How Consultants Confirm Repeat Speaking Gigs

If you’ve spent any time researching speaking opportunities with associations and conference companies, you’ve likely had to complete a generic presentation proposal form without having a clear understanding of the conference theme and objectives. Maybe you’ve been told that the conference producer is still polling the primary market to determine “commercially viable” topics. You will be notified when and if it is determined that your proposal meets the needs and expectations of their target market. Effectively, you’re playing pin-the-tail-on-donkey, without any real understanding of whether or not the exercise is worth your time.
You can avoid this process-- and confirm speaking engagements that support your marketing objectives– by understanding how conferences are produced and by serving as ongoing an expert resource. In order to do this, it is important to understand the following truths about the conference development process.

1. Conference companies view individual conferences as products in a portfolio-- they want to bring profitable new products to market before their competition.

2. A conference producer is not necessarily a subject matter expert. As an example, one of the most profitable conferences I’ve produced was about the economic viability and technical considerations of floating production systems as a means for offshore oil development. (Huh?)

3. A conference producer, like a journalist, does seek out the opinions of unbiased subject matter experts when developing new events and in fine-tuning conference agendas.

4. The most successful conference companies place an unwavering emphasis on confirming big-name buy-siders (i.e. your dream clients) as speakers and will often confirm a consultant’s session proposal only under the pressure of a looming deadline.

Given these truths, here are a few suggestions for creating mutually beneficial relationships with conference companies:

1.Don’t submit a session proposal. Offer a conference proposal outlining major program themes, target market (buy side), and sponsorship potential (sell side).

2. Provide the benefit of your expertise during the program research phase for your proposed conference (or any similar program). This may be as simple as taking 20 minutes to provide thoughtful comments and feedback on a preliminary conference outline.

3. Offer to develop and lead an interactive workshop which will build on the topics in the outline. Buy-siders often don’t have the time or the inclination to lead workshops, and your own status will be enhanced by leading an extended, in-depth session which may get special attention from the conference marketing manager.

4. Offer to moderate a panel of big-name Buy-siders and to prep each panel participant prior to the event. (Buy-siders are often more likely to sit on a well structured panel than to deliver 45-minute case study, as less preparation is required on their part.) Refer clients as panelists if possible. Again, your status will be enhanced--this time by sharing the podium with practitioners with no motive for self-promotion.

5. Every time you do participate in a conference (as a speaker or attendee) provide a timely, thoughtful and tactful critique of the entire program—and DO stay for as much of the program as possible.By offering yourself as an expert, and responding quickly and professionally to requests for assistance and feedback, you set the stage to be called on repeatedly as an expert resource and speaker.