FAQ

Holding a session takes time in its elaboration and preparation. When submitting your proposal, you agree to meet the Session Guidelines’ minimum requirements for the development and organisation of a session. We do not recommend you take part in the Call for Participation (CfP) if you are not ready or able to enter into this commitment.

Spelling, grammar and proper punctuation are important. You wouldn’t send off an application with unfinished sentences and typos either. It’s therefore advised to have your submission proofread before handing it in.

Here are a few key points:

• Use both upper and lower case letters for your title. Please don’t write your title only in caps or with all the words in lower case.
• Punctuation brings rhythm and balance into your thoughts. So don’t be afraid of commas, catchwords, colons and exclamation points!
• Look out for copy & paste mistakes! Seriously! They happen more often than you’d think.
• Read your description to someone else (ideally someone who doesn’t know your topic that well). They can then give you feedback regarding if what you are trying to communicate is understandable.
• AND: even if your concept seem clear and coherent to you, don’t forget that most people who will be reading your description have a different background than you.

A couple more points on the length of the texts:

• The title can have a max. of 200 characters (we radically edit after 200 characters).
• The short thesis cannot be longer than a max. 500 characters.
• The session description has a max. of 2,000 characters (longer texts will either not be assessed or only up until 2,000 characters).

Sure, funny titles are catchy. On the other hand, your title will be up against many other titles, vying for the attention of the visitors. The more straight-ahead and descriptive your title is, the better. “All you need is love: Social media strategies for confronting hate online” is better than “Why all you need is love”.

200 characters is the maximum. While we don’t have any automatic restriction, the title will end up being automatically shortened when it gets to the programme flyer and the upload of the session video. And you don’t want your great title cut off, do you?

It really should be “short”, up to 500 characters. Only state your basic proposition and how you will be discussing / covering it.

No longer than 2,000 characters. Even though we haven’t set up an automatic restriction, we only assess the first 2,000 characters. There isn’t any time for the evaluation of long essays. This will be the text that is published should your idea be accepted. It should be as concise and easy to understand as possible.

No, you shouldn’t do that. While it is technically possible, we can see when you’ve made changes in the backend. The additional editing complicates the curatorial work for us and the programme committee. For this reason, we do not accept changes made after the end of the CfP deadline without prior consultation! Only make changes to your submission if and when we ask you to do so (for example, with suggestions for improvements) or let us know ahead of time that you want to change something, and we will decide on a case-to-case basis.

While it is possible to edit and submit multiple proposals, we will only be taking the most recent submission into account and, only with exception, will we consider a second proposal following the expiration of the final deadline (7 January 2018, 11:59 pm, CET). Quality, not quantity!

• If you submitted a session featuring multiple people on-stage, then you will be the contact person for all questions concerning that session.
   
• You are the organiser and will also feature as a speaker in the session.
   
• You are responsible for making sure the co-speakers register a speaker profile.
   
• You add the co-speakers to your session (see FAQ "How do I add co-speakers?")
   
• You are responsible for communicating all necessary information to your co-speakers
   
• You can only be responsible for one session.

The most interesting sessions offer space for different perspectives. When putting together a panel, remember to keep the fundamental characteristics of a diverse panel in mind:

DIVERSITY and GENDER BALANCE should be understood as a key commitment and component for an empathetic and inclusive community – they represent our stance as event organisers.

All panels should comply with the following guidelines:

• Gender balance (with this, we obviously include persons who do not feel represented by the binary gender paradigm)
• Diversity as regards ethnicity and cultural background or field of work
• A variety of backgrounds in education and work
• A variety of positions and opinions from across the entire (democratic!) spectrum

Yes, the planned speakers should all have at least been informed and invited. They should also be confirmed and added to the session by the time the Call for Participation (CfP) deadline expires (please note: each speaker needs their own speaker account, see FAQ "How do I add co-speakers?").

If you organize a panel it is your responsibility that all speakers add information to their profile and manage these themselves – see also: person responsible for session. Only propose a panel that can actually be realised in that constellation of participants.

As the listed speakers influence the selection process, we’d like to urge you to have confirmed the panellists by the end of the Call for Participation (CfP) phase. You can still enter the desired speaker into the comment field, plus your relationship to them or why you assume they will confirm. If you are that they'll be part of your panel it is better to submit a solo talk.

Each format has a maximum number of possible speakers. Please keep GENDER BALANCE in mind – each session should have a 50% female line-up (the presenter does not count as a speaker).

• Talk 1-2 speakers (same goes for readings or fireside chats)
• Panel discussions 3-4 speakers (including presenter/moderator)
• Workshop 1-2 speakers
• Meetup 1-2 hosts

Your co-speaker must already be registered, have set up an account and have given themselves a username. You will need those before proceeding. When creating a session in the CfP form you will find the “Speaker(s)” box further down.  Click "Add item" to creat a new speaker box and fill in the user name of one co-speaker. Make sure to wait for the autocomplete that verifies the speaker name with our database. You can add the further speakers once we accepted you proposal. Enter the first letters of the co-speakers username, auto-complete will show the correct person should they exist in the system. Save. Done.

Only add people you have confirmed and who have agreed to participate in the CfP! Unsolicited adding of people can lead to exclusion.

The presenter/moderator is a neutral party in a conversation or a panel discussion. They keep the conversation on-topic and guarantee a balance of viewpoints. You should have both your presentation and your speakers already confirmed. If you have difficulties finding the right person, the programme team will be happy to help. We know lots of competent presenters. Contact us at programme-usa@re-publica.de.

Helper registration will be available starting 15 March at 3pm.

1) Now you can start filling out your helper profile. Make sure to fill out all required fields.

2) Choose a username. Please note: this username will be visible to all registered users. Choose a pseudonym (ex. “helper42”) if you prefer not to use your real name.

3) All other data (age, name, etc.) can only be viewed by our helper management team. Enter a valid email address. After submitting you'll be redirected back to our home page and receive an activation link via email. This could take up to 15 minutes. Remember to check your spam filter.

4) Follow the link and create a password. Go to “User Account” in the menu (black bar at the top of the page): here you can view your information, make changes or change your password.

5) In the menu you'll find “Dashboard → Helpers” featuring the following: “Shift Schedule”. Sign up for your shift here. (Please sign up for one shift only!)

6) “Work Areas”: here you'll find descriptions of all the different work areas at re:publica 2018.

7) In your user dashboard you'll see: “My Shift Registrations”: here you can see what shift you have signed up for (in case you signed up for more than one shift, you can use this area remove yourself from those you won't be able to do).

8) If you have further questions: go to “Contact” in order to reach us. 

Contact us at: help (at) re-publica.com.

So far, we have not rejected anyone who has registered as a helper and signed up for a shift. Of course things can always change during the organisation process, such as having to reschedule shifts to fit the event programme or having to scratch a shift completely. However, this happens very infrequently and we strive to find a fitting solution in these rare cases. We will make the helper waiting list available for anyone who hasn't found a suitable shift or who was too late in registering.

If you are 18 or above and are keen to support re:publica 2018 then you can register on our sign-up portal and sign up for a shift. Registration opens around February 2018. We will notify you about the exact start date in advance.

You are invited to join our Helping Hands Facebook Group (optional).

Yes! We assume that the #rp18, like it’s predecessors, will again qualify for educational leaves in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rhineland-Palatinate, the Saarland, Berlin and Hamburg. We will publish a how-to guide on our website.
We are constantly checking whether we could add more federal states to our list. Unfortunately, since educational leave is a state matter, the procedures and requirements differ considerably from each other

    Early Bird (limited availability)
    Standard: € 135,-
    Business: € 495,- *
    Reduced: € 65,- **

    Regular (until February 28, 2019)
    Standard: € 210,-
    Business: € 680,- *
    Reduced: € 105,- **

    Regular (from March 1, 2019)
    Standard: € 220,-
    Business: € 710,- *
    Reduced: € 110,- **

Tickets grant access to re:publica 2019 and MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin at the STATION Berlin. All prices include 19% VAT and handling costs. Our partner Xing-Events will provide you with an invoice for each purchase.

You can order tickets online until 11:55 pm on May 4th, 2019. Please note: If you received at ticket code, you have to redeem that ticket code until that time, too. Afterwards you may still get your ticket at the counter at STATION Berlin, that is, if tickets are still available. Please follow our Twitter account for updates. Box office prices on site will be higher.

* Including access to the speaker lounge on all three event days.

** Pupils, students, trainees, people on social welfare (“ALG II”), retirees (as well as people over 65) and people with disabilities are entitled to order a reduced ticket. You will be asked to show your student ID resp. other form of documentation at our accreditation desks. Please bring it with you.

After having adjusted ticket prices in 2018, there will be no price adjustments for 2019.

We originally introduced the Early Bird Tickets as “Blogger Tickets” and we still see them as their legitimate successors. Blogger Tickets were intended as a “Thank You!” to the community that made re:publica what it is today. This is why we expressly ask companies and those who don’t necessarily ‘need’ to purchase cheap tickets to refrain from acquiring Early Bird Tickets. Thank you!

▸  Access to the Business and Speaker’s Lounge
Those who want to escape re:publica’s festival hubbub can head to the centrally located Business, and Speaker’s lounge and use its calm atmosphere to conduct business or just hang out with old friends and new acquaintances and enjoy the catering with the re:publica and the MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin speakers.

▸  Catering during all three event days
Four meals (breakfast, lunch, afternoon cakes, snack in the evening) as well as soft drinks, coffee and tea are included in the Business Ticket and are available throughout the day in the lounge. All warm meals are freshly prepared at STATION Berlin kitchens and, of course, vegetarian options are also available.
 

Please note: In contrast to re:publica 2018, Business Tickets will no longer be transferable while the event take place in 2019.

Share a ticket: Tickets are personalized and cannot be shared by several people.

Transfer a ticket: You may transfer your ticket once to another person using the link in your ticket email. The deadline for this is May 4th, 2019.

It turns out that you can’t make it to re:publica after all and so you would like to transfer or sell your ticket to someone else? Or you want to give a re:publica ticket to someon as a a gift?

Not a problem. Use the link provided in your confirmation e-mail, that was sent to you right after your ticket purchase. Please note that transfers can only be done until May 4th, 2019. If the ticket to be transferred is not a gift, then it is up to you and the new recipient to work out your own payment method.

If you have any further questions, simply send a short e-mail to: ticket at re-publica.com.

Ticket cancellation is only possible for privately held tickets and must be doneuntil May 4th, 2019. Cancellation fees are € 5,95 plus handling fees. As an example, the overall cancellation fees for a Standard Ticket (€ 210,-) are a total of about €12,81. The amount for other tickets may differ. The remaining amount is then automatically returned to the original payment method.

You will find a link to cancel your ticket in your order confirmation that you received after your order. If you can not find that email, please contact the Xing-Events-Team via support at xing-events.com.

To save cancellation fees, it is also possible to sell a ticket you already purchased and have the name on the ticket changed accordingly. In that case, check the FAQ “How do I transfer my ticket to another person”?

Our partner, Xing-Events, will automatically issue an invoice upon purchase. Required data will be requested during the ordering process in the step “order data”. If you have any further questions or if you encounter an spelling error, please get in touch via ticket at re-publica.com

We will not be offering day passes during ticket presale for re:publica 19.

Fairly Simple: You will be asked to show your valid (= at the time of your ticket purchase) student ID resp. other official form of documentation at our accreditation desks. Please have it ready. The name on your student ID resp. other form of documentation should match the one on your ticket.  Contact us via ticket at re-publica.com, if that's not the case.

- Pupils/students need a valid student ID with a photo or a current enrollment certificate and a photo ID
- trainees need a written confirmation of their employer
- ALG II recipients can show the “Berlinpass“ or a written ALG II-confirmation
- Retirees (as well as people over 65 years of age) show a pension card or photo ID
- People with disabilities need an handicapped ID or a confirmation from re:publica (via ticket at re-publica.com)

Yes. Your student ID must have been valid between November 2018 and May 2019. For example, a student ID from winter semester 2018/19 is all right, but one from summer 2018 cannot be accepted.

Yes! For groups from 10 school students there is the possibility to get tickets for the Early Bird rate of just € 65, - pp. Please send us an email to: ticket at re-publica.com for more information.

Yes! Groups of 10 or more students, when ordering through an educational institution, can get reduced tickets at our early bird rate of just € 65, - pp. Please contact us via ticket (at) republica.com!

Yes, we offer special conditions for groups from 10 persons. Please send your inquiries for group tickets to ticket at re-publica.com.
 

*NGOs only.

No worries, besides buying an Early Bird Ticket you have to two options for attending #rp19 – and they are both free!

▸ Become a helping hand
Before, during and after re:publica we are depending on the support from volunteer helpers. As a helper you will receive a Three-Day-Ticket in exchange for 8 hours of your help, including catering during your shift. The helping hands accreditation will begin around February 2019. Until then, feel free to join our “Helping Hands” Facebook group.

▸ Become a speaker
Our Call for Participation started October 15th, 2018. It will give you the chance to submit a talk, a workshop, a discussion panel or another form of action and thus apply to be part of the re:publica 2019 programme.

Too late for an Early Bird Ticket? You might be lucky, check Twitter and/or Facebook [1][2], where sometimes cheap tickets are being resold. Good luck!
(re:publica and republica GmbH are not responsible for privately resold tickets and/or the process of reselling.)
 

Until today we have never had to reject anyone who has applied to be a re:publica helping hand. However, if more helping hands apply this time than we need, it might be the case that we will have to reject a few applicants. If you do not want to run that risk, purchase a ticket now and sell it on later. Watch out: We will not cover any cancellation fees, if you are unable to sell your purchased ticket.

Children up to and including 15 years of age have free admission. We may ask for an photo ID of older looking children at the entry or accreditation. We will extend our offerings for parents and young children (e.g. quiet area, children's playground) even more at re:publica 2019.
Please note that we recommend younger children to be accompanied by an adult at all times. See also "Can I take an accompanying person to the re:publica? ?"

Of course! The easiest way is buying a regular ticket for your companion.
But there are also other options as well:

▸ Assistants for people with disabilities
re:publica wishes to be accessible for all people, which is why we make an effort to make re:publica as accessible as possible, with low barriers, offering assistance wherever we can. Individuals with disabilities may bring an accompanying person to re:publica. An accompanying person must not necessarily be specified in your ID. Please contact us in advance via ticket at re-publica.com, stating your ticket number and a brief explanation or evidence of your accompanying person in your ID. Please contact us as soon as possible!

▸ “Nanny” accompaniments
If you bring your child with you to re:publica, it may be possible to receive a special ticket for childcare helpers (e.g. grandparents, parents, close friends). Please contact us via ticket at republica.com. Deadline: April 21st 2019.

▸ Other accompaniments
At re:publica, all participants should feel comfortable and safe at all times. If you need an accompanying person or accompanying animal, please contact us via ticket at republica.com. Please contact us as soon as possible!

Admission for accompanying persons can only be granted with a written confirmation from us. So please make sure to contact us early.

We received about 1000 submissions last year. Our programme team had to reject quite a few. See the Call for Pariticpation FAQ for more.

No, unfortunately not. But you can resell and transfer your Early Bird Ticket at a later date to someone else, no problem.

The courtyard of the STATION Berlin is only open to the public on day 0, the pre:publica. For all other days a regular ticket or an evening ticket is needed.

Please understand that we do not have unlimited space in the program. We read each submission carefully and, because of their abundance, reject even excellent sessions. Sometimes despite them currently being highly relevant. The reason may be that your topic has already been submitted multiple times and we need to select from the huge number of great sessions. Please keep in mind that we reject sessions only with heavy hearts and it is logistically not possible for us to send individual reasons.

If you still have specific questions or feedback for us - they’re always welcome! programme-usa@re-publica.com

via GIPHY

The more action, the better! In order for you not to outshine each other we take care that each idea gets enough space. Since space is however limited, we have to carefully select from your submissions.

re:publica 2018 will take place from 2-4 May 2018.

You can submit your proposal in German or English. Note: your submission must be written in the language in which you will be holding your session (talk, discussion, workshop etc.).

A good action

• leaves a lasting ipression
• is implementable within the means and space available
• does not infringe on the privacy of participants and other visitors

No. Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the programme team for late submissions if these relate to important current events and/or can be requested from the programme team.

You still have time until 28.02.2019 for submission in the section Side Events.

A session can be either 30 or 60 minutes long. Workshop sessions last either 60 or 120 minutes. Make sure to plan in time for a Q&A when preparing:

• 30 minute session = 20 minutes of content + 10 minute Q&A (is led by either the stage host or the presenter
• 60 minute session = 45-50 minutes of content + 10-15 minute Q&A (is led by either the stage host or the presenter)
• 120 minute sessions are only intended for workshops

The re:publica continues to grow, and with it our responsibility to put together a high-quality programme. This is something we take very seriously. We, the core programme team, successfully collaborated with a programme committee for the first time in 2016, helping us ensure the programme stays as diverse as possible.

The programme committee is made up of professionals, community leaders and speakers who have accompanied us on our way for many years now and who know the re:publica and its guiding principle well. They gain insights into the re:publica programme, so as to evaluate the submitted sessions and help ensure that diverse perspectives and voices are well represented.

This is done by giving the members of the programme committee carefully selected sessions to evaluate which fit their respective thematic focus. Your sessions are submitted to them anonymously, to make sure that the content of your proposal remains the focus. The members of the programme committee can then issue an assessment of the session and leave a written comment. The re:publica programme team subsequently take these evaluations and comments into account when compiling your talks, workshops, discussions and diverse activities.

We don’t want to keep members of the programme committee from submitting their own proposals during the Call for Participation. We therefore closely monitor exactly who we submit which session to for evaluation, so as to prevent bias in the assessment.

Programme decisions are not made by individuals, but by a team! Our programme team is made up of people who work with the utmost care and integrity and we stand behind them.

Our suggestions:

• "Beginner": for people with little or no prior knowledge
• "All": for anyone who has already superficially dealt with the topic
• "Expert": for experts, meaning anyone who works in the field, does research or reports on it (but still open to everyone)

“Topics” are thematic focuses which you can assign your submission to, for example “Blockchain”. This year’s selection consists of:

• Cancel the Apocalypse
• Blockchain
• Smart Cities
• Teens & Kids
• We Can Work It Out 
• MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin
• POP
• Tech for Good
• Fe:male Digital Footprint
• GIG (Global Inovation Gathering)
• Music & Sovereignty
• Immersive Arts 
• FinTech
• re:learn
• re:health
• Law Lab

Read more about our #rp18 topics here:
Tracks and Topics

Anyone and everyone (with an internet connection) and a good idea can take part in the CfP.

The call for rp19 runs from 15. Oktober 2018 bis 16. Dezember 2018 (23:59, CET )

The programme team and the programme committee will evaluate all proposals from 17. Dezember 2018 until Mid-Februar 2019.

We will be contacting all submitting parties beginning 18 February 2019, sending out confirmation of acceptance or rejection.

The programme team curates the content from the proposals it receives from the community, invites keynoters and other speakers, and consults partners. It also works together with experts from the programme committee. As the programme team and the programme committee have the most influence in this process, and also have the final say in which submissions are accepted and which are rejected, the CfP should be seen as a modified form of crowdsourcing.

The CfP is a good barometer for letting us know which topics the re:publica community is interested in. At the same time, the CfP allows for the introduction of new ideas and add a few surprises to the re:publica.

The re:publica feeds off of creativity and a wealth of ideas. The big societal, political and technological challenges don’t change their face overnight. But don’t worry: we always leave a few slots open until April so that we are able to include current events in the programme.

For the rest: the sooner we select the sessions, the better we can bundle them together into topic tracks, consult, fine-tune – and, last but not least, allow for visitors to start planning early.

Yes. The account allows you to register yourself as a speaker and submit a proposal for the CfP over your profile. You can edit your proposal at any time – even after submission but until the deadline!– and manage your information. Account registration and setup is free and only takes a few minutes. Just head this way: https://19.re-publica.com/en/user/register

Yes. If you registered yourself for the re:publica after 2014, your old account can still be activated. Should you already have an account, please use it. Log in on the website for your rp-event using your old login details and simply update your profile.

All fields marked with a red star (*) must be filled out.

Go to the registration page.

1. If you were a participant at a re:publica event since 2014, you just need to update your profile.

2. If you want to create a new speaker profile then follow these steps:

• In the first part of the form please fill in your personal information (first and last name)
• Choose your username. Wähle einen Benutzernamen (HINT: if you use a combination of your first and last name, we will have an easier time to find you in the system when you have questions)
• Please enter a functioning e-Mail address. This is important, as we will send you information via this address.
• Click the Button "Create account"

2.1 After completing registration, you will receive an activation link via your submitted e-mail address. (Please note that this might take up to 15 minutes depending on your e-mail provider – and please also check your spam folder... Click the link and set a password.)

2.2 When you're logged in for the first time you need to complete your speaker profile. You can only save your speaker profile once you have filled in all fileds marked with a red star. Ideally, you already have the following at hand:

• Upload your foto. Please check the specifications:
  • 800 KB Limit.
  • Format: png gif jpg jpeg.
  • The picture needs to be larger than 480x480 pixel. All pictures exceeding 1024x1024 pixel will be reduced.
• Fill in your short bio in 200 words / 1000 signs
• Fill in your organisation or your job title
• Please also add a link to your website or that of your organisation
• Change your password
• Save once and voila- done.

3. When you log in, you will find a menu bar. Click the cog wheel to open a dropdown on the left side of the page. You will find the items "Home", "My Dashboard" and "Add content".

• „My Dashboard“: Here you can see an overview of your content and make changes
• „My Profile“: To edit your profile, you can click the „edit“ link. There you can edit your e-mail address, password etc.
• „Add Session“: This button leads you to the session formulaire to submit your idea for the Call for Participation (CfP)
• „Add Side Event": This button leads you to a forumlaire to add an idea for the side events (actions, installations, off-stage program points)
• “Inhalt erstellen”: Here you can also add new sessions and side events. You can get an overview of all your already submitted sessions for editing.
• “Home”: Here you reach the main page of 19.re-publica.com/en

4. And now the most important: You want to add a session.

• Click on“My Dashboard”
• Click „Add Session", to add a session, or „Add Side Event", to add an action for the side events.
• Now you will reach the CfP Formulaire. Please read the formulaire well so that you can fill in all fields with the red asterisc.
• So, just start, fill in all the required information – and tadaa: You have made it, your proposal is in the system.
• Once you saved your session and can access it from your dashboard, the programme team can also see it. That means it's submitted and you don't need to do anything else.
• Short on time? Simply click „Save“ in between and continue later. This is not a problem. But remember: your proposal must be completed by the deadline.
• This is all not rocket science – as long as this description may be, the shorter the process in itself.

5. If you are planning a session with several speakers, each speaker must register with a profile and give you their username.

• Click „Add item“ to add an additional speaker box.
• Enter the user name in the field „Speakers“ .
• Please note that you need to wait for the the auto-complete to find the user name in our database.

Finally: Please remember to log out.

Please also note again your submission can only be accepted only if your speaker profile is completed until the deadline.

No. We retrieve information from the form in order to assess and categorize your proposal. Should your proposal be accepted, we will then publish the submission. However, only information relevant to the visitors will be made public. Your contact details and similar information will not be published.

While it is possible to edit and submit multiple proposals, we will only be taking the most recent submission into account. Only in exceptional cases will we consider a second proposal. Quality, not quantity!

Yes. The CfP form can be edited and saved up until December 16, 2018. After the end of the deadline, your submission will be final and you should make changes to it only in consultation with the programme team. (We are able to see when and by whom a submission was edited in our system.)

Video material from a conference or event you have already spoken at helps us a great deal in our assessment. It allows us to better understand, evaluate and categorize your submission, while also giving us an impression of your public speaking skills and your ability to communicate your topic. Don’t worry, these videos are not made public. You should, however, own the rights to use them.

Not necessarily, but it can help us better understand your submission. If your video doesn’t have that much to do with your topic, but can help convince us of your qualities as a speaker, then feel free to use it.

Don’t worry. Please get in touch with our team, who will help you with any technical problems (that you haven’t been able to solve yourself after several attempts): info[at]re-publica.com

Should you not have found any answers in our extensive FAQs – please, please, PLEASE read through them carefully and thoroughly (!) – you can contact the programme team at: programme[at]re-publica.com

The more precise and specific a submission is the better. Specificity requires a convincing initial idea as well as good research and planning. Moreover: a concise formulation.

Example: “How surgeons train for difficult operations in virtual reality” is better than “Virtual reality as a training tool”.

Use your description to elaborate how you will approach the topic and which methods you will be using. The re:publica audience, the programme team and the programme committee are looking for engaging and well-founded content that takes on the challenges and potential solutions for challenges facing our digital society. They are not interested in marketing pitches disguised as informative sessions.

Take a look at a couple of examples from re:publica 2019 under the motto "tl;dr".

A session can last 30 or 60 minutes. Workshop sessions last 60 or 120 minutes. Plan enough time for Q&A when you prepare:

• 30 minutes session = 20 minutes content + 10 minutes Q&A (will be lead by the stage host or moderator)
• 60 minutes session = 45-50 minutes content + 10-15 minutes Q&A (will be lead by the stage host or moderator)
• 120 minute slots are only envisioned for workshops

re:publica offers different formats. You can select between the following in the CfP form:

• Talk (30 minutes or 1 hour)
  Well-prepared presentation on a topic. Possible as a talk, but also as a reading, interview or fireside chat. 1-2 people
• Discussion (1 hour)
  Balanced discussion on a specific topic. Possible as a panel debate or fishbowl conversation.
  Maximum of 3 speakers plus presenter => The limit on featured persons includes the moderator. We cannot emphasize it enough and we won’t be making any exceptions here either! GENDER BALANCE applies to all formats. We strive to be 100% diverse, but as a minimum 50 % of the speakers must be female.
• Workshop (1-2 hours, can be longer in exceptional cases)
  Intensive (practical) session in which knowledge on a specific topic is communicated or specific skills are mediated.
  1-2 workshop leaders
• Activity (varies)
  Flash mob, field test, installation, exhibition, concert, pop-up happning, DJ set, activities with re:publica visitors and working with the results on-site– bring your ideas to re:publica!

“Tracks” are general thematic fields which you can assign your submission to, for example “Politics & Society”, “Business & Innovation” or “Arts & Culture”.

“Topics” are key themes which help us set a specific focus.

All “Tracks” (categories) are already set when the Call for Participation (CfP) is launched. We have already formulated the concept for some “Topics” for the CfP, others are added over the course of the CfP phase.

Read more about our #rp18 tracks and topics here:
Tracks and Topics

“Tracks” are general categories which you can assign your submission to, for example “Politics & Society”. This year’s selection consists of:

• Politics & Society
• Research & Education
• Media & Journalism
• Art & Culture
• Science & Technology
• Business & Innovation
• Mobility & City
• Leisure & Lifestyle

Read more about our #rp18 tracks here:
Tracks and Topics

“Topics” are key themes for 2019 that help us set a specific focus. Some have become so important that they return every year, like the “Global Innovation Gathering (GIG)”, “re:health” for all things concerning health and digitisation, or the “Law Lab” focusing on legal matters of the internet. Another example of a topic is “science:fiction”, which we integrated into the programme in 2017, with the aim of examining utopias for our future coexistence. Some “Topics” have already been formulated for the CfP, others are added over the course of the CfP phase and the programme planning. We assign your submissions to specific “Topics”.

You must select a “Track” (category) for your submission in the form. “Topics” are optional.

Read more about our #rp18 topics here:
Tracks and Topics

Yes, of course. We want the re:publica to be colourful and exciting. It’s wonderful when everyone pitches in so that we can celebrate a great event each year. Unfortunately, we have quite a tight budget - i.e. you should be resource-friendly in your planning. We’re only able to help out in exceptios and only to a limited degree. But don’t hold back, we’ve had lots of creative ideas for the realisation of great installations and activities in the past.

How: Login, click "add content", select "Side Event", and select from one of the following formats: actions, pop-up, installation or music.

In order to simplify our planning, we will already require some basic details for the implementation of your action.

Do you already have a tech-rider? Then please submit it to us.

As long as you can access your session from the dashboard while logged in, it is saved and submitted correctly. You don't need to do anything else. 

Your session will be published once we accepted it for the conference programme. But no worries, we'll inform you via email before we publish.

After the CfP deadline, we will contact you if your session has been accepted or not. Please be patient, we usually receive over 1.000 submissions.

The MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin (MCB) is one of Europe’s pioneering media congresses. It is organised by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and the Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg and will be taking place in cooperation with re:publica for the sixth time in 2019.

While the MCB is the most important and closest partner of th re:publica, both the MCB and re:publica plan and curate their programmes independently. We keep each other informed of the program planning and exchange information. However, the MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin is an independent event and not a re:publica Track.

Yes. Even though the MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin curatorial team plans its programme independently, it is still happy to receive input from the re:publica community.

You can select “MEDIA CONVENTION” as a “Topic” in the CfP form if you would like to apply there. Accordingly, it will then be the MCB team that will decide on the acceptance or rejection of your submission and not the re:publica programme team.

That’s problematic. Each person has to first set up a speaker account (see FAQs). Only then can they create a session for which they will be solely responsible. If you won’t be participating yourself, then you will have to enter the speaker and contact information and forward them the password. A valid email address is necessary as we will be sending important information for the speakers to the listed email address via our system.

Obvious advertising and marketing pitches do not stand a chance in the Call for Particiation (CfP). The re:publica audience, the programme team and the programme committee wish to have inspired and well researched content that deals with the challenges facing our digital society and potential solutions. There is no interest in marketing pitches faking as informative sessions.

This does not mean that the visitors of the re:publica are not interested in the newest digital products or services. In case you want to present or pitch your innovation, please get in touch with our collegues at our partner management, who can supply you with more information of how to take part: partner[at]re-publica.com

Of course. The re:publica has a huge archive. You can find all the videos and audios with session descriptions on the re:publica websites. By using the keyword search or looking up the website of the respective year directly, you can either find the main themes.

For re:publica 2019 "tl;dr" visit http://19.re-publica.com, for re:publica 2018 "POP" visit https://18.re-publica.com/, for re:publica 2017 “Love Out Loud” you can head to: https://17.re-publica.com/, re:publica 2016 “TEN/NET” is over at: https://16.re-publica.com/, with re:publica 2015 “finding europe” at: https://15.re-publica.com/, and so on.

You can also find all the videos on the re:publica YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/republica2010/

Look up the re:publica image archive on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/re-publica

Neither. We’re just as happy to see new faces as old acquaintances. The only difference is that we already know if you are good speakers if you have already participated in the event.

We use the same assessment standards for both: someone who has already been at the re:publica has to fulfill the same criteria and formalities as a newbie. So don’t rest on your own good name or connections!

Yes. You will receive a 3-day ticket and yummy catering on the day of your talk.

Yes. Co-speakers will also receive a 3-day ticket as well as catering on the day of your talk.

No, unfortunately not.

Tickets are not refundable in general. You can resell your ticket or gift it to someone. For more information see our ticket FAQ.

No. We do not cover any travel and accommodation costs. But you will receive a 3-day ticket and catering on the day of your talk.

No. You are responsible for your session. If there happen to be urgent issues, we will obviously be there to offer advice.

You should submit an idea that you can execute yourself. If you have a great idea that requires our help for its implementation, then we suggest you get in contact early on (programme[at]re-publica.de), and we can see if we can tackle it together or can find other help.

Yes, please. We look forward to your voluntary commitment, engagement and your curiosity! Write the programme team: programme[at]re-publica.com

Every stage at the re:publica is attended to by a stage host. Meaning, that he/she announces the sessions, leads through the Q&A at the end of a session, and then moves the programme on to the next item. Our stage hosts also inform the audience about important changes to the programme and other last-minute features – the stage hosts are in constant communication and consultation with the programme team during the re:publica.

Presenters/moderator generally lead the discussion or conversations in a session. This requires thorough preparation. We will put the presenters in contact with the speakers – should they not have already been contacted by the person responsible for the session – so that they can hold preparatory talks.

Yes, because they will be added to the respective sessions. Presenters/moderators and stage hosts, like speakers, will also be accredited at the entrance to the conference. Please note that presenters should only be added to a session after prior consultation and confirmed availability.

There is of course the possibility to submit meetup proposals. Howver, we will only be opening these up during the course of our CfP. As soon as we are ready, we will inform via social media and on our website.