Announcing the Ignite #45 Speakers, Coming to Town Hall March 21

Ignite Seattle #45 is just a month away, and we’re thrilled to announce our next fantastic lineup of speakers and talks:

  • “So You Live In a Fault Zone” from Tiahnan Caulley
  • “How to Make an Impossible Movie” from Jeremy Cavner
  • “A Unique Way of Being a Foster Parent” from Silvana Clark
  • “My First Time Eating Artichokes Led Me to Live and Work on a Sustainable Farm” from Andrés Tereza Gomez
  • “The 40-year-old (Rugby) Virgin” from Beth Kelley
  • “How to Knock ‘Em Dead With a Killer Eulogy” from Christopher Matthias
  • “Why I wish I’d met my Mom’s gynecologist” from Suzan Mazor
  • “How I Saved the World and No One Knows” from Abraham McBride
  • “The Unhinged Joy of Marathon Pacing” from George Perantatos
  • “How to Lose Yourself in a Labyrinth” from Kristen Winn

This is going to be one of our best lineups yet, and you don’t want to miss it. Join us at Town Hall on March 21 to hear these interesting people tell interesting stories. You’ll laugh. You’ll learn. You’ll think. You’ll walk away inspired.

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

Early bird rates are just $10, and we often sell out, so get yours today!

Choosing a speaker lineup is never easy. Thank you to the many dozens of you who took the time to pitch ideas.

AMA with the Ignite Seattle Team (Thurs. Jan 25th, 7pm PST)

Come meet the Ignite Seattle organizing team for a fun and informal AMA (Ask Me Anything) session. Our speaker coaches and producers will be there to answer whatever questions you are curious about. Or maybe you have an idea or suggestion for us to consider.

This free event, open to all, will take place next Thursday, 1/25 at 7 pm PST on Zoom (Register Here).

Do you want to learn our secrets for organizing such great events? Want advice on pitching us your Ignite talk idea? Curious about what it’s like to be part of the Ignite team and want to join us? Or want public speaking tips from people who’ve literally walked the walk and talked the talk? This is the event for you.

We’ll be hosting this AMA (ask me anything) style where you’ll get to go behind the scenes of one of Seattle’s most popular live storytelling events. Speaker submissions are due in less than a month, so this is the perfect opportunity to get our feedback if you’re even just starting to brainstorm – you won’t want to miss out!

Register here

Free speaker coaching office hours (Tue Dec. 12th, 6pm PST, Zoom)

Want feedback on your public speaking skills? Have a talk idea you want to practice in front of an expert and a small friendly group? This is for you.

  • When: Tuesday, Dec. 12th, 6pm – 7:30 PST, Zoom (register here).
  • Cost: Free
  • Fun: Definitely
Register here

Details: All are welcome at this fun and informal online session run by me, Scott Berkun, the head speaker coach for Ignite Seattle and author of the bestselling book, Confessions of A Public Speaker.

Come with a talk idea or a presentation you want to practice. Any kind of presentation or story is welcome (does not have to be an ignite talk). Or come to be in the audience, listen in and learn tips, lessons and advice.

How it works:

  • Speaking slots are first come first served
  • Each speaker will get 2 to 3 minutes, no slides allowed
  • You can use a new story or something you’ve presented before, up to you
  • You will get actionable feedback and lessons
  • We will continue until we run out of speakers 🙂
  • There will be time for Q&A, so bring your questions
Register here

Ignite Seattle #44 recap – Rewatch and share your favorite talks

In typical Ignite Seattle fashion, we laughed, we learned, we spent an evening together with some of the best community in the city– #44 was another for the books!

Whether this was your 1st time attending or your 44th, we are grateful for your continued support, energy, and excitement for Ignite. You help make this dynamic community what it is and we can’t wait to see you again at a future event!

And now, without further ado, speaker talks are now live and available for your viewing and sharing pleasure. Post far and wide, you never know whose creativity you’ll ignite to tell their story.…

Ignite Seattle #44 talks:

View Photos from Ignite Seattle #44 

Feeling inspired? Consider applying to speak at Ignite Seattle #45!

apply to be a speaker

If you aren’t ready to apply, snag your tickets for our next event, Thursday, March 21, 2024. Reserved seating goes quick, so grab yours now for the best seats in the house!

get your tickets

Support us: invite your friends!

If you like the shows we put on there are easy ways to contribute to what we do. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit we appreciate all the support we can get in promoting our shows and bringing more people to our events.

Just a minute or two is all it takes. Here’s what you can do:

  1. Are you coming? Invite your friends and community to join you. Our events are great for groups, since there’s a pre-show social activity and a long intermission for drinks and conversations.
  2. Have a friend who is speaking? Tag them on social media and ask their friends to attend with you to cheer them on.
  3. Need a morale event at work? We’re an inexpensive way to bring a group together for a fun and memorable night of “edutainment.”
  4. Out of ideas for date night? We’re a great experience for dates, more interactive and cheaper than a movie, plus our shows are great conversation starters (“what was your favorite talk and why?”). Here’s our recommended list of nearby places to eat before the show.

To help you help us, you can copy and paste this to your social media:

Join me on Thurs., October 26th for an evening of fun and inspiring talks at Town Hall Seattle. There’s a bar, easy social activities and more. Tickets $10/15: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/igniteseattle/873846

Hope to see you and your friends at our next event.

Guess who’s returning to host Ignite 44?

We are DELIGHTED to announce that the one and only Nicole Steinbok is coming back to host for us at our upcoming Ignite!

Those of you around since our pre-pandemic days might remember Nicole as our guest speaker for the Summer 2019 Ignite. And if you haven’t met her yet, you’re in for a treat—not only is Nicole a former host and volunteer of our show, but she’s also an alumni speaker (anyone here remember the 22 minute meeting?) We’re lucky to have her back for a night of engaging talks! You don’t want to miss it.

Buy your tickets now

Announcing Speakers for Ignite #44 – Oct 26 at Town Hall Seattle

Ignite Seattle is thrilled to be back for its 44th edition! We are excited to bring to you a fun evening filled with an incredible lineup of stories. Our speakers for the evening are:

  • Dating via your dad and an ad, Ben Schifberg
  • How to travel with parents, Everest Nevraumont
  • A life of fire, Jeff Hicks
  • How to make tumbleweed flavored porkchops, Sibongile Chadyiwa
  • Seattle needs a siesta, Myer Harrell
  • How to write an obituary, Megan Starks
  • I have the body of an athlete., Kim Merrikin
  • Emotions about money, Susan Fee
  • Decide where to eat using behavioral economics, Nancy Wang
  • How a rat experiment cured my anxiety, Peter Feysa
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

We’re so grateful for those of you who took the time to pitch their ideas to us. We received dozens of submissions from all over the city. As you’ll see, our stories run the gamut of topics and emotions. From enlightening explorations of the mundane, to hilarious anecdotes, we have it all!

Get your tickets at an early bird price of $10 for a limited time. (Believe us, you don’t want to procrastinate, we WILL sell out). The event will be held at Town Hall Seattle on October 26. We look forward to seeing you!

Ignite Seattle’s Fall 2023 programs are here!

The August sun might be shining, but October will be here before you know it, and that means Ignite Seattle #44 is right around the corner! Tickets are on sale now for our next event, happening October 26, 2023, at Town Hall Seattle. We’re excited for another night of live community storytelling at its informative, entertaining best.

To make this night work, though, we need YOUR help. 

SPEAKER SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN! 

Do you have a story to tell, a valuable lesson to pass along, or a cool life hack to share with the best audience in Seattle? Of course you do. And we want to hear about it! 

Speaker Submissions for Ignite #44 are now open and ready for you to add your unique experiences.

Share your killer title and 100 word description by September 14, 2023. 
 

PITCH YOUR STORY HERE


Not sure how to pitch a story? Or even what makes an Ignite-style story? Great–we’ve got you covered. 

PRACTICE YOUR PITCH AT THIS FREE TRAINING EVENT!

If you have a great idea, but don’t know how to get it into the 5-minute Ignite format…

Or you have a friend or family member with a great story, but they need some encouragement to get on the stage…

We’re here to help! Not only does Ignite Seattle have a team of professional speakers who will coach, mentor, and assist you at every step if your submission is chosen, we’re also hosting a FREE night of training for aspiring Ignite speakers. 

Ignite Your Storytelling: How to Pitch and Perform for a Live Stage Event

Tuesday, August 29, 7:00-8:30pm

Town Hall Seattle’s Reading Room 

You’ll get actionable and proven advice from experts on:

  • What makes a great live stage event story (and what we’re looking for at Ignite)
  • How to identify the spark of your story and grab someone’s attention right away

Plus, there will be plenty of time for you to share your idea or pitch with the Ignite team and get one-on-one feedback.

Your coaches will be:

  • Professional speaker, bestselling author of Confessions of a Public Speaker, and former Ignite Seattle emcee Scott Berkun
  • Author, conference speaker, and publishing consultant Beth Jusino
  • Storyteller, author, and inspirational speaker Andrew Spink

(Scott, Beth, and Andrew are also all Ignite Seattle alumni who have taken their turns on the round red carpet–check out the links above!)

You don’t need to have a talk prepared, or even know yet what story you want to tell, to participate. But if you want to know more about the Ignite stage, this is the night for you. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

The training is free, but space is limited, so register today! Let us know if you have questions, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

PS. Help spread the word! If you know someone who has a great story or idea, or wants to feel more confident as a speaker, forward this post and invite them! 

Ignite Seattle #43 recap: videos and photos

Thanks to all of you who joined 700+ in our live audience for yet another amazing evening of fun, powerful and surprising stories told in just five minutes.

Don’t wait too long to buy tickets to our next event on Thursday, Oct 26th (early bird tickets just $10).

And now here are videos of all of our speakers plus photos from evening.

Talk Videos

Photos from the event

Full archive of event photos for Ignite Seattle #43