Next week (and the week after) at Tech Ed, several experienced speakers will compete with one another in Speaker Idol, held at the Tech Ed Online stage during lunch time and hosted by Carl Franklin and Richard Campbell. The winner gets a guaranteed speaker slot at next year’s Tech Ed. Each contestant gets to give a 5-minute presentation to a crowd of attendees and several judges, and after each presentation, the judges give their opinion and tips for improvement. After each heat, one finalist is selected, and all of the finalists compete the last day of the conference for the title. Last year this was a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to learn a little bit about a variety of topics or to get some tips you can use for your own presentations.

There are a few wildcard slots available for walk-up contestants. If you’d like to compete, find Richard Campbell at the Tech Ed Online stage at the show – that’s how I got involved in Speaker Idol last year.