Session Overview

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We recently released A Strategic Guide For Call For Papers that included 40+ tactics packaged into 12 overarching strategies sourced from real-world interviews with 10 leading event content experts.

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This guide is just a portion of the tactics and approaches event teams use in their call for papers. You might love some of the suggestions, or you might disagree. You could have a different approach entirely.

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That's why we hosted an open discussion on call for papers strategy to learn from and challenge each other.

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In this conversation we discussed:

-Addressing content process challenges

-Diving into the benefits of hosting a blind review process

-Speaker selection tactics

-Questions to include or exclude in your CFP

-The value of speaker training and onboarding

-Strategies to evaluate expertise in abstract submissions

-How to curate a diverse pool of speakers -and more!

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Highlights from the Discussion

1. Challenges in the Call for Papers Process

• Asking the right questions: If you don’t ask the right questions in your CFP process, you risk getting irrelevant or low-quality submissions.
• Ensuring fairness & alignment: Submissions should align with both audience needs and company strategy.
• Streamlining the submission process: Reducing friction while still collecting necessary details.
• Avoiding repetition & stale content: Preventing speakers from submitting the same session year after year.

2. Evaluation & Selection Strategies

• Blind evaluation process: Some organizations review session proposals without speaker names to ensure unbiased content selection.
• Use of a rubric: Numeric scoring systems help keep evaluations objective.
• Tracking speaker performance: Using session feedback, prior presentation experience, and LinkedIn research to assess speaker credibility.
• Speaker background checks: Some teams manually check LinkedIn and past contributions before selecting speakers.

3. Improving Speaker Training & Performance

• Speaker coaching: Many teams conduct pre-event speaker training to improve presentation skills.
• Pre-event dry runs: Reviewing first few slides or conducting a mock presentation for new speakers.
• Mandatory training: Some organizations require extensive training (e.g., Dreamforce has an 8-hour speaker training course).
• Rebranding training as ‘Rehearsal’: Positioning it as a practice session to increase participation and reduce anxiety.
• Leveraging AI tools for speaker rehearsal: AI-powered rehearsal platforms help speakers refine their delivery.

4. Content Categorization & Audience Expectations

• Clarifying content levels: "Beginner," "Intermediate," and "Advanced" mean different things to different people.
• Using Bloom’s Taxonomy: Evaluating learning objectives based on action verbs to classify session levels more accurately.
• Adding a technical review process: Internal subject matter experts validate content levels before the event.
• Gathering attendee feedback on content levels: Surveys ensure the session meets expectations.

5. Managing Speaker Diversity & Representation

• Direct outreach to diverse communities: Engaging associations and affinity groups (e.g., Black Pet Business Owners Network).
• Self-identification in speaker applications: Adding a question about diversity without requiring detailed demographic data.
• Committee involvement: Task forces help vet and encourage more diverse speakers.

6. Structuring the Call for Papers Timeline

• Setting deadlines instead of open CFPs: Rolling submission rounds create urgency and improve submission quality.
• Leaving program gaps for last-minute content: AI and tech conferences delay some speaker selections to ensure content remains relevant.
• Segmenting the CFP into multiple rounds: Announcing sessions in phases builds marketing momentum.

7. Crowdsourcing & Community Involvement

• Letting attendees suggest topics and speakers: Collecting input via session evaluations.
• Upvoting session ideas: Some teams experiment with letting communities vote on suggested content.
• Post-event follow-ups: Encouraging strong speakers to expand their topics into a series or additional content formats.

Key Takeaways & Actionable Learnings

✅ Be intentional with your CFP questions – Align them with your event’s goals to ensure you get quality submissions.
✅ Use structured evaluations – Blind reviews, rubrics, and speaker background research improve fairness and content quality.
✅ Invest in speaker training – Even experienced speakers can benefit from coaching and rehearsal sessions.
✅ Standardize content levels – Use Bloom’s Taxonomy or a technical review process to ensure sessions match the advertised level.
✅ Be proactive about speaker diversity – Direct outreach, inclusive CFP questions, and community partnerships help expand representation.
✅ Consider multiple CFP deadlines – Staggered calls for submissions can improve marketing traction and content freshness.
✅ Leverage attendee feedback – Use post-session evaluations to refine content selection for future events.