Tactics & Takeaways

Keep in mind that our attendees are looking for tangible takeaways that they can implement when returning to their workplace.

Focus On The “How To’s”, Not The “Why’s”

We are looking for speakers to spend their time on the stage explaining how to make the most out of whichever topic they are speaking on, rather than spending their time telling attendees why that topic is important.

High-level Strategies

It is important to hear key strategic thinking from thought leaders in the learning and development industry, so this can form great content for our agendas.

Fresh And Innovative Perspectives

We are always keen to present fresh and unique content at SQL Trail.

Case Studies

Our attendees love to hear how other data professionals have approached a key challenge. Any case studies or examples that you can present will always go down well at SQL Trail and will be looked at favorably in the speaker selection process.

Pitfalls To Avoid

Our attendees also love learning about what not to do, or how other organizations learned from their mistakes.

Hot Topics And New Takes On An Existing Topic

As you know, the data industry is constantly changing and evolving, so we want to ensure that the SQL Trail agenda features the hottest topics. Submitting new topic ideas or a new take on an existing topic is always a winner.

Videos Of Previous Speaking Gigs

There is nothing better than being able to see you as a speaker in action at another event! If you are able to provide a video link in your submission this always goes down very well with the selection team.

Don’t Pitch Products Or Services

This is probably the most important point about participating as a speaker. Members come to SQL Trail events to hear unbiased presentations and we do not tolerate pitches for any kind of product or service. Please keep your abstract and presentation focused purely on education. Being a speaker at SQL Trail and showcasing your thought leadership on the subject you are presenting is truly the best advertisement for your business.

Bio and Abstract Formats

When filling out the submission form, please write your bio and abstract in the 3rd person as it would be listed on our website.

Multiple Submissions

You may submit multiple proposals, however, please keep in mind that we do limit the number of speakers from any one company.

Diversity and Representation

SQL Trail aims to achieve diversity of voice, experience, and perspective. Please take this goal into consideration when considering who would be best to speak on behalf of your company or department and/or when submitting panelists.

Vendor-Specific Proposals

SQL Trail does not accept product or vendor-related submissions. If your talk is a thinly veiled advertisement for a new product, technology, or service your company is offering, please do not submit. If you would like to publicize a product, please email the SQL Trail team for information on exhibiting and vendor opportunities, including sponsored sessions.

Original Authors

SQL Trail only accepts submissions by original authors of the presentations. PR firms, speaking relation firms, and all other parties who are not direct authors of submitted presentations are discouraged from submitting a proposal on behalf of their clients/speakers. SQL Trail requires direct contact with presenters to expedite questions during the submission review process.

Selection Criteria

The SQL Trail team will review and rate submissions based on the following criteria:

• Concept: This is the basic idea of your submission. Is it interesting? Is it relevant? Will it be beneficial for data people to hear? There is plenty of room for innovative ideas and also the tried and true.
• Depth: Is the basic idea well considered and thought out? To what extent will the audience gain insight? The more in-depth, the better.
• Organization: Are your ideas conducive to present in front of an audience? Will the audience understand what you are trying to say? Organization helps.
• Credentials: How do your credentials qualify you to speak on the topic you have proposed?
• Takeaway: Is the attendee going to leave this session knowing something they didn’t know when they walked in? Are they learning or being inspired? This is the most important aspect of every session.

The SQL Trail Call for Speakers deadline for our June 15th event is May 1, 2021. If you are not chosen for June, your submission will be considered for our larger October event.

What is the session format?

Lectures are issue-oriented, provide concrete examples, and contain both practical and theoretical information. SQL Trail generally prefers only one speaker but we may accept two if you can demonstrate the second person is necessary. Each session will be 60 minutes long, which must include time for attendees to ask questions.

How does the submission and selection process work?

• We will email you a confirmation when we receive your proposal. If you do not receive this confirmation, contact Amanda Halverson at [email protected].
• The advisors will review all submissions on a rolling basis and determine the status.
• You will be notified if your submission is chosen by May 15, 2021, for the June 15, 2021 session.

The following criteria are considered when reviewing your submission:

• Concept: This is the basic idea of your submission. Is it interesting? Is it relevant? Will it be beneficial for data specialists to hear? There is plenty of room for innovative ideas and also the tried and true.
• Depth: Is the basic idea well considered and thought out? To what extent will the audience gain insight? The more in-depth, the better.
• Organization: Are your ideas conducive to present in front of an audience? Will the SQL Trail team understand what you are trying to say? Organization helps.
• Credentials: How do your credentials qualify you to speak on the topic you’ve proposed?
• Takeaway: Is the attendee going to leave this session knowing something they didn’t know when they walked in? Are they learning or being inspired? This is the most important aspect of every SQL Trail session.
• A Note On Writing Style: Unless we’ve seen you speak before (or you link to a video of you speaking at some other conference), we tend to assume that your writing style is at least somewhat correlated to your speaking style because that’s all we have to go on. Write the way that you would speak at SQL Trail.

Who will review my proposal?

The SQL Trail team will review all submissions. They are distinguished industry professionals who volunteer their time to help develop the numerous sessions at SQL Trail. They work to ensure that the quality of the content provided to attendees is high-level, relevant, and timely.

What are the benefits of speaking?

The benefits of being a speaker include:

• Complimentary registration
• Your name and presentation featured in our conference program, social media, and website

How do I propose a vendor-specific session?

We want our talks to be opportunities for professional data specialists to share their ideas and experiences. Proposals that are commercial or marketing in nature will not be considered. In general, content specific to proprietary products and technologies are considered sponsored material. The SQL Trail team and conference management reserve the right to exercise their editorial discretion. If you would like to publicize a product, please contact Amanda Halverson at [email protected] to request information on sponsored sessions.

What does SQL Trail expect from speakers?

• When you agree to speak at SQL Trail, you are making a commitment to deliver a well-prepared talk and to speak on the topic you have proposed. We ask that you do not drastically change the submitted topic or content.
• You will be evaluated by attendees on how well you delivered your presentation, aim to be among the best.
• We ask speakers to submit the final version of their slide deck to Amanda Halverson at [email protected] the day of the event, so we can make it available to attendees.

When will I be notified of the status of my submission?

You will receive an automated email response once your submission is received. We will notify you of the status of your submission by May 15. If you do not hear from us, please contact Amanda Halverson at [email protected].

How should a PR Rep or Executive Assistant submit on behalf of a potential speaker?

It is ideal for the speakers themselves to submit as they can provide the most detail about the content. However, if you are a PR representative or someone submitting on behalf of a potential speaker, fill in the speaker’s contact info in the first section and be sure to add yourself as Co-presenter, identifying yourself with ‘PR Contact’ as your Position and NA for the bio. This will ensure that you receive all email correspondence relating to SQL Trail in the same email as the speaker(s). Without complete speaker details, the submission will be considered incomplete and will not be able to advance until speaker contact info is received.