How do you get speakers to work together across sessions and tracks?

1 Define the conference theme and objectives

Before you invite or select speakers for your conference, you need to have a clear vision of what your conference is about and what you want to achieve. What is the main topic or problem that your conference addresses? What are the key takeaways or outcomes that you want your attendees to gain? How do you want your speakers to contribute to the conference theme and objectives? Having a well-defined conference theme and objectives will help you communicate your expectations and guidelines to your speakers, as well as create a common ground and purpose for them to work together.

2 Group speakers by subtopics or tracks

Depending on the size and scope of your conference, you may want to organize your speakers into subtopics or tracks that reflect the different aspects or angles of your conference theme. For example, if your conference is about digital marketing, you may have tracks for content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and so on. Grouping speakers by subtopics or tracks will help you create a logical and coherent structure for your program, as well as facilitate coordination and interaction among speakers who share similar interests or expertise.

3 Encourage speakers to connect and network

One of the advantages of having speakers collaborate across sessions and tracks is their ability to learn from one another, exchange ideas, and form relationships. To foster this kind of interaction and networking, you can utilize various tools and strategies. For instance, creating a private online platform or group where speakers can introduce themselves, share their bios, topics, and slides. You could also host a pre-conference webinar or meeting to welcome your speakers, review the conference theme and objectives, go over the logistics and technical details, and answer any queries or concerns. Additionally, organizing a speakers-only social event or activity where they can mingle and have fun in a relaxed atmosphere is beneficial. Lastly, encouraging speakers to attend each other's sessions, comment on each other's presentations, and cross-reference each other's points or insights will further enhance collaboration.

4 Provide speakers with resources and support

To get speakers to work together across sessions and tracks, you should provide them with resources and support. This could include a speaker kit or handbook containing information on the conference theme, session format, audience expectations, and speaker guidelines. Assigning a mentor or buddy to each speaker can also be beneficial, as they can help with presentation design and delivery. Offering training or coaching sessions on public speaking, storytelling, audience engagement, and slide design is also recommended. Furthermore, giving speakers access to tools or platforms that can enhance their presentation quality and interactivity is a great way to ensure success.

5 Solicit speakers' input and feedback

To get speakers to work together across sessions and tracks, you need to solicit their input and feedback throughout the conference planning and execution process. Involving your speakers in decision-making and evaluation of your conference will show them that you value their opinions and expertise, as well as improve the quality and outcomes of your event. Ways to obtain speakers' input and feedback include asking them to suggest or vote on subtopics or tracks they want to cover, inviting them to propose or recommend other speakers, requesting them to fill out a pre-conference survey or questionnaire, and collecting their feedback after the conference on their satisfaction, challenges, and suggestions for improvement.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?