Future of Sex
tagline
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Policing Intimacy: AI Companion Apps Are Removing NSFW Features, and People Are Not Happy

  • The Future of Sex Is Non-binary Genital Surgery That Advances Bodily Agency

  • Is Equity Crowdfunding the Future of Sex Tech Investment?

  • Sex Tech News: New VR Sex Game, a User-Generated Erotica App and ‘Porn for TV’ Streaming Relaunches

  • Blyynd Brings on Investors to Build Anonymous Sexting App

  • A Fitbit for the Penis? The FirmTech Tech Ring Product Review

  • Sex Tech at CES 2023: 6 Brands Exhibited, Including an Anonymous Sexting App

  • Sex Tech Mixers, Hackathons & Conferences [UPDATED]

Future of Sex is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Home > Sex Tech > How to Bring Sex Tech into Mainstream Spaces: A Guide for Conference Speakers

Sex Tech
Home›Sex Tech›How to Bring Sex Tech into Mainstream Spaces: A Guide for Conference Speakers

How to Bring Sex Tech into Mainstream Spaces: A Guide for Conference Speakers

By Carolyn Stransky
September 21, 2021
315
0

Tips for getting talks on sexual innovation accepted at general technology symposiums.

Speaker Kate Devlin talking on 'The Artificial Lover: Our Intimate Future with Machines' in Berlin
Author and sex robot expert Kate Devlin appears on stage in front of the cover of the anthology “Turned On”

Despite its billion-dollar industry valuation, sex tech isn’t featured at mainstream technology conferences. 

There are many reasons for this, ranging from general social stigma to event organizers not thinking it's worth the risk. Regardless of why it’s clear that nothing will change until there’s more representation. That’s why it’s up to those of us with an interest in sex tech to spotlight these topics and normalize professional discussions around sex and sexual wellness. 

Here are some tips for bringing your sex tech topic to a traditional technical stage.

Before submitting your talk proposal

Establish credibility

“There is something to be said about who is delivering the content,” says developer event organizer Kevin Lewis. Lewis runs a number of intersectional technical events, including the You Got This conference series and previously Goldsmiths’ Sex Tech Hack.

The risk with sex tech as a topic at any event really but especially in [more traditional] professional settings is it can go south really quickly… and when that happens, the ability to make people uncomfortable in your space goes up a lot.

Showing that you’re a professional in this space can help combat this hesitation from organizers. One way to do that is to create content—blog posts, videos, whatever your preferred medium is. 

“I don't need someone to have experience speaking, I just need to know that they’re actually going to come at this from a respectful place,” Lewis adds. 

Find your topic 

Talks are almost never about sex tech alone. There’s always another angle—whether that’s hardware, security, ethics, or something else entirely. 

“You can talk about the topic, as it relates to another one of your interest areas,” says Lewis. 

He highlights Kate Devlin as someone who does this well, presenting topics like the ethics of sex robots: “You could quite easily go to a conference where the ethics of [artifical intelligence] is a totally valid and appropriate topic and then bring in this additional viewpoint or expertise or just an example [using sex tech].”

Once you’ve figured out your topic, Lewis says that should inform where you decide to apply. 

“Go find the intersection of sex tech and your other interests and then be where people would accept talks about those other interests,” he says.

RELATED READ: Tech Conference Organizers: Sex Tech Breaks Taboos, Not Codes of Conduct

While preparing your proposal

Focus on the talk description

Your talk description is the first impression to the organizers. It’s also usually used in conference programs if the talk is accepted. It’s crucial that these one or two paragraphs capture the essence of your talk and entice people to want to listen.

If your talk covers anything requiring a content or trigger warning, list those first. Consider following that with a problem statement or other evidence on how this talk will be relevant to attendees even if they don’t work in sex tech. 

“Is it relevant to the audience, or a large enough amount of the audience, or are there transferable concepts or learnings to non-sex tech that make this valid,” says Lewis, explaining what he looks for in talk descriptions. 

Include a detailed outline 

Most of the time, an outline will be listed as an optional part of the application. However, if you’re planning to pitch a sex tech talk, you should be including one.

Much like the description, the outline is a preview of your talk. The main difference is that the outline won’t be visible to attendees, so you can give organizers a clearer picture of how you’ll be presenting your topic—which ultimately should help calm their nerves. 

“I need to understand what the content of the talk is going to be, at least in broad strokes,” Lewis says.

With more risky topics [like sex tech], I might need to see a full rundown of content or there needs to be a rehearsal or a check-in before the event where I know I have the ability to pull that person out of the lineup if required.

After you’ve been accepted 

Coordinate with the organizers

It’s up to the organizers to create a respectful environment for discussion, but they can’t do this without input from the speakers.

Along with participating in potential rehearsals or check-ins, you may also need to alter aspects of your talk based on organizer feedback. Keep in mind that what you’ll need to change may vary depending on the country you’re presenting in.

Software engineer Michaela Lehr went through this process when creating her talk about connecting the Web Bluetooth API and Web Audio API to her vibrator. 

“To not violate the Code of Conduct, I talked to the organizers before the talks and removed everything sexual,” she says. “Porn [was exchanged for] a Buffy [the Vampire Slayer] episode, the vibrator looked more like a fish with googly eyes than phallus, I never mentioned the words porn or sex.”

Respect the Code of Conduct

Be sure to read through the event’s Code of Conduct while you’re developing your presentation and adjust your talk accordingly. Most Codes of Conduct won’t mention sex explicitly, so don’t hesitate to ask the organizers questions if there’s anything you’re unsure about.

Image source: republica GmbH, Michaela

Carolyn Stransky

Carolyn (she/her) is a queer software engineer and journalist based in Berlin, Germany. She's been reporting for Future of Sex since late 2020 and served as Acting Editor from April to November 2022. She's currently our Deputy Editor.

Beyond Future of Sex, Carolyn also writes about the intersections of technology and sexuality for outlets like Autostraddle, Curve Magazine and elsewhere.

You can find her most places on the Internet @carolstran.
Previous Article

Is ‘Skin Hunger’ Driving Record Demand for ...

Next Article

Months After Hackers Demand Ransom to Unlock ...

Related articles More from author

  • Remote SexSex Tech

    Wiretapping Class Action Against Sex Toy Company Lovense Moves Forward

    May 31, 2019
    By M. Christian
  • Remote SexSex Tech

    Siri Can Now Control Sex Saddles, Thanks to the New Motorbunny API

    January 9, 2019
    By M. Christian
  • Two astronauts in space suits looking out into the distance and holding hands.
    Sex Tech

    Why Do We Need to Research Sex in Space?

    October 1, 2022
    By Carolyn Stransky
  • AugmentationRemote SexSex TechVirtual Sex & EntertainmentImmersive Entertainment

    Adventures and Inventions from the 2017 Sex Tech Hackathon

    December 13, 2017
    By Oli Lipski
  • Sex Tech

    Sex Tech News: Welcome New Writer Karley Sciortino, Soirée from Shhh.com, Deepfake App & Peg the Patriarchy

    September 19, 2021
    By Jenna Owsianik
  • Replika AI Chatbot saved human marriage
    Dating & RelationshipsSex Tech

    How Replika’s AI Chatbot Saved One Man’s Human Marriage

    February 10, 2023
    By Emily Dieckman

  • Dating & RelationshipsRobotsSex Tech

    Sex Tech Trends 2019: Open Relationships, Sex Dolls, and AI Will Thrill Us

  • A person watches VR porn.
    VR PornVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    How to Watch VR Porn: A Quick-Start Guide for the Sexually Adventurous

  • Remote SexSex Tech

    How Can Smartphone-Based Sex Apps Beat the Hype?

Virtual Lust is a 3D interactive sex game.
3DXChat
Discover the best virtual sex parties and 3D sex worlds.
  • TOP REVIEWS

  • Woman in blue lighting with yellow binary code projected across her face.

    Policing Intimacy: AI Companion Apps Are Removing NSFW Features, and People Are Not Happy

  • Porn for TV logo (computer screen graphic with pink u shapes and a mouse cursor).

    Sex Tech News: New VR Sex Game, a User-Generated Erotica App and ‘Porn for TV’ ...

  • The Blyynd logo with two screens. One has a chat screen and one has the sexual desire options listed.

    Blyynd Brings on Investors to Build Anonymous Sexting App

  • FirmTech Tech Ring

    A Fitbit for the Penis? The FirmTech Tech Ring Product Review

  • Sex Tech at CES 2023: 6 Brands Exhibited, Including an Anonymous Sexting App

  • What Vibrating Buttplug Support in a Video Game Taught Us About the Future of Webcam ...

  • Is Virtual Reality Dating Going Mainstream?

  • Sex Doll Brothels: Reality vs. Expectation

  • Replika AI Chatbot saved human marriage

    How Replika’s AI Chatbot Saved One Man’s Human Marriage

  • Meet the Humans Forming Romantic Relationships With AI

    Replika Romance: Meet the Humans Forming Romantic Relationships With AI

  • The future of sex is mind-reading AI that reveals your deepest, most unconscious fantasies

    The Future of Sex Is Mind-Reading AI That Reveals Your Deepest, Most Unconscious Fantasies

  • Sex Robots Are Getting Closer to Feeling Human-Like With Second Skin Materials

    Sex Robots Are Getting Closer to Feeling Human-Like With Second Skin Materials

  • R/gonewildaudio's gender inclusive audio erotica

    /R/gonewildaudio: An Array of Free, Inclusive and Categorized Audio Erotica

  • Fantasy Inspired Sex Toy by Tentickle Toys

    Out of This World: How Fantasy-Inspired Sex Toys Could Be the Next Big Trend

  • Virtual Sex in the Metaverse

    Virtual Sex Will Soon Become a Reality in the Metaverse

  • OnlyBans Game Play As A Sex Worker

    Play as a Sex Worker in New Onlybans Game

  • Black chess pieces laying across an orange background.

    Teledildonics and Chess: The Unexpected Possibilities That Could Enhance Sex

  • A couple with a woman sitting on a man's lap. They each are holding the Tenuto 2 with one hand.

    Tenuto 2 Erection-Enhancing Vibrator Rises To The Occasion

  • Woman looking at a laptop in a bed. You can see a blurry European city outside of the window.

    Here’s How Often Each European Country Is Searching For Sex Toys Online

  • A Woman Showing Her Smartphone.

    Disclosing Trans-ness on Dating Apps

  • Image of Emma the AI bot.

    Will Young Women of the Future Feel Pressure to Perform Like Robots?

  • Realistic Sex Games

    Review of the Best Sex Games and Most Realistic Sex Simulators of 2021 [UPDATED]

    0
  • Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    Review of the Best Massively Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    0
  • Sex Games for Mac

    The Best Sex Games for Mac

    0
  • foot-fetish-sex-games-girlvania

    Foot Fetish Games That Will Knock Your Socks Off

    0
  • The Best RPG Sex Games of 2021

    0
Fantasy sex game Dream Sex World lets you explore your wildest desires.
Multiplayer sex world Red Light Center continues to impress with its massive userbase and incredible sex graphics.
A blonde and light-skinned love doll face sppears next to the text Go now realdollxthe future is real.
  • 27KFollowers

Like Us on Facebook

Newsletter Subscription

Sign up for our monthly newsletter sharing the very best of the future of sex from our publication and others across the web.

DreamSexWorld offers a stunning XXX 3D world filled with incredibly interactive erotic experiences.

Like Us On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

RLC_ad_v2

Tweets by @FutureofSex
Future of Sex Report

Follow us

  • Home
  • About
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contribute
  • Story Ideas
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2011 - 2022 Future Exploration Network
This website or its third-party tools use cookies to improve user experience and track affiliate sales. To learn more about why we need to use cookies, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

By clicking the agree button or continuing to browse through the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT