James McGovern:

One of the biggest observations I have noted amongst my peers is that none of them have ever bothered to attend a conference in the UK. It seems though that many folks from Europe have attended US conferences though. Likewise, it seems as if UK based conferences never bother seeking out US based speakers with any frequency with the exception of John Zachman and Donald Tapscott. I haven't spoken at a conference outside of the United States since 2003. Maybe I am long overdue and simply awaiting another invite.

Fascinating. I'm not a speaking celebrity, so I don't get speaking invitations - either in the US or elsewhere. However, I do notice the various calls for participation that conferences push out, and I apply to speak at ones that look interesting. Sometimes I get accepted, sometimes I don't - recently, I gave a Smalltalk Tutorial at SPA 2007 in Cambridge, UK - and it seemed to be well received.

There's really only one way to broaden your exposure, and it doesn't involve kicking back and waiting for an invitation.

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