| Speaking at conferences is a great way to establish | | | | But if you have missed the window and the program |
| yourself as an authority on a topic, to network with | | | | has been finalised, you can still offer your services as |
| your peers and to meet potential clients, but how do | | | | a replacement speaker, although if you are a late |
| you get invited to speak at conferences? | | | | addition to the program, you will have missed the |
| Firstly, don't wait to be invited. Identify the areas | | | | exposure that comes with being on a brochure that |
| where you can add value as a speaker and then hunt | | | | gets sent to thousands of people. So get to them |
| down the conference organisers who specialise in | | | | first! |
| those areas. Some conferences are advertised | | | | I was told that because I am a consultant and offer |
| before the speaker line-up has been finalised, so you | | | | a service to the industry that the delegates don't |
| can contact the organisers to offer yourself as a | | | | want to hear from me, and I should be sponsoring |
| speaker. But since the conference organising industry | | | | the conference instead! What should I do? |
| is so competitive these days and the conference | | | | This is a common brush-off technique from |
| producers are under a lot of pressure to be first to | | | | conference organisers. One way to get around it is |
| market, a lot of them keep their new conference | | | | to offer to bring a client to present alongside you. |
| topics under wraps until they are ready to be | | | | Conference producers are often looking for |
| marketed. | | | | presentations from well-known corporations. Big |
| So how do you get on to the speaker panel at | | | | names help sell delegate tickets. So if you have a |
| conferences before they are marketed? | | | | client that the conference organiser wants on the |
| One way is to look at past conferences. Call a couple | | | | program, then offer to run a tag-team presentation |
| of the speakers from past conferences and ask | | | | where you and your client split the speaking time. |
| them what the experience was like. Find out how | | | | That way everyone wins. The producer gets a |
| many delegates attended. If the conference was | | | | "name" on the program, and you also get to speak |
| successful, then there's a very good chance that the | | | | at the conference. |
| organiser will either repeat the topic, or run a | | | | What other ways are there to get on to conference |
| program with a similar theme. Also, some organisers | | | | programs? |
| specialise in particular topics, so keep a list of the | | | | Conference producers typically look for speakers |
| organisers that run conferences on your favourite | | | | from a wide range of sources, so being visible in a |
| subjects and stay in touch with them on a | | | | number of spheres increases your chances of being |
| semi-regular basis. It also pays to keep a calendar of | | | | invited to speak. Join and be active in the relevant |
| yearly conferences and to get in touch with the | | | | professional associations. Write books or articles (or |
| organisers during their production window. | | | | be quoted in them), and become an effective |
| What about responding to a call for papers? | | | | networker. |
| Some conference organisers put out a call for | | | | Many conference organisers also select speakers |
| papers, but many don't. It pays to be proactive and | | | | from other programs, so once you have spoken at a |
| find the associations and commercial organisers | | | | few business conferences, and especially if you rated |
| BEFORE they have produced your ideal conference. | | | | well, the organisers might start hunting you down! |