Forum Discussion
MGCI Training - June Topic: Finding and selecting speakers...
We use the Community Days site to showcase the event, Sessionize for the Call for Speakers, and LinkedIn to drive visibility.
On selection: we switched to anonymous scoring early on, specifically to break the bias loop of job titles, MVP badges, and "friends reunion" conference syndrome. 😁 I'm not a fan of the "who you know" model, where the lineup reflects the organizer's network more than the community's actual talent.
That said, let's be honest: your CfS will largely attract your network anyway. The real problem cuts the other way too. Great speakers sometimes submit weak descriptions, and with anonymous scoring, they don't get a safety net. And for most attendees, community names don't sell tickets. The title and description do. So if a session is poorly packaged, it doesn't matter who submitted it.
What I haven't fully cracked: how to coach speakers into better submissions without tipping the anonymity. Reaching first-time speakers is the other gap. They often have the freshest angles but are the least likely to stumble across a CFP organically.
Oooh, lots of great topics to break down here. Great points!
I've heard a few folks here and there talk about session submissions - generating titles and descriptions. But it's definitely not talked about enough. Some get too... kitschy (?), too manufactured... It's a balance finding the clarity but also driving interest... But yes - better submissions would be awesome. (And I haven't even looked at the batch of submissions for our event yet... soon)