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