Tableau Conference Europe customer speaker applications are now open

Applications to speak at TC Europe 2019 are now open, so submit your application today.

In June 2019, Tableau Conference Europe heads to Berlin for an action-packed week of all things Tableau. If you’ve ever dreamed of sharing your Tableau story with thousands of like-minded data enthusiasts, we encourage you to apply to be a customer speaker.

Customer speakers are a huge part of what makes TC Europe such a special event. Year after year, we hear that customer sessions are the highlight for attendees. Representing a diverse span of industries, use cases, and organizations, we welcome the highest caliber of customer speakers to TC Europe. We hope you’ll apply to join us in June.

The deadline to apply to speak is midnight GMT Friday, 1 March 2019.

Applications to speak at TC Europe 2019 are now open, so submit your application today.

Got questions? Check out the FAQ below!

Who should apply to speak at TCE19?

All Tableau customers with a story to tell! Each year, we accept a mix of speakers from household names as well as speakers from SME businesses, including non-profits, educational institutions, and industries like healthcare.

We accept speakers from companies with enormous Tableau Server deployments and speakers who are using Tableau within a single department or team. We encourage applicants from all industries, roles, and use cases. We're looking for thought-leaders and trailblazers: people who are out on the front lines defining and redefining what's possible with analytics and data visualization.

For 2019, we are especially on the hunt for stories that speak to some of the most relevant data solutions and opportunities we face, such as:

  • Enterprise-wide adoptions and upgrades
  • IT Server & administration
  • Strong departmental and industry use cases
  • Cloud and data warehousing
  • Machine Learning, NLP, and advanced analytics
  • Embedded analytics

What if I am a consultant with a great Tableau story? Can I apply to speak?

Customer speaker applications must be full-time employees at the organization listed in the application. We rarely accept applications from consultants, temporary employees, or Tableau partners.

That said, we know that there is truly innovative work done by consultants and partners so there will be a very limited number of slots available for partner or consultant-led sessions. Sessions from partners and consultants cannot be about selling your services.

We are happy to consider applications from consultants and partners that focus on a joint solution story within a customer account. Note that the customer must present at Tableau Conference: Europe to speak about the joint solution.

As an FTE at my company, I worked with a consultant or partner. Can they speak with me?

Generally, all speaker applicants must be full-time employees of the company they're representing. Your partner or consultant may be present to help with the 15 minutes of Q&A at the end of a session. Please note they will need to provide their own access to the event.

If you are a partner and would like more information on sponsorship opportunities that include breakout sessions and hands-on training, please connect with our sponsorship team at sponsorship@tableau.com.

Consultants and partners: We do not recommend you submit customer case studies as session proposals on behalf of your customer. Instead, encourage your customer to submit an application to speak about the joint solution.

I spoke at TCE18. Can I apply to speak at TCE19?

It’s very rare that we accept back-to-back customer speakers at Tableau Conference Europe. Part of what makes TCE such a special event is the brand-new content attendees have not seen anywhere else. Unless your proposed session content is significantly different from last year, we encourage you to hold your application for Tableau Conference Europe 2020.

What should I speak about?

There is no right answer here, but some topics that we're always looking for include:

  • Growing Tableau usage at your company
  • IT use cases such as deployments and upgrades, data governance, metadata management, capacity planning, agile BI, Tableau as a shared service, and cloud analytics
  • Big data stories
  • How you use Tableau Embedded and extensions
  • Deploying Tableau in the cloud or through mobile devices
  • Executive dashboards
  • How to communicate insights through great dashboard design
  • How to tell compelling stories with data
  • Technical talks
  • Integrating Tableau with specific data sources
  • Using the very latest Tableau technologies like Tableau Prep, Tableau Prep Conductor, and Ask Data
  • Any and all of the cool stuff you are building!

What do you look for in successful applications?

Good question. Here are some suggestions:

  • Be specific in your abstract. Make it clear what you're planning to speak about, what attendees will learn, and why it will be valuable for them. A one-sentence abstract is not what success looks like here. (Neither is a 50-sentence abstract.)
  • Include dashboards. The session submission form has space to upload dashboards or images of dashboards. We will NOT share these dashboards externally—ever. Showing us great dashboards as a part of your application increases your chances of selection as it helps us visualize your talk. We understand that for some stories and companies this is not possible or doesn't make sense in the context of the session topic.
  • Show us how your story is special. There are fields in the application that request information on you and your use case. Don't rush through or ignore these fields. Use them to show us that you're the real deal. Excite the audience and give them that special aha moment.

Do I receive a free pass?

Yes. Tableau offers one full TCE19 registration per accepted session. If an accepted session includes one or more co-speakers, only one will receive a complimentary registration. The other speaker(s) will need to buy tickets. Good news–we do provide a discount code for one co-speaker to use.

Better news: it's not just about the free ticket. All customer speakers are conference VIPs with special access to events throughout the week and a fun party reserved for our speakers!

Please remember that Tableau does not cover the cost of airfare or hotel for customer speakers.

Should I register to attend TCE19 if I’m also applying to speak?

Yes! We recommend that everyone registers to attend conference early to lock in early bird pricing by 8 February 2019 and take advantage of special hotel rates.

If your session is accepted and you have already purchased a ticket, we will process a full refund for you after you have confirmed your session.

When do I find out if my application has been accepted?

We'll notify selected speakers by the end of March 2019.

What type of session will I present?

At TCE19 we'll have a variety of content types, including 60 and 30 minute sessions. If accepted, you will work with your reviewer to determine what session type is appropriate for your use case. Within the application, you may see some questions which are intended for Tableau employees - you are not required to fill out these sections.

If I am accepted, can someone else from my company do the presentation?

No. We accept people, not companies, as customer speakers. Please do not expect that someone else from your company can present on your behalf if you application is accepted. Tableau reserves the right to rescind a speaking slot if the original applicant is no longer available to speak. For example, if you have moved to a new company, you will not be eligible to present on behalf of your former employer. In the same manner, your replacement will not be able to speak on your behalf. We want you!