FAQ

If you are over 18 years old, and are keen to support re:publica 2020 in Berlin, then you may register yourself as a volunteer starting at the end of February/beginning of March.

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, off stage action, etc.).

No.
Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the programme team for late submissions if these relate to important current events. The program team may also request these.

Submissions for the section "Off Stage Action" are accepted until 2020-02-28. 

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

• Politics
• Education
• Journalism/Media
• Culture
• Technology
• Work
• City
• Lifestyles

Read more about our #rp20 tracks here:
Tracks and Topics

“Topics” are key themes for 2020 that help us set a specific focus. Some have become so important that they return every year, like the “Global Innovation Gathering (GIG)” or “re:learn” for all things concerning education and digitisation. 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 #rp20 topics here:
Tracks and Topics

“Tracks” are general thematic fields which you can assign your submission to, for example “Politics”, “Work” or “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 defined the concept for some “Topics” for the CfP, others are added over the course of the CfP phase.

Read more about our #rp20 tracks and topics here:
Tracks and Topics

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 seventh time in 2020.

While the MCB is the most important and closest partner of 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.
If you are interested in submitting proposals for the MEDIA CONVENTION, please continue reading I want to participate in the MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin. Is that possible?

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 => that's a total limit of 4 featured persons including the moderator. GENDER BALANCE applies to all formats. We strive to be 100 % diverse so a minimum of 50 % of 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
• Off Stage Action (varies)
  Flash mob, field research, installation, exhibition, concert, pop-up happening, DJ* set, activities with re:publica visitors and working with the results on-site—bring your ideas to re:publica!
  • Action: Flashmob, field research, performance, walking act...
  • Pop-Up: VR-space, happening, games...
  • Installation: Paintings, photographs, installations...
  • Music: Jam sessions, DJ*, bands...

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

A session can last 30 or 60 minutes. Workshop sessions last 60 or 90 minutes. There should also be time left for Q&A at the end of sessions.

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

The programme team curates the content from the community's proposals submitted via the Call for Participation (CfP), but also specifically invites speakers* and advises partners. It also cooperates with external co-curators. Since the programme team and the co-curators* have the greatest influence in this process and ultimately make the decision on acceptance and rejection, the CfP is a modified form of crowdsourcing.

The CfP is a good barometer to identify topics of interest to the re:publica community. At the same time, the CfP leads to bringing new ideas and surprises to the re:publica.

The call for rp20 runs from Oct. 15 2019 until Dec. 15 2019 (23:59, CET )

The programme team and the programme committee will evaluate all proposals from Dec. 1 2019 until mid-February 2020.

We will be contacting all submitting parties beginning mid-February 2020, sending out confirmation of acceptance or notices of rejection.

Off Stage Actions will be evaluated until the end of March.

Anyone and everyone with a good idea can take part in the CfP.

Yes.
The account allows you to register yourself as a speaker, manage your information and submit a proposal for the CfP. You can edit your proposal at any time—even after it's submitted but only until the deadline! Account registration and setup is free and only takes a few minutes. Just head over to https://20.re-publica.com/en/user/register.

Yes.
If you've registered for re:publica after 2014, you can continue to use your account. Please 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.

Download Session Form   |    Download Off Stage-Action Form

No.
We use your 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.

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 to do with your topic, but can help convince us of your qualities as a speaker, then feel free to use it.

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

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 with the motto "tl;dr".

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 so please 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 "Off Stage Action", enter your short thesis and description and select from one of the following formats: actions, pop-up, installation or music. At the end of the form you can add more performers.

In order to streamline 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.

A good Off Stage Action

• leaves a lasting impression
• is implementable within the means and space available
• values the privacy of participants and other visitors

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.

Please also read our how-to-page on this and the Session Guidelines.

Characters = all characters incl. spaces

• Your bio consists of 1,000 characters max.

Session:

• The Title consists of 100 characters max.

• The short thesis consists of 350 characters max.

• The session description consists of 2,000 characters max. (longer texts will not be reviewed / only reviewed to a length of 2,000 characters)

Sessions at re:publica are generally open for anyone to attend but are segmented into three levels of difficulty in order to provide better guidance.

Our suggestions:

• "Beginner": for people with no or little previous knowledge of the topic
• "All": for anyone who has already dealt with the topic on a superficial level
• "Expert": for experts, meaning anyone who works in the field, does research or reports on it (but still open for erveryone)

Yes. Even though the MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin curatorial team plans its programme independently they are 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. The MCB team will then decide on the acceptance or rejection of your submission (and not the re:publica programme team).

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 inspiring and well-researched content that deals with the challenges facing our digital society and presents potential solutions. There is no interest in marketing pitches disguised as educational sessions.

This does not mean that the visitors of 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 colleagues from Partner Management, who are happy to help out with more information of how to get involved: partner[at]re-publica.com

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 over quantity!

Yes.
The CfP form can be edited up until December 15, 2019. 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).

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 participated in the event before.

We use the same assessment standards for everyone. Someone who has already been at the re:publica has to meet the same criteria and go through the same formalities as a newbie. So don’t rest on your good name or connections!

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 it is accepted for the conference programme and we will inform you via email before we publish it.

Please thoroughly check your username and password and make sure that you chose the right domain (use the rp20 website, not the global landingpage). If that doesn't solve the problem: Don’t worry. Our team is happy to help you with any technical problems (that you haven’t been able to solve yourself after several attempts) via 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) feel free to contact the programme team via programme[at]re-publica.com. 

After the CfP deadline, we will contact you to tell you if your session has been accepted or not. Please be patient, we usually receive over 1,000 submissions.

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 may resell your ticket or gift it to someone. There will be more information available soon in our ticket FAQ.

In general, you should submit an idea that you can execute yourself. That said, if you have a great idea that may require our help for its implementation, we suggest you get in contact with the programme team as soon as possible via programme[at]re-publica.de. We will then evaluate whether we will be able to help out or can find others to help you.

No.
You are responsible for your session. That said, should there be any urgent issues, we are happy to offer advice.

Yes, please. We look forward to your voluntary commitment, dedication and your curiosity! Please reach out to the programme team via programme[at]re-publica.com.

Yes.
That's because they will be added to the respective sessions. Just like speakers, presenters/moderators and stage hosts 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.

The re:publica feeds off of creativity and a wealth of ideas. The big societal, political and technological challenges don’t change 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.

Generally speaking, the sooner we select the sessions, the better we can bundle them together into topic tracks, consult with the speaker, fine-tune—and, last but not least, allow for visitors to start planning early.

Although there will be meetups taking place on-site, these may no longer be proposed. Please follow our blog and social media channels in order to receive updates regarding the programme.