Speaker Checklist
✅ ASAP: Complete speaker agreement(s) noting that one agreement is required per session
✅ ASAP: Provide headshot to GWS team
✅ By 16 August: Provide session updates to GWS team
✅ By 22 August: Register for GWS
✅ By 1 October: Upload Learning Materials to Your Submission Portal
✅ By 1 October: Book housing
✅ 15 October: Attend the Speaker Orientation Webinar
Speaker Agreement & Headshot
Complete your speaker agreement and upload your headshot to confirm your participation at GWS 2024 by 20 June.
GWS Speaker Orientation
Join WERC Education staff for this informative orientation to prepare for your experience as a speakers at GWS and have the opportunity to ask any last minute questions you may have. This webinar will be recorded and available to watch after the broadcast.
RSVP Now
Registration
All speakers are required to register for the event by 22 August. Visit the Registration page to view registration types and rates, then complete your registration.
Housing and Travel
Speakers are responsible for their own housing and travel arrangements. To view more about rates and booking options, please visit the Hotel and Travel page. Note that the GWS 2024 discounted housing block is only available until the 1 October deadline or when the block is full, whichever comes first. WERC strongly suggests booking early to secure the best rates.
Learning Materials
Due Friday, 1 October
Learning materials, such as presentation slides and session outlines, are essential elements of an attendee’s learning experience. Whether you are creating a slide deck or building an outline for a panel discussion, upload your learning materials by 1 October.
Presentations will not be pre-loaded onto the laptops. Speakers should bring a copy of their presentation, PPT format, on a USB drive to present their session. Before downloading the GWS 2024 PowerPoint Template, please add the Poppins font to your device.
Poppins Font Download Instructions:
- Find "Poppins" on the Google Fonts website
- Click "Get Font" in the upper right corner
- Next click "Download All" in the upper right corner
- Find the "Poppins.zip" file in your computer's "Downloads" folder, right click on it, and select "Extract All"
- Click on each "TrueType font file" in the extracted folder and click "Install." The font will be added to your device.
Please check that all text is in the Poppins font before submitting your presentation.
Download the GWS 2024 PowerPoint Template
Be sure to include a slide at the end of your presentation encouraging attendees to complete the session evaluation. Download a sample Session Evaluation slide.
Upload your learning material(s):
- Login to your Submission Portal
- In your presentation listing, click the ‘Submit’ button next to Stage 2
- Click the ‘Choose File’ to select your learning material file
- File must be in PDF format
- Click the ‘Add a Session Handout?’ button if you have more than one file to upload
- Upload up to 3 files per presentation
- Click ‘Submit’ at the bottom of the page to save your upload
Breakout Room AV
Breakout rooms will be equipped with the following set-up.
- Screen
- Projector
- Laptop
- Podium with microphone
- 3 wireless handheld microphones
- 1 microphone stand to be used as needed for speakers or placed for the audience
Additional equipment requests will be reviewed by WERC and may be subject to an additional fee to the speaker. If you have any request for additional equipment, email kbolen@talenteverywhere.org. All requests must be received by 1 October.
All GWS sessions will be recorded and made available to premium Learning Center subscribers. If you have a concern or wish to not be recorded, please let us know as soon as possible. Requests to not be recorded must be confirmed by the GWS team ahead of the event.
Breakout Room Information
Please reference the schedule to see which room your session is scheduled in.
Room set styles:
- Theater: Rows of chairs only facing the presenter.
- Classroom: Rows of tables with chairs facing the presenter.
- Rounds: Round tables with 8 -10 chairs around the table. Not all seats will be facing the presenter.
| Wednesday, 23 October |
| Room |
Room Set |
Approx. Capacity |
| Chesapeake 4-6 |
Theater |
190 |
| Chesapeake 7-9 |
Theater |
135 |
| Maryland A |
Rounds |
300 |
| Maryland C |
Rounds |
300 |
| Thursday, 24 October |
| Room |
Room Set |
Approx. Capacity |
| Potomac A |
Classroom |
250 |
| Potomac B |
Classroom |
250 |
| Potomac C |
Classroom |
250 |
| Potomac D |
Classroom |
250 |
| Potomac 1-3 |
Theater |
165 |
| Potomac 4-6 |
Theater |
165 |
| National Harbor 2-3 |
Classroom |
250 |
| Friday, 25 October |
| Room |
Room Set |
Approx. Capacity |
| Potomac A |
Classroom |
250 |
| Potomac B |
Classroom |
250 |
| Potomac 1-3 |
Theater |
165 |
| Potomac 4-6 |
Theater |
165 |
Presentation Best Practices
Audience Engagement
Ensure your final presentation includes audience engagement techniques, such as but not limited to group work, small group discussions, flip charts, QR codes, or digital tools to engage individual responses (wordly, Padlet, jamboards, mentimenter are just a few examples). The WERC team will be happy to support you if you have any questions about how to make your session as engaging as possible!
Structure Your Presentation
Develop your presentation in a logical, progressive flow based on your session learning objectives. Create an outline of the presentation and share with your audience to begin the session. Include a summary to end your presentation to reiterate your learning objectives.
Go In-depth
When building your content keep your audience in mind and provide in-depth content vs. high-level concepts. Based off feedback from the 2023 event, the GWS attendees are looking for sessions that go beyond surface level and dive deep into your topic.
Know Your Timing
Breakout sessions will be 60mins including your presentation and time for Q&A. It is essential to the conference, and attendee experience, to stick to the schedule. When building your presentation, be mindful of how much content you can cover within the time allotted.
Panelist Presence
When building your panelists, consider the following:
-
Ensure all panelists are a subject matter expert on the topic
-
Panelists with unique perspectives from one another
-
Panelists from varying practice settings. For example, large firm, small firm, government, nonprofit, etc.
-
Panelists of similar job levels
-
Limit the panel to no more than 4 panelists and 1 moderator
Marketing Materials
Promote your involvement at GWS to your networks! To support your efforts, WERC’s Marketing Team has designed a marketing toolkit that has social media, email, and many more templates.
View Marketing Toolkit
Session Changes
If you have any changes to your session information, edits to your title, abstract, and/or panelists/co-presenters, please email kbolen@talenteverywhere.org.
All session change requests must be submitted by 1 October.
The Organizing Committee encourages its speakers to fine tune their presentation details as the presentation is built, however, the committee also reserves the right to withdraw invitation to present at GWS should the final session be significantly modified from the initial proposal. This includes panelists or co-presenters not listed as part of your initial submission or not following provided feedback to alter your invited co-speakers.
Contact Us
Email kbolen@talenteverywhere.org if you have any general questions about presenting or registration as speakers.
Email meetings@worldwideerc.org for registration related questions.