Session formats for PSConfEU

The PowerShell Conference Europe is a hub for enthusiasts, practitioners, and experts in the realm of PowerShell scripting and automation. If you’re an aspiring speaker, understanding the various session formats available can significantly impact the way you engage with our audience and deliver content.

If you’re thinking about attending for the first time, maybe you’d like to know what you’re getting into!

During the 4 days of the conference, we have a schedule packed with sessions across 4 tracks, at least 15 minute breaks between each session, and a lot of things happening in-between, creating the vibrant hallway track we’re famous for.

The format of the sessions offered during the conference is as follow:

1. Standard Sessions (45 minutes)

Key Points for Standard Sessions:

• Content Focus: Comprehensive coverage of the topic within the given time constraints. Some prior knowledge may be required, but those ought to be described in the session abstract except for PowerShell fundamentals.
• Q&A Integration: Time is allocated for audience interaction and inquiries. At least 10-15 minutes for Q&A are reserved, during or at the end of the talk depending on the speaker, enabling attendees to seek clarification or delve deeper into certain aspects of the presentation.
• Extra Content: In case the questions don’t take those 15 minutes allocated, the speaker should have some extra content ready to fill up the gap with for instance advanced examples, demos, case studies, or practical applications…

After the 45min allocated, we demand that the speaker leaves the stage promptly even if there are further questions.

This is to ensure the next presenters can setup their devices and test the microphone.

However we encourage the discussion to continue, either outside of the track room, in the hallway, the foyer or on the Open Stage if the speaker has more content to share with interested participants.

2. Follow-Along Sessions (90 minutes)

Features of Follow-Along Sessions:

• Duration and Interaction: With a duration of 90 minutes, these sessions enable a deeper dive into the subject matter.
• Involvement: Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops, facilitating real-time exploration and practice during the session.
• Preparation: Material or resources will be available in advance on the conference’s GitHub repository. This preparation ensures participants can make the most of the session by familiarising themselves with the content beforehand.
• Assistance: The speaker won’t be available to troubleshoot or help you individually in case you get stuck along the way. But feel free to ask a question if that will benefit the audience in case they get stuck the same way. For help, you might have a better chance asking fellow participants around you.

3. Deep Dive Sessions (90 minutes)

Deep Dive sessions are designed for advanced attendees seeking a thorough exploration of a specific topic, technology, or real-world scenario. These sessions go beyond surface-level explanations to focus on architecture, design decisions, and practical implementation details.

The content is expected to be dense and structured, typically covering 60 to 75 minutes of core material, leaving time for in-depth questions and discussion.

Key Aspects of Open Stage Sessions:

• Advanced Content: Focus on complex topics requiring prior knowledge. Assumptions about audience familiarity should be clearly stated in the session abstract.
• In-Depth Exploration: Detailed walkthroughs, including architecture, patterns, trade-offs, and real-world use cases.
• Limited Interruption: Questions are generally handled at the end to maintain flow, unless the speaker prefers light interaction throughout.
• Practical Insight: Emphasis on lessons learned, edge cases, and production experience rather than introductory explanations.

4. Open Stage Sessions (up to 45 minutes)

The Open Stage sessions are there to encourage impromptu knowledge sharing with your peers. From sharing a quick tip, your custom made solution, solicit feedback, or collaborate on problems, the Open Stage is your platform, and nothingbis too small!

Those opportunities are a great addition to the conference, opening the stage to both speakers and attendees alike.

They can vary in length from 10 seconds to 45 minutes, repeated as many times as desired, while the stage is free from planned sessions.

This year in Antwerp, the main room will host the Open Stage.

Key Aspects of Open Stage Sessions:

• Unscheduled and Informal: Unlike the structured call for speakers, Open Stage sessions are not pre-scheduled before the conference, nor selected by the organisers. Participants, including both speakers and attendees, can seize the opportunity during available time slots on the Open Stage.
• Opportunity for Follow-Up: Speakers who’ve conducted standard sessions can leverage the Open Stage for impromptu follow-ups. It serves as an excellent avenue to address lingering questions, offer deeper insights, or respond to specific requests from the audience.
• On-Site Registration: Participants interested in hosting an Open Stage session can register with the conference organisers during the event so we can better advertise it, and book you for prime time. Alternatively, it’s ok to just take the stage during  empty slots, contributing to the dynamic and interactive nature of the conference.

5. PoShaKucha Sessions

Key Points for PoShaKucha Sessions:

• Strict Timing: 20 slides × 20 seconds. The timing is automatic and cannot be paused, requiring careful preparation and rehearsal.
• Concise Messaging: Focus on a single idea or narrative. Clarity and simplicity are essential to make an impact within the limited timeframe.
• High Energy: The format encourages dynamic delivery and keeps the audience engaged throughout.
• Visual Support: Slides should complement the talk rather than overload it with text, helping guide the audience through the story.

6. Community Demos

Community Demos are short, practical sessions designed to showcase real-world solutions, scripts, or tools developed by the community. They provide a platform for quick knowledge sharing, focused on tangible outcomes.

Typically lasting around 5 minutes, these demos are informal, accessible, and highly practical.

Key Points for Community Demos:

• Short Format: Around 5 minutes to present a solution, script, or concept. The focus is on efficiency and clarity.
• Live Demonstration: Emphasis on showing rather than telling. Real code, real tools, real use cases.
• Practical Value: Share something useful the audience can reuse or adapt in their own environment.
• Accessible to All: Open to both first-time speakers and experienced presenters, encouraging broad community participation.

7. Hallway tracks

At PSConfEU, we’re proud of the supportive and collaborative atmosphere created by all our participants. Imagine dedicating 4 days to share and learn as much as possible with hundreds of fellow enthousiasts, professionals in the similar or adjacent roles, keen on making the PowerShell world better.

About 50 of them at least will be renown experts and PowerShell team members.

Whether you start planning a collaborative effort in the hallway, or get to know the PowerShell team members over a game of table tennis rounders, discuss your experience over dinner with someone working on a similar solution to a common problem, take a break from PowerShell by visiting Antwerp, we know it’s the participants that are making the best track, the hallway track.

Conclusion:

PowerShell Conference Europe offers diverse session formats tailored to suit various learning styles and depths of engagement, but also free form of interactions to engage and collaborate spontaneously.

Every paryicipant is welcome to embrace the opportunity to share their knowledge, engage with the community, and contribute to the vibrant exchange of ideas at this esteemed conference.