A staging site Reviewer

In 2013, I set a goal for myself to speak at one major national conference before the end of the next year. I had spoken at a bunch of small and local events and figured I should try a bigger venue.

I wrote proposals for a couple of conferences and received really negative feedback. It bummed me out and made me want to give up, since it sounded like everyone hated my ideas. But while I was getting all that slightly soul-crushing feedback, I was also reviewing proposals myself and learning what I liked and didn’t like in a conference submission.

That’s when I decided for one last shot and submitted to the 2014 IA Summit. This time, I incorporated the feedback I had gotten and wrote something like the proposals I enjoyed reading:

• I added lots of detail. I had been leaving my submissions sort of vague because I worried one of the reviewers would steal my ideas. But as I reviewed for other conferences, I realized that details showed that the submitter was smart and had thought the topic through. Their IA cred was in those details. I also realized that my talks are funnier than other people’s, and you can’t steal funny. So whether you can tell a joke or not, you’ve got something that makes your work and presentation style unique to you.
• I formatted my submission to be similar to conference blurbs from previous years. This meant I highlighted exactly what conference attendees would take from my talk and who would benefit from it. I also noticed that IA Summit blurbs were smart and approachable, so I tried to adopt that tone.
• I submitted something I wasn’t even sure anyone would like, but if they did I’d be really excited to talk about it. In the submissions I had reviewed, I was most interested in the unconventional, unique talks, and I hoped my weird ideas would be interesting too.

Helpful feedback, shining support

Regardless if you’re chosen, the IA Summit has an excellent submission feedback process. The first time I submitted a talk, for the 2013 conference, I was not chosen but received excellent responses full of positive comments, constructive criticism, and suggestions. This seems like a basic way to evaluate work, but it’s not the way other conferences do it. One reviewer asked: “How does this talk propose to correct the problem?” And another, noting that I lacked a fully formed idea wrote, “Right now it feels more like a 20-minute presentation to me — and I think it could be a really wonderful 20-minute presentation.” So for 2014, I submitted a 20-minute talk that started with a problem and proposed a solution. I was accepted.

And if you are selected, the conference organizers are going to do everything they can to help you shine. New speakers get paired with veteran speakers for pre-conference coaching. My coach listened to an early draft and provided notes on how to improve my talk. He had confidence in my talk and that gave me confidence in it too. In addition, I scheduled a slot in the speaker’s studio, where I got to practice on a stage with the same set-up as the one I would be on. I was given small tips on how to make my slides more engaging, and now long after the IA Summit I use that advice for all my presentations.

What are you waiting for?

If you’re still on the fence about submitting to the 2015 IA Summit, ask yourself: Do you have an idea you’re excited to talk about? Are you ready to have nice people review your work? Would it be helpful to get advice on how to give a great talk? If the answer is yes …

• Start making notes about an interesting project you’ve worked on or some observations you’ve made.
• Look over last year’s talks for ideas on how to catch people’s attention.
• Then review proposals yourself. The best way to fine tune your future submissions is to get informed about your competition.
• No matter what happens, come to Minneapolis and say hi to me.

Giles here. When it comes to writing conference proposals, the question I get asked most often is “how do you come up with an idea?” Here are five tips.

Write from your experience

The things you care about — the projects that have got you really excited or the IA discussions you find yourself having by the water cooler or in the pub — those are the things you’re most likely to want to talk about at the conference.

That could mean a specific project you’ve worked on. At last year’s IA Summit, Tim Caynes talked about his experience designing mobile wallets. Or it could be a topic that runs through your work (Johanna Kollman spoke about how to apply ideas from systems analysis to IA projects — an important topic for her).

You don’t need to be a world expert — but you do need that personal connection. A great conference presentation comes from a speaker who has spent time living and working with the ideas they’re presenting and who cares about the topic.

Keep a list of ideas

These days, I keep a document on my smartphone for ideas and useful references and links (because I know I’ll always have my phone with me). Often just writing an idea down sets off a whole string of other ideas that become the basis for a talk.

When I look back, I discover there are themes and connections that run through the notes I’ve made. Don’t let those moments of insight, discovery or inspiration fade away. Write them down.

Make time

You’ll need time write a proposal. Time to read through the application form, to write out your ideas, discuss them with a friend and then to finally submit the proposal. I’ve found that chatting through ideas helps improve them vastly.

My guess is that all that effort adds up to 4 hours of work, minimum, and as much as 8 hours if you’re doing a thorough job.

So put time for those activities in your diary — especially the one about discussing it with a friend. Not only will you get vital feedback, you’ll also make a public commitment to writing your proposal — so you’re more likely to see it through.

Offer a new perspective

As you’re developing your idea, ask yourself how you can offer a new or unexpected perspective on a topic. It might be by finding something surprising or counter-intuitive in your topic or it might be by finding out what’s unique about your approach or it might be by fusing two seemingly unrelated ideas (‘what the Aztecs can teach us about taxonomy’ — I’ll give you that one for free). Recognizing a new perspective can get you (and your reviewers) excited about your topic.

Go for it

I’ve been wondering what it is that makes some people submit proposals while lots of great people never seem to step up to the mic. So I’ve asked the people I admire the most: how did you get started? The common thread seems to be that someone told them they ought to give it a try. That’s the only difference — not experience or opportunity or super powers, just a word of encouragement.

So let me tell you now: you could be a great speaker at the IA Summit 2013. Even if you’ve never spoken at a conference before.