Speaker Resources

Welcome, APC Speakers!

Thank you for your commitment to speak at the Administrative Professionals Conference. As the event approaches, we hope this page provides you with everything you need for a successful conference.

Please review the Speaker Guidelines below before you complete the forms and send your presentation materials.

Deadlines

Important deadlines for APC 2024

NOW DUE: Short promotional video (30-60 minutes max) to share about your session(s) at APC.

JULY 30: Submit Onsite Needs Form. 

SEPTEMBER 1: Book travel. Flight information will be provided by August 16 if booking through our travel agent.

SEPTEMBER 15: Submit PowerPoint slides and session materials as PDFs for each session. 

Travel

HOTEL: APC staff will book your hotel for you based on your flight dates. If your dates are different than your flight dates, please notify Sam at [email protected].

AIR: Please book flights by September 1 at the latest.

** Per your Speaker Agreement, you are responsible for all ground transportation fees.

Downloads

Please download the following and submit with all session materials by September 15:

• W9 form (for U.S. based individuals and organizations) – must be returned for payments to be processed
• Electronic Payment Authorization – for direct deposit
• Presentations in the APC 2024 PPT Template
  • 2024 Presentation Template (PPT) PowerPoint Template
  • 2024 Presentation Template (PDF)

PRESENTATION GUIDELINES AND FAQ’S

Session Presentations & Materials, Onsite & AV Needs

All presentation slide decks and session materials must be submitted via the APC 2024 Speaker Portal (PowerPoint and PDF). Per your speaker agreement, we require that all speakers submit presentations in advance to be available for attendees to review in the event app and take notes on during the sessions.

All session materials, including session presentations, will be posted in our event app as locked PDFs, so attendees can download before and after the conference in the app or via their web browser. All presentations will be protected and only available to our attendees.

We do not print handouts for attendees in an effort to increase sustainability and minimize touchpoints. If there are materials attendees need to complete during your session as part of an interactive exercise, please upload them as PDFs with your session materials.

July 30: AV & Onsite needs must be submitted through the Onsite Needs Form

September 15: All session materials are due. This includes any PowerPoint presentations using the APC 2024 PPT Template, content outlines or screen recordings for tech demo sessions where screen will be shared instead of using slides, and any additional session handouts as PDFs.

Presentation Expectations

APC attendees are seasoned administrative professionals and senior in their field. They work primarily for large corporations and institutions. The majority work for executives or senior managers. 95% of attendees are female; however, we do not want male attendees to feel left out or singled out.

Your audience will NOT be entry-level. Even Overview sessions should resonate with all attendees, including senior-level admins. Intermediate sessions must be high-level and Advanced sessions must be at the highest executive level to meet expectations.

• Please check the days, times, and levels of your presentations carefully; see above for expectations on levels.

• Your presentation should provide timely, relevant, and actionable information for attendees, based on the content description. Please deliver your content as described in your session title and description. Attendees chose their sessions based on the title and description, and we’ve found sessions are not received well when they do not match what is described on the website. 

• Sessions should be as interactive and engaging as possible. However, given the time constraints, all participatory exercises should be highly structured. Use examples and illustrations your audience can relate to, and keep it professional.

• Please keep your introductory comments brief – our attendees are eager to dive in and make the most of their time! We have found that attendees do not receive sessions well that start with a “talk among yourselves” networking activity or with the presenter talking about themselves too much. Please get to the heart of your presentation quickly. Your attendees are eager to learn new techniques and tools they can immediately take back to their offices and use in their daily work.

• If you are presenting more than one topic during the conference, please be aware that members of your audience may be in more than one of your sessions. We have had feedback that presenters used the same stories or content in multiple sessions. Content for each session should be unique.

• Your presentation should be timed accurately and adhere to the scheduled time on the program and duration in your contracted agreement. Please respect the scheduled start and end times. Attendees want to gain as much information as possible in the designated time slot. The breaks between each session are designed to allow time for necessary refreshment or restroom breaks, meals, or sufficient time to walk to their next destination. Running overtime interferes with the overall schedule.

• Be mindful of the diversity of our audience. We are thrilled to see so many different industries, companies, and people of diverse backgrounds: race, gender, age, etc. Our attendees have gone through rigorous lengths to get to APC and all deserve respect and high-quality, high-level training.
• Attendees look for sessions that are NOT basic. They want to be challenged and leave with cutting-edge tools and frameworks they can quickly apply with specific and measurable results. We know this can be difficult to gauge with a diverse audience; however, we ask that you use most of your time to present “how to” skills, shortcuts, and techniques, instead of background or general information on the topic. Remember: Your audience are very experienced admins and assistants. They want to stay on top of the latest trends and innovations and leave with new skills that provide an immediate return on investment for their time at APC.

STANDARD ROOM & AV SETUP

Room setups will vary.

Each presentation room will have an LCD projector, at least one Screen, and a Wireless Lavalier Microphone. You must bring your laptop and any connectors/dongles to use for your presentation. If you prefer a slide advancer, please bring your own. If you are using something other than a standard PC, please inform us ahead of time.

INTERNET: Attendees will have access to wireless internet. However, there is limited bandwidth, and some hands-on sessions will need it to run effectively. If it is not essential that your attendees go online with their smart phones or laptops during the session, please refrain from suggesting that they do so. Please also refrain from operating in an online environment during your presentation unless it is essential. Please design your presentation with that in mind.

FAQs

How early do I have to arrive before my session?

Please arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of your session.

Will attendees evaluate my session?

Yes. Attendees will complete an evaluation after each session, and the results help inform our future topics and speaker selection.

What is the conference attire?

Professional business attire is required when delivering presentations.

Will there be internet in my conference session room?

There will be wireless internet available for the presenters that require it. For technology sessions: If you need strong bandwidth, please notify us via the Onsite Needs Form.

What is the standard AV in the conference room?
Each presentation room, will have an LCD projector, at least one Screen, and Wireless Lavalier Microphone. For the greatest ease and success, presenters must bring their own laptop and any connectors/dongles to use for your presentation. If you prefer a slide advancer, please bring your own that is compatible with your laptop.

How will my session room be set up?
Room setup varies by room.

If you have a specific request for room setup, please note that in the Speaker Portal. Do be aware, however, that the hotel staffing and the schedule may not allow us to meet your request. In most cases, we are not able to shift room sets between sessions.

What is the overall goal of the conference?
Executive Assistants and Administrative Professionals today are taking on more responsibilities than ever before. They are multi-skilled, versatile, and technically proficient. Yet current research shows that many, if not most, admins are not receiving the training they need to grow and succeed. APC offers admins powerful career development opportunities. You will equip today’s administrative staff with the essential strategies and skills they need to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving business climate.

Your high-quality training will help admins at APC to:

• Better understand the latest trends and innovations in the administrative field
• Add new skills to their toolkit and upgrade current skillsets
• Improve competencies most critical for them to be effective in their roles and advance their careers
• Anticipate managers’ and executives’ needs and become more strategic business partners
• Help organizations retain their best administrative talent and prepare future stars
• Increase motivation and confidence to set higher goals, lead others, and achieve superior results
• Prove their worth to their organizations with ROI to the business

Who can I contact with questions?

For session or speaker portal-related questions, please contact Maeve Kiley at [email protected].

For travel, tech, and logistics related questions, please contact Sam Fournelle at [email protected].

THANK YOU

Thank you for joining us as a presenter at APC – we are confident that your contributions will be nothing less than excellent!

We look forward to seeing you in beautiful Colorado.

Best regards,

The APC Conference Team