Form questions

Speaker application questions for conference organisers

Ask 12 to 15. Never skip the session title, an abstract with a character limit, and the track or topic area. Reviewers score from those three, and everything about the speaker, travel and equipment can be collected in full once a talk is accepted.

A call for papers has to give reviewers enough to picture the session on stage, and give the organiser what it needs to schedule, promote and support the speaker. These questions keep what reviewers score apart from the practical details, so talks are judged on substance before travel, headshots and recording consent come into view.

The questions

The session

  1. What format is this?Single choiceRequired

    Each option carries its length and speaker count, such as talk, 30 minutes, one or two speakers.

  2. Session titleShort textRequired

    Cap it near 80 characters so it fits a programme grid.

  3. TrackDropdownRequired

  4. Who is it for?Single choice

    Just starting out, some experience, deep experience. Plainer than level labels.

  5. Abstract, up to 900 charactersLong textRequired

    This is the public description, so put the writing rules in a paragraph block above it.

  6. What will attendees be able to do afterwards?Long text

  7. Outline, with rough timingsLong text

  8. Is this based on work you did yourself?Single choice

  9. Have you given this talk before?Single choice

    No; yes, in the past year; yes, longer ago.

  10. If you have, what is different this time?Long text

The speaker

  1. Speaker nameNameRequired

  2. Job titleShort text

  3. OrganisationShort text

  4. EmailShort textRequired

    Short text, since the email component renders nothing on a published classic form.

  5. Bio, up to 500 characters, in the third personLong text

  6. A link to you speaking, if there is oneShort text

    Optional, so a first time speaker is not marked down for having no video.

  7. HeadshotPhoto upload

  8. Co-speakers, one per line, with job title and organisationLong text

Practical needs

  1. Do you need travel support to be able to attend?Single choice

    Delete this column from the reviewers' copy of the export.

  2. Which days could you present?Multiple choice

  3. Any access needs for the stage or venue?Long text

  4. What equipment do you need beyond a projector and microphone?Short text

Review and consent

  1. May a recording of the session be published if the talk is accepted?Single choice

    Asked now, so a speaker who declines recording is known before the video schedule is set.

  2. Before you submitMultiple choiceRequired

    Not a product pitch; I accept the code of conduct; I can attend on the dates if accepted.

  3. Anything the programme committee should know?Long text

Which questions to make required

Seven questions are required: the format, title, track, abstract, speaker name, email and the pre submission ticks. Those let reviewers score the proposal and let the organiser reply. The bio, headshot, outline and travel questions stay optional, because a first time speaker often has no recording to link, and demanding everything up front discourages exactly the new voices a programme committee hopes to find.

The form built from these questions

A static copy of the finished form, from its own example page.

Southbank Product Forum 2027

Two days, four tracks, 11 and 12 May at the Southbank Exchange. Proposals close 5pm AEDT on 30 January and every one gets an answer by 27 February. One proposal per form, three per person.

Your session

Write the description in the third person and in complete sentences, not bullet points, and read it once for typos. It is published exactly as you send it if the talk is accepted, and it is the only thing most attendees will read before deciding whether to walk into the room.

Optional. Images and PDF only, up to three files, 10 MB each.

You

One photograph, at least 800 pixels wide. It is printed in the programme and used on the session page if the talk is accepted.

If this is a panel, name every speaker now. A panel proposal with names to be confirmed is not reviewed, and a panel of three or more speakers who all work at the same organisation is declined.

Practical

The next answer is separated from the proposal before review, so the committee never sees it. It goes to the organisers after decisions are made. Needing help to get here has never counted against a talk and it is not going to start now.

Three ways to change this bank

For an academic conference, replace the abstract with structured fields for background, methods, results and conclusions, add up to five keywords, ask whether the author prefers an oral or poster presentation, and collect all authors in a table with columns for name, affiliation and email. For a monthly meetup's lightning talks, cut the form to five questions: title, a one sentence description, name, email and which month suits, because a five minute talk needs a yes within days, not a committee. For an internal company conference, add the presenter's team, a question on whether the content is safe to share outside the company, and a manager approval tick, then drop travel support and recording consent if the event stays internal.

Questions people ask

Should reviewers see who submitted each proposal?

Many committees review blind in the first round, then look at speakers when building the programme. The response export is a CSV with one column per question, so removing the name, organisation, bio and link columns before sharing the sheet takes a minute. Tell applicants on the form which stages are anonymous, so they write the abstract accordingly.

How many proposals should one speaker be allowed to submit?

Two or three is common, with one proposal per form. More than that invites a scattergun approach and multiplies reviewer work without improving the programme. Say the limit in a paragraph above the first question, and check the export for repeated email addresses before reviewing, rather than relying on applicants to count.

When should a call for papers close?

Early enough to leave time for review, telling every applicant the outcome, confirming speakers and letting them book travel. Publish the decision date alongside the closing date on the form, and keep to it. Speakers who hear nothing for weeks often commit elsewhere, and a missed promise is remembered at the next call.

How can a call for papers attract first time speakers?

Make the requirements match a newcomer's reality. Keep past recordings and bios optional, describe the audience plainly, offer a short format such as a lightning talk, and say whether the organiser provides speaker coaching. A line on the form inviting first time speakers to apply does more than a diversity statement further down.

Should a speaker form ask demographic questions?

Only if the organiser will use them to measure who applies, and then as optional questions with a prefer not to say answer, placed after the proposal. Remove those columns from the reviewers' copy of the export. Explain on the form why the questions are asked and who sees the answers.

What should happen once a proposal is accepted?

Send accepted speakers a second, shorter form for the final bio, headshot, slide deadline, travel details and any dietary needs for the speaker dinner. Collecting those only from accepted speakers keeps the first form short and means the details are current, since bios and job titles change between submission and the event.

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Sources

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