Submitting a session proposal for the Summit? It’s important to evaluate your own proposal before the committee reviews it. Using these tips, you can improve your chance of being selected to present.
  1. Make sure your session title stands out:
Just like your résumé or technical documentation, first impressions count. Your session title should grab people’s attention. Humor and life experiences often catch the eye. For example, consider two proposal titles for a usability presentation: “An Introduction to Usability” vs “Helping Users Help Themselves with Usability Studies”
  1. Provide an in depth abstract:
This abstract will be included in the program for attendees, so it should be compelling enough to help attendees understand the main point of your session and note what they can expect if they join you. Explain who your audience is, what problems they might be struggling with, and how you expect to help them solve their problems. Use your session proposal to share the details about how you plan to present your topic. An outline of your presentation, a description of interactive elements for session attendees, and information about any handouts or slides you plan to use should be included here.
  1. Tell us who you are:
Take advantage of the bio space to share your qualifications as a speaker. Tell the review committee about why you are the most qualified speaker to share information about this topic. Have you applied these practices in the real world? Is your work based on credible sources? You may also use this bio to detail your past speaking experience as it relates to this presentation. In summary, consider the following questions when submitting your presentation; the proposal review teams will.
  • How interesting is the presentation? Is it new or unique?
  • How is the presentation related to the theme, “gain the edge to get results’?
  • Is the topic cutting edge and relevant to the industry?
  • Is this topic likely to attract new conference attendees?
  • Is the speaker qualified to present on this topic?