Write a Proposal

Steps to Writing a Successful Conference Proposal

The cornerstone of a successful proposal is to capture the essence of your research or initiative in just a few words while concisely explaining how you plan to communicate that information with session participants. Conference proposals are also accepted to achieve a balance of overall topics and perspectives that represent institutional demographics. Even if your proposal addresses a familiar topic or is similar to other submissions, here are some tips that can help your proposal gain reviewer attention.
 

Prepare and Submit Your Conference Proposal

• What are the major themes and focus of the conference?
• Who attends this conference?
• Do you prefer to present  face to face, online, or are you willing to do both?
• What is the central idea behind this presentation?

3. Spend some time brainstorming with potential co-presenters, by yourself or with colleagues about your session ideas before you try to complete the Call for Proposal. Be messy! Draw or express ideas on a whiteboard!

• Determine the three or more take aways that you want your attendees to learn and comprehend.
• What are creative ways to accomplish these take aways?
• How can you effectively involve participants in your session? Remember the Chinese proverb: I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.  Is there one strategy that would allow you to stand apart from the other sessions?
• How can I continue the conversation after the conference? Is there a relevant constituent group to reference and encourage others to become a part of?

• Podcast:  Writing a Successful Proposal for a Conference Presentation (7 minutes) with Elizabeth Unger, Jeff Bullington and Veronica Diaz. Learn what these successful presenters and proposal reviewers look for in a quality proposal.