FAQ

re:publica 2018 will take place from 2-4 May 2018.

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 etc.).

A session can be either 30 or 60 minutes long. Workshop sessions last either 60 or 120 minutes. Make sure to plan in time for a Q&A when preparing:

• 30 minute session = 20 minutes of content + 10 minute Q&A (is led by either the stage host or the presenter
• 60 minute session = 45-50 minutes of content + 10-15 minute Q&A (is led by either the stage host or the presenter)
• 120 minute sessions are only intended for workshops

No. Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the programme team for late submissions if these relate to important current events and/or can be requested from the programme team.

You still have time until 28.02.2019 for submission in the section Side Events.

Our suggestions:

• "Beginner": for people with little or no prior knowledge
• "All": for anyone who has already superficially dealt with the topic
• "Expert": for experts, meaning anyone who works in the field, does research or reports on it (but still open to everyone)

The re:publica continues to grow, and with it our responsibility to put together a high-quality programme. This is something we take very seriously. We, the core programme team, successfully collaborated with a programme committee for the first time in 2016, helping us ensure the programme stays as diverse as possible.

The programme committee is made up of professionals, community leaders and speakers who have accompanied us on our way for many years now and who know the re:publica and its guiding principle well. They gain insights into the re:publica programme, so as to evaluate the submitted sessions and help ensure that diverse perspectives and voices are well represented.

This is done by giving the members of the programme committee carefully selected sessions to evaluate which fit their respective thematic focus. Your sessions are submitted to them anonymously, to make sure that the content of your proposal remains the focus. The members of the programme committee can then issue an assessment of the session and leave a written comment. The re:publica programme team subsequently take these evaluations and comments into account when compiling your talks, workshops, discussions and diverse activities.

We don’t want to keep members of the programme committee from submitting their own proposals during the Call for Participation. We therefore closely monitor exactly who we submit which session to for evaluation, so as to prevent bias in the assessment.

Programme decisions are not made by individuals, but by a team! Our programme team is made up of people who work with the utmost care and integrity and we stand behind them.

Anyone and everyone (with an internet connection) and a good idea can take part in the CfP.

The call for rp19 runs from 15. Oktober 2018 bis 16. Dezember 2018 (23:59, CET )

The programme team and the programme committee will evaluate all proposals from 17. Dezember bis 11. Februar 2018. We will evaluate on a rolling basis; i.e. the earlier you submit, the more free slots we will have available.

We will be contacting all submitting parties beginning 12 February 2018, sending out the confirmations of acceptance or rejection.

The programme team curates the content from the proposals it receives from the community, invites keynoters and other speakers, and consults partners. It also works together with experts from the programme committee. As the programme team and the programme committee have the most influence in this process, and also have the final say in which submissions are accepted and which are rejected, the CfP should be seen as a modified form of crowdsourcing.

The CfP is a good barometer for letting us know which topics the re:publica community is interested in. At the same time, the CfP allows for the introduction of new ideas and add a few surprises to the re:publica.

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

For the rest: the sooner we select the sessions, the better we can bundle them together into topic tracks, consult, fine-tune – and, last but not least, allow for visitors to start planning early.

Yes. The account allows you to register yourself as a speaker and submit a proposal for the CfP over your profile. You can edit your proposal at any time – even after submission but until the deadline!– and manage your information. Account registration and setup is free and only takes a few minutes. Just head this way: https://18.re-publica.com/en/speaker/registration

Yes. If you registered yourself for the re:publica after 2014, your old account can still be activated. Should you already have an account, please use it. 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.

No. We retrieve 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.

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, not quantity!

Yes. The CfP form can be edited and saved up until December 16, 2018. 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.)

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

Should you not have found any answers in our extensive FAQs – please, please, PLEASE read through them carefully and thoroughly (!) – you can contact the programme team at: programme[at]re-publica.com

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

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 2018 under the motto "POP".

A session can last 30 or 60 minutes. Workshop sessions last 60 or 120 minutes. Plan enough time for Q&A when you prepare:

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

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 => The limit on featured persons includes the moderator. We cannot emphasize it enough and we won’t be making any exceptions here either! GENDER BALANCE applies to all formats. We strive to be 100% diverse, but as a minimum 50 % of the 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
• Activity (varies)
  Flash mob, field test, installation, exhibition, concert, pop-up happning, DJ set, activities with re:publica visitors and working with the results on-site– bring your ideas to re:publica!

“Tracks” are general thematic fields which you can assign your submission to, for example “Politics & Society”, “Business & Innovation” or “Arts & 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 formulated the concept for some “Topics” for the CfP, others are added over the course of the CfP phase.

Read more about our #rp18 tracks and topics here:
Tracks and Topics

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

• Politics & Society
• Research & Education
• Media & Journalism
• Art & Culture
• Science & Technology
• Business & Innovation
• Mobility & City
• Leisure & Lifestyle

Read more about our #rp18 tracks here:
Tracks and Topics

“Topics” are key themes for 2019 that help us set a specific focus. Some have become so important that they return every year, like the “Global Innovation Gathering (GIG)”, “re:health” for all things concerning health and digitisation, or the “Law Lab” focusing on legal matters of the internet. 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 #rp18 topics here:
Tracks and Topics

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 - i.e. you should 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 "Side Event", and select from one of the following formats: actions, pop-up, installation or music.

In order to simplify 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.

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 we accepted it for the conference programme. But no worries, we'll inform you via email before we publish.

After the CfP deadline, we will contact you if your session has been accepted or not. Please be patient, we usually receive over 1.000 submissions.

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 sixth time in 2019.

While the MCB is the most important and closest partner of th 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.

Yes. Even though the MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin curatorial team plans its programme independently, it is 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 there. Accordingly, it will then be the MCB team that will decide on the acceptance or rejection of your submission and not the re:publica programme team.

That’s problematic. 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.

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 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

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 already participated in the event.

We use the same assessment standards for both: someone who has already been at the re:publica has to fulfill the same criteria and formalities as a newbie. So don’t rest on your own good name or connections!

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 can resell your ticket or gift it to someone. For more information see our ticket FAQ.

No. We do not cover any travel and accommodation costs. But you will receive a 3-day ticket and catering on the day of your talk.

No. You are responsible for your session. If there happen to be urgent issues, we will obviously be there to offer advice.

You should submit an idea that you can execute yourself. If you have a great idea that requires our help for its implementation, then we suggest you get in contact early on (programme[at]re-publica.de), and we can see if we can tackle it together or can find other help.

Yes, please. We look forward to your voluntary commitment, engagement and your curiosity! Write the programme team: programme[at]re-publica.com

Every stage at the re:publica is attended to by a stage host. Meaning, that he/she announces the sessions, leads through the Q&A at the end of a session, and then moves the programme on to the next item. Our stage hosts also inform the audience about important changes to the programme and other last-minute features – the stage hosts are in constant communication and consultation with the programme team during the re:publica.

Presenters/moderator generally lead the discussion or conversations in a session. This requires thorough preparation. We will put the presenters in contact with the speakers – should they not have already been contacted by the person responsible for the session – so that they can hold preparatory talks.

Yes, because they will be added to the respective sessions. Presenters/moderators and stage hosts, like speakers, 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.

Helper registration will be available starting 15 March at 3pm.

1) Now you can start filling out your helper profile. Make sure to fill out all required fields.

2) Choose a username. Please note: this username will be visible to all registered users. Choose a pseudonym (ex. “helper42”) if you prefer not to use your real name.

3) All other data (age, name, etc.) can only be viewed by our helper management team. Enter a valid email address. After submitting you'll be redirected back to our home page and receive an activation link via email. This could take up to 15 minutes. Remember to check your spam filter.

4) Follow the link and create a password. Go to “User Account” in the menu (black bar at the top of the page): here you can view your information, make changes or change your password.

5) In the menu you'll find “Dashboard → Helpers” featuring the following: “Shift Schedule”. Sign up for your shift here. (Please sign up for one shift only!)

6) “Work Areas”: here you'll find descriptions of all the different work areas at re:publica 2018.

7) In your user dashboard you'll see: “My Shift Registrations”: here you can see what shift you have signed up for (in case you signed up for more than one shift, you can use this area remove yourself from those you won't be able to do).

8) If you have further questions: go to “Contact” in order to reach us. 

Contact us at: help (at) re-publica.de.

So far, we have not rejected anyone who has registered as a helper and signed up for a shift. Of course things can always change during the organisation process, such as having to reschedule shifts to fit the event programme or having to scratch a shift completely. However, this happens very infrequently and we strive to find a fitting solution in these rare cases. We will make the helper waiting list available for anyone who hasn't found a suitable shift or who was too late in registering.

If you are 18 or above and are keen to support re:publica 2018 then you can register on our sign-up portal and sign up for a shift. Registration opens around February 2018. We will notify you about the exact start date in advance.

You are invited to join our Helping Hands Facebook Group.

    Early Bird (limited availability)
    Standard: € 135,-
    Business: € 495,- *
    Reduced: € 65,- **

    Regular (until February 28, 2019)
    Standard: € 210,-
    Business: € 680,- *
    Reduced: € 105,- **

    Regular (from March 1, 2019)
    Standard: € 220,-
    Business: € 710,- *
    Reduced: € 110,- **

Tickets grant access to re:publica 2019 and MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin at the STATIONBerlin. All prices include 19% VAT and handling costs. Our partner Xing-Events will provide you with an invoice for each purchase.

You can order tickets online until 11:55 pm on May 4th, 2019. Please note: If you received at ticket code, you have to redeem that ticket code until that time, too. Afterwards you may still get your ticket at the counter at STATIONBerlin, that is, if tickets are still available. Please follow our Twitter account for updates. Box office prices on site will be higher.

* Including access to the speaker lounge on all three event days.

** Pupils, students, trainees, people on social welfare (“ALG II”), retirees (as well as people over 65) and people with disabilities are entitled to order a reduced ticket. You will be asked to show your student ID resp. other form of documentation at our accreditation desks. Please bring it with you.

After having adjusted ticket prices in 2018, there will be no price adjustments for 2019.

We originally introduced the Early Bird Tickets as “Blogger Tickets” and we still see them as their legitimate successors. Blogger Tickets were intended as a “Thank You!” to the community that made re:publica what it is today. This is why we expressly ask companies and those who don’t necessarily ‘need’ to purchase cheap tickets to refrain from acquiring Early Bird Tickets. Thank you!

▸  Access to the Business and Speaker’s Lounge
Those who want to escape re:publica’s festival hubbub can head to the centrally located Business, and Speaker’s lounge and use its calm atmosphere to conduct business or just hang out with old friends and new acquaintances and enjoy the catering with the re:publica and the MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin speakers.

▸  Catering during all three event days
Four meals (breakfast, lunch, afternoon cakes, snack in the evening) as well as soft drinks, coffee and tea are included in the Business Ticket and are available throughout the day in the lounge. All warm meals are freshly prepared at STATION Berlin kitchens and, of course, vegetarian options are also available.
 

Please note: In contrast to re:publica 2018, Business Tickets will no longer be transferable while the event take place in 2019.

Share a ticket: Tickets are personalized and cannot be shared by several people.

Transfer a ticket: You may transfer your ticket once to another person using the link in your ticket email. The deadline for this  is May 4th, 2019.

It turns out that you can’t make it to re:publica after all and so you would like to transfer or sell your ticket to someone else? Or you want to give a re:publica ticket to someon as a a gift?

Not a problem. Use the link provided in your confirmation e-mail, that was sent to you right after your ticket purchase. Please note that transfers can only be done until May 4th, 2019. If the ticket to be transferred is not a gift, then it is up to you and the new recipient to work out your own payment method.

If you have any further questions, simply send a short e-mail to: ticket at re-publica.com.

Ticket cancellation is only possible for privately held tickets and must be doneuntil May 4th, 2019. Cancellation fees are € 5,95 plus handling fees. As an example, the overall cancellation fees for a Standard Ticket (€ 210,-) are a total of about €12,81. The amount for other tickets may differ. The remaining amount is then automatically returned to the original payment method.

You will find a link to cancel your ticket in your order confirmation that you received after your order. If you can not find that email, please contact the Xing-Events-Team via support at xing-events.com.

To save cancellation fees, it is also possible to sell a ticket you already purchased and have the name on the ticket changed accordingly. In that case, check the FAQ “How do I transfer my ticket to another person”?

Our partner, Xing-Events, will automatically issue an invoice upon purchase. Required data will be requested during the ordering process in the step “order data”. If you have any further questions or if you encounter an spelling error, please get in touch via ticket at re-publica.com

Sadly, no: We won’t be offering day passes for re:publica 2019 f.

Fairly Simple: You will be asked to show your valid (= at the time of your ticket purchase) student ID resp. other official form of documentation at our accreditation desks. Please have it ready. The name on your student ID resp. other form of documentation should match the one on your ticket.  Contact us via ticket at re-publica.com, if that's not the case.

- Pupils/students need a valid student ID with a photo or a current enrollment certificate and a photo ID
- trainees need a written confirmation of their employer
- ALG II recipients can show the “Berlinpass“ or a written ALG II-confirmation
- Retirees (as well as people over 65 years of age) show a pension card or photo ID
- People with disabilities need an handicapped ID or a confirmation from re:publica (via ticket at re-publica.com)

Yes. Your student ID must have been valid between November 2018 and May 2019. For example, a student ID from winter semester 2018/19 is all right, but one from summer 2018 cannot be accepted.

Yes! For groups from 10 school children via ticket at re-publica.com. If a group is larger and/or consists of pupils both over and under the age of 16, please contact us via ticket at re-publica.com as well..

Yes! For groups from 10 students please contact us via ticket at re-publica.com.

Yes, we offer special conditions for groups from 10 persons. Please send your inquiries for group tickets to ticket at re-publica.com.

No worries, besides buying an Early Bird Ticket you have to two options for attending #rp19 – and they are both free!

▸ Become a helping hand
Before, during and after re:publica we are depending on the support from volunteer helpers. As a helper you will receive a Three-Day-Ticket in exchange for 8 hours of your help, including catering during your shift. The helping hands accreditation will begin around February 2019. Until then, feel free to join our “Helping Hands” Facebook group.

▸ Become a speaker
Our Call for Participation started October 15th, 2018. It will give you the chance to submit a talk, a workshop, a discussion panel or another form of action and thus apply to be part of the re:publica 2019 programme.

Until today we have never had to reject anyone who has applied to be a re:publica helping hand. However, if more helping hands apply this time than we need, it might be the case that we will have to reject a few applicants. If you do not want to run that risk, purchase a ticket now and sell it on later. Watch out: We will not cover any cancellation fees, if you are unable to sell your purchased ticket.

Children up to and including 15 years of age have free admission. We may ask for an photo ID of older looking children at the entry or accreditation. We will extend our offerings for parents and young children (e.g. quiet area, children's playground) even more at re:publica 2019.
Please note that we recommend younger children to be accompanied by an adult at all times. See also "Can I take an accompanying person to the re:publica? ?"

Of course! The easiest way is buying a regular ticket for your companion.
But there are also other options as well:

▸ Assistants for people with disabilities
re:publica wishes to be accessible for all people, which is why we make an effort to make re:publica as accessible as possible, with low barriers, offering assistance wherever we can. Individuals with disabilities may bring an accompanying person to re:publica. An accompanying person must not necessarily be specified in your ID. Please contact us in advance via ticket at re-publica.com, stating your ticket number and a brief explanation or evidence of your accompanying person in your ID.

▸ “Nanny” accompaniments
If you bring your child with you to re:publica, it may be possible to receive a special ticket for childcare helpers (e.g. grandparents, parents, close friends). Please contact us via ticket at republica.com.

▸ Other accompaniments
At re:publica, all participants should feel comfortable and safe at all times. If you need an accompanying person or accompanying animal, please contact us via ticket at republica.com.

Admission for accompanying persons can only be granted with a written confirmation from us. So please make sure to contact us early.

Yes! We assume that the #rp18, like it’s predecessors, will again qualify for educational leaves in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rhineland-Palatinate, the Saarland, Berlin and Hamburg. We will publish a how-to guide on our website soon.

We are constantly checking whether we could add more federal states to our list. Unfortunately, since educational leave is a state matter, the procedures and requirements differ considerably from each other

We received about 1000 submissions last year. Our programme team had to reject quite a few. See the Call for Pariticpation FAQ for more.

No, unfortunately not. But you can resell and transfer your Early Bird Ticket at a later date to someone else, no problem.

In 2019, the yard will not be accessible on the days of the event without a ticket.

▸ Dogs
For the well being of the animal and for safety reasons, dogs and other animals are not allowed.

▸ Bag-check
We will check the bags of our attendees at the entrance. Large bags and suitcases may not be taken into STATIONBerlin and must be stored in our free suitcase wardrobe. Bags that are supposed to be taken inside should not be larger than a “laptop” backpack.

▸ Glass bottles
Large glass bottles may not be taken into the venue.

▸ Pyrotechnics, Weapons
Pyrotechnics and Weapons are not allowed.

Questions? Problems? We are happy to help you via ticket at republica.com