Throwback Wednesday: Life moves fast and slow when you support MoTaCon
19 Aug 2026
2 October 2025, 09:26.
The MoTaverse team take on all sorts of roles during the MoTaCon event days. During MoTaCon 2025 I was responsible for ensuring all speakers were ready on time and, more importantly, had everything they needed to ensure they were comfortable and ready to take to the stage. I shared this role with Scout Burghardt and Jesse Berkeley, who were ace.
Here's me backstage with Barry Ehigiator a few minutes before he took to the stage. You can see in the blur that I'm in a rush to grab a quick selfie before rushing off to the next task. That's kinda how it is when supporting abug big conference like MoTaCon.
However, before taking that selfie I remember taking the time to just have a nice (quiet) chat with Barry – my attention was fully with him at that time. In such an event support role you have to sense check where the speaker is at and whether they'd like to be left alone, bigged up, reassured, joked with, just listened to or something else.
Barry's talk is available to rewatch: Beyond the titles: leading change as an individual contributor along with the huge catalogue of previous talks (64 web pages worth!).
The MoTaverse team take on all sorts of roles during the MoTaCon event days. During MoTaCon 2025 I was responsible for ensuring all speakers were ready on time and, more importantly, had everything they needed to ensure they were comfortable and ready to take to the stage. I shared this role with Scout Burghardt and Jesse Berkeley, who were ace.
Here's me backstage with Barry Ehigiator a few minutes before he took to the stage. You can see in the blur that I'm in a rush to grab a quick selfie before rushing off to the next task. That's kinda how it is when supporting a
However, before taking that selfie I remember taking the time to just have a nice (quiet) chat with Barry – my attention was fully with him at that time. In such an event support role you have to sense check where the speaker is at and whether they'd like to be left alone, bigged up, reassured, joked with, just listened to or something else.
Barry's talk is available to rewatch: Beyond the titles: leading change as an individual contributor along with the huge catalogue of previous talks (64 web pages worth!).
Simon Tomes
Community Lead at MoTaverse
he/him
Hello, I'm Simon. Since 2003 I've had various roles in testing, tech leadership and coaching. I believe in the power of collaboration, creativity and community. 🎓 MoT-STEC qualified. I get real joy working with and supporting our wonderful MoTaverse community.
“Thanks for making me feel so confident about myself.” | “I'm so grateful for all you do in the MoTaverse community, I learn so much as a result!” | “A simple chat with Simon in person absolutely changed everything.” | “Simon is one of the best people that I've ever met to have conversations with. He's so grounded in his way of thinking and articulates his thoughts so well and his feelings and his knowledge about community and everything.”
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