Thank you for your interest in speaking opportunities at HostingCon 2008. Please read this page carefully before submitting a session proposal, as understanding it will help you submit a proposal that may be accepted.
Proposed Tracks and Topics
Technology Information on the latest technology behind hosted services Leaders Case studies and discussions on leaders in the hosted services industry and how they got to the topTrack 1 - Marketing
How to more effectively market your hosted services company
- SEO/SEM
- Targetting SMBs
- Being Competitive
- International Marketing
- Internal Marketing
- Customer Service
- General Marketing
Track 2 - Growing
How to grow your hosted services business and the effects of growth on your company
- Metrics and Reporting
- Messaging
- Upselling
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Debt & Equity Funding
- Sizing up Competition
- Risk Management (SLA's, TOS, AUP's and Business Insurance)
- Customer Service (Impressing your clients)
- Legal and Regulation Issues
Track 3 - Technology
Discussions on the latest technologies affecting hosted services and practical, technical discussions
- Grid Computing
- Virtualization
- Green Technologies
- Load Balancing/Failover/High Availability
- Datacenter Technologies
Track 4 - Leaders
Case studies and presentations by and about leaders in the hosted services industry
Present a compelling case study or profile of a leader in the hosted services industry.
Please note that this list is a starting point for the topics that we'd like to cover. We will gladly consider other relevant topics if submitted.
Important Dates:
- Proposals Due: April 11, 2008
- Speaker Notification: On or before May 2, 2008
- Session Presentation Files Due: July 11, 2008
- Conference: July 28-31, 2008
Proposals:
We are considering proposals for 45 minute conference sessions. Your proposals are examined by a committee which draws from them and which also solicits proposals to build the program. Proposals are due by April 11, 2008.
Prospective speakers will be notified whether their proposal was accepted on or before May 2, 2008. Please do not contact us asking for a status before this date, as this will only slow down the selection process.
Unless the content of your talk is particularly timely, you are required to send us your slides several weeks before the conference begins.
Some tips for writing a good proposal for a good talk:
- Keep it free of marketing
- Keep the audience in mind: they're technical, professional, and already pretty smart.
- Clearly identify the level of the talk: is it for beginners to the topic, or for gurus? What knowledge should people have when they come to the talk?
- Give it a simple and straightforward title: fancy and clever titles make it harder for people (committee and attendees) to figure out what you're really talking about
- Limit the scope of the talk: in 45 minutes, you won't be able to cover everything. Make sure your talk is focused and not too widely targeted.
- Keep it free of marketing
- Explain why people will want to attend: how will the talk impact their business? will they be able to apply the principles immediately?
- You may submit more than one session proposal. Let us know in your proposal notes whether you can give all the talks you submitted proposals for or just one.
- Explain what you will cover in the talk in as much detail as possible
- keep it free of marketing
NOTE: All speakers whose talks are accepted will receive free Full Conference Registration.
Please use our new proposal submission system to submit your proposal.
If you have additional questions, please contact George Roberts, +1 866 464-3687 x 801 (Outside the US, +1 815 261-4870) or email speakers@hostingcon.com.
Speaker Rules:
By submitting a proposal to speak at HostingCon, you agree to follow the following speaker rules:
As a speaker at HostingCon you commit to present the proposed session as published, including the topic and speaker. HostingCon attendees plan their schedule according to the session topics provided to them in the conference guide and on the HostingCon website and expect that the content that they receive in the sessions they attend will be that which was promised.
You agree to prepare thoroughly for the session and to present a well thought out, well researched presentation. It is our expectation that attendees should feel that they have gained valuable knowledge and insight after leaving your session. You may not use your session for commercial sales and marketing purposes, self-promotion, or unfair criticism of others. We are firmly committed to providing educational sessions free of marketing. Speakers found to have broken this rule will not be asked to speak again.
All speakers MUST provide a copy of their presentation slides by the specified date using the supplied presentation template. The presentations will be made available to conference attendees via a password-protected area of the hostingcon.com website.
Conference management reserves the right to recommend changes in your submitted presentation to minimize any self-promotion and maximize the session's educational value. Failure to provide your presentation by the specified deadline, adjust slides upon request of show management or follow slide template guidelines may result in your session being cancelled.
Presentations may be recorded for use following the show. Speakers agree to allow and assign all rights to show management to capture, reproduce, make available and/or sell recordings of presentations, slides and related materials without license, liability or limitation.
Speaker substitutions are not permitted unless approved in writing by show management. If you are unable to deliver your session as planned, your company is not guaranteed a speaking slot for the alternative speaker. Show management reserves the right to reassign the session slot to another speaker.