Talk prep guide for NZ Tech Rally 2026

Talk length and timing

Keynotes are 40 minutes. Track talks are 25 minutes.

Please rehearse your talk so you stay within time. Going over time affects the full schedule, especially as attendees move between rooms.

To help you on the day, your track lead will show:

  • A yellow card at 10 minutes remaining

  • A red card at 5 minutes remaining

Audience Q&A

We won’t be running live Q&A on stage.

This is common at professional events and helps avoid awkward situations for speakers.

Our MCs will encourage attendees to connect with you during breaks and at the networking mixer.

Slide count guidance

For a 25-minute talk, we recommend between 8–20 slides.
For a 40-minute talk, we recommend between 15–30 slides.

These are just guides. If you’re unsure, feel free to reach out to us speak@nztechrally.nz.

Talk recordings

All 2026 conference talks are being recorded.

We aim to share recordings within 2–4 weeks after the event. This allows us time to edit and make them digitally accessible (with closed captions for videos and transcripts for website).

Slides format & due date

We run all talks through Google Slides deck.

Please upload your slides in PowerPoint or Google Slides format to your Google drive folder.

We’ll start moving slides into the master deck from 7 May. Please upload a working copy to your Google drive folder by Thursday, May 7, 2026.

After that, you can continue editing your slides directly in the master deck right up until your talk.

Plain language

We’re big on plain English at Tech Rally.

A lot of our attendees are non-native English speakers. Keeping your language simple makes your talk easier to follow and more inclusive.

Short sentences help. Clear words help. You don’t need to simplify your ideas — just how you explain them.

Resources: Plain language guide

Inclusive language

Tech Rally conference is a highly inclusive space, so we also encourage the use of inclusive language in your talk and slides.

This can be small things, like avoiding assumptions, using neutral terms, and being mindful of how examples are framed.

And if you want a second pair of eyes on your slides, just reach out — we are happy to help.

Resources: Inclusive language guide

Slide design and accessibility

Keep slides simple

  • Avoid long paragraphs.

  • Avoid large bullet lists.

  • Focus on one idea per slide.

Use strong contrast

  • Dark text on light background, or vice versa.

  • Avoid low contrast colour combinations.

  • Resources: WebAIM contrast checker

Use visuals well

  • Use images or diagrams where helpful.

  • Make sure any text in images is readable.

  • Avoid clutter or “keyword dumping”.

A note on engagement

A simple way to start your talk is with a question, a short story, or something light.

It helps settle the room and brings people in early.

Opening and closing slides

We’ll have a Tech Rally branded opening slide on screen when MC introduces you and your talk. We also encourage you to have an opening slide with your name and your talk name.

Please include a final “thank you” slide with your links (LinkedIn, GitHub, blog, Substack, YTB, etc). QR codes work well here.

Sharing personal photos in slides

You’re welcome to include personal or family photos in your slides.

Just keep in mind that all talks are recorded and shared publicly on our YouTube.

As part of our Tech Rally policy, we blur the faces of young children in the final talk recordings.

Maintaining a talk references & resources list

We strongly recommend keeping a list of references from your talk.

You can add this to your Speaker & Talk Details document on Google Drive.

You’re also welcome to include any additional resources that support your topic.

We’ll share this list in your talk’s YouTube description and on our website.

Examples:

Our YouTube talk library

We’ve recorded and published around 40 talks on our YouTube channel.

If you haven’t attended or spoken at a Tech Rally event before, it’s a great place to get a feel for our talks and our inclusive environment.

Code of conduct

As part of your speaker agreement, you’re expected to follow NZ Tech Rally’s code of conduct.

This means:

  • No offensive language or content.

  • Please avoid swear words in your talk.

  • No sexual, racist, ageist, or derogatory remarks.

  • Please avoid political content that isn’t directly relevant to your talk.

  • Avoid polarising remarks or content that may make parts of the audience feel excluded.

We review slides ahead of time to help catch any issues early.

If there is a serious breach of the code of conduct during a talk, we may step in and stop the session.

We know this is direct, but it helps us keep Tech Rally safe and welcoming for everyone.