your guest is mobile and you realise the room sounds like a train station, ask if there’s another space.

Water

  • Have a glass of still water ready.
    • This helps avoid smacking and dry-mouth sounds during the recording.

Noise Control

  • Remind your guest to:
    • Close windows
    • Turn off notifications on all devices
    • Mute their phone
      Basically avoid any distractions or noise before pressing record.

Final Comfort Check

  • Quick check-in:
    • Are they comfortable?
    • Is headphone volume okay?
    • Is your voice clear to them?

Start Recording — Locally Too

  • Once everything’s good, start the local recording and explain it briefly if needed. Even if you’re using software like Riverside, Zoom, or similar, record locally too! It’s your safety net and usually gives you the best sound quality.

That’s it. Hopefully this checklist helps create smooth, fun, and well-sounding episodes. Got additions or experiences that make your workflow even better? Hit me up! I’d love to hear from you! hello@this-website-address