How to land a conference speaking spot
Written by katie test davis
Thinking about speaking at a conference? It’s one of the best ways to build your organization’s brand and share your expertise.
But getting your session idea accepted can feel like a total mystery.
That’s what we’re here for.
This is your simple, four-step guide to help you find the right conference and write a proposal that gets a big, enthusiastic YES.
make your hot list
First up, make a list of conferences where your expertise would be a great fit. Don’t just go for the biggest names – think about smaller, regional or topic-specific events where your message will really shine.
Follow industry groups. This is the best place to start. The big professional organizations host the most relevant events for you and your peers.
Watch your network. See where leaders you admire are speaking on LinkedIn. This is a great way to find new and niche conferences you might have missed.
Get it on your calendar. Seriously. Once you’ve picked a few, find their Call for Proposals page and put the deadline on your calendar immediately. These deadlines are often months in advance. We like to save time on our calendars to both draft and edit the proposal, too! That way, that deadline doesn’t sneak up on you.
Here are a few of our favorites for leaders who love kids:
For Nonprofit Leaders: NTEN Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC), AFP ICON, ComNet, NHSA Conference
For K-12 Education Leaders: AASA National Conference on Education, NSPRA National Seminar, ASCD/ISTE Live
get specific
Here's a secret: Conference organizers want sessions that solve a real problem for their attendees. They want a clear, replicable strategy they can take back to their office.
A general talk about your organization’s work? It’s not going to make the cut.
You have to ask yourself: What is a specific challenge my peers are facing that I have successfully solved? Focus on that.
👎👎🏾Weak Idea: Our District's Communications Strategy
👍👍🏾Strong Idea: From Chaos to Clarity: How We Built a Crisis Communications Plan That Works for Parents, Staff and the Media
See the difference? The second one promises a specific, actionable solution. The goal is for attendees to walk away with a new skill or a clear plan they can use right away.
When we create session submissions for clients, we make sure the topic is timely and newsworthy. You could also go for a session that is focused on human interest (warm and fuzzy) or conflict and controversy (such as highlighting differences within the community, an important community debate, a big problem, etc.).
write a proposal they can’t ignore
Think of your proposal as the movie trailer for your session. It needs to be clear, compelling and make the selection committee want to buy a ticket.
Most proposals have four key parts:
Session Title: Make it catchy and tell people what they’re going to get.
Session Description: This is your pitch. In two or three short paragraphs, grab their attention, describe the problem you’re solving and explain how your session is the solution. No jargon!
Learning Objectives: This is the most important part – no joke. List 3-4 bullet points that start with an action verb and clearly state what attendees will be able to walk away with after they attend your session.
For example:
Participants will be able to design a three-tiered crisis communication flowchart.
Or, Attendees will learn to write a compelling one-pager sure to catch donors’ eyes.
Speaker Bio: Keep it short and sweet – five sentences max. Focus on the experience that makes you the perfect person to teach this specific topic.
Write the whole thing in a Word or a Google doc first. Then copy and paste it into the submission form. This will save you from the horror of losing all your work if the webpage crashes. (Ask me how I know…)
submit early
Don't wait until the last minute! A rushed submission is almost always a sloppy one.
Aim to submit at least a few days before the deadline. And before you do, have a trusted colleague give it a final proofread. A fresh set of eyes is invaluable.
And then… you wait. The review process can take weeks, sometimes months. Be patient.
If you get accepted, yay! Go celebrate and start prepping.
If not, don’t get discouraged. Getting a "no" is part of the game. Ask for feedback if you can, and use it to make your next proposal even better. Persistence is everything.
You’ve totally got this.
