How Women Can Get Booked to Speak at Conferences
I cannot recall a time when there was so much focus on the imbalance of women in the workplace. From Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In manifesto to the current abundance of sexual harassment outings, my social media feeds are full of articles on the inequities women face and full of comments from women who have had enough.
For every “30 Under 30” and “Most Powerful” list, there is a careful counting of how many women were included. For every conference lineup, we look for faces other than those belonging to white males. The results are never adequate, and while I believe that the bigger problem is women not getting executive positions in the first place, it is true that the curators of these spheres of influence need to dig deeper.
It is also true that women need to do a better job of standing up to be counted. We wield plenty of knowledge and power, but we are not often in the obvious places. We start our own companies, we freelance, we are one step too junior in title yet not in actual job. We have plenty to say, and companies are more ready now to put their female workforce publicly forward.
Having just booked the better part of four conferences, attended over 150 of them in my career, spoken at many, and run industry trade associations, I have some ideas on how women — and, frankly, all minorities — can improve their odds of getting booked as speakers.
My suggestions below are based on my personal experience with conferences within the tech industry (internet, mobile, digital) as it pertains to entertainment. That includes SXSW, CES, Midem, NY Media Festival, and so many others. If you have other methods that have worked for you, please contribute your insights in the comments.
UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF A CONFERENCE
Don’t skip this section.
The purpose of a conference may seem really obvious, but that’s only what it means to you, and you’re not the only one attending. Once you know what the purpose is for everyone going, you can become better focused at what to offer that makes you a valuable addition to the agenda.
What Conferences Provide to Attendees/Sponsors
Whether your company is small or large, the main reason people go to conferences is business development. Finding clients, strategic partners, investors, or collaborators is solid ROI on the time and money investment a conference requires. Conferences are very efficient places to take many meetings in a short amount of time and to come across people at the networking breaks you could do business with that you wouldn’t normally meet.
Conferences are also great places to raise the visibility of an individual as well as a company. People like to speak on panels because they become known as an expert in their industry, and it makes job transitions and promotions easier. Companies like to get their executives on panels and to sponsor in order to rise above the noise through thought leadership, branding, exhibit booths, VIP events, etc.
Though panels are often the main event at most conferences, education is a lesser reason for attending. There is not much said on panels that you couldn’t read in an article, though well-curated panels reflect the direction the industry is going and good moderators will uncover new information. The exception here is panels that offer continuing legal education (CLE) credit for laywers.
What Conferences Provide to Organizers
Associations and news outlets produce conferences primarily to establish a reputation of thought leadership in their industry. They want to be known as an organization that has enough influence to attract industry leaders, that is on top of the key issues that affect the future of the industry, and that can produce a vibrant community for networking. Conferences are their brand extension.
For some associations, a breakeven conference is enough. For associations where their conferences feed the majority of their annual budget and for companies who produce conferences as a business, profit is always essential, so ticket sales and sponsor revenue is paramount.
DETERMINE YOUR VALUE TO A CONFERENCE
Knowing what conferences mean to all parties, we can begin to understand who gets booked to speak. Generally, conferences want to attract top companies and top talent, which attracts attendees and sponsors, which brings in revenue.
Who Gets Booked
Early on in the booking process, the emphasis is on senior executives at major companies currently in the news. Announcing major keynotes and panelists not only attracts sponsors, it attracts other speakers. Further in, the messaging turns to the conference as a whole: the volume of quality speakers, the breadth of interesting topics, support from confirmed sponsors which validates ROI. Basically, the sell moves from finding key supporters to attracting paying attendees.
Non-executives get booked when they have an area of expertise that is hard to find. Usually, it’s an emerging part of the business, like Virtual Reality. They also get booked when they have compelling case studies to share, write or have been featured in popular blogs, are active in industry associations, or have something else outside of their job that lends them credibility.
Diversity is a consideration, to be clear. But a woman or person of color won’t get booked because of their gender or race alone. They still have to fit in with the agenda topic and have something to contribute. Since they are not usually in the executive positions, and because executives prefer to do the speaking, they can be harder to find. If this is you, then you need to help conferences find you.
Know What You Bring to the Table
Have something, or many related somethings, you want to talk about. Have a reason for why you are the one to talk about it. For example, if you are a digital marketer, what have you worked on or discovered through your work that makes you stand out from all the other digital marketers? Is there an industry problem that you have a take on how to fix? Do you have a case study that should be shared with other digital marketers? Are you using a platform in an innovative way? What would be your unique contribution to the topic?
If you want to moderate, what scintillating topic can you develop and who can you get to be on the panel that the organizers would want to add to their speaker list? If you are with an association that wants to present a panel, can you deliver a fully formed panel with desirable speakers? How widely can you promote the panel/conference? Bonus points if you can also bring in a paying sponsor.
PITCHING YOURSELF TO CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS
At this point, you understand the ecosystem of a conference and have a handle on what you can contribute. Organizers are clearly not finding you (or you wouldn’t be reading this), so it’s time to go find them.
Make a List of Conferences
Literally make a spreadsheet of the conferences relevant to your industry. Make columns for name, URL, contact email, upcoming dates, location, topics they cover, audience type and size, and your notes. Conferences rarely pay your travel expenses, so prioritize the list in terms of importance and what your budget can accommodate. Include local networking organizations that produce evening events with panels. Those are often easier to book and you will have speaking engagements to put on your CV.
Study the Conference Agenda
Really look at the current or past agenda and learn what the conference is all about. What topics are important to them? Who did they book last year? Think about what topics they might be missing that you could pitch and where you can fit in to ones they’ve announced.
Develop Your Pitch
If there is no agenda announced, pitch yourself as a subject expert that can speak to a number of subtopics. If the agenda is announced, pitch yourself for specific panels. Clearly state what your current job is (not just your title, but what you actually do), what you can contribute, and how your current projects are relevant to the topic. List any prior speaking engagements. Link to any relevant blog posts, podcasts, etc. that you have appeared in or written. Link to your LinkedIn profile. If your socials are on topic and have large followings, like to those.
When to Pitch
Conference organizers start looking for panelists four to five months out. That is also usually when they announce a Call For Speakers (sign up for their newsletter to get notified) and have an online form to submit yourself for consideration. If there is a form, use it. If there’s not, then email the organizer directly with your interest.
It’s a good idea to check in with the organizers two to three months out, as that is when they are most actively booking speakers. Also, the agenda is likely up by then so you can pitch for specific panels. Do so again two weeks out, since that is when they will start getting last minute cancellations and will need to fill spots quickly. Sometimes timing is everything.
Pitching a Moderator
If the panel you want to be on is already posted and has a moderator, email him/her directly about joining the panel. Sometimes the moderator is the one booking. Regardless, they can recommend you to the organizers if they want you to join. Do this even if the panel looks booked; it’s in their interest to quickly fill a hole and they don’t want to spend a lot of time finding a replacement. Also, moderators often speak at other conferences, so the connection could pay off at another event.
If It’s a No
If it’s a pass, be gracious. There are a lot of reasons why you may not be a fit, so don’t take it personally. Ask to be kept in mind in case there are cancellations. Go to the conference anyway and make yourself visible. Ask questions at the panel, meet the moderator in person, go to the networking events, find the organizers and introduce yourself so they can put a face to the name and see that you’re supporting their show. You are laying a foundation for next time.
HOW TO GET ASKED BACK
You got on a panel! Congratulations. The conference organizers watch the panels and make mental notes on who to ask back. Be someone they are happy they booked and will be on the shortlist for next time.
If You’re a Panelist
Be a team player in making the panel great. Know what you want to talk about and have anecdotes or stats to back it up. Research the other panelists; it will be easier to play off each other. Attend the pre-panel conference call and go to the speaker ready room before your panel so you are all on the same page. On stage, be a part of the conversation; this is no time for your impromptu keynote. No one likes a mic hog.
If You’re a Moderator
Research your topic first, then research your panelists. Have a direction to take the panel and know how each panelist fits in. On the pre-panel call, present some key ideas you want to touch on, then learn from the panelists how they are relevant and what they want to talk about. During the panel, your questions are just a guide; let conversation flow naturally between panelists and encourage them to respond to each other’s answers. During the audience Q&A, have a couple questions ready to go in case none come up.
Promote Your Panel
Panelist or moderator, you should post your upcoming panel to your socials. Tag the conference’s profile and, if there’s room, other panelists. Link to the conference website. Follow the conference social profiles and share to your network when they promote your panel or have major announcements.
Stick Around for the Conference
Your contribution to the conference extends beyond your panel. Stay after your panel to meet audience members. Go to the other panels, go to the networking events. Conference organizers don’t like it when people just do their panel and leave.
POST-CONFERENCE
After the conference, send thank you emails to the conference organizer, the moderator, and the other panelists, regardless of who booked you. They are probably people who do panels frequently and could recommend you for other events.
If it’s your first conference with the organizer, email them one week after and ask what the response was to your panel. Tell them anything you heard. Express interest in speaking at their next event.
In my brief time as a panel booker, I strived to get at least two women on every panel. It was easy for the marketing panels and much harder for ones requiring a business development, strategy, or CEO role. If I could find a person of color, that was a bonus. Diversity in gender identity was even harder — how could I determine that and how does one possibly ask?
What I know is that this advice has worked for me in getting myself on panels and it’s how people bubbled up in the system when I was booking panels. It’s what I wish more people would do, because bookers can only get so far with a Google or LinkedIn search. Help us find you. Help us elevate you.
