The first step to becoming a speaker at IAC22 is to write a proposal. This is a short description of what you are planning on speaking about. We have several session lengths to choose from. Our committee will then choose the most compelling proposals and invite those people to speak. We encourage all to submit a proposal and we want to hear from diverse members of the community.
What we look for
IAC22 is about [Re]connecting old ideas with new, [Re]envisioning the future of the field, and [Re]aching out to new audiences such as students and those changing careers. Common topics from years past have included
- Approaches for modeling large-scale information environments
- Connecting information architecture with strategy and design
- Ethics and social responsibility in the practice of information architecture, experience strategy, and design
- Bridging academia research and real-world practice
- IA in the enterprise
While those are anticipated, we are also looking for talks that [Re]imagine IA. We’re looking for new voices and new ideas, a mix of practical talks and thought provoking theory driven talks.
Session Types
Curation for IAC22 involves two types of content – workshops and sessions. Workshops occur prior to the main conference and give you a chance to present over either a half or full day. Main conference sessions are presentations of various length from short lightning talks to full 45 minute presentations.
Lightning talks
Ideal for a topical overview or summarizing a key facet of an idea. [Re]charge the discussion by sparking conversation.
20 minute session
Ideal for big ideas in a concise form. [Re]imagine a topic or explore the boundaries of emerging trends.
45 minute session
Ideal for complex ideas that need extra examples or details to be understood, or for sessions with multiple presenters. [Re]frame material and ask deeper questions, explore a framework, or invite participation as part of a roundtable.
These are just examples of previous talks – we encourage you to get creative as we [Re]connect virtually.
Workshops
For two days prior to the main conference, half day and full day workshops provide opportunities for networking and learning. Run by experienced practitioners or educators, workshops allow in-depth and hands-on group learning led by subject experts.
An additional registration fee for preconference workshop participation is required. These fees first pay for the costs for hosting your workshop. Remaining profits are split between the workshop leader(s) and IAC.
When pitching a workshop, remember to plan for breaks and assume that participants should spend more time doing than they spend listening. Develop workshops for virtual audiences.
Half day workshop
Half workshops offer a four hour time slot for participants to learn, practice, and grow. When developing a half day workshop be sure to factor in time for breaks. Also consider shareable materials which can be made available to attendees either before or afterwards.
Full day workshop
Full day workshops are ideal for in depth topics and for allowing plenty of time for attendees to get hands on with a subject. We welcome creative workshops that work well with a distributed audience. Be prepared to be flexible about moderating over multiple days as the curation team makes final plans for IAC22. Most of all suggest topics that [Re]frame information architecture, [Re]flect on practices, and [Re]focus on the future.
Resources for writing a great proposal
- Pardi, Lis. “It’s All About the Details: What the Conference Taught Me About Submitting to a Conference.” IAC Blog, October 11, 2014. https://www.theiaconference.com/details-ia-summit-taught-submitting-conference/.
- Colborne, Giles. “Giles on Crafting a Proposal.” IAC Blog, October 18, 2012. https://www.theiaconference.com/giles-crafting-proposal/.
- Unger, Russ. “Conference Proposals That Don’t Suck.” A List Apart (blog), December 16, 2014. https://alistapart.com/article/conference-proposals-that-dont-suck/.
- UX Australia. “How to Write a Kick-Ass Conference Proposal,” May 27, 2011. http://www.uxaustralia.com.au/news/how-to-write-a-kick-ass-conference-proposal.
- Mei, Sarah. “What Your Conference Proposal Is Missing.” Sarah Mei, April 7, 2014. http://www.sarahmei.com/blog/2014/04/07/what-your-conference-proposal-is-missing/.
- We Are All Awesome! “How to Write a Compelling Proposal.” Accessed September 4, 2020. http://weareallaweso.me/for_speakers/how-to-write-a-compelling-proposal.html.
