Our speaker selection process

100% of our selected talks come through our public Call for Speakers submissions. If a selected speaker withdraws or a last-minute emergency arises, we prioritise previously reviewed submissions that meet our quality and diversity standards to ensure fairness.

We never reserve speaking slots for sponsors or vendors. This policy is clearly stated in our sponsorship information and contracts. If someone from a sponsoring company appears on the programme, it’s because they submitted a strong proposal and earned their place through the same process as everyone else.

All talks are selected by our talk selection committee.

We begin with a blind review process, where reviewers focus solely on the strength of the idea and its alignment with the conference theme and target audience. To ensure fairness, all identifying information is removed from submissions during this stage.

Once proposals are assessed on their own merit, we consider the bigger picture, including factors such as gender, ethnicity, lived experience, and career stage, to help us build a diverse speaker lineup that genuinely reflects the richness of Aotearoa New Zealand’s tech community. These diversity considerations help us create balance and representation but never override the quality of ideas.

We actively avoid tokenism and never select anyone solely based on their identity. Every speaker earns their place through a strong idea and the unique perspectives their lived experience brings.

Before finalising the programme, we usually hold a short online kōrero/catchup with speakers. This is a chance to connect, answer any questions, and ensure we’re all aligned.

New to public speaking?

We are well-known for welcoming first-time speakers, and our organisation director is especially passionate about using this platform to amplify diverse and quieter voices. If you’ve never spoken in public or to a large audience before, this is a great place to start. What matters most to us are your ideas, your story, and what inspired them.

You’ll get plenty of support & coaching from our Speaker manager, Prae, and probably more pep talks than you’ll need-often from your Track lead. By the time you step on stage, you’ll feel confident and ready to share your perspective.

We’re also happy to connect you with our alumni speakers for mentoring and guidance, to help you bringing your unique voice to the stage.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

We lead by example when it comes to creating an inclusive event. That means showcasing role models across genders, ethnicities, races, abilities, and backgrounds. Our speakers are seen as leaders in the community, and we recognise the impact they have through their stories and work.

When it comes to speaker selection, we aim for:

• At least 50% of our speakers to be women, gender-diverse, or non-binary.

• At least 50% from ethnic and racial minorities, with a focus on intersectionality.

• Representation from a wide range of age groups, inspiring techies across generations.

• Talks aimed at both individual contributors and those in leadership or management.

• A lineup that reflects the diversity of Aotearoa’s tech sector - from startups and scale-ups to enterprise tech, consultancies, and the public sector.

These are aspirational goals to help us build an inclusive and balanced programme. They are not rigid quotas, and every speaker earns their place based on the quality of their idea and the value of their lived experience.

Get help with your talk submission

Our crew has written a talk submission guide that walks you through each question in the talk details section of the submission form. The guide also contains talk examples from our previous conferences. So we highly recommend giving it a read. If you still have questions on the submission form or process, please email us at speak@nztechrally.nz to chat with one of our crew members. We will try our best to reply to your email within 5 working days and setup an online call if needed.

Talk preparation and practice

Preparation support we offer includes:

• NZ Tech Rally for conference speakers.

• Up-to-date information about the event, tech setup, access, and etc.

• Brainstorming and firming up ideas with your Track lead or Speaker liaison.

• Pitch, slides and script review with your Track lead or Speaker liaison.

• One-on-one practice sessions with your Track lead.

• Accessibility checks with crew.

• Group speaker’s coaching sessions run by our crew, specifically tailored for NZ Tech Rally events.

• Connecting you to our past speakers for guidance and mentoring.