Last year, we hosted the first MozCon Ignite, and it was a blast. We had so much fun listening to 5-minute stories on everything, from how to cook a hot dog to running a coffee charity from your kitchen, that we're bringing the event back for a second year. We can't wait to hear your story. MozCon Ignite takes place Tuesday, September 13, during MozCon as one of our evening networking events. In order to attend, you gotta:

Buy your MozCon 2016 ticket!

Wait, what is an Ignite-style talk?

Ignite-style talks are five minutes in length, with auto-advancing slides. They tell short stories to spark ideas and conversations. If you're still scratching your head, check out Ignite Seattle's Scott Berkun giving an Ignite-style talk explaining Ignite talks:

How does Ignite work at MozCon?

Each evening at MozCon, we provide fun, networking, and relaxing after a day of learning. MozCon Ignite specifically focuses on networking and kicking back to be entertained with stories from your fellow attendees.

We want you to share your stories, passions, and experiences. There are 16 — yes, 16 — speaking slots.

Our one topic rule: these stories cannot be about online marketing or career advice. We've heard all about that during the day. To get your ideas flowing, these were the topics from last year:

• Regales of an Accidental Nightcrawler Stunt Double with Jay Neill
• Sled Dogs, Northern Lights, and Mushing Tails! with Anna Anderson
• Performing a Canine C-Section with Marie Haynes
• Bulltown Strutters: The Band That Married Its City with Mark Traphagen
• Okay, I Have a Confession: I Was Homeschooled with Garrett Mehrguth
• Conquering the 100 Best Books of All Time with Kristen Craft
• Tales of Coffee from a Kitchen Window with Scott Callender
• Go Frost Yourself: 7 Basic Frostings & Their Uses with Annette Promes
• A Creative Endeavor Inspires & Lengthens a Life with Ralph Legnini
• Finding and Embracing Healthy Eating Habits with Carrie Hill
• I Was Told There Would Be Hoverboards. with Dan Petrovic
• The Day I Disremembered with Chris Hanson
• What Did You Expect in an Opera, a Happy Ending? with Chrissi Reimer
• The Best Practices in Cooking Hot Dogs with Josh Couper
• Raising My Parents with Jen Lopez
• Stoned Nerd versus the Four-Legged Home Invaders with Ian Lurie

The ever-fabulous Geraldine DeRuiter, aka the Everywhereist, will be back as emcee.

Annette talks about yummy ganaches at MozCon Ignite 2015.

The basic details to pitch

• To submit, just fill out the form below.
• Please only submit one talk! We want the one you're most excited about.
• Talks cannot be about online marketing or career-focused.
• They are only 5 minutes in length, so plan accordingly.
• If you are already speaking on the MozCon stage, you cannot pitch for this event. You also cannot pitch if you spoke at MozCon Ignite previously.
• Submissions close on Thursday, July 21 at 5pm PDT.
• Selection decisions are final and will be made in late July/early August.
• All presentations must adhere to the MozCon Code of Conduct.
• You must attend MozCon, September 12–14, and the Tuesday night event in person, in Seattle.

If selected, you will get the following:

• 5 minutes on the Tuesday night stage to share with our audience. The event lasts from 7–10pm and will be at McCaw Hall (where the Seattle Opera is).
• $300 off a regular priced ticket to MozCon. (If you already purchased yours, we'll issue a $300 refund for a regular-priced ticket or $100 for an early-bird ticket. Discount not available for super early-bird special.)
• We will work with you to hone your talk!
• Stage tour of event space between 5–7pm Tuesday night so you can get familiar with the venue and being on stage before the crowd shows up.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide travel coverage for MozCon Ignite speaking slots.

What makes a great pitch?

• Focus on the five minute length.
• Be passionate about what you're speaking about. Tell us what's great about it.
• For extra credit, include links to videos of you doing public speaking.
• Follow the guidelines. Yes, the word counts are limited on purpose. Do not submit links to Google Docs, etc. for more information. Tricky and multiple submissions will be disqualified.

We cannot wait to see what you want to share with us! Like other MozCon speaker selections, we'll have a small committee of Mozzers reviewing your pitches. If you're interested to see more Ignite talks and get inspired, check out the videos from Ignite Seattle 30 — you may see yours truly in one of them. ;-)

As always, best of luck pitching! And we'll let you know either way with regards to our decision. May the odds ever be in your favor.

Buy your MozCon 2016 ticket and don't miss MozCon Ignite!