A call for speakers is an open call to select people interested in presenting talks, panels, workshops, or other activities in an event’s program. When this process is well planned, organizers broaden the reach of their curation, discover new voices, and build a more diverse and relevant lineup for their audience.
On the other hand, opening applications without criteria, a calendar, or clear communication can generate misaligned proposals and a lot of manual work. In this guide, you’ll learn how to structure the call, promote it, evaluate applications, and give feedback to participants. Keep reading and turn good proposals into a program that makes sense.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- What is a Call for Speakers and when is it worth doing?
- How to plan a call for speakers?
- What should you include in the rules and the application form?
- How to promote the call and attract good proposals?
- How to evaluate and select speakers?
- How to communicate the results and prepare selected speakers?
- What mistakes should you avoid in a call for speakers?
What Is a Call for Speakers and When Is It Worth Doing?
The term refers to a process in which an organization publishes rules and receives proposals from people who want to take part in the program.
Instead of filling the entire lineup through invitations alone, the team opens space for experts, researchers, professionals, and community members to present their ideas.
This format works especially well for congresses, conferences, corporate meetings, technology and education events, and professional communities.
It can also be used to select workshops, round tables, short courses, and experience reports, as long as the formats are explained from the start.
An open call doesn’t eliminate direct invitations. Both paths can coexist: strategic names fill specific slots, while part of the spots are reserved for the proposals received.
This way, curation preserves the event’s goals while also uncovering approaches that might not have been on the radar.
It’s worth adopting a Call for Speakers when there is enough time to promote it, evaluate proposals, and guide the selected speakers. If the event happens in just a few weeks or the lineup is already nearly closed, a public selection process tends to create expectations the team won’t be able to meet.
The process needs to be real, transparent, and compatible with the team’s operational capacity.
How to Plan a Call for Speakers?
Planning starts before the form is published. First, define the editorial goal of the program: what knowledge, experiences, or debates should the audience find?
That answer will guide the topics accepted, the activity formats, and the evaluation criteria.
Next, estimate how many spots will be open. Consider the event’s total duration, the number of simultaneous rooms or streams, the breaks, and the activities already confirmed.
Build a schedule working backward from the event date. Include:
- opening and closing of applications;
- screening and evaluation period;
- curation decision meeting;
- announcement of results;
- deadline for acceptance and submission of materials;
- rehearsal or technical alignment.
Set aside a margin for replacements. An approved speaker may drop out, have a scheduling conflict, or not respond in time. Keeping a list of alternate proposals avoids rushed decisions and helps preserve the quality of the lineup.
Also choose an official channel for questions, and publish the answers that could help other candidates.
This keeps everyone with access to the same guidance, reduces repeated messages to the team, and prevents important information from circulating only in individual conversations.
What Should You Include in the Rules and the Application Form?
The rules are the agreement between the organization and candidates. They should explain who can apply, which formats will be accepted, how long each presentation lasts, and which topics interest the event.
Also state whether the activity will be in person, online, or hybrid, and what resources will be available.
Be transparent about the participation conditions. Will there be a speaker fee, expense reimbursement, a ticket, accommodation, or a certificate? Will the organization be able to record and publish the presentation?
Are there commercial restrictions or a requirement for original content? The clearer these answers are, the lower the risk of frustration after selection.
In the form, ask only for information that will actually be used in evaluation and production. A useful set includes:
- name, contact information, and city of the applicant;
- short bio and optional professional links;
- working title and summary of the activity;
- format, duration, and thematic track;
- key takeaways for the audience;
- expected knowledge level of attendees;
- technical needs and schedule availability;
- consent for data processing and image use, when applicable.
Avoid asking for the finished presentation at this stage. A good summary, the learning outcomes, and the applicant’s experience are usually enough for the first round of review.
Excessive requests increase drop-off and drive away professionals who could contribute a great deal.
Centralizing the Call for Speakers on a single platform also cuts down on parallel spreadsheets and lost messages.
Even3 offers a submission and review workflow that lets you create custom forms, receive files in different formats, organize reviewers, assign evaluations, and select approved submissions.
If you intend to use this workflow for a Call for Speakers, check beforehand which settings are available for your event.
After selection, the information collected can serve as the basis for building the program and updating the official event page.
How to Promote the Call and Attract Good Proposals?
A well-written page doesn’t generate applications on its own. Promotion needs to reach the places where professionals in the field already exchange knowledge: email lists, social media, communities, alumni groups, educational institutions, partner companies, and industry associations.
Prepare a short message with the event’s proposal, the profiles you’re looking for, accepted formats, the benefits of participating, the deadline, and the application link.
Instead of simply posting “we’re looking for speakers,” show which problems and experiences the program intends to explore. Specificity helps the right person recognize that their contribution is welcome.
Plan more than one round of communication. Make an opening announcement, send reminders during the application period, and post a final notice before it closes.
Vary the topic and format examples so the promotion doesn’t feel repetitive. If the call runs for many weeks, share frequently asked questions or tips for a strong proposal.
How to Evaluate and Select Speakers?
Create the evaluation matrix before applications open. This prevents criteria from being adjusted to favor a specific proposal and makes decisions more comparable.
Use a small number of factors, with a simple scale, and describe what a low, medium, or high score means.
Criteria can consider relevance to the topic, relevance to the audience, clarity of the proposal, applicability, originality, and fit with the format.
A speaker’s experience matters, but shouldn’t be limited to fame or follower count. Command of the subject, the ability to organize ideas, and connection with attendees matter more.
When possible, use at least two reviewers per proposal. If scores diverge significantly, a third person can review it.
The committee should also declare conflicts of interest and step away from evaluating close colleagues, clients, or members of their own organization.
After individual scoring, look at the lineup as a whole. The highest-scoring proposals may cover the same subject or have very similar formats.
The final decision needs to balance topics, knowledge levels, perspectives, profiles, and time slots, without abandoning the announced criteria.
How to Communicate the Results and Prepare Selected Speakers?
Reply to everyone, including those not selected, on the promised date. The acceptance message should state next steps, the confirmation deadline, participation conditions, and the organization’s contact information.
A rejection can be brief and respectful, thanking the person for their time and explaining that the number of spots is limited.
Upon acceptance, request only the materials needed for publication: photo, revised short bio, final title, and description of the activity.
Reconfirm authorizations, accessibility needs, equipment, and logistical details. Keep this information in a single channel to avoid conflicting versions.
Send speakers a guide with the audience profile, duration, format, slide identity, rules on commercial content, and the Q&A dynamic.
For online activities, include guidance on connection, audio, camera, and screen sharing. For in-person activities, detail arrival, check-in, room, and support contact.
What Mistakes Should You Avoid in a Call for Speakers?
The most common mistake is promoting the opportunity without knowing which slots in the program need to be filled. This leads to over-approving proposals, duplicated topics, and last-minute changes.
The number of spots, formats, and tracks need to be defined before opening the call, even if small adjustments are made later.
Another problem is presenting vague rules. If candidates don’t understand how they’ll be evaluated, they may spend time on a proposal that doesn’t fit the event.
Publish criteria, deadlines, conditions, and responsibilities in direct language. If a rule needs to change, notify everyone who applied through the same channel and give reasonable time to adjust.
The following should also be avoided:
- long forms that ask for data with no clear purpose;
- too short a deadline to put together a solid proposal;
- evaluation done by a single person and without justification;
- silence after applications close;
- promises of benefits that haven’t been confirmed yet;
- promotion limited to the organization’s personal network;
- no plan for cancellations and replacements.
Finally, don’t treat the process as a simple collection of names. Even those who don’t make the final lineup may still attend, promote the event, or submit a new proposal in the future.
Organization, respect for deadlines, and careful communication strengthen that trust.
A good call for speakers is born from clear goals, transparent rules, targeted promotion, and consistent evaluation.
By organizing each step and taking care of communication with candidates and selected speakers, you reduce improvised work and build a more relevant program. Define your spots and timeline for your next edition today, and start attracting the right voices.
