Introduction

Thank you for your desire to submit a proposal for a WSTPA event. Our Speakers and Presenters are very important to us and we are honored that you are interested in becoming part of this valued group. Speakers and Presenters are invited to participate in WSTPA if they fall in the following categories:

Business/Technology Leaders

• Outstanding individuals from the public, private and non-profit sectors that serve as change agents or decision-makers for their respective communities;
• Those who can influence business/technology agenda/policies at local, national, regional and global levels; and may have contributed to, or participated in, WSTPA activities or WSTPA lead-up events.

Business/Technology Practitioners

• Key individuals from the public, private and non-profit sectors who are responsible for implementing business/technology programs, projects and activities, particularly in Washington state;
• Those who have experiences to relate about lessons learned and practical problems of implementation; and may have contributed to, or participated in, WSTPA activities or WSTPA lead-up events.

To be considered for any of our educational events, we must have a completed Proposal for Educational Presentation, which consists of three parts:

• Presenter’s Information tells us about the speaker/presenter;
• Presentation References lists people who have heard you as a presenter;
• Explanation/Description of Presentation tells us about the presentation(s). [NOTE: You may submit up to five different presentations.]

The information we receive about you and your presentation is considered confidential and will not be shared outside of WSTPA’s Board of Directors or its  respective Committees.

How Proposals Are Evaluated

Proposals are evaluated using the following criteria:

• Expertise – the ability and skills of the speaker to cover the designated topic and to attract an audience of at least 50 participants
• Educational design/identified learning objectives – how the session is structured and what it intends to accomplish.
• Quality – based on the references given in the Presenter’s Information form as well as past evaluations from other WSTPA events (if available).
• Corresponds to the topic of Technology as a Tool. Other topics may include (1) Technology; (2) Business Management; (3) Professional Development; and (4) Sales & Marketing, but 2-4 will be given lower preference given its tangential nature from the mission of WSTPA as a technology-focused association.
• Use/level of adult education methodology – hands on interactive, roundtable discussions, case studies, panels, etc.
• Relevance – the ability to communicate useful and applicable information to a specific and diverse audience (OUR members) is essential.
• Balanced for a variety of knowledge/skill levels.
• Presentation Length – the length of time it will take you to present. (Most presentations are 45-60 minutes in length)
• Versatility – we are looking for a variety of event types: workshops, seminars, panel discussions, as well as Keynote Speakers and Professional Seminar Presenters.
• Preference will be given to (1) WSTPA members, and (2) WSTPA sponsors. (NOTE: this does not apply to Keynote Speakers and Professional Seminar Presenters)

Speaker or Presenter Guidelines

Unless specifically designated, WSTPA events are educational, non-commercial forums. Presenters are asked to temper overt product and service endorsements in order to preserve this environment.

Direct promotion is defined as:

• Making a sales transaction.
• Using your session to develop a mailing list.
• Handing out price lists or discussing fees.
• Discounting others’ views, models, or products in a presentation.

Presenters/Speakers should refrain from statements or comments which can be deemed offensive, or anything less than professional.

Speakers/Presenters should fully disclose all intellectual property utilized within handout materials and during any event. This is to protect intellectual property rights such as copyright, ownership, and utilization of revenue derived from creation, production, and use for educational courses.

Benefits of Presenting at a WSTPA Event

• Network with other business and technology professionals.
• Coverage of the event may be included in relevant industry and trade publications.
• Marketing of Speakers’/Presenters’ name(s) and event information will be listed in relevant promotional advertisements for the event. This may be distributed to our ### members.
• Also your presentation may be listed in any marketing media distributed electronically to the WSTPA mailing list (approximately ###).
• Information on your presentation may be posted on our web site before, during and after the event.
• Speakers/Presenters can also display any promotional materials on a table in the back of the event room and can make reference to these materials following the event.

Presentation Proposal

Thank you for your interest!