Events & Education


Call for conference session and eLearning proposals

Questions or comments: awcspeakers@awcnet.org

Thank you for your interest in presenting for an AWC conference or eLearning.

AWCLogoPMS6601235Gray
eLearnings
Apply now!

HWSLogo150

Closed for 2025

ConferenceLogo150

Apply now for 2025!

 

Guidelines   |   Selection criteria   |   Terms for speaker compensation

 


 

AWCLogoPMS6601235GrayAWC eLearnings


Year-round | Online
Learn more about AWC's eLearnings

Proposal review timeline:

  • January/April/July/December 2024: Review of proposals
  • February/May/August 2024: Notifications

Specifically looking for presentations on these topics:

  • Civil discourse – The key to good governance
  • Community planning and development
  • Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
  • Effective local leadership
  • Public sector resource management
  • Roles, responsibilities, and legal requirements
  • Social media & civic engagement for elected officials

Target audience: (availability of up to 500 attendees)

  • City councilmembers, mayors, city managers and administrators, and department heads
  • State agency, nonprofit, and business personnel with a close working relationship to city decision-makers

Speaker compensation: No compensation for eLearning speakers.

 

HWSLogo150Healthy Worksite Summit


March 12-13, 2025 | Lynnwood
Learn more about Healthy Worksite Summit

Call for proposal's timeline:

  • October 31: Deadline to submit proposals
  • November: Review of proposals
  • December: Notifications

Specifically looking for these topics:

  • Keynote speakers (must provide associated fees to be considered)
  • Workforce equity
  • Creating accessible workplace wellness programs
  • Supporting well-being for diverse populations
  • Building healthy workplace cultures
  • Making the business case for employee well-being
  • Health literacy and crafting culturally relevant communications
  • Well-being in a hybrid work environment
  • Organizational case studies

Target audience:

  • Wellness coordinators, human resource leaders, and managers at public and private worksites
  • Safety & risk management professionals
  • Health professionals and insurance industry professionals

Speaker compensation: Presenters are generally responsible for their own travel and lodging expenses.

Keynote compensation: Must be identified and incorporated in your proposal to be considered.


 

ConferenceLogo150AWC Annual Conference


June 24-27, 2025 | Kennewick
Learn more about Annual Conference

Timeline:

  • January 15, 2025: Deadline to submit proposals
  • February 2025: Review of proposals
  • March 2025: Notifications

Why present

Conference tracks

Conference platform

  • Amazing professional development opportunity
  • Civic engagement
  • Collaborate with elected officials
  • Expand your professional portfolio
  • Networking opportunities
  • Visibility and recognition
  • City managers/administrators
  • Essentials for new and returning elected officials
  • Hot topics and emerging issues
  • Informal dialogue hubs
  • Mayors
  • Small cities
  • All conference sessions are in-person within a classroom setting.
  • Sessions are one hour, except for a few early start sessions which are 90 minutes, typically held for our sponsors.

 

Specifically looking for presentations on these topics:

Effective local leadership

  • Advocating for your city
  • Legal issues for municipalities
  • Legislative issues/lobbying skills
  • Strategic planning
  • Youth councils and engagement

Roles, responsibilities, and legal requirements

  • Board governance
  • Communications/community relations
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Human resources
  • Knowing your roles and responsibilities

Community planning and development

  • Broadband equity, access, and deployment
  • Cybersecurity challenges and resources
  • Green/energy Issues
  • Lessons learned and case studies
  • Navigating homelessness

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging

  • Beyond politics – creating a culture of civility in public service
  • The importance of belonging
  • Mental health awareness
  • Mobile tours focused on DEIB
  • Unconscious bias

Public sector resource management

  • AI in governance
  • Economic development
  • Planning and zoning issues
  • Municipal finance
  • Municipal technology

Target audience:

  • City councilmembers, mayors, managers and administrators, and department heads
  • State agency, nonprofit, and business personnel with a close working relationship to city decision-makers

Speaker compensation: Presenters are generally responsible for their own travel and lodging expenses.

Keynote compensation: Will be considered, please include your proposed fee.

 

Guidelines


Information you will be asked to provide with your proposal:

  • Name and contact information – Address, phone, email, website, and video,if applicable.
  • Brief bio – for each speaker, up to 100 words max. Please include experience giving similar presentations.
  • Session title – Descriptive titles work best.
  • Session description – Provide two to three sentences about the proposed presentation or session including content and method of delivery (case study review, interactive exercises, PowerPoint presentation, panel discussion, etc.)
  • Three specific learning objectives – Complete the sentence, “Following my presentation, participants will be able to….”
  • Keynote or concurrent session or both – include any fees that you are requesting for a keynote (note that this is not guaranteed.)
  • Identify any additional presenters, if applicable (up to four max)
  • Three references

 

Selection criteria


In order to ensure a balanced perspective in educational sessions, all proposals are reviewed and evaluated by a committee. Special consideration may be given to AWC’s Associate Members. Learn more about Associate Membership.

Presentations are selected based on the following criteria:

  • The degree to which the presentation supports the event theme or educational tracks, with priority given to balancing the number of sessions for each track.
  • Thoroughness of the proposal and subject matter.
  • Originality and relevance of materials.
  • Quality of learning objectives and takeaway tools offered to attendees.
  • Level of interactivity and diversity of teaching styles.

If your proposal is selected for a conference or eLearning, you will be notified via email. Information in printed and online conference materials will appear exactly as you provided it in the online submission. Please double-check the spelling of all names, titles, academic degrees, professional designations, etc.

You are welcome to make multiple submissions should you have more than one idea to present.

Thank you for your interest in advancing the education of elected officials.

 

Terms for speaker compensation


We seek presenters who are willing to share their expertise without the expectation of payment in the spirit of cooperation and networking. Presenters are generally responsible for their own travel, lodging, and expenses.

For more information on AWC conferences, events, and eLearnings, click here.

Copyright © 2018-2024 Association of Washington Cities