If you're reading this you're probably one of those attendees who gets super excited by the energy of DrupalCon, and you can't wait to have your turn to get on the stage and share your knowledge and enthusiasm with the Drupal community... The way to realizing this goal is unfortunately paved with obstacles, but a little of understanding of what to expect will help you along the way.

Besides knowing your stuff, you also need to know how to communicate your knowledge, you need to be a good writer, you need to be a good speaker, you need to know your audience, you need to know lots of things, many of which can be learned through painful experiences - or by coming to this session.

In this session, I would like to share with you what I have learned over the years as a track chair (the person who chooses what DrupalCon sessions get selected), as a speaker, and as a DrupalCon organizer. Some of the topics we'll cover include:

• Choosing the right topic
• Gathering experience
• Submitting your proposal
• How the selection process works
• Preparing your presentation
• Common mistakes
• Making an impact
• Tips and further resources

Some of the advice you will get from this session of course applies to any technical presentations, whether it's for a local user group or on the big stage of an international event. This session won't make you an instant rockstar presenter, but it will show you how to get there.