Call for speakers
Our 2027 Call for Speakers is running from 1st July to 31st August. We are currently accepting talk submissions for NZ Tech Rally 2027.
100% of our talks are selected from our public Call for Speakers submission pool. We never give any speaking slots to any sponsors or vendors as part of prior arrangements or sponsorship packages.
Talk length
40 minutes for keynote talks.
25 minutes for track talks.
There is no on-stage Q&A. This will be encouraged at breaks - morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
Date & venue
Friday, 7th May 2026
TĀKINA, 50 Cable Street, Wellington, New Zealand
How many speakers are you looking for?
This year, we’re looking for a total of 23 speakers made up of:
3 keynote speakers
4 speakers in each of our 5 dedicated tracks:
AI, Data & Ethics
Testing & Quality
Product, Design & UX
Engineering & Platforms
Community, Culture & Wellbeing
Compensation
Preparing a good talk takes time, effort, and care, and we value that. Here is what we offer to every speaker for each in-person talk delivered on our stage:
A $500 speaking fee (excluding GST).
High-resolution photos of you delivering your talk.
A full talk recording published on our YouTube channel.
How do i submit my talk?
You can send us one or more talk submissions using our 2027 talk submission form.
If you are unsure about submitting or have questions that aren’t covered here, please drop us a line at speak@nztechrally.nz.
Speaker selection timeline
1 Jul 2026 - 31 Aug 2026: Call for speakers open.
1 Sep 2026 – 30 Sep 2026: Talk selection rounds. Speaker invitations sent out.
15 Oct 2026: All applicants notified with an outcome.
Why in-person talks only?
At this stage, we don’t have the resources to support live remote presentations, either for speaking or attending. For that reason, we’re asking all speakers to join us in-person.
We know this might limit some folks, and it’s something we hope to improve in the future as our event grows. Thanks for understanding.
Do you record the talks?
Yes, we do our very best to record all talks. You can find recordings from every conference since 2022 on our YouTube channel.
Who selects speakers?
Our talk selection committee will choose all 23 speakers for NZ Tech Rally 2027. It includes our co-founders/organisers and Track leads, who will also MC their tracks on the conference day.
Committee members:
Camy Bhandari - Event Lead & Director @ NZ Tech Rally
Track Lead, Engineering & Platforms - TBC
Track Lead, Testing & Quality - TBC
Track Lead, AI, Data & Ethics - TB
Track Lead, Product, UX & Design -TBC
Track Lead, Community, Culture & Wellbeing -TBC
How do you select speakers?
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 Camy, 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 talk prep guide 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.