What is a Minnebar session?
Anything you’re willing to lead. A topic you know well, something you’re building, a question you want input on, a conversation you want to start. It doesn’t need to be polished, as long long as you’re passionate about it. Each session is 40min. Sessions are not recorded.
What to expect
If you’ve only been to traditional conferences, Minnebar will feel different. Last year we had 160+ sessions throughout the day. It’s busy and a little chaotic, and that’s kind of the point.
Sessions happen in rooms of all sizes, and plenty of people spend most of their day in what we lovingly call the “hallway track.” People come and go throughout the day, and we encourage everyone to vote with their feet: if a session isn’t working for someone, they find one that is. Don’t take it personally. The people who stay are exactly the people who want to be there.
How it works
Everyone is encouraged, but not required, to submit a session. We ask that you submit one session: the one you’re most excited about. When you do, you’re committing to lead it. Submit at sessions.minnestar.org.
- March 19: Submissions open, voting starts immediately
- April 19: Submissions close, voting continues
- ~1 week before: Schedule is shared with presenters
- A few days before: Final schedule sent to attendees
There’s no formal approval or curation. Sessions are scheduled using the Sessionizer, an open source tool built by the community. Votes drive the process — sessions with more votes get bigger rooms, so voting matters.
What makes a session good
Each session is 40 minutes. Don’t fill all of it, leave room for conversation.
- A compelling title. It does a lot of work to get the right folks in the room.
- A real story. The sessions that stick make you feel something, not just know something.
- Space for the audience. Be ready for conversation. You’re in a room full of people who care about the same thing you do.
- A clear format. Slides, demo, discussion, panel — all welcome. Announce it upfront and stick to it.
Check out sessions from previous years here.
You don’t need to be an expert
Minnebar isn’t about credentials. Sessions have covered everything from AI and software development to mental health, Korean skincare, and how to fold a fitted sheet. If you’re passionate about something, others will be too.
Some of the best sessions have come from first-time public speakers. Minnebar is a great place to just try. Ask anyone who’s hosted: it’s the most forgiving audience you will ever speak in front of.
Not ready to go solo? Bring a friend to co-present, or reach out to someone whose session topic overlaps with yours — joint sessions and panels are welcome.
What’s off limits
Sessions don’t go through a formal approval process, but a few things are off limits:
- Sales pitches & ads — This is a knowledge-sharing event, not a trade show.
- Drones — Best Buy’s campus is a no-fly zone. Please leave them at home.
- AI-generated proposals — Sessions about AI are welcome, but they should be led by you. We’re here for human connection.
- Anything that violates our Code of Conduct — We’re here to learn and connect in a welcoming, respectful space. Read it at minnestar.org/code-of-conduct
Day-of tips
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Get to your room early. Use the break before your session to set up, test the display, and get settled. With 15-minute breaks between sessions, you have time to do this and still breathe.
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Bring your display adapter. Every room has HDMI, but your laptop almost certainly needs an adapter. This is the number one thing people forget. Also bring your charger.
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Have a backup plan. You’re sharing wifi with 1,400+ people. Save a local copy of your presentation and consider tethering to your hotspot as a backup. If something doesn’t work, roll with it — the audience will roll with you.
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Don’t overprepare a presentation and underprepare for conversation. For a formal talk, target 30 minutes of content and leave 10 for Q&A. The room will take you places you didn’t plan for, and that’s a feature, not a bug.
- Sessions are not recorded, but you are welcome to record your own session. Focus on recording yourself, versus the room and please be mindful of how a recording might impact others.
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We’re here to help. Volunteers are available all day if you run into an issue. We promise than any issue day-of is figureoutable.
One last thing
There are no spectators at Minnebar. Everyone is here to engage, contribute, learn, and connect. The more you put in, the more you get out.
Still have questions?
Get in touch at support@minnestar.org, find us in the Minnestar Slack, or join us April 2 at noon for MinneAMA: Crafting an Awesome Minnebar Session.
