What is Outlier?

Outlier is a hybrid conference hosted by the Data Visualization Society. The event reflects and celebrates the global visualization community.

How is Outlier different from other conferences?

Outlier is an inclusive, diverse, and creative data visualization conference. We run a public call for speakers, which attracts not only well known thought leaders, but also people you may not have heard of who are shaping the field. We provide a virtual option and provide several ticketing options, so that everyone anywhere in the world can join. Attendees suggest and facilitate their own sessions through the unconferences. They also network and build long-lasting connections.

All this makes Outlier both a celebration of our community’s talents and a glimpse into future data visualization developments.

Is Outlier a hybrid event?

Yes! We are keeping what made past editions of Outlier unique and hosting the 2025 edition online so that anyone, anywhere, can attend. We will also have an in-person event in the beautiful city of Miami, USA.

When will the next Outlier take place?

The next Outlier event will take place on 11 - 13 June, 2025.

What makes Outlier 2025 unique?

Outlier is partnering with the Information is Beautful (IIB) Awards for 2025! Conference attendees will have all access passes to the three day conference in addition to the IIB Awards ceremony. An added benefit to in person attendence is the IIB Awards evening reception before the awards ceremony.

Where is the event taking place?

In Person: University of Miami, Newman Alumni Center, Miami, Florida USA

Virtually: ticket holders will be sent the link to the virtual platform

Where can I find updates about the event? Is there a social media tag?

Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | #Outlier2025

How is Outlier structured?

Outlier is a hybrid event: virtual and in-person (Miami, USA) taking place on the 11th, 12th and 13th of June.

We will have keynote speakers delivering talks and participating in panel discussions. We will also have a curated list of speakers providing talks and lightning talks. Attendees can also host unconferences.

All these options will be available virtually and in-person. All talks will be recorded and all in-person talks will be livestreamed online. Due to time differences, you may not be able to watch all talks live, but all will be published at a later stage on our Youtube channel.

How can I register for Outlier?

Outlier + IIB Awards Registration opening soon

Note: Outlier 2025 includes access to the Information is Beautiful (IIB) Awards

Where can I see the agenda?

The 2025 agenda and speaker info will be available soon! The 2024 draft agenda is available here.

How to get to and around the Conference

Updated logistics for in-person and virtual attendance will be provided.

I would like to know more about Miami. What are your tips?

An updated tip sheet will be provided here.

Will Outlier talks be recorded?

Yes, talks will be recorded and be published at a later stage on our Youtube channel.

Does Outlier have a Code of Conduct?

Yes, on top of the DVS code of conduct, we ask you to follow a few additional rules during the conference. Why is that? The events committee strives to be as transparent as possible, which includes ensuring the participants are aware of when something is a sponsored talk. Additionally, we want to maintain an inspiring and engaging space that isn’t cluttered with recruiters and corporate messages.

Can I pitch a product or company during Outlier?

While we may have attendees who run their own businesses, are involved with startups, or are hiring managers who are actively recruiting, Outlier is designated to be a space for attendees to come together without needing to swat away pitches.

We might have sponsored sessions and we will have sponsor booths, at the virtual platform and our venue, were sponsors can present their materials and/or products. Reach out to DVS Partnerships if you want to become a sponsor.

How can I know what's considered as a pitch?

Here are some examples of what is not considered as a pitch for non-sponsored events:

  • Casually mentioning that you have a book coming out as part of your introduction or as a side-note.

  • A tool user hosting an educational workshop on getting started with the tool with the purpose of educating and sharing skills.

  • Recruiters reaching out to participants who have volunteered their information as someone who is currently searching for a job and wants to connect to recruiters.

  • A hiring manager hosting a session on something totally unrelated to recruitment.

And here are examples of what is considered as a pitch:

  • Hosting a session specifically to promote your book, with the book being the focus of the session.

  • Someone who works at a software company hosting a demo/workshop around the software for the purpose of converting people to the tool.

  • Recruiters randomly reaching out to attendees.

  • A hiring manager hosting a session for the purpose of recruitment.

Can I take pictures during the conference?

The in-person event will have a photographer. We are aware that not all people like having their photo taken. Please make sure you let us know beforehand if that is your case. If you want to take a photo of a group of people, please ensure that you first ask for their consent.

Is there anything else I should keep in mind?

We ask that you be respectful of others, and that you not interrupt those who are already speaking. Remember to pause and give space for others to engage. Respect others’ opinions even when you disagree with them, so that they can show you the same respect.

You can see the full DVS code of conduct here.

If I observe a violation of the Code of Conduct, how can I report it?

Please submit your complaint here.

What to know before applying, read the FAQs below

Speaker applications are open. Apply here!

What is the application deadline for the 2025 event?

The applications will be open from the 19th of Februray to the 16th of March 2025.

Who can apply to speak at Outlier?

Anyone interested in the visualization field can apply to speak. Watch our 2024, 2023, and 2022 talks to get to know our previous speakers.

What should be the structure of a talk?

Your talk can range from a quick lightning talk, a standard 20 minute presentation, or a longer-form workshop in the language of your choice (if it’s not English, we ask you to pre-record it). Presentations can be pre-recorded. Afterwards, we will host an optional Q&A in English.

Do I need to apply alone?

No, you can apply as a team of up to 3 people.

What kind of questions will I need to answer to apply?

Outlier speaker application questions follow a three-part structure:

  • About you: we ask you to fill in some basic details like your name, email address, timezone, social media tags, and bio.

  • About the talk: here we dive deeper into the objective, target audience, title and subject area of the talk.

  • Your expertise: we ask you to share relevant work, a video of you speaking and to describe what diverse perspectives you’ll bring to the event.

How are Outlier speakers selected?

The evaluation committee carefully reviews each application and selects the best candidates based on proposed talk quality and Outlier values. You can read more about the speaker selection process here.

The DVS code of conduct and rules of engagement are listed here.

When will selected speakers be notified?

We will aim to alert selected speakers in April 2025

I am a first-time speaker. Can I still apply?

Yes, we would love for you to apply. If you get selected, you will have the option to be paired with an experienced mentor who will help you prepare the talk.

Do I need to speak in English?

If you are not comfortable speaking in English, please let us know in the application form. If selected, we will discuss with you the best options to pre-record your talk.

Do speakers get paid?

All selected Outlier main stage speakers will receive an honorarium of USD 450 to cover the costs of putting together and recording their talk. Unfortunately, we are not in the position to cover accommodation or travel expenses.

All speakers get a free ticket to Outlier. If you already bought a ticket, we will reimburse you.

Do I need to go to Miami to give a talk?

No, at the time of the application you can choose if you wish to do your talk in-person or virtually. Note that this will not affect our decision.

What are the DVS Masterclasses?

DVS Masterclasses are workshops or opportunities for hands-on development and training where data viz creators can learn about different platforms, processes, and best practices for creating incredible data visualization work from leading practitioners.

What types of masterclasses have been offered before?

Please see previous offerings here.

Can I deliver a masterclass or workshop?

Each Outlier agenda is different. If you have a workshop proposal, please indicate in your speaker application and you may reach out to events@datavisualizationsociety.org for more details on Outlier workshop planning.

What is a lightning talk?

A lighting talk is a 7-minute pre-recorded presentation on a topic and in the language of your choice. If you wish to, you can also host a 3-minute live Q&A about a topic.

Why do you host lightning talks?

We want to showcase many talented individuals in data visualization and provide more platforms for everyone. If time and budget allowed, we would have loved to have selected many more conference speakers. It might also be the case that you want to talk about a topic but feel that 20 minutes is too long. Lightning talks are a great alternative way to get involved and share some of your most exciting insights and/or projects.

What are the criteria for lightning talk videos?

We ask you to keep the following in mind when recording and submitting the video:

  • You must be a ticket holder to present a lightning talk.

  • The talk should focus on a topic related to data visualization.

  • The video must be five minutes or less in its entirety.

  • The talk should not contain any offensive materials and must abide by the Data Visualization Society Code of Conduct.

  • Do your best to create a quality video.

  • Lighting talks cannot be promotions or advertisements for any commercial purpose.

Will there be a selection process?

The Outlier team will select lightning talks from the speaker applications to check if they fit the Outlier values and criteria (see above). After the initial screening, applicants will be contacted informing them about the decision.

Do lightning speakers get paid?

No. Unfortunately, we can only pay speakers and not those submitting lightning talks.

Do I need to go to Miami to give a lightning talk?

No, at the time of the application you are asked to submit your lightning talk. If you decide to join us in Porto, you can let us know if you are interested in hosting a Q&A.

What is an unconference session?

An unconference (or unconf, for short) is a 1-hour long session that can be hosted by anyone in attendance. As long as you have a ticket to Outlier, you can host one or multiple unconference sessions, virtually or in-person.

What type of sessions can I create?

For the most part, whatever you like! You can host a session in any style or format you’d like. See some examples below.

  • Talk

  • Panel

  • Discussion

  • Q&A / AMA (Ask Me Anything)

  • Hands-on learning session (e.g., workshop, hackathon, sketching contest)

  • Fun / Misc (e.g., games, music, etc.)

How can I create an unconference session?

You can submit your sessions on The Outlier app one week before the conference. The Outlier app will be available to download on your mobile when unconference submissions go live. You can also visit our agenda (on the app/and on the website) to see what unconference sessions are already there. On the agenda, choose if it’s a virtual or in-person session, pick one of the available unconference slots, and add the details of your suggested session. An Outlier team member will then be notified, approve your session, and add it to the agenda along with the meeting room information (in-person) or link (virtual).

Can I co-host my unconference session?

We encourage people to collaborate and work together. Is someone else already planning to host a discussion you’re also super keen to lead? Reach out to them! Perhaps they’ll want to join forces!

What’s expected of me if I create a session?

Unlike a traditional conference session, unconference sessions have less of a clear distinction between prepared speakers and audiences. Even if you present a talk, we hope you choose to leave room for discussion and questions. Everybody is encouraged to participate and contribute something interesting, whether through leading a session or sharing insights as participants.

For in-person unconferences, Outlier can only provide the room and internet access. If you need other materials, you have to bring them yourself.

What should I choose for a session topic?

This is totally up to you (as long as it does not violate the Code of Conduct, of course), so we suggest whatever you’re excited about! We imagine a lot of the sessions will be focused around data visualization topics. However, we also encourage people to plan sessions around topics that are only minorly tangential to data visualization, as well as topics that have nothing to do with data visualization. We believe that two people connecting over non-dataviz topics (e.g., animal welfare, hiking, etc.) or non-dataviz activities (e.g. yoga, games, etc.) is also a really great thing and we want to encourage that.

Some session topic ideas:

  • Start an interesting debate or discussion about deep issues (e.g., a discussion around the data visualization around election polling)

  • Organize or suggest a panel on a popular topic

  • Lead a workshop on your favorite tool

  • Host an AMA; share your expertise!

  • Host a game, lead a yoga session, or some other fun activity

  • Give an informal talk on something you’re excited about

  • Share your obscure hobby!

  • Tell us about a niche area of dataviz you’ve fallen into

  • Share a live-coding session

  • Whatever else you can think of!

Do I need slides?

No! Unconference sessions tend to be a bit more off-the-cuff. But, if you have slides you want to share, feel free to bring them along.

Can I give a demo of our product?

We do not allow product pitches. See more on this in the code of conduct section above.

Will sessions be recorded?

Unconferences will not be recorded. If you are in Miami, you can decide to join unconferences virtually or in-person. If you are joining online, you can choose between the virtual ones.

Can I attend multiple unconference sessions?

You are encouraged to move around freely and as often as you like. Don’t feel the need to stay for an entire session. Move in and out as out of sessions as you please. Explore!

Sponsorship opportunities

Outlier Support & Other FAQs

I want to join the Oulier Committee or volunteer at the event.

Great! Please apply here.

I want to know more about DVS and how to join the community.

Know more about the DVS Mission and how to join us.

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