Reading · Kevin Lewis · RSS Amplifier

This rider exists to make planning easy and to ensure the experience is great for attendees, organizers, and speakers. I’m flexible on many details if we talk early—clarity up front prevents day-of-stress.

Quick Reference (The “Must-Haves”)

If you’re in a hurry, these are my non-negotiables for saying “yes”:

Safety: A public, enforced Code of Conduct.
Access: Real, step-free accessibility (including the stage).
Logistics: Travel and hotel covered for in-person events.
Transparency: Clear agreement on recording and usage rights.

About me

Topics & Bio

[Click to swap]

Bio: Kevin is a developer advocate and educator at Apify with over a decade in developer tooling and community. His work centers on applied AI: local models, autonomous multi-agent workflows, model fusions, agentic SDLC, and agent payments. He's looking at how agents discover the best tools to use and do so safely. He's exploring how AI agents become first-class citizens of developer tools. He's into boardgames, 3D printing, and karaoke. He lives in Berlin despite not drinking beer or liking techno.

Organizer Note

I’m a former events organizer myself. I treat event success as symbiotic: you bring a thoughtful audience, and I’ll do everything I can to help the day go well—even beyond my own session.

1. The Invitation

To help me give you a fast answer, please include:

The Basics: Event name, dates, location, and expected attendance/audience.
The Format: Talk length, workshop needs, and Q&A preference.
The Package: Speaker fee/honorarium, travel, and lodging details.
The Content: Your plan for recording, streaming, or publishing.

2. Values & Environment

Code of Conduct

Your event must have an explicitly defined Code of Conduct that is easy to find, includes clear reporting channels, and has a defined enforcement process.

Accessibility

Physical: Step-free access to all areas, including the stage.
Audio/Visual: Microphones for all rooms and a captioning plan (live preferred, high-quality auto-captions for smaller budgets).
Remote: A tech check, run-of-show, and moderated chat.

3. Logistics & Compensation

Travel & Lodging

Coverage: Travel (flight/train), local transport, and a hotel near the venue with reliable Wi-Fi.
Booking: I strongly prefer direct booking by the organizer to avoid the “reimburse later” model.
Passes: A full event pass should be included.

Fees

Professional/For-Profit: I typically expect a speaker fee or honorarium.
Community/Non-Profit: I’m flexible! Tell me what you can do (covering travel/hotel is the priority) and we’ll find a way to make it work.

If I am explicitly representing my employer then I won’t expect a fee, but travel and lodging may still apply. If there is a fee budgeted, I will typically ask you to donate it to your event’s inclusion program or directly to a charity.

4. Technical & Stage Requirements

A/V Setup

Hardware: I present from my own laptop (HDMI or USB-C).
Slides: I will provide slides after the event for sharing.
Display: 16:9 ratio preferred. Please disable auto-sleep on venue displays.

Recording & Usage

I’m happy to be recorded with advance agreement.

Ownership: I retain ownership of my content and slides.
Usage: Please confirm where the video will live and if it’s paywalled.
Restrictions: No usage as paid training content, sponsor marketing, or AI model training without explicit permission.

5. Collaboration & Support

How I can help

I’m happy to go beyond the talk to support your event:

Helping with “hallway” logistics or AV hiccups.
Using my “booming voice” for announcements.
Joining speaker dinners, AMAs, or office hours. Note: Please ask in advance so we can align on expectations!

Cancellations

I try hard not to cancel. However, if safety, accessibility, or CoC enforcement is materially impacted, I reserve the right to withdraw (with a best-effort for a remote alternative).

Speaker Rider