This rider exists to make planning easy and to ensure the experience is great for attendees, organizers, and speakers. I’m flexible on many details if we talk early—clarity up front prevents day-of-stress.
Quick Reference (The “Must-Haves”)
If you’re in a hurry, these are my non-negotiables for saying “yes”:
- Safety: A public, enforced Code of Conduct.
- Access: Real, step-free accessibility (including the stage).
- Logistics: Travel and hotel covered for in-person events.
- Transparency: Clear agreement on recording and usage rights.
About me
Topics & Bio
Topics: I speak about developer productivity, not as theory, but as practice. My focus is the stuff that compounds: workflows, onboarding, docs, content, and the habits that keep teams moving.
Bio: Kevin is a developer advocate and educator with over a decade of experience in developer tooling, education, and community growth. He helps engineers learn faster, build better workflows, and get more value from the platforms and tools they use every day. He’s a JavaScript developer (often working with Vue), an avid boardgamer, and a tired dad of two amazing kids. He’s based in Berlin despite not drinking beer or liking techno.
Organizer Note
I’m a former events organizer myself. I treat event success as symbiotic: you bring a thoughtful audience, and I’ll do everything I can to help the day go well—even beyond my own session.
1. The Invitation
To help me give you a fast answer, please include:
- The Basics: Event name, dates, location, and expected attendance/audience.
- The Format: Talk length, workshop needs, and Q&A preference.
- The Package: Speaker fee/honorarium, travel, and lodging details.
- The Content: Your plan for recording, streaming, or publishing.
2. Values & Environment
Code of Conduct
Your event must have an explicitly defined Code of Conduct that is easy to find, includes clear reporting channels, and has a defined enforcement process.
Accessibility
- Physical: Step-free access to all areas, including the stage.
- Audio/Visual: Microphones for all rooms and a captioning plan (live preferred, high-quality auto-captions for smaller budgets).
- Remote: A tech check, run-of-show, and moderated chat.
3. Logistics & Compensation
Travel & Lodging
- Coverage: Travel (flight/train), local transport, and a hotel near the venue with reliable Wi-Fi.
- Booking: I strongly prefer direct booking by the organizer to avoid the “reimburse later” model.
- Passes: A full event pass should be included.
Fees
- Professional/For-Profit: I typically expect a speaker fee or honorarium.
- Community/Non-Profit: I’m flexible! Tell me what you can do (covering travel/hotel is the priority) and we’ll find a way to make it work.
If I am explicitly representing my employer then I won’t expect a fee, but travel and lodging may still apply. If there is a fee budgeted, I will typically ask you to donate it to your event’s inclusion program or directly to a charity.
4. Technical & Stage Requirements
A/V Setup
- Hardware: I present from my own laptop (HDMI or USB-C).
- Slides: I will provide slides after the event for sharing.
- Display: 16:9 ratio preferred. Please disable auto-sleep on venue displays.
Recording & Usage
I’m happy to be recorded with advance agreement.
- Ownership: I retain ownership of my content and slides.
- Usage: Please confirm where the video will live and if it’s paywalled.
- Restrictions: No usage as paid training content, sponsor marketing, or AI model training without explicit permission.
5. Collaboration & Support
How I can help
I’m happy to go beyond the talk to support your event:
- Helping with “hallway” logistics or AV hiccups.
- Using my “booming voice” for announcements.
- Joining speaker dinners, AMAs, or office hours. Note: Please ask in advance so we can align on expectations!
Cancellations
I try hard not to cancel. However, if safety, accessibility, or CoC enforcement is materially impacted, I reserve the right to withdraw (with a best-effort for a remote alternative).