education conference proposal sample

How to Write a Winning Conference Proposal (+Examples)

Discover the art of writing irresistible conference proposals with our guide. Get practical tips and inspiring examples usable as templates to succeed.

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Short answer

What is a conference proposal?

A conference proposal is a detailed pitch for a presentation, workshop, or panel at a conference. It outlines your topic, approach, and how it benefits attendees, aiming to convince organizers of your session's value and relevance to their audience.

Even the best ideas can get rejected without a solid proposal

You've got an idea. Not just any idea, but one that sparks interest, drives innovation, and perfectly aligns with your chosen conference's theme. You're ready to share it with the world, confident it will make an impact.

But, in a sea of professionals, all armed with compelling insights, the harsh reality is that not every great idea can make it onto the stage.

Why? Because when slots are limited and competition is fierce, it's not just about what you say; it's about how you say it.

Don’t worry, though - I’ve got you covered. With a blend of expert insights, straightforward tips, and relatable examples instantly usable as templates, I’m here to guide you through creating a proposal that shines brighter than the rest.

Let’s get started!

What are the main types of conference proposals?

Understanding the different types of conference proposals is crucial for tailoring your submission to fit the unique format and audience engagement you're aiming for.

Whether you're a seasoned academic or a professional stepping into the conference scene, knowing these distinctions can significantly enhance your chances of acceptance.

4 main types of conference proposals:

CONFERENCE PAPER PROPOSALS

CONFERENCE POSTER PROPOSALS

ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS

PANEL/SESSION PROPOSALS

Conference paper proposals

Scholarly paper: This type involves a deep dive into theoretical or conceptual analysis. You're expected to present an idea, backed by thorough research and a review of existing literature, arguing for a new perspective or approach.

Empirical paper: Focused on research findings, empirical papers require you to present preliminary results and analyses. These are grounded in your methodology, whether qualitative, quantitative, or a mix, offering concrete insights into your study.

Conference poster proposals

Ideal for early-stage research or when seeking more interactive feedback, poster proposals allow you to visually present your work. Attendees can engage directly with you, offering a more personalized discussion about your research findings and methodology.

Round table discussions

These are perfect for fostering in-depth conversations on a specific topic. By sitting at a round table, participants are there specifically to engage with your work, providing a unique opportunity for detailed feedback and networking.

Panel/Session proposals

When you're looking to create a broader dialogue around a cohesive theme, panel or session proposals are the way to go. These involve coordinating multiple speakers to present on related topics, enriching the conference program with diverse perspectives and expertise.

What is a typical conference proposal outline?

The right conference proposal outline is not just a list; it's a carefully crafted narrative that guides your readers through your thought process, convincing them of the value and relevance of your work.

Here's how to structure your proposal to make a lasting impression, ensuring every element works together to showcase your idea in the best light possible.

11 essential elements of a conference proposal:

Title: Your first opportunity to grab attention. Make it informative and compelling, reflecting the essence of your presentation.

Abstract: A concise summary that highlights your proposal's main idea, objectives, and significance, offering a snapshot of what to expect.

Introduction: Introduce your topic, its relevance, and its significance to the conference audience, setting the context for your proposal.

Objectives and goals: Clearly articulate what you aim to achieve, aligning your objectives with the overarching themes of the conference.

Theoretical framework: For scholarly proposals, outline the theories or concepts that underpin your argument or research, providing a solid foundation.

Methodology: Detail the methods used in your research, essential for empirical studies, including how data was collected and analyzed.

Preliminary findings or arguments: Present the core results of your research or the principal arguments of your analysis, offering insights into the value of your work.

Significance and contribution: Demonstrate how your proposal advances the field, fills a knowledge gap, or presents a new perspective.

Conclusion: Sum up the key points of your proposal, reinforcing its relevance and potential impact on the conference and its audience.

References: List key references to acknowledge prior work and contextualize your proposal within the broader discourse.

Biographical note: Provide a brief bio to highlight your expertise and qualifications, establishing your credibility on the topic.

What is the best conference proposal format?

In the past, conference proposals often looked a lot like academic papers: lots of text, packed into PDFs or Word documents. While this method was thorough, it sometimes made it tough for readers to quickly grasp the heart of your ideas. I

But here's the thing – the way we share and digest information has changed, and so have the expectations around conference proposals.

The truth is, walls of text don't engage us like they used to. In our fast-paced, digital world, engagement is key. People want to interact with the content they're consuming, not just passively read it.

So, how do you make your conference proposal stand out? By bringing it to life with interactivity.

Think about adding clickable links that dive deeper into your research, embedding short videos that summarize your findings, or including interactive charts that let readers explore your data firsthand.

These interactive elements can transform your proposal from a static document into an engaging journey, making your ideas shine brighter and encouraging a deeper exploration of your work.

Here’s an overview of the most popular formats:

Conference proposal examples that get you accepted

The best conference proposals out there, the ones that effortlessly make their way onto conference agendas, all share a few key traits.

First off, they lay out their ideas in a way that's easy to grasp, avoiding jargon and fluff. They're also incredibly engaging, drawing readers in with compelling narratives, interactive elements, or fascinating findings.

Plus, they demonstrate the significance of their work, showing how it pushes the envelope in their field.

The examples we’re about to explore have all mastered this art. I’m about to share what makes each of them particularly successful, so you can easily apply the same principles to your deck.

Conference workshop proposal

This conference workshop proposal has been designed to offer a comprehensive overview of an upcoming workshop aimed at enhancing data-driven decision-making skills.

It stands out for its strategic structure, engaging content, and interactive elements, making it a compelling read for organizers, potential participants, or sponsors.

What makes this conference proposal great:

Clear agenda slide: The proposal features a well-organized agenda slide that outlines the workshop's flow, including sessions on interactive design principles, tool proficiency, storytelling for impact, and ethics in data representation.

Clear outline of costs: The deck includes a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with different parts of the workshop, such as hands-on workshops, expert-led demonstrations, and panel discussions.

Option to embed external links or videos: The proposal leverages the capability to embed external links or videos, enriching the presentation with additional resources and multimedia content.

Conference pitch deck

This presentation is a great example of how to effectively communicate the essence and value of a conference.

By balancing text and visuals, providing options for customization, and clearly outlining budgetary considerations, it stands out as a compelling tool for engaging potential sponsors and attendees.

What makes this deck stand out:

Use of grayed-out content: The deck employs grayed-out content strategically, focusing the reader's attention on key points and making the presentation easier to follow.

Option to edit details post-send: Offering the flexibility to edit details after sending the deck ensures that the information remains up-to-date and can be tailored to the recipient's interests or feedback, enhancing the personalization of the pitch.

Clear budget outline: A transparent and detailed budget outline is provided, giving potential sponsors and partners a clear understanding of the financial aspects of the conference.

Conference presentation design proposal

This proposal is a prime example of how to effectively pitch a conference presentation design service. It's tailored for companies looking to enhance their conference presentations with dynamic and engaging design solutions.

The agency promises to tackle common challenges like design complexity, audience engagement, and message clarity, using innovative design strategies to propel clients' messages forward.

Interactive data visualization components: The proposal highlights the use of interactive data visualizations, ensuring that complex information is presented in an engaging and understandable way.

Expandable text sections: It incorporates expandable text sections, allowing readers to dive deeper into specific areas of interest without overwhelming them with information upfront.

Clear next steps outline: The proposal concludes with a well-defined outline of next steps, from consultation to implementation kickoff.

Conference funding proposal

This conference funding proposal is a masterclass in how to effectively seek sponsorship and support for a high-profile event.

It’s designed not just to inform but to engage potential sponsors, offering them a clear vision of the event's impact and the benefits of partnership.

Video on the cover slide: The inclusion of a video right on the cover slide immediately captures attention, providing a dynamic introduction to the proposal and setting the tone for what's to come.

Content segmented in tabs: The proposal smartly segments its sponsorship packages (Silver, Gold, Platinum) into tabs, making it easy for potential sponsors to navigate through options and find the one that best fits their budget and marketing goals.

Narrator slide: A dedicated slide narrates the success of past events. This builds credibility, but also lets readers explore the tangible benefits previous sponsors have enjoyed at their own pace.

Summit sponsorship proposal

This proposal stands out by effectively communicating the value proposition to potential sponsors, showcasing how their brand can benefit from being associated with the summit.

Testimonials slide: Including a slide dedicated to testimonials from previous sponsors or partners, complete with customizable logos, adds a layer of trust and credibility.

Option to embed external links: The ability to embed external links within the proposal offers sponsors direct access to more detailed information, such as past event highlights, detailed sponsorship package benefits, or even media coverage.

Multiple image and video placeholders: Incorporating various placeholders for images and enables the presentation of compelling content that can showcase past events, highlight attendee testimonials, or even offer a virtual tour of the venue.

Conference sponsorship proposal

This conference sponsorship proposal stands out for its strategic approach to presenting information, its innovative features designed to enhance sponsor engagement, and its visually appealing presentation.

It serves as an effective tool for securing sponsorships and reflects your company’s professionalism and commitment to creating mutually beneficial partnerships.

Option to extract branding from any website: This innovative feature allows you to easily integrate your branding into the event's promotional materials, ensuring a seamless and consistent brand presence throughout the conference.

Perfect balance of text and visuals: The proposal strikes an ideal balance between informative text and engaging visuals, making it easy for potential sponsors to quickly grasp the event's essence and the sponsorship opportunities available.

Clean layout: The clean and organized layout of the proposal ensures that information is presented clearly and concisely, making it easy for readers to navigate through the different sections and understand the key points.

Conference sponsorship deck

By combining scroll-based design, actionable features, and smart security measures, this conference sponsorship deck conveys the value of the event and facilitates a smooth transition from interest to action.

Scroll-based design: As viewers scroll through the deck, they're taken on a guided journey through the conference's highlights, sponsorship packages, and key benefits. This keeps potential sponsors engaged and interested in learning more.

Embedded calendar: Including a calendar as a call-to-action is a smart move. It enables potential sponsors to immediately book a meeting or express interest, reducing the friction in the follow-up process and increasing the chances of securing sponsorship.

Smart control measures: The ability to lock the deck with a password adds an extra layer of security and exclusivity. It ensures that only intended recipients can access the information, protecting sensitive details about the event and sponsorship opportunities.

Proposal for organizing a conference event

This proposal, while more aligned with event organization, showcases a dynamic and engaging approach to presenting a conference concept.

It's a vivid example of how modern proposals can captivate and communicate effectively, blending detailed planning with interactive elements to draw the reader in.

Average reading time on the cover: Immediately, readers know how much time they'll need to invest, setting expectations and respecting their time from the outset.

Dynamic variables for personalization: The use of placeholders like {{first_name}} suggests a tailored experience, making each reader feel directly addressed and valued.

Running numbers for key metrics: Presenting key metrics such as the number of events organized and happy customers offers concrete evidence of success, building trust and credibility.

Conference event proposal

This proposal is an example of how to effectively communicate the essence, value, and logistical details of a significant corporate event.

By incorporating a clear event program timeline, showcasing their portfolio, and enabling social media engagement, it effectively positions the summit as a must-attend event for industry leaders looking to drive business success through innovation and collaboration.

Timeline slide: The proposal includes a timeline slide that provides an overview of the event's program. It outlines the sequence of sessions and workshops, ensuring attendees understand the flow of the event and the value it offers.

Option to add a portfolio: This option lets you showcase previous successful events and build trust with potential attendees and sponsors by providing tangible evidence of your expertise.

Social media icons: The proposal cleverly integrates social media icons with external links, enabling readers to easily connect with you on various platforms.

How do you write a conference proposal?

Writing a conference proposal is more than just pitching an idea; it's about crafting a message that resonates with both the organizers and the attendees.

It requires you to distill complex concepts into a compelling narrative, focusing on maximizing impact and alignment with conference goals.

Here's how to write your conference proposal to capture attention and secure your spot on the stage.

1) Understand the selection criteria

Start by getting familiar with the conference's goals and themes. Tailoring your proposal to reflect these specifics shows that you've done your homework and are committed to contributing value.

Whether it's highlighting how your topic supports the conference's overarching theme or addressing a gap in the current discourse, alignment with the conference's goals is crucial.

2) Identify current trends or unique angles

Understanding what's currently trending in your field can significantly enhance the relevance of your proposal. Dive into recent journals, conference programs, and discussions with peers to grasp the hot topics.

However, the key is not just to follow the trends but to offer a fresh perspective or a unique angle on a well-trodden subject.

This approach ensures your proposal adds new value to the ongoing conversation, making it more appealing to conference organizers.

3) Craft a compelling abstract

Your abstract is the essence of your presentation, distilled into a few powerful sentences. It should clearly articulate the problem you're addressing, your unique approach or solution, and the impact or takeaway for the audience.

A well-crafted abstract makes your proposal stand out by providing a clear and engaging summary of what attendees can expect.

4) Clearly define your intended audience

Identifying your target audience within the proposal shows that you've considered who will find your session most valuable.

Detailing this helps organizers see how your presentation fits into the broader conference agenda and appeals to attendees.

5) Choose the best format for your message

Conferences offer various formats for presentations, from workshops and poster sessions to panels and individual talks. Selecting the right format for your content can enhance its impact.

Consider your strengths and the nature of your message when choosing how to present it. Interactive workshops are great for practical takeaways, while panel discussions can offer diverse perspectives on a complex issue.

6) Use data to support your proposal

Where applicable, include data or research findings that support the need for your session or its relevance.

This could be survey results indicating interest in your topic, statistics highlighting a problem your session addresses, or data from your own research.

Including evidence makes your proposal more persuasive and underscores the value of your contribution.

7) Define clear outcomes

Be explicit about what you want your audience to learn or achieve by attending your session. Whether it's new knowledge, skills, or perspectives, your proposal should outline the specific outcomes you aim for.

Design your presentation to deliver these outcomes, ensuring your audience leaves with valuable insights they can apply in their own contexts.

8) Incorporate active learning opportunities

Modern audiences expect more than just to listen; they want to participate. Design your session to include opportunities for active learning, such as discussions, hands-on activities, or interactive Q&A segments.

Highlighting these elements in your proposal can make your session more attractive to both organizers and attendees.

9) Submit multiple proposals

If the conference allows, submitting more than one proposal can significantly increase your chances of being selected. Each proposal is a unique opportunity to showcase a different aspect of your expertise or interest.

However, ensure each idea is well-thought-out and relevant to the conference themes. This strategy not only shows your enthusiasm but also your versatility as a speaker.

10) Incorporate evidence of past success

Your proposal should clearly communicate why you are the right person to present on the topic. Include brief mentions of your education, experience, or unique insights that qualify you as an expert.

If you've spoken at other conferences or have relevant accomplishments, briefly mention these in your proposal.

If you're early in your career, consider co-presenting with a more experienced colleague to combine fresh perspectives with proven expertise.

11) End with a smart call to action

Incorporating a smart call to action, such as an embedded calendar link for a meeting or a QR code for additional resources, can set your proposal apart.

It shows you're proactive and ready to engage further, making it easier for the committee to envision working with you.

Example of an effective call to action:

Interactive conference proposal templates

Starting from scratch on a conference proposal can be quite challenging. You need to strike the perfect balance between being informative and engaging, without overwhelming your audience with too much text.

Interactive conference proposal templates serve as a structured guide, helping you navigate through the essential components of your proposal.

They ensure that you cover all the necessary points in a concise manner, making the writing process smoother and more efficient.

Just grab one.

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Top 10 Conference Proposal Templates With Samples and Examples [Free PDF Attached]

Mohammed Sameer

Thousands of technology-related events are held daily, from casual get-togethers to multi-day conferences with large budgets. Many of them zero in on their speakers through the often-anonymous Call for Proposals process.

Many well-established platforms are available that make it easier to browse potential speaking opportunities, but materials advising on writing conference proposals or preparing an excellent presentation depicting your expertise remain scarce.

This blog will take you through the Top 10 Conference Proposal Templates to address this major pain point that is a burden on your mind. These templates are built after hours of hard work and have a fair amount of creative thought as input. One look and you will be convinced of their use for your conference proposals. 

Top 10 Conference Proposal Templates We Bet On

To make the process of writing an inclusive conference proposal simple and easy, here are steps that you must follow (with templates):

Always Follow Outlined Call for Speakers Rule

It may appear obvious, but you'd be surprised to learn that at least 30% of the conference proposals violate predefined rules for talk abstracts and submissions. We believe some more experienced speakers ignore the guidelines and copy-paste proposals. Still, the only result is that the proposal ends up in the "rejected" pile.

There are strict requirements and more lenient guidelines, but no matter how skilled you are in public speaking, read the instructions carefully before submitting and ensure the proposal adheres to these.

Your hand-picked Conference Proposal Template:

Download this template

Steer Clear of Sloppy Formatting

We check for spelling and grammar errors when writing copy, especially when launching product campaigns or applying for jobs. Conferences are no exception. Typos, errors, and general laziness are easily detected and reflect poorly on submissions.

Take the time to proofread the abstracts.

Here’s a Conference Proposal Template with pristine formatting:

Ask Friends to Proofread

Whether you're confident in the quality of the talk abstract or not, it's often beneficial to ask a few colleagues to proofread not only for errors but also for confusing or vague statements (your spellcheck won't catch that one, my friend). Nothing beats a fresh pair of eyes, especially after butchering a proposal all night (we've all been there).

Here’s your editable template:

Many language exams have minimum and maximum writing section limits. Imagine going through hundreds of pages, if every participant decides to ignore the word limit. Skill and knowledge do not necessitate lengthy text.

Most JSConfs receive 500 proposals on average; assuming a strict 1-minute reading time per submission, that's still an entire workday of reading. Each potential candidate deserves a thorough read and understanding of their pitch before rating, which is difficult given the volume and length of applications.

A good rule of thumb is two to three paragraphs that express your idea clearly.

Get this template

Use Inclusive Language and Avoid Shaming

While it is entirely up to the curators, we firmly believe that inclusion and how we choose to express ourselves in both written and spoken language are essential factors to consider. Unfortunately, ableism and shaming are relatively common in talk submissions. To clarify, we'd like to quote Andy Hollandbeck's post "Disabling Ableist Language:"

Any word or phrase that devalues people with physical or mental disabilities is considered ableist language. Its appearance is frequently the result of our innate sense of what it means to be normal rather than any intentional desire to offend.

We silently imply — and readers infer — that mental and physical disorders are avoidable personal failings rather than medical conditions beyond a person's control when we use words like crazy, lame, insane, schizo, dumb, psycho, and spazzed, without thinking.

"How to Stay Sane as a Developer," "crazy hack," and "a dumb framework" are just a few examples. As organizers, we always want to provide everyone with a safe, welcoming environment. Even as these mistakes are often made unconsciously, educating yourself and avoiding exclusionary, hurtful phrases is simple. Shaming competitors, tools, or individuals will also get you nowhere.

Grab this template

Stay Away From Product Pitches

Most events expressly state that product pitches and other forms of upselling are strictly prohibited. However, it's important to distinguish between a pure marketing talk (essentially trying to sell your company to the attendees) and an interesting case study that includes the product you helped build.

The latter involves lessons learned that can be universally applied to solving problems the audience encounters daily. A product pitch does not provide solutions, but rather highlights the advertised product. Consider it a 30 to 60-minute advertisement. Don't try to sell anything (at least directly).

Show, Don’t Tell

"Show, don't tell" is a well-known writing technique that can be used in fiction and nonfiction. Why is this important, you may wonder? A few successful proposals flawlessly implement it.

Tell a story instead of simply stating opinions or facts (e.g., "React is the most popular JavaScript library") or revealing all of your cards at once. Create a visual scene, especially from the perspective of an attendee. Is there a common thread? What will I discover? Focus on the main points and leave out some details that the organizers want to know.

Use Your Creativity; Be Original

Presentations about frameworks or libraries are common at technology conferences. With a few exceptions, while some curators see this as a benefit, we find it almost detrimental. It won't offer much value to the attendees unless you've created the library you're talking about and can offer first-hand insights that aren't available across any online documentation and blog posts.

Submit More than One Proposal

Never bet the farm on a single idea, no matter how confident you are—brainstorm and prepare several talks. No proposal is too experimental or too advanced to be considered. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that your chances improve as the number of proposals submitted increases.

However, be wary of remixing the same topic; each one should have unique talking points, angles, or possible learnings for the audience to consider as a possible winner.

Don’t Sell Snow to Eskimos

Before we conclude, we'd like to point out a widespread mistake we see in conference proposals and presentations: A speaker selling something the audience already likes.

For example, you would not go to the JVM Language Summit and give a presentation about how great the JVM is and how everyone should use it. Instead, you'd go to the JVM language summit and demonstrate to the audience how great the JVM is by telling them about your project , which was only possible because you chose to base it on the JVM.

Final Thought

Reviewers want to put on the best conference possible. They want to see your presentation on stage, but you must provide the evidence they require to feel confident in recommending you. Show the reviewers that you considered the audience, and you'll make their decision much easier.

FAQs on Conference Proposal Templates

What makes a good conference proposal.

A successful conference proposal, like an abstract, will clearly and succinctly introduce, summarise, and draw conclusions about your topic and findings. Though each conference is unique, all conference proposals include objectives and conclusions. Make sure to follow the submission guidelines for the conference, which will be listed on the conference website. A committee at each conference evaluates the relevance and merit of each proposal. Here are some essential factors to consider when creating your own:

What is the proposal format?

Format to a proposal is what music is to ears. A well-constructed proposal format includes the purpose, goals, specific objective, method, and anticipated project impact. Goals must be stated in measurable terms, specific, and consistent with the statement of need and the proposed project's purpose.

What are the five things every proposal must include?

Although you can be flexible with what you want to include in your proposal. The key is to be precise and impactful. 

Here are five things that every successful proposal always has:

•   Abstract/Summary. The proposal's most crucial component is the abstract.
•   Statement of Need. What is the problem you're addressing, and why is it important?
•   Project Activity, Methodology, and Results
•   Evaluation
•   Dissemination
•   Budget and Survival Funding

How to present a proposal?

Business proposal presentations culminate in a lengthy sales process between you and your clients. You risk losing the client's buy-in, if you don't structure it in the correct manner or take the time to craft one with care. As a result, getting it right is critical. Here’s how you can present a proposal in an effective way:

• Make the most of your meeting time from the start.
• Prepare a detailed agenda.
• Discuss the customer's problems and challenges.
• Interrupt and ask questions.
• Lead with stories, not numbers.
• You should not read from your PowerPoint slides.
• Present your solution while also selling them on your vision.
• At the end of the meeting, establish a clear follow-up timeline.

Download the free Conference Proposal Templates PDF .

Related posts:

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• How to Write a Compelling Business Loan Proposal: A Step-by-Step Guide [Templates Included]
• How to Design the Perfect Service Launch Presentation [Custom Launch Deck Included]
• Quarterly Business Review Presentation: All the Essential Slides You Need in Your Deck

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From Submission to Applause: Conference Proposals That Get Accepted

Elizabeth Wilcox, Sr. Consultant for Advising and Abigail Garcia, Associate Director, Academics, Pre-College Trio Programs

Great (and successful) conference proposals take both time and effort. The following seven step process is designed to help you knock it out of the park on a first try. Conferences are learning platforms as well as opportunities for collaboration and networking. You are likely to learn as much as you teach if you approach the proposal process with thought and care.

Step 1: What’s trending?

Conferences are wonderful places to access new ideas, scholarship, and research. As you begin to think about presenting at a conference, start by getting a sense of what’s trending regionally and nationally. You can do this by picking up a journal or other professional publication, looking at a recent conference program, or talking with others who have published or presented recently. While you want to contribute to what’s trending you also want to offer a fresh perspective and insights. Try to add to, not simply duplicate what has been presented in the past. Some topics are very well worn (advisor burnout, for example). Be sure you are picking a “fresh” but relevant topic and are adding something special and unique to the conversation. This will help your proposal stand out. What are others finding interesting, useful and currently relevant? What ideas, research or major thinkers do you see as being particularly important to advising or student affairs currently?

Step 2: Previous Presentations?

It can be very helpful to view previous conference proposals, abstracts, learning activities and visual presentations. Start by simply attending a regional conference and closely observe how good presentations are constructed (paying special attention to what feels especially interesting and creative). If you are brave enough, ask others if they would be willing to share their proposals with you.

Step 3: Conference Theme – Related Topics?

Conferences are often organized by theme. Keep your eye on recent conference themes regionally and nationally. This will help you begin to attach your work to the national “big picture”.

Step 4: Subject Matter Expertise?

We all have special knowledge, abilities and talents as well as unique professional skills. Where do you have subject matter expertise (through education or experience)? If you are a young professional, could you co-present with someone more advanced than you? Part of the excitement of a conference is the ability to connect with others who have similar interests and expertise in a related area. You might start by aligning your subject matter expertise with established interest groups. Your proposal readers (and your audience) will want to know how you are uniquely qualified to speak on the subject you are discussing. Use the proposal process to help define your special perspectives and insights.

Step 5: Best Format?

Most conferences offer a wide variety of presentation formats. Pre-conference workshops (longer sessions designed around problem-based and interactive learning that result in actionable takeaways), poster sessions (opportunities for brief conversation based discussion of projects and programs (with visual aids) that can be introduced quickly and informally), individual sessions (usually about an hour in length with a single or team of presenters - though more than three presenters gets tricky), and group, panel or roundtable discussions (these are facilitated discussions around core ideas, not necessarily formal "presentations"). If you have never presented before, consider joining forces with someone who has, or start with a poster session to get your feet wet. If you are a great facilitator but not a confident presenter, consider putting a panel discussion together. Each of these formats are wonderful opportunities to learn and connect with others and each is more or less demanding depending on your experience and comfort level.

Step 6: Outcomes?

One of the most critical components of putting your proposal together is determining what you want your audience to gain from your presentation (in terms of what they will “do”, “know” or “value”). Be as specific as you can about what you want your presentation to “produce” and how you will go about making this happen (review our learning-centered competencies statement to connect these outcomes with advising core competencies). Conference participants want knowledge and skills they can take back to their home campuses and apply immediately. Again, be specific about what you want participants to gain and design your learning activities to produce these results. Teaching a new method? Give your participants a chance to practice it during the session itself. Talking about a new program you developed? Be sure to identify the components of the program that can be transferred to other institutions.

Step 7: Proposal Outline?

Now that you have a good sense of what’s trending, have aligned your interests with a conference theme and interest groups, and determined where you have valuable subject matter expertise - you will be ready to select a topic and develop a proposal outline. Your session format and desired outcomes will help you begin to organize your thoughts and design your session.

Hint: You should be thinking year-round about what’s trending, how it impacts your work, and how you might add to related research, scholarship and practice. Also, note proposal submission opening and closing dates on your calendar for future conferences as far into the future as possible. Give yourself adequate time to develop a proposal so that you are not rushed at the last minute.

Proposal Development: Essential Components

The Title – Accurately descriptive, an invitation to participate.

Great conference presentations often have great titles. Your session title is your way of making an immediate connection with conference participants. You want your title to accurately describe your session and capture the attention of the reader – it should excite your reader and make them want to attend your session.

Here are a few examples of great titles:

All I Really Need to Know About Advising Theory I Learned from Star Wars (Ryan Scheckel, Texas Tech University)

Pants on Fire: How to Advise Students Who Lie to Themselves and Others (Katie McFadden, Brandis University)

50 Shades of Grey: Ethics in Advising (Corrie Fox and Karen Case, Indiana University, Purdue Unviersity)

The Proposal Abstract (130 words) – Will appear in the conference program

The abstract is a short description of your workshop content and format. It will appear in the conference program and will help draw participants to your session. It should accurately and succinctly describe your session. If you are not sure how to begin,

(1)    start with a problem statement,

(2)    if applicable, mention and incorporate foundational literature and research that addresses the problem,

(3)    identify learning activities and manner of audience involvement (i.e., reflective questions, demonstration, open-discussion, case study, role-play, etc.),

(4)    describe the relevant competencies or skills that will be developed, and

(5)    conclude with how the session content is transferrable (to other institutions or advising settings).

The Proposal (longer) – Reviewed by the selection committee but not publicly available.

The proposal is a longer description of your session and is used by the selection committee (but will not be available to session participants). It should include,

(1)    detailed references to source material (including foundational research and scholarship). It should define terms and describe the relevance to applicable student populations.

(2)    It should provide an overview of content (including relevance and contribution to the field),

(3)    describe your session structure, format and learning activities

(4)    as well as your detailed desired learning outcomes (tying these to activities).

Hint: Audiences like good content and opportunities for “active learning”. Be sure you incorporate opportunities for participant reflection, interaction, and discussion. Want to learn more? Check out this wonderful book on experiential workshop design…. Workshops: Designing and Facilitating Experiential Learning

Selection Criteria

In general, clarity, relevance, timeliness, creativity and the applicability of material to a wide variety of advising settings is needed to make a successful proposal. It is also increasingly important that your material is research and evidence based . Proposals based on successful cross unit collaboration (academic advising + career center + pre-health advising) or cross institution collaboration (UC, CSU and CC efforts) are also very strong. Test check your proposal to make sure it addresses all of these points.

Acceptance or Rejection?

If your proposal is not accepted - try, try again. Many of us (including both authors of this article) have had proposals rejected. See (at the sidebar) additional resources that might help you develop a stronger proposal. Please spend some with the "Improve This Proposal" handout. Following a rewrite, this proposal was accepted on a second try.

Avoiding Plagiarism – Note relevant citation format – APA, MLA... and use the following website for guidance on properly citing references Purdue Online Writing Lab  (When you present your slides and handouts must also be properly cited).

Keep in mind that your successful conference proposal and the presentation that results are also opportunities for eventual publication. You will not only be advancing your career through this endeavor you may also be contributing to important scholarship and research.

Recommended citation for this article

Wilcox, E., & Garcia, A. (2017, March 16).  From Submission to Applause: Conference Proposals That Get Accepted. Advising Matters, University of California, Berkeley retrieved from advisingmatters.berkeley.edu

Seven Steps to Identifying a Conference Proposal Topic

A Successful Conference Abstract Dissected

Improve this proposal, professional development planning.

How to Write a Conference Proposal That Stands Out in 2024

Writing a conference proposal can feel overwhelming. First, you have to pack your big ideas, research, or discoveries into a few words; then these words have to appeal to the attention of conference organizers over a host of other applicants.

So, there's no pressure there, then… In this article, we'll look at formulating the perfect conference proposal. Above all, we'll focus on making an impact. Writing a proposal isn't just about listing what you know. It's also about explaining how your work will make a difference, break new ground, or introduce new ideas to conference attendees.

We've put together all the essential steps and even included a conference proposal template to remove the confusion from this process, help you find your unique angle, and make your proposal jump out of the pile.

Key takeaways

• Crafting a conference proposal requires understanding the event's theme and tailoring your content to align with it.
• A compelling title and strong abstract are crucial to grab attention and express the core of your work.
• Clearly outlining objectives and presentation content helps to convey the value of your presentation.
• Detailing your methodology and highlighting the significance of your work demonstrates your expertise and the impact of your research.
• Concluding with expected outcomes and offering additional materials can enhance the overall presentation and invite further discussion.

What is a conference proposal?

A conference proposal is a formal outline for conference planners that provides a detailed preview of a presentation or workshop you'd like to give at their event. The aim is to secure a place by demonstrating the value of your presentation to the conference attendees.

It's a compact, enticing preview of the innovative ideas or groundbreaking research you want to present. Your goal is to connect your work and message to the big picture and show that it's new, meaningful, and impactful.

The challenge is to present all of this in just a few hundred words. Writing a good conference proposal demonstrates your subject matter expertise in a way that is engaging and understandable to a broader audience.

Steps to write your conference proposal: Key elements to include

The best conference proposals have an element of story-telling, exciting the conference organizers and proposal reviewers about the content of your presentation and the value it will provide to its guests. With some guidance and our expert tips, you have all the key elements for a successful proposal.

1. Understand the conference theme

To write a successful conference proposal, it's essential to understand the event's purpose and theme clearly. Research both the conference and its attendees. It's ‘Writing101: Know Your Audience’! This will help you tailor your proposal to perfectly align with the event's goals, making it more likely to be accepted by both the organizers and the audience. Understand what is being discussed and where your contribution enriches the conversation.

2. Choose a compelling title

Your title should be eye-catching, memorable, and hint at what will come. This step is crucial because your title is the first thing that introduces your work to the conference organizers and participants.

The title should work like a headline for your talk or research report. It needs to be clear enough for people to understand your presentation and interesting enough for them to want to know more.

Your title should hint at your point of view or particular approach to the conference topic. You don't have to give everything away in the title, but it should give a little taste of what participants can expect from your presentation.

3. Write a strong abstract

This is where you express the core of your work in a few gripping paragraphs. Start by clearly formulating the problem or question your research tackles. You must also explain why this problem is important, interesting, or new. Your first few sentences are crucial for hooking the interest here.

Then, describe them how you solved the problem. Show off your expertise, but steer clear of complicated industry jargon. Describe your methods or approach in simple terms that anyone can understand. You should also highlight the key insights or solutions you found and emphasize why they're essential.

Conclude your abstract by talking about the larger implications of your work. Here, you can connect your discoveries to the larger field and show how your research makes a difference.

4. Outline your objectives

This part shows the exciting things you'll share in your presentation. When you formulate your goals, you tell your audience: "This is what you'll learn or see." At the beginning, think about what you want the audience to take away from your presentation. This could be a new idea, a different perspective on a problem, or even a new skill. Think carefully about these goals because they'll determine what you talk about and how you design your presentation.

Being clear and concise about your objectives means choosing what you think is most important and what you want people to know about. It's about choosing the parts of your work that will bring the most value. You don't have to cover every single point of your topic. Instead, focus on the parts that will most benefit your audience.

5. Detail your presentation outline and content

First, you tell people about the main ideas and questions you'll talk about. It is your chance to get them interested in the exciting questions you'll answer or the information you share.

Next, you get to the heart of your talk. This is the middle part, where you back up the main points with evidence, examples, or stories from your work. Make sure each point connects to the next, creating a narrative that makes your audience see things in a different light.

Think about how you can make your presentation interactive. Are you planning a Q&A session, panel discussion, live polls, or hands-on activities? This will turn the audience into active participants and your presentation into a conversation rather than a monologue.

6. Describe your methodology

Here, you can look behind the scenes and show how you created your project. Talk about the steps, tools, and strategies you used to turn your ideas into reality.

Start by explaining how you approached your main question or challenge. This may mean telling how you planned your research, what information you gathered, or what theories guided you. Aim to make everything clear enough for someone not in your field to understand, too.

Then, you go into the details of your methods. If you conducted experiments, talk about how you set them up and what you tested. If your work is more about theory, share how you interacted with existing ideas or developed new ideas.

It's also important to explain why you chose a particular approach. Why was this method the best choice for your question? How does it make your results more reliable? This shows the diligent work behind all of your choices.

7. Highlight the significance

Start by talking about the significant impact of your work. Ask yourself what your research tells us about your field, a particular problem, or the world in general. While it's important to state facts, you should also try to present your research as a crucial piece of a larger puzzle. Whether challenging old ideas or introducing a new solution, ensure people understand its value.

8. Conclude with expected outcomes

While discussing outcomes, circle back to the goals you mentioned initially. Now that you have presented your plan circle back to the goals from the start and link these to the expected results. Show that your presentation is more than just a list of exciting ideas — it's another vital step on this path.

Be bold when stating the expected changes and the impact of your solid and relevant work.

Talk about how these results will advance the discussion in your field. By outlining what you expect after your presentation, you invite others to take your ideas further and contribute their own.

9. Offer additional materials

Consider what else you can add to your presentation to make it unique. For example, you can provide toolkits or research papers for people who want to know more about the subject. But, choose carefully and make sure it genuinely enhances your presentation.

Next, explain how you'll distribute these materials. Will you distribute printed materials or direct people to a website or online space where they can find everything? The main goal is to make it easy for your audience to use these resources. By adding additional materials to your proposal, you show conference organizers you bring a rich, comprehensive experience to the table.

Example of a conference proposal template

In addition to using these elements, a conference proposal template can also be a great help.

Qwilr's Conference Proposal Template is designed to walk you through the whole process, making it easier to share your ideas in a clear, engaging, and confident way.

Here is what our template includes:

• Title of the Proposal: This is your headline, the first impression determining whether people want to dive deeper. Make it enjoyable and clear so people get excited about what you will talk about.
• Presenter Information: Here's where you introduce yourself. Tell people the story of who you are, where you come from, and your background.
• Abstract: The abstract is your quick pitch. In a few short sentences, sum up the main points of your talk, including what question you're answering, how you went about it, and what people will take away from it. You need to be clear, while simultaneously sparking interest..
• Objectives: Clearly state what you hope to accomplish with your talk. It could be to share new information, spark a discussion, or showcase your latest findings.
• Content Outline: This is where you lay out the plan for your allotted period. List the main points you'll cover, previewing the journey you're taking your audience on. This shows you've got plenty to share and that it will be interesting and relevant.
• Methodology: Talk about how you did your work. Whether it was through peer review and research, analysis, or case studies , this part shows the hard work and thought you put into your project.
• Significance: Here, explain why your work matters. How does it add to the greater story of your field? This part makes your proposal go from informative to really impactful.
• Conclusion: Finish by reviewing the main points again and what you hope will come out of your presentation. Leave your audience with a final thought that's both reflective and forward-thinking.
• Additional Materials: Offer extra resources that go with your presentation. These extras enrich your audience's experience and extend your talk's impact, whether it's more detailed papers, data, or tools.

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Final Thoughts

To write a successful conference proposal, you must be clear, make your work appealing, and emphasize its importance.

Between these essential tips and the Qwilr Conference Proposal Template, you have all you need for a proposal that gets you conference bookings and ensures bums on seats when you get there! Want to try it for yourself? Snag a 14 day free trial and get started immediately.

About the author

Brendan Connaughton | Head of Growth Marketing

Brendan heads up growth marketing and demand generation at Qwilr, overseeing performance marketing, SEO, and lifecycle initiatives. Brendan has been instrumental in developing go-to-market functions for a number of high-growth startups and challenger brands.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best format for a conference proposal.

The ideal format for a conference proposal submission is clear, well-organized, and attention-grabbing. It should clearly show your goals, how you intend to achieve them, why your work matters, and what you hope to gain from it.

Can I submit the same proposal to multiple conferences?

While you can submit similar proposals to different conferences, this is usually not recommended. You should tailor each proposal to the specific topic and audience of the conference you are applying to.

Should I include references in my conference proposal?

Including a few key references can strengthen your proposal by situating your work within the broader academic conversation. However, be selective and focus on works that directly support the significance and methodology of your work.

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• Our Mission

Why You Should Consider Presenting at an Education Conference

It can be a great opportunity for teachers to share their expertise and to connect with like-minded educators.

A colleague and I had been integrating picture books into our middle school science and social studies classrooms and wondered how to share this practice with a wider audience. At a local district conference, a call for proposals opened up, and we decided to submit a proposal. Our proposal got accepted, and we were so excited! The process of submitting the proposal and then giving the presentation was a great way to connect with other educators and share our expertise.

Since 2019, I’ve attended and presented at many different conferences and in many different capacities: as a featured or keynote speaker, a workshop and webinar leader, a panelist, a volunteer, and a listener and learner. Regardless of what I’m doing there, I’m always blown away by how dynamic and powerful our voices are. There’s a common misconception that many education conferences don’t feature many actual educators or people in education, but that couldn’t be further from the truth—there are so many educators who present and share at these conferences. You could be one of them!

Whether it’s a local, regional, district, statewide, or nationwide conference, something amazing happens when you bring your voice to a larger community and showcase your expertise. Additionally, presenting at conferences can have immense benefits for you personally and professionally. However, sometimes it can be challenging getting started with the process of finding a conference and crafting a proposal. Let’s go through the process of thinking about and applying to present at a conference.

Why should you submit a conference proposal?

You can take the opportunity to speak up and speak out. Your voice absolutely matters! People want to hear what you have to say. If a conference is giving you a platform to speak about a passion of yours, consider submitting a proposal.

You can expand your skill set. Presenting at a conference involves skills such as public speaking, working with colleagues outside of your building/district/role, content creation, and content delivery—all things that we already do in our classrooms and schools. However, we can expand on them and share them with a larger audience.

You can participate in unique events. Conferences have many events, such as meals, receptions, community groups, and even affinity groups where you can connect, collaborate with, and learn from the people around you in a more relaxed way. This builds a community of like-minded educators and professionals and can also help you grow your professional learning network. 

Keep finances in mind 

Some conferences can be expensive to attend, regarding travel costs and registration fees. However, there are some conferences that provide free registration to presenters (such as a favorite of mine, IDEAcon ), and there are others that provide free registration for volunteers.

Additionally, there is a possibility that your school, district, or organization may cover travel costs for conferences that are not local or regional; for the very first conference that I attended as a participant, my district paid for my travel and my hotel. It’s important to explore all options to reduce potential costs so that if you’d like to attend, you can make the best financial decision.

Plan Your Proposal

First, check to see the “request for proposals” deadline. All conference proposal windows have deadlines, and if you’re interested in presenting, you don’t want to miss it! The “request for proposals” window for conferences often opens early, so be sure to plan when you’d like to submit yours. If you do miss a deadline, you can reach out to the conference committee; they may be able to extend it for you, but don’t count on it.

Next, see if the conference has any specific themes or requests for content. Some conferences adhere to a certain topic (e.g., literacy, STEM, future-ready skills) for their entire duration; others don’t. If a conference has a theme, it’s definitely a good idea to stick to it.

Then, see if the conference has any specific guidelines for writing the proposal. No two conferences are alike. Some proposal submissions require only an abstract and a title, while others require a full outline and information on the  technology you’ll use to give your presentation. It’s important to see what the conference proposal requires so that you won’t be missing any pieces upon submission. Additionally, some conference proposal websites even offer the rubric that they use to score the sessions. If you see one, definitely take a look at it, so that you know what criteria are used to vet and accept sessions.

Write your proposal

Decide on the presentation format. Many conferences have multiple presentation formats, such as standard presentations (45–50 minutes), creation labs/workshops (90–120 minutes), panels, and even poster sessions. Decide which format would work best for your content. 

Create from the heart. Think about what you’re passionate about and what you’d like to say to a larger audience. This can be focused on a content area, an area of expertise, or an area of interest/study.

Keep learning objectives at the forefront. When you’re writing your presentation, think about what you’d like for the audience to learn during their time with you. I like to segment my presentations into three different parts: opening, action, and closing. During the opening, I introduce myself and the “why” behind the session. During the action, I showcase how to do the concept or work alongside tools. In the closing, I give “next steps” and resources for participants to continue their learning.

There’s power in collaboration. You don’t have to do this alone. If you’d like to present with another person or a group of people that may have shared interests and content, reach out to them and see if they’re interested in creating a shared proposal. I present frequently with friends and colleagues, depending on the circumstances—our voices are stronger together!

Submit your proposal  

When you’re ready, press that submit button! Because no two conferences are the same, deliberation windows vary. However, you’ll typically receive notice of your proposal status via email. If your proposal was accepted, celebrate and plan your presentation! If it was rejected, there’s no harm in reaching out to the conference proposal team for feedback about how to improve your proposal for next time.Also, just because a proposal was rejected at one conference doesn’t mean that it won’t be accepted at another. Continue submitting your proposal to other conferences as applicable, and if you receive feedback on your proposal, consider implementing it.

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Writing for Publication: Conference Proposals & Presentations

Presenting at conferences is an efficient and exciting forum in which you can share your research and findings.  However, presenting your work to others at a conference requires determining what type of presentation would best suit your material as well as choosing an appropriate conference. Once you have made those decisions, you will be ready to write your conference proposal.

Types of Presentations

The types of professional conferences vary, from large international gatherings to small, regional meetings. The content can also be very research driven or be focused more specifically on the needs of practitioners. Hence, different conferences tend to have different formats, but the following are some of the most common:

Poster sessions are most frequently found in the sciences, but they are often offered as an option at conferences in other disciplines as well. A poster session is a visual representation of your work. In this format, you can highlight areas of your research and display them both textually and visually. At most conferences, poster sessions take place in a large room. Typically, researchers stand next to their display and answer informal questions about their research. See the American Public Health Association's Poster Session Guidelines for an example of the requirements for posters, keeping in mind that each professional organization and conference will have its own guidelines.

Panel discussions or presentations are formal conversations organized around a specific subject. At most conferences, several speakers take turns speaking for a predetermined amount of time about their research and findings on a given subject. Panel discussions are almost always followed by a question and answer session from the audience. At most conferences, choosing to present at a panel discussion is often more competitive than being selected for a poster session.

A paper with respondent session involves a presenter orally sharing his or her data and conclusions for an allotted period of time. Following that presentation, another researcher, often one with differing views on the same subject, gives a brief response to the paper. The initial presenter then responds to the respondent's response.

In a conference presentation, sometimes presenters just give a report of their research, especially if it has some implications to practice.

Writing the Proposal

Like an abstract, a successful conference proposal will clearly and succinctly introduce, summarize, and make conclusions about your topic and findings. Though every conference is, of course, different, objectives and conclusions are found in all conference proposals. However, be sure to follow a conference's submission guidelines, which will be listed on the conference website. Every conference has a committee that evaluates the relevance and merit of each proposal. The following are some important factors to take into consideration when crafting yours:

Length: Many conference proposals are no more than 400 words. Thus, brevity and clarity are extremely important.

Relevance: Choosing an appropriate conference is the first step toward acceptance of your work. The conference committee will want to know how your work relates to the topic of the conference and to your field as a whole. Be sure that your proposal discusses the uniqueness of your findings, along with their significance. Do not just summarize your research, but rather, place your research in a larger context. What are the implications of your findings? How might another researcher use your data?

Quotations : Avoid including in too many quotations in your conference proposal. If you do choose to include quotations, it is generally recommended that you state the author's name, though you do not need to include a full citation (Purdue Online Writing Lab, 2012).

Focus: Most experts recommend that a conference proposal have a thesis statement early on in the proposal. Do not keep the reader guessing about your conclusions. Rather, begin with your concise and arguable thesis and then discuss your main points. Remember, there is no need to prove your thesis in this shortened format, only to articulate your thesis and the central arguments you will use to back up your claims should you be invited to present your work.

Tone: Make sure to keep your audience in mind and to structure your proposal accordingly. Avoid overly specialized jargon that would only be familiar to participants in a subfield. Make sure your prose is clear, logical, and straightforward. Though your proposal should maintain an academic tone, your enthusiasm for your project should shine through, though not at the cost of formality.

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Proposal Template AI

Free proposal templates in word, powerpoint, pdf and more

Conference Proposal Template: A Comprehensive Guide + Free Template Download + How to Write it

Conference proposal template: a guide to crafting a winning proposal.

As someone who has attended and organized numerous conferences, I can attest to the importance of a well-crafted proposal. A conference proposal is a document that outlines the details of a proposed presentation or workshop for a conference. It is a crucial tool for convincing conference organizers that your presentation will provide value to their event.

What sets a conference proposal template apart from a standard proposal is its specific focus on presenting an idea or topic to a conference audience. The template provides a structured format that ensures all necessary details are included, such as the title of the presentation, a brief overview, learning objectives , and a detailed outline of the content. A well-organized and thorough proposal can greatly increase the chances of being selected to present at a conference. In this article, we will explore the key components of a conference proposal template and provide tips for creating a compelling proposal that stands out to conference organizers.

Conference Proposal Template

• Example: “Enhancing Student Engagement through Interactive Learning Techniques”

The title should be clear and concise, indicating the focus and purpose of your presentation. It should grab the attention of the audience and give them a clear idea of what to expect.

My advice on the title: Make sure your title is specific and reflective of the content you will be presenting. Avoid using vague or generic titles that could be applied to any presentation.

• Example: “This presentation will explore the use of interactive learning techniques to increase student engagement and participation in the classroom. We will discuss various strategies and tools that have been successful in promoting active learning and fostering a collaborative learning environment.”

The abstract should provide a brief summary of the key points and objectives of your presentation. It should give the audience a clear understanding of what to expect and why your topic is important.

My advice on the abstract: Be sure to include the main goals of your presentation and the key takeaways for the audience. Keep it concise and focused on the most important aspects of your proposal.

Objectives:

• To introduce different interactive learning techniques that can be implemented in various educational settings.
• To explore the impact of interactive learning on student engagement, participation, and knowledge retention.
• To provide practical examples and case studies of successful implementation of interactive learning techniques.

The objectives should clearly outline the specific goals and outcomes of your presentation. This will help the audience understand what they will gain from attending your session.

My advice on objectives: Be specific and realistic about what you hope to achieve with your presentation. Tailor your objectives to the needs and interests of your target audience .

Methodology:

• Literature review of studies on interactive learning techniques.
• Surveys or interviews with students and educators on their experiences with interactive learning.
• Case studies of successful implementation of interactive learning in different educational settings.

The methodology should explain how you gathered and analyzed your data, and how you will present your findings. It should demonstrate the rigor and credibility of your research.

My advice on methodology: Be transparent about your research methods and provide evidence to support your findings. This will help build credibility and trust with your audience.

Conclusion:

• Example: “By using interactive learning techniques, educators can create a more engaging and collaborative learning environment that can lead to improved student outcomes. It is important for educators to continuously adapt and innovate their teaching methods to meet the diverse needs of their students.”

The conclusion should summarize the key findings and insights from your presentation. It should also provide recommendations for next steps or further research in the field.

My advice on the conclusion: Use this section to reinforce the significance of your topic and leave the audience with a clear understanding of its relevance and implications. Offer practical advice for educators or researchers interested in implementing your findings.

Download free Conference Proposal Template in Word DocX, Powerpoint PPTX, and PDF. We included Conference Proposal Template examples as well.

Download Free Conference Proposal Template PDF and Examples Download Free Conference Proposal Template Word Document

Download Free Conference Proposal Template Powerpoint

1. Can I use this template for any type of conference proposal? Yes, this template is designed to be flexible and can be used for a variety of conference proposal types, including academic, professional, and industry conferences.

2. Is this template suitable for both in-person and virtual conference proposals? Yes, the template can be adapted for both in-person and virtual conference proposals. You may need to make some modifications to address specific considerations for virtual conferences.

3. How should I structure the content in the proposal? The template provides a clear structure for the proposal, including sections for the title, abstract, objectives, methodology, audience engagement , and expected outcomes . It is recommended to follow this structure for a well-organized proposal.

4. Are there any specific formatting guidelines to follow for the proposal? The template is designed to be easily customizable, so you can adjust the formatting to fit your needs. However, it is important to ensure that the proposal is clear, professional, and easy to read.

5. Can I include images or graphics in the proposal? Yes, you may include images or graphics in the proposal to enhance the visual appeal and provide additional context. Just make sure that they are relevant and do not detract from the overall content.

6. How long should the proposal be? The length of the proposal will depend on the specific requirements of the conference organizers. However, the template provides a good starting point and can be tailored to meet any length requirements.

7. Is there a specific audience for this template? This template is suitable for anyone interested in submitting a conference proposal, including researchers, professionals, educators, and industry experts. It can be adapted to fit the needs of various disciplines and fields.

8. Can I use this template for multiple conference proposals? Yes, you can use this template for multiple conference proposals, making adjustments as necessary to tailor the content to each specific conference’s requirements.

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Conference Proposal

Proposal maker.

We all want to turn our big idea into a proposal example and submit it to a conference, right? It is the first step in making your idea to happen in reality. But, it is not that easy and simple. Especially when you are required to write a conference proposal for your idea.

Conference Proposal Example

• Google Docs

Size: A4, US

Conference Proposal Template

Writing a conference proposal is like writing a research proposal it’s very daunting but you will find it very important and essential when you are eager enough to make your idea to happen. Luckily, this article provides you guidelines, steps, and tips for writing a conference proposal to get you started.

Request for Proposal for Professional Conference

Size: 795 KB

Conference Paper

Size: 15 KB

Sample Academic Proposal

Size: 205 KB

Conference Sponsorship Proposal Format

Size: 363 KB

Conference Attendance Sample

Size: 308 KB

How to Write a More Effective Conference Proposal

Writing a conference proposal or even a request for proposal is not an easy task, especially when you are new to it. You may describe writing a proposal to be daunting and overwheliming. That’s actually true, however, there are steps in writing a more effective conference proposal so that you would crash out that unwanted feeling.

• Review your proposal and check for errors and typos.
• Write less jargon, those terminologies that only you can understand.
• Master the details and give the audience a good feel when you talk.
• Deliver yourself clearly.
• Lastly, submit your proposal ahead of time.

But if you don’t really feel to write this proposal, we got free proposals here available for download.

How to Write a Proposal for a Conference Presentation

For writing a proposal for a conference presentation, here is what you can do:

• Just like a project proposal , start from the introduction, followed by the main body, and then the conclusion.
• Get the attention of the audience with a compelling intro or from a question, quotation, or anecdote
• Tell the audience what your presentation is all about. The main discussion and the main ideas and points to cover.
• Arrange the topics in chronological order.
• Use transition statement.
• Support your main ideas.
• Summarize all your presentation.
• Finish it with a strong ending and don’t introduce new ideas.

Format for International Conference

Quality Education Conference

Size: 309 KB

Format for Leadership

Guidelines for Writing a Conference Proposal

No matter what proposal it is, it really needs guidelines and tips so that you can write a more effective proposal.

• The very first thing you need to do is to explain why your proposal is important . This is to know what could be and how would it contribute the organization or institution.
• Have a clear point and articulate it precisely . The smart goal of your proposal is to be understood by the reader.
• Proofread your proposal . This is to prevent from typos, grammatical errors, and unnecessary jargon.
• Get opinions from editors and/or critics . You need a second opinion from them to improve the idea of your proposal and the clarity of expression.
• Never cite information in your proposal from unreliable sources. So you would not talk about wrong information.
• Lastly, take these guidelines very seriously . It may not be similar to a business proposal , it should still look professional

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Generate a proposal for a new school recycling program

Compose a proposal for a school field trip to a science museum.

Dave Cheney

The acme of foolishness, how to write a successful conference proposal, why public speaking is good for your career, presentations and proposals are different things.

Your talk and the proposal to give that talk are different because they target different audiences. The former is what you are going to present on stage, the latter is a pitch to the reviewers to let you give that presentation.

Writing a good conference proposal is a different skill than writing the presentation itself . This article is aimed at writing a good proposal with a focus on the reviewer of your proposal as the audience.

Focus on the audience

Speaking of audiences, good public speakers start planning a presentation by identifying the audience they want to address. Presenting at a conference is like teaching a class, you have to present the material at the level of the people in the room.

It’s not just a question of beginner, advanced, or expert, you also have to consider the kinds of people at the conference. If it’s a vendor conference, there are probably going to be lots of managers, (pre) sales people, and business decision makers in the audience. While they might also be competent engineers, they’re at that conference wearing their business leader hat. They want to hear a different story; reliability, ease of maintenance, or evidence of widespread adoption, than an audience of software engineers who are more likely interested in things such as performance, orthogonality, and extensiblity.

Who are the reviewers?

Who are the reviewers and what do they want.

For smaller conferences it’ll be the organiser, or organisers, of the conference you’re applying too. For larger conferences it will likely be a group of reviewers who the organisers have invited to review proposals, this is the model that GopherCon follows. For really large conferences, such as OSCON, they will have a group of reviewers per track who funnel their recommendations up to a programme chair or set of program coordinators.

Regardless of their size, conference reviewers are charged with recommending to the organisers a set of talks they think are interesting and appropriate for the audience of the conference.

Most review panels are confidential, so you shouldn’t know anything about the individual reviewers, although you can probably guess that they will be experienced in the subject of your conference.

Most proposal are reviewed anonymously, at least in the initial rounds. This means the reviewers must judge your proposal, and your ability to present it, using only the fields provided on the submission form.

it’s important to remember that at least in part, all conferences are commercial enterprises. Venue owners have bills to pay just like the rest of us, and at a minimum speakers need to be compensated for their travel and lodging, otherwise the programme will be filled with people who are paid by their employer to speak.

To put it bluntly, reviewers are looking for talks that people will pay to see. This might sound capitalistic, but it turns out that this is what the audience want as well. At GopherCon we cover the travel and accommodation expenses of all our speakers. We think this is important because we want to hear what the speaker thinks, not their marketing department.

All of these are factors that reviewers will be considering when reading your proposal.

What to put in a proposal

Almost every conference call for proposals will ask for the following; title, abstract, and description. They may ask for other things like a biography, questions about AV requirements for your talk, and so on, but with respect to successful acceptance, these three items are key.

A title is mandatory on almost every talk submission system I’ve seen. It’s your one line elevator pitch to entice the audience to come to your talk.

Keeping the title a little vague, or quixotic is popular, but I tend to stay away from 11 things that will make your proposal sound like a buzzfeed article. I’m not saying never do that, but if you do, you’d better pack a heck of a proposal behind your braggadocios

Conference organisers usually ask you to provide a talk abstract as they often don’t feel it is appropriate to summarise your proposal for you. This abstract will be printed in the program or placed on the website so potential visitors to the event know what they’ll be seeing.

There are usually restrictions on the size of the abstract. One sentence that describes the topic that you’ll be talking about, and one sentence that describes what the audience will take away from listening to your talk or participating in your workshop, is all you need.

Together with the title, these are the two pieces of information the eventual conference audience will use to decide if they want to come to your session or not.

Talk description

This is where you sell your talk idea, and the place, as a reviewer, I have seen so many good proposals with interesting ideas fail to make the cut because they simply didn’t include enough detail .

This is where my advice differs from other’s you’ll read on the web. Many pieces of advice encourage you to write less in your description, sometimes out of recognition that the organisers are busy and you don’t wish to burden them. I wanted to take some time to explain why I push every speaker to write more detail.

You are looking to do three things when writing a description of your talk:

• Make it clear to the reviewers that you know what you are talking about.
• That you have a plan to communicate what you know to the audience and you’ve thought about how to do this within the time limit of the speaking slot.
• Answer all the selection criteria for the conference.

The first point is self explanatory, but you still need to make sure that you communicate this clearly to your reviewers. For example, if you’re talking about how to manage a large open source project, then make sure you mention that in the proposal, “as the maintainer of a large open source project”. If you plan to talk about a subject in the third person, then you should cite your sources, “for my PhD thesis I studied the day to day interactions of the top 10 projects on GitHub”. You don’t have to be an expert, but if your goal is to communicate something new to the audience, you should demonstrate that you know more about the topic than they do.

The second point relates to how likely you are to effectively communicate your ideas. The reviewers want to feel comfortable that you have a plan. It is all too common to see a proposal for an hour long session with only a sentence or two for the description. The less you write in a conference proposal, the more the reviewers are left to take it on faith that you’ll do a good job.

The opposite is also true. Occasionally I see a proposal for a talk that includes every possible aspect of a subject. Reviewers are generally wary that the speaker cannot cover all their material in the time available–few conferences can afford C++Con’s multi-part multi-hour format. A presenter that doesn’t manage their time, rambles without conclusion, or covers a lot of material in common knowledge is going to waste the audience’s time. That’s not just unfair to the audience, but unfair on the speakers that follow who must deal with a disgruntled audience.

One thing that I recommend to anyone considering submitting a proposal is to include an outline of your talk in the proposal. This can be literally the headings of your slides, or your ideas in bullet points. As a reviewer this makes it crystal clear that you’ve not only thought about your idea, but how to present it.

The last point, address all the selection criteria, I cannot emphasise enough. Review committees strive to be fair and often rate all proposal by a common standard. It crucial to address the selection criteria clearly as these are the ground rules by which every proposal are judged.

This point is probably the trickiest as not all conferences publish their selection criteria. Sometimes conferences ask for talks along a particular theme and these can be substituted for criteria in a pinch. If there are no criteria available–don’t guess, ask the organisers. If they don’t have any to share, which can happen with smaller conferences, then think about the audience and the wider ecosystem of the conference’s focus and ask yourself “if I were thinking about coming to this conference, what would I like to hear about?”

If you take away one thing from this section it is this– proposals with less detail loose out to proposals that provide more –as they do not provide the reviewer with sufficient evidence to be confident in their recommendations.

Don’t sell snow to Eskimos

Before closing I want to highlight a very common mistake I see in both conference proposals, and conference presentations, which is a speaker selling their audience on a thing the audience already likes.

To give an example, you wouldn’t go to the JVM Language Summit and give a presentation about how great the JVM is and they should use it. Instead, you’d go to the JVM language summit and show  the audience the JVM is great by telling them about your project which was only possible because you chose to base it on the JVM.

Don’t take my word for it

Finally, if you’ve read this far, I encourage you to read what others have written on the topic, especially where their advice differs.

Karolina Szczur recently wrote a great article on writing conference proposals and includes many references to similar articles for further reading.

Reviewers are looking to put together the best conference they can. They want to see your talk on stage, but you have to give them the evidence they need to feel confident in recommending you. Show the reviewers you’ve thought about the audience, and you’ll make their decision a lot simpler.

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#129: How to Write a Conference Proposal

by Bethanie Hansen | Sep 28, 2022 | Career , Higher Education , Leadership , Podcast , Professional Development

This content first appeared at APUEdge.com.

Podcast with Dr. Bethanie L. Hansen ,  Associate Dean (Interim),  School  o f Arts, Humanities and Education 

Part of learning and stretching is sharing your knowledge with others. In this episode, APU’s Dr. Bethanie Hansen discusses the benefits of presenting at a professional conference. Learn tips on selecting an engaging topic, writing a conference proposal as well as what mistakes to avoid.

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Read the Transcript:

Bethanie Hansen: This podcast is for educators, academics and parents, who know that online teaching can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding, engaging, and fun! Welcome to the Online Teaching Lounge . I’m your host, Dr. Bethanie Hansen. And I’ll be your guide for online teaching tips, topics and strategies. Walk with me into the Online Teaching Lounge.

Welcome to the Online Teaching Lounge today, I’m Bethanie Hansen. And I want to talk with you about how to write a conference proposal. As an online educator, you may be thinking, you need some professional development, and it’s a great idea to go to a conference. There are so many kinds of conferences you could attend . If there’s one locally in your area, it’s especially good to set aside the time and go attend that conference: Low cost, local area, fast access.

But something across the country or across the state, that’s a different story altogether. Now we’re talking about spending money to attend that conference. And it’s a lot easier to justify spending that money if you’re also going to be presenting at that conference. Or, if your institution is considering sponsoring you, chances are the only way they’re going to do that is if you are presenting at the conference. So how do you write a conference proposal?

Well, before we talk about that, I just want to dive into how we can tap into your genius about what you might present at a conference. First, I’ll tell you a little story about myself.

I used to go to professional development conferences as a band director in California. I would go to the State Music Educator National Conference conventions that were for the state of California. These would rotate between Sacramento and San Diego or Los Angeles, every other year. As I went to these, and I noticed others presenting on topics of interest to me, one day, I realized I had that same knowledge. A woman stood up there and shared some exercises that she used with her band and she taught us all how to use them and talked around them.

And I thought to myself, I could be the person presenting this workshop, I know that same stuff. And suddenly it dawned on me, not everybody knows what I know. And, just like me, not everybody knows what you know , either. And so, in my next step, I wrote up a proposal about what was most important to me as a band director. And, as a band director, and still, as an educator today, the very most important thing to me was recruiting and retention.

Recruiting is a whole process of giving awareness to other people, helping them to notice you notice your band program and get interested in joining it in the future. And then there’s those actions about having them join your band this year . And, all of the steps that have to do with that like getting a band instrument, convincing your parents that you should be in the band, figuring out how you’re going to get started. And all of those things that are part of joining the band, the very first year you’re thinking about it.

There’s also the recruiting at different ages. So, if your school district’s band program starts in sixth grade, maybe in seventh grade, someone has moved in from somewhere else, and they didn’t have that chance, and they still want to join band. So, there’s several different processes to recruiting. There’s even high-school level recruiting, where you might be recruiting people to twirl a flag in your marching band, or play cymbals in your percussion section, or even be a beginner on a band instrument. So, there’s a lot of levels to this and I had experience and passion for all of that.

So, I wrote that proposal. And I drafted it up for that State California conference.

And the other half is retention. Once you recruit kids into your program, or students into any class, you have to help them want to stay there. There’s this whole idea that band directors used to have all over the place where they just assumed kids would stay because band is worth doing all by itself, right? Well, that’s not the case. In fact, when kids join your band, you have to work just as hard to keep them there, as you do to get them there in the first place.

There is so much that competes for your students’ time when you’re a band director. You have to really work with them on balancing all those activities they might be in, what if they’re in sports and band at the same time or different clubs, like debate or going on field trips for academic decathlon? There’s just so much. So that topic of recruiting and retention, it’s kind of two different things that goes nicely together. And that’s what I decided I wanted to present on at a conference. So, I wrote up my proposal and I submitted it. And it was accepted. And it was my very first time presenting at a professional conference.

So, I prepared, I made my PowerPoint slides, created a packet of handouts. And I went to this conference. And this session was in a huge theater. And it was full, totally full of about 200 people. I was amazed at how many people came to that conference session that I presented. I ran out of handouts, I had to give them email copies later. But it was a huge success for me, the very first time out.

Other conferences I have presented at have had varying degrees of interest and attention. I have sometimes presented a session to five people, sometimes 35. So, even when you’re accepted to present at a conference, you can never really know exactly what you’re going to get in terms of who shows up, and what you need to deliver it with success. But what you can assume is that someone will want to hear it, even if it’s just one or two people. So, writing that proposal, I suggest thinking about number one, what you know about.

Determine Your Area of Interest to Present On

What is your area of expertise in your academic discipline? What subject matter do you really want to share something about? It could be a teaching strategy, or like my example of recruiting for band directors, it could be a problem-solving strategy. It could be some kind of community-building, like how you could use labs in your virtual science class. It could be some kind of a networking idea, how you’re going to collaborate with other teachers. And maybe you’re going to present a model of how to do that. There are so many ideas of things you are good at, that you could potentially share at a conference.

If you’re not really sure what would be appropriate for a conference, I suggest looking up the website for a conference you might consider attending and looking at last year’s topics. Many of the websites out there for conferences have a list of the topics and the titles of the presentations for the last several years. These can give you a good idea of what might be interesting to conference attendees, or what might suit the audience, generally.

One example for the online teaching space is the Online Learning Consortium . They have two conferences a year one is in the spring, and it’s called OLC Innovate . And when is in the fall, it’s called OLC Accelerate. And as of right now, at the time of this recording, they have a virtual and a live option. So, even if you could not travel to attend that conference, you could still present, even if it’s virtually.

Tips to Writing a Successful Proposal

So, as you think about the topic, there are some tips to help you get this written well and have a greater chance that your proposal will be accepted. The first one is of course to have a suitable topic, the best way to have a suitable topic for a conference, once you’ve decided on your area of interest, whether it’s a subject matter or a strategy, the best way is to think about the tracks and the topics that conference is requesting.

In the case of the OLC Accelerate conference, there are certain tracks and they are all aimed at different audiences. I’ll just give you an example of what these tracks might be, so you have an idea of the type of variety that conferences can have.

The track descriptions for OCLC Accelerate are:

• access, equity, and open education
• blended learning strategy and practice
• engaged in effective teaching and learning
• instructional design
• leadership and institutional strategy
• research, evaluation and learning analytics
• student support and success
• technology and future trends

And often there will be some big ideas that have lots of sessions connected to them. And if you can propose something to a less-popular area, where what I mean to say is where there are likely to be fewer proposals, but there is still interest in the audience that even increases your chances of getting accepted more.

So, one example would be that a lot of people at that particular conference, propose things in the category of engaged and effective teaching and learning. After all, most things we’re going to think about in online education are about the teaching and learning, right? Now, if you have something specific about the way you set up the classroom, or a method of the instructional design itself, it makes a lot more sense to tailor it to that instructional design topic, where there are fewer proposals. So, yours will be stand out and it gives you a greater likelihood of being accepted.

Now, in terms of your audience, you want to think about the types of audiences that typically attend those conferences. So, in this situation, where I mentioned one in particular, which is OLC Accelerate, the audiences range from K-12, educators, higher ed educators, to the tech people who designed the classroom itself, you might have instructional designers, tech support, all kinds of people who are really good at focusing on the way the classroom is set up.

There’s a whole audience that is interested in alternative or accessibility strategies. So, if you have a really good handle on universal design for learning, or accommodation strategies for diverse learners, then you could tailor your proposal to that angle. If you are in leadership, or you think your idea is great for an institutional-level strategy, or the leadership team over an organization, then you might tailor your presentation to that. And, if you really want to stretch, you could have a topic that you tailor one way for the leadership group, and a totally different way for the instructional design group and that would give you two different proposals.

Determine the Type of Presentation to Create

Now, as you’re fleshing out your topic, you also want to think about what kind of presentation it’s going to be. And those kinds of presentations vary, there are the virtual poster sessions where you create some slides, they play automatically, and a person watches it like a mini-web presentation. There’s also the education session, which is like your typical lecture style presentation. There are short workshops that are hands on where you expect people to bring a device and play along with you. There are gamified sessions. And there are larger workshops, which would be 90 minutes to 2 hours in length. So, if your topic takes more than just that 45-minute window, maybe it has a Part A and Part B or something that builds on that initial stuff, then you’re going to propose it as a larger workshop.

Proposal Writing Tips

As you write up your proposal, some interesting things that stand out are to have a creative title that conveys exactly what it’s about; to have an abstract that tells participants what they would walk away with if they attended this session. And then in the deeper part of your proposal, where you really flesh out what it’s about, what you will do, and how you will engage the audience that comes to be part of this presentation, two helpful tips seem to work all the time.

One is to use references. Support your approach with some scholarly research and some sources that do support your idea. This adds credibility to what you’re submitting.

And second, detail exactly what participants will leave with at the end of the session. Is it an idea? Is it curiosity? Is it a handout? Is it a template? Whatever it is, your participants will be able to leave with, make it very clear, explain it. And, if appropriate during the proposal process, even include a copy.

Most proposals are intended to be entirely anonymous, and you would need to leave your name off of them. You should not mention your school or your institution. And you want to look over these to make sure they are grammatically correct and well written. I know that seems to go without saying, but I’ve been a reviewer for conference proposals myself for many years now. And, every once in a while, I’ll see one where the person just forgot to use spellcheck and forgot to use the right punctuation, like maybe they dictated it and didn’t check it afterwards. So, be sure to check those things because at the very least, you want it to look and sound professional when you submit it.

And then submit it before the deadline, turn everything in that you need to do and then you wait and you’ll hear back at whatever time they tell you you’ll hear back. I always put that date on my calendar so I can check and find out whether something has been accepted. And the more you practice it this, the more likely you are to get presentations accepted to present at conferences.

Then your next steps would be to plan the presentation around your audience so they definitely get out of it what do you say they’re going to get out of it. One of the biggest mistakes is to prepare a proposal, get accepted, show up, and then present on something different than what you said you were going to present. I’ve sat through presentations like that myself, and perhaps you have also, where we’re sitting there thinking we’re going to learn something, and we never get that out of that session. And it seems to be a huge disappointment. Like, why did we sit through that if we were not going to get what we came for? So, addressing the topics that you say you’re going to address is a really important part of this when you come full circle and actually give the presentation.

The bottom line of all of this is that you have a lot of expertise, you know a lot, and you have areas that you can share with other people who are just learning. It’s time to get up and present those things and share them with your professional community. I want to encourage you to do that. And if you’re listening to this around the time of the recording where this podcast is produced, there are proposals right now being accepted for the OLC Innovate conference coming up in the Spring of 2023 . And I would encourage you to submit a proposal to that, and stretch, figure out what you can share with the online community.

And if you’re listening to this later, after the initial publication, you can just check the OLC’s website to see when the next conference is coming and when the next set of proposals will be accepted. I want to encourage you to grow and stretch and share because that’s what helps us to stay motivated and keep learning ourselves. I wish you all the best in writing up your proposal and submitting it this coming month or even this coming week.

This is Dr. Bethanie Hansen, your host for the Online Teaching Lounge podcast. To share comments and requests for future episodes, please visit bethaniehansen.com/request . Best wishes this coming week in your online teaching journey.

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Call For Proposals

Share your knowledge, make an impact at educause 2024.

Presenting a content-rich session at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference individually or as part of a team is a wonderful way to share knowledge, experiences, and ideas with lifelong friends.

The conference's community-generated program showcases future directions, best practices, stories of successful collaborations, lessons learned, and solutions to community-wide issues within various program tracks.

Whether you are a first-time or veteran presenter, we welcome your submission! Please read this page carefully before you begin work on your proposal, and submit your proposal by April 29, 2024. *

The call for proposals is now closed.

An EDUCAUSE profile is required to submit a proposal, present, and register for the event. Please take the time now to create a profile or update your profile . Presenter profiles will be displayed within the session listing in the event agenda.

* With a Corporation?

View the Corporate Session Submissions section for options for presenting at this year's event.

Key Dates ➞

Steps to submit a session proposal ➞, program tracks ➞, delivery choices ➞, session elements ➞, corporate session submissions ➞, community group sessions ➞, faqs ➞.

“It was my first time presenting at EDUCAUSE, so I was nervous about doing it. In the end, it all went well, making it a satisfying event. Additionally, I am very impressed with the materials you have compiled and shared on what makes a good presentation. I know that improves the quality of everyone's work.”

— Past EDUCAUSE Annual Conference Presenter

Steps to Submit a Proposal

Learn how to create and submit an excellent proposal by reading this page. Additional tips are also available on the EDUCAUSE Presenter Concierge pages.

Develop a proposal based on one of the program tracks/focus areas within the CFP portal. You may start a proposal within the site and save it as a draft as you go or download our CFP template for advance work and/or collaboration with co-presenters.

Submit your proposal using the CFP portal between April 1 and April 29, 2024 . Submitters will be notified about decisions in late July.

If your proposal is accepted, attend and present at the 2024 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX (October 21–24), or online (November 13–14). Registration is required of all presenters. Learn more about EDUCAUSE's expectations of presenters .

Program Tracks

The Program Committee has identified suggested areas of focus (tracks/topics) for 2024. Preference will be given to the proposals that sufficiently reflect what you have done or are planning to do in these areas.

Your proposal may fit under multiple track options. If so, we recommend that you choose the track that best represents your content and goals. If you’re not sure which track to choose, select “Help Me Decide!” and the program committee will help you select the best track for your session submission.

• ☐ Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Risk Management
• ☐ Enterprise, Strategy, Data, Infrastructure, and Support
• ☐ Future of Work
• ☐ Innovation and Emerging Technologies
• ☐ Leadership
• ☐ Student Experience
• ☐ Teaching and Learning
• ☐ “Help Me Decide/Other”

Delivery Choices

The available session formats are described below. Please select the one that best fits your session structure and presentation style. You will also choose an event option:

• The in-person event in San Antonio, TX, October 21–24.
• The online event November 13–14.
• You may also indicate that you would like to be considered for both events. Please do NOT submit identical proposals for different formats or events.

Note: Although EDUCAUSE will make every effort to honor your preference for delivery format, we reserve the right to reassign the format based on space and program balance.

In-Person Session Delivery Formats

Presentation or panel.

Are you a "people person"? Then delivering a presentation at the conference is the best way to connect with—and be remembered by—your audience! These sessions are opportunities to share topics of interest, lessons learned, foresight, or case-making evidence related to a conference theme. Presenters, whether one person or a group, should include ways to actively engage the audience in the session. These sessions will be scheduled in traditional breakout rooms as well as the specially designed EDUCAUSE Commons (Exhibit Hall) Theaters or other public space. Session length: 45-minutes. You may have a maximum of four presenters plus a moderator (total of five) for this session type.

Learn and Design Lab

If you like to get hands-on with your presentation topic, then a Learn and Design Lab is for you! These sessions are opportunities to learn and design with colleagues. Learn and Design Lab sessions include a brief (5-10 minutes) live presentation followed by a structured, participatory design session. Participants will gather in small groups, working together to address a compelling current issue in higher education. These sessions will be scheduled in specially designed EDUCAUSE Commons (Exhibit Hall) Hubs that can accommodate about 20 participants or in traditional breakout rooms that can hold larger audiences. Session length: 45-minutes. You may have a maximum of two presenters for this session type.

Public Meet-Up or Open House

Do you like the synergy of small groups and prefer conversation to presentation? This type of session works best for those looking to connect as “birds of a feather” or convene a smallish group of individuals (fewer than 20 people) who want to discuss a specific issue, address a certain opportunity, or just meet with others interested in the same topic or who hold the same type of job. These sessions will likely be scheduled in the EDUCAUSE Commons (Exhibit Hall) Hub space or other open-to-the-public space. These sessions are best positioned for conversations versus presentations. Session length: 45-minutes. You may have a maximum of two facilitators for this session type.

Would your presentation benefit from a deeper dive with a highly engaged and interactive audience? Workshops provide participants with a deeper examination of various topics, facilitated by leaders with extensive experience in those areas. These sessions are highly interactive and give participants the chance not only to discuss in-depth approaches to challenges they are facing on campus but to share solutions and learn hands-on strategies to address the challenges on their campus. Preconference workshop presenters may receive modest compensation in the form of an honorarium and complimentary conference registration. Workshops will be scheduled on Monday, October 21, 2024, the day prior to the main conference, and will be half- or full-day events. You may have a maximum of four facilitators.

Looking for workshop topic ideas? Our community has submitted the following ideas as potential preconference workshop topics.

• Cultivating Creative Teams
• Implementing Generative AI
• Data Governance and Quality
• Navigating ERP Implementations
• Effectively Managing Hybrid and Remote Staff
• Mastering Project and Portfolio Management
• Exploring Esports
• Enhancing Cybersecurity Measures
• Understanding IT Governance

Posters (for institutions only)

Sometimes, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. The poster format gives higher education technology professionals the unique opportunity to share, examine, and discuss cutting-edge problems, issues, and solutions in a casual, personal environment. Using physical poster displays, presenters will visually showcase their topics, offering a captivating visual representation of their research, projects, and experiences. As participants explore the poster displays, presenters will be readily available to engage in one-on-one or small-group discussions, providing a personalized understanding of their work. To see visuals of the poster area from past conferences, please visit the Poster Picture Gallery here . Session Length: 45-minutes. You may have a maximum of two presenters for this session type.

Networking Opportunities in San Antonio!

EDUCAUSE is excited to announce that Braindates will be back again! Attendees of the in-person event will have opportunities to create these on-demand Braindates (1:1, small-group, and large-group meet-ups on any topic of choice), as well as participate in impromptu roundtable meet-ups, and create/attend early-morning or after-hours activities. These “sessions” are not part of this Call For Proposal process, and more information will be shared later via conference communications and the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference webpage about how to participate.

Online Session Delivery Formats

Live session.

If you thrive on "going live," this online session format is for you! Live sessions happen in real time, beginning at specific scheduled times within the online event platform. While watching the sessions, attendees can submit questions that presenters will have the opportunity to answer at the end of the session during a dedicated Q&A. Session Length: 40-minute sessions. You may have a maximum of four presenters for this session type.

Facilitated Playback/Simulive Session

Are backchannel Q&As your idea of a good time? This dynamic session type could be your fit! Simulive presentations are prerecorded sessions that run at a scheduled time during the online program. These sessions are opportunities to share lessons learned, case studies, demonstrations/simulations of a technology or solution, and/or evidence of impact related to the proposed conference tracks. While the recording is being played, the presenters are actively engaged in the chat, answering questions and interacting with audience members throughout the 20-minute session. Because simulive sessions provide the opportunity for presenters to interact and answer questions in the chat pod, there will be no dedicated Q&A time, thus allowing the entire time for the recorded presentation. Note: Presenters will be required to attend their session on their scheduled date/time to monitor the chat. Session Length: 20-minute sessions. You may have a maximum of two presenters for this session type.

Virtual Poster Session

Consider this a poster session plus —you can deliver it from anywhere and still make meaningful connections. These sessions are designed to be informal and interactive mini-presentations where virtual poster presenters have the opportunity to share problems, issues, and solutions in a casual, personal online environment. Presenters should plan to prepare a few introductory remarks or an “elevator speech” to engage listeners, as well as a “poster” (1–2 slides) to provide a visual of the presentation topic. Many virtual poster sessions will be happening concurrently. Attendees can stop by several posters throughout the 45-minute time period (each poster visit/presentation is approximately 5–10 minutes). Presenters will repeat their presentation as new attendees join the session. You may have a maximum of two presenters for this session type.

Session Elements

Session Title

Create a short title that is creative yet descriptive. We ask that you do not use institution, company, or product names anywhere in the title.

This is a short description of what your session is about. If your proposal is accepted, the abstract is what most attendees will use to make decisions about which sessions to attend. What can you say that will encourage your colleagues to attend your session?

Session Takeaways and Participant Engagement Strategies

Clear session outcomes/takeaways and creative engagement strategies are essential components of every session. Proposal reviewers will closely examine and rate each proposed session's takeaways, which should clearly describe what participants will know or be able to do as a result of participating in the session. A successful proposal must also include the specific and creative ways in which the presenter(s) will engage with participants.

Session Description

This is where you get to more fully describe the plan for your session. Great descriptions answer the following as succinctly as possible: What problems are you helping participants solve? What is the relevance of the content and value to the higher education IT and technology community? How is your session unique? In addition, we encourage you to describe how the session will unfold (timetable).

These are areas of specific interest and will help attendees fine-tune their personalized schedules. Optional: You will be asked to provide three keywords that relate to your presentation.

Submitter Comments (optional)

If you have any additional comments or would like to clarify any pieces of information within the CFP, you will have the opportunity to do so within the submission site.

Corporate Session Proposals

Are you with a corporation and interested in presenting or plan to co-present with an institutional partner? EDUCAUSE values insights from our corporate community. Two options are available for you to contribute your thought leadership to this year's event:

Submit a presentation proposal through the call for proposals (CFP) process. You can go through the CFP process outlined on this page, in which case your proposal will be peer-reviewed and the Program and Selection Committees will determine acceptance to the program. If your proposal is accepted, there will be no fee to present other than the conference registration fee to attend. Deadline: April 29, 2024. For guidance on creating a winning corporate CFP submission, check out these tips:

Tips for Corporate CFP Submissions

• In the past, ratings from accepted corporate sessions indicated that the topics were timely, trending, and of significant interest to the higher education community.
• Many of the accepted corporate presentations from past events were submitted with institutional partners. Try to pin down your institutional partners prior to submitting session proposals so that you can co-create the proposal and really elevate their voice. Our audience is keen to hear institutional representatives talk about successful partnerships. Accepted sessions mentioned specific colleges or universities in their proposals.
• Higher-rated sessions indicated that session outcomes clearly tied to the goals for the session.
• Higher-rated sessions represent our diverse community. Before starting your proposal ask yourself: Does my proposal show how the session will reflect or address diversity?
• The session description should always paint a clear picture about what will happen in the session. This is your opportunity to expand beyond the abstract and tell the story behind the abstract. Adding creative session elements such as a design-thinking exercise or activity for the audience helps. With so much competition around session space these days, it is just as important to have an innovative, engaging session as it is to have an innovative, engaging topic.

Purchase an EDUCAUSE Conference Partner package. The EDUCAUSE Conference Partner package is our new, highest-level event package, limited to 20 companies that are seeking to get the most out of their experience at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference. As a Conference Partner, your company will receive:

• Selection for a presentation spot or conference sponsorship
• Recognition at the conference, complimentary full-conference registrations and digital advertising, and more

A Special Note to Our Community Group Leaders

We are excited for Community Group leaders to submit session ideas through the Call for Proposals. Watch for special instructions to hit your inbox in April about how to proceed if you are a CG leader.

Call for Proposals FAQs

If EDUCAUSE accepts my submission, are there any speaker benefits?

We appreciate and want to acknowledge our presenters’ work—both prior to and during the conference—and the expertise they share with our community of higher education IT and technology professionals. As a presenter at EDUCAUSE 2024 you receive:

• Visibility and recognition both for you and your organization as thought leaders
• A chance to give back to the profession and help peers devise solutions to current and emerging business challenges
• Access to exclusive, complimentary speaker coaching and resources to help make your session the best it can be

What are EDUCAUSE’s expectations of presenters?

• For the in-person conference, all accepted presenters must present onsite in San Antonio. We cannot accommodate remote presenters at the face-to-face event.
• Prepare and practice. Advance preparation is vital for the success of all presentations. This includes regular meetings with your presentation team (if applicable).
• Create fresh, original, unique, and current content aimed to solve today’s problems.
• Attend speaker training and preparation meetings, be open to feedback, and meet all deadlines.
• All selected presenters must agree to and complete speaker agreement forms .
• Profile requirement: An EDUCAUSE profile is required in order to submit a proposal, present, and register for the event. Please take some time before submitting a proposal to ensure all presenters have profiles. Create an EDUCAUSE Profile or login to update your profile. Presenters can create or update their profiles on the EDUCAUSE membership page .
• Presenter registration: Presenters are responsible for registering in advance for the conference, paying the full-conference registration fee, and securing and paying for travel and lodging. (Exceptions include accepted full- and half-day preconference workshop presenters who may receive modest compensation in the form of an honorarium and a complimentary conference registration.)
• Session resources: Presenters will be required to upload their presentations and/or supporting materials and resources prior to the conference. These valuable resources will then be posted for attendees to access beyond the session.

How does the EDUCAUSE selection process work?

Proposals are selected to ensure the conference offers a comprehensive, non-promotional, not commercially biased, objective, and diverse program. Proposals that clearly describe innovative and creative work will receive the highest priority in the selection process. Attention will be given to diversity of institutions/organizations, presenters, and geographic location.

Proposals will be reviewed by the conference Program Committee and peer reviewers. The identity of proposal submitters and presenters will be hidden from reviewers during the peer review process.

What are the criteria for the review and selection process?

What resources are there to help me create an outstanding proposal?

In addition to this CFP Info Page, we suggest reading through the EDUCAUSE Presenter Concierge pages. You may also view the Member QuickTalk | Creating a Winning Annual Conference Proposal (held on April 3, 2024).

Have Questions?

• If you have any questions about the call for proposals process, please contact [email protected] .
• To report any potential issues or to request an accommodation to access the submission portal, please contact [email protected] or call 303-449-4430. You will receive a reply as soon as possible.
• For questions about registration or other conference details please contact the EDUCAUSE membership team at [email protected] or call 303-449-4430.

Program Committee

Special thanks goes to our EDUCAUSE Annual Conference Program Committee .

Education Proposal Templates

Elevate your educational ideas with our proposal templates. They're the 'class' act for your next big educational pitch!

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