Aiming to bring the best domain leaders to speak at your event, you open Call for Papers. Now that it’s out in the world, what you hope for is to reach the right mix of people for your line-up.
From experience, when planning communication for the CFP, here are 3 tips to consider:
Try a little tenderness: personal messages
Increase the number of quality submissions by adding a personal touch. Reach out first to:
√ speakers from previous editions
√ leading industry practitioners
√ influencers in the field
With the added personal touch, they’ll be happy to collaborate. If unavailable, you might get valuable recommendations for relevant speakers.
Tip: A speaker who understands your mission is a treasured ally. Highlighted in the message, it makes a difference when reaching out to the ones engaged on the same path as you.
It takes a village: communities, groups, and industry associations
Involve practitioner communities and industry associations from the beginning. Given the common interests, the active members are already looking for opportunities to get involved.
Exposure in the right groups, with the right message, makes speakers curious about your event. Go beyond LinkedIn, Facebook and Meetup to find a diversity of speakers for your line-up.
Tip: Try Slack communities and Twitter lists to spread the word in niche groups.
Engage partners and press
Partners don’t have to be just a name on a banner. Get them to talk about your call for papers on their blog, social media, and community channels.
Speakers love to be in good company, so get the active players in your corner.
Tip: Early involvement of partners gets them invested in your event. Treating them as part of your team gives to the program more strength and traction.
In a sea of events, even a carefully crafted Call for Papers needs help getting across. Rise above the tide to engage a diversity of speakers with proven tips and techniques.
Have a useful tip to add to the list? Comment below or tweet to us at @eventrixco.
Also published on Medium.