So, you want to be a presenter? How to unlock the power of conferences

These sponsorships often come with other perks—gratis attendee tickets, your name in the program, lists of registrants names or a booth in the exhibit hall—but the opportunity to speak can also cost a pretty penny. We’ve seen everything from $10,000 to $100,000 or more.

On the other hand, there are a few conferences that accept speaker nominations without cost. Some conferences have very formalized application procedures that involve signing into a portal and responding to numerous questions about your topic, previous speaker experience and your bio. Others may simply ask potential speakers to send them an email with their bio and proposed topic.

Regardless of the process, earned speaking slots often are awarded quickly—meaning that the earlier you apply, the better. For many conferences, organizers begin seeking earned nominations six to eight months before the conference date.

3. Prepare your application 

Now, time for the nomination! Before plunging in, make sure to read any instructions thoroughly as many nominations will have very specific wording or length requirements for the submission.

Start with your topic description. Your topic proposal should answer the following questions:

• What problem does my presentation address that will be of interest to the attendees of this conference?
• Why am I qualified to speak to this topic?
• Who would benefit from attending this panel/keynote/fireside chat/etc.?

In addition to those three questions, be prepared to submit at least three takeaways for attendees. You may even consider—and sometimes it will be required—to phrase each takeaway with a phrase like “Attendees of this presentation will learn…”

Last but not least, almost all nomination forms will ask for your bio, headshot, and some examples or recordings of previous speaker appearances. Spend some time refining your bio and include references to relevant conferences where you’ve spoken. If you don’t have any previous stage experience, feel free to send webinar recordings or podcast or TV interviews instead.

Don’t be discouraged if you aren’t picked the first time you apply. Competition is stiff and it’s worth trying again the following year. As you build your personal brand and grow in your career, you’re more likely to catch the attention of the organizers.

After you submit your nomination, it’s time to wait. It can take a few weeks—or even months! With a more formal nomination process, the reviewers meet to select the speakers and generally update nominees if their speaker nomination was selected. For others with a less formal process, it’s not uncommon for them to notify only the selected speakers.

If you are selected to speak, the conference may provide you with some sample social media material that you and your firm can use to promote the appearance online. In some situations, especially if you’re selected for a panel discussion, there may be a prep call or session with the moderator and other panelists. Keep an eye out for email updates from the organizers for information and promotional material leading up to the event

Leverage your conference appearance

Once the conference speaking role is secured, it’s time to think about how to leverage your upcoming appearance.

Conferences can be PR opportunities. Many reporters attend industry events, especially in major cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco. The media wants to capitalize on the chance to mingle in a room of potential sources and are often eager to make connections and speak with experts. Some media organizations use conferences to tape short video interviews—example: Allspring’s Janet Rilling spoke with Ignites at last year’s Morningstar conference.

We recommend presenters make time between panels or during breaks to speak with media. These exchanges can result in coverage on timely topics.

Even if you don’t speak to a reporter directly, some may cover conference sessions. If you have a meaningful speaking opportunity, you may find yourself and your firm mentioned in the press.

Social media shouldn’t wait until after the conference is over. Sharing what you’ll be speaking about ahead of time and encouraging others to reach out if they will be in attendance can generate buzz around the event and support networking. Strike while the iron is hot by snapping pictures during the conference to post on LinkedIn with quick thoughts from an especially insightful panel or a note about how great it was to reconnect with industry peers. Be sure to remember best practices when sharing on social:

• Use the conference hashtag (e.g., Morningstar’s #MICUS).
• Selfies are fine in a pinch, but photos taken by someone else tend to look more professional.
• If you use photos, tag all parties mentioned in your post or seen in your photos.
• If waiting to post until after the event, do so within a week.
• If the post is longer than a few sentences, be thoughtful how you start the post, since LinkedIn only shows a limited number of characters before the "see more" prompt.
• Use single-sentence paragraphs, a LinkedIn best practice.

Before or after your presentation, make time to sit in on a few other sessions. Conference agendas are full of timely panels on industry issues and technology and provide an opportunity to develop content to be shared on your firm’s website and social. This can be anything from a simple summary of your top takeaways to a deep dive on a specific panel discussion. Regardless of what you write, take advantage of the conference momentum and post your thoughts to your firm’s website during or social soon after the event concludes.

Ultimately, conferences are a chance for investment professionals to network, learn about new trends and innovative tech, and boost awareness. Take advantage of them as a PR and marketing opportunity.

For more information on how to raise your visibility in the industry, send us a note.