Should I Speak at RFTB?
- RFTB-Ireland
- May 12
- 3 min read
In a word: yes. Yes, you absolutely should.
What if I've never spoken at an event before? Still yes.
What if I'm new to the industry? Still yes.
What if nobody likes my talk? Impossible. You are a wonderful person with so much to offer.
Run For The Border makes an effort to showcase a wide range of speakers and subjects from all over our wee island: from startups to veterans, from console to tabletop, from indie to AAA, from freelancers to CEOs, from first timers to seasoned orators.
Here's the important thing: RFTB talks are 10-Minute Lightning Talks. That's a hard 10-minute deadline, then you're hooked off the stage.
Why so short? We've run enough of these to have learned that 10 minutes is the perfect length: long enough to get your point across, short enough to keep the evening moving. No waffle, no filler, no faffing about. It's a teaser trailer, not a full-length feature.
Here's a list of our speakers from RFTB 2025:
Speaker | Origin | Topic |
Aaron Curry & Tegan Smyth | Ballyconnell | Embracing Limitations |
Eve Golden-Woods | Dublin | 10 TTRPGs in 10 Minutes |
Lorna McFall | Belfast | The 5 W’s of UI/UX Design |
Jibril Abdulazeez | Dublin | Falling in Love With Game Design (Before anyone has paid me to do it) |
João Luis | Lisburn | From Demo to Orchestra |
Thomas Hislop | Belfast | So you’ve found a publisher… what next? |
Mark Robinson | Dublin | Back To Work Enterprise Allowance |
Chris Filip | London | 10 things the games industry can learn from Film and TV |
Feedback from RFTB 2025:
"Speaking at RFTB was a great experience, with an incredibly warm and accommodating crowd... If you're looking for an opportunity to speak in front of an audience - especially if you've never tried public speaking - RFTB is the perfect event to give it a shot as it's a small but supportive audience. "
"The crowd and organisers are super friendly and encouraging, and everyone is keen to hear what you have to say. It is by far one of the most “I’ve never done public speaking but I have something to say”-friendly events I’ve taken part in. Another cool part is that whatever your topic, because there’s quite a few people in the audience, there will be someone in the crowd who will share your enthusiasm."
"If there is a talk you have been itching to present but haven't had the chance to give, jump on this! It doesn't matter how niche your topic might be, I promise you this is the kindest audience who will activity listen to what you have to say."
"I found after speaking at last years RFTB it opened up a number of conversations, especially with people I had never met prior - these likely would not have happened if I did not get on that stage."
"For me it was a stepping stone that boosted my confidence, which since I have submitted to be a speaker at more events. It can be nerve-wracking to put yourself out there, especially if you have never spoken in front of a crowd before, but honestly this is the perfect place to dip your toe into the speaker waters!"
If you've never spoken at an event before, RFTB is a great place to start. It's a low stress, safe environment, a supportive community, a great venue and timeframe to dip your toe in the water and see if it's something you'd want to do again. It's also a great way to get everyone in the room to meet you at once, in the hopes of striking up an easy conversation later.
If you're a seasoned speaker, RFTB is a chance to impart bite-sized nuggets of well-earned wisdom upon all the people of this fine island in one fell swoop. Your tales of fortune and glory - or of heartache and woe - may reveal unseen pitfalls and/or treasures to an eager up-and-comer, giving them one last chance to run away from this industry before they are trapped like the rest of us. For the love of god, save as many as you can!
Oh, did we mention? If we choose your session, we'll throw in a couple of extra drink tickets for you on the day.
Hey, got a good idea for a 10-minute lightning talk? Apply here!
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