The League of California Cities® is soliciting session proposals for this premiere educational event for planning commissioners, directors, staff, and other interested officials including elected officials, being held in Long Beach, March 6 - 9, 2019. We encourage you to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to share your ideas, knowledge and expertise with this important audience!
Submissions, non-commercial in nature, from any individual, group, business or organization, on any topic are welcome through August 20. The Planning Commissioners Academy program planning committee will consider the educational value of each proposal and the extent to which it presents new and/or significant information.
Only proposals submitted online through the proposal form will be considered. As there is a limit to the amount of words allowed within the title and description of each proposal, it is recommended you write your proposal in a word-processing program first, then paste the final version into the online form.
Secrets of Great Proposals
Securing a spot on the program is highly competitive, with approximately twenty five percent of proposals being accepted. You can increase your chances by preparing a thorough, thoughtful and complete proposal that tells how your session would help planning commissioners and those who work within local governments to improve their careers and communities. When preparing your proposal consider the following elements:
- Is the topic new and/or critical for local government?
- Will this issue stimulate action and further important discussion?
- Sessions may not include sales, commercialism or product promotion of any kind.
Take a few minutes to review these tips for successful proposals
- Think big
- Vary the viewpoint
- Pare down the panel
- Speaker skills matter
- Plan for a crowd
- Try something new
- Fill in the blanks
- Quality counts
Proposals are evaluated by a panel of peer reviewers. Criteria includes:
What are the practical applications of your ideas? Have you included reasoning and documentation to support your conclusions, recommendations and outcomes?
Tips:
- Conference attendees prefer presentations focused on outcomes or results.
- Make the definition and background portions of your presentation brief.
- Highlight problems encountered, options available, choices made, documented pre and post-change effects and lessons learned.
Will your presentation expand knowledge beyond entry-level basics?
Tips:
- Most conference participants are planning commissioners, department heads, directors or senior-level executives. In general, direct your presentation to an intermediate or advanced audience.
- Participants want to learn the reality versus the hype, the positive and negative attributes, problems encountered but often not discussed, realistic expectations for operational use and how to adapt to a changing environment.
Does your presentation advance existing ideas or present new ideas? Has this material been presented elsewhere?
Tips:
- You might apply proven techniques to new problems. Or identify and apply new approaches, techniques or philosophies.
- Many attendees are not on the cutting edge of technology so assess the degree to which an application is a new tool. For example, an application of bar coding might be more or less innovative, depending on the department in which it is installed and how it is used.
- Avoid highlighting a named product or service. Focus instead on the general attributes, benefits and drawbacks of a given application, process or tool.
Do you have an appropriate number of examples?
Tip:
- Documenting comparative results convinces participants that your ideas have been tested in the real world.
Will your presentation still be up-to-date and cutting-edge in six to nine months when the conference occurs? Will your topic have implications in the future? How relevant is your topic in the context of pending legislation, regulations and technology?
What attendees want to learn is the reality versus the hype, the positive and negative attributes, problems encountered but not often discussed, realistic expectations for the operational use and adaptability to a changing environment. They are searching for guidelines and models to simplify or manage their own application or installation.
Are your conclusions supported by data?
Tip:
- Attendees place a high value on supporting data in assessing the value and applicability of presentations. Have you included adequate detail? Is it convincing?
Have you included sources of information, benchmark data or other examples?
Does your presentation avoid any commercial content?
Tips:
- No commercials / proprietary information for particular products, services or vendors are permitted.
The quality, completeness and accuracy of the proposal will be a judging factor in the proposal selection process.
In the end, you must make your case for the importance of this topic and its relevance to participants. Have you made the best case you possibly can?
Types of Proposals
Over ninety-five percent of each year's conference programming comes directly from the open call for proposals in a variety of formats. Select one of the available formats listed below that best fits your topic and desired outcomes.
Deadline: August 20, 2018
Breakout sessions make up the majority of conference content and cover a wide array of topics affecting local government. With no more than three presenters, this format permits approximately 60 minutes of an engaging presentation and discussion. The presentation is followed by approximate 15 minutes of questions and answers.
Session proposals include:
- Proposed title (10 words or less)
- 100-word description containing:
- Topic
- Key learning objectives
- Relevant research
- An answer to the question: What information will people take back to their own communities?
- Panelists should reflect the diversity of California with a north/south, large/small, urban/rural representation when possible
- Names, contact information and professional bio of proposed panelists
Propose a breakout session
Deadline: August 20, 2018
These popular presentations, similar to TED Talks, are 15 minute bursts of information on one topic with one speaker. Typically, these engaging presentations are based on focused projects or personal experience, followed by 5 minutes of interactive/Q&A. Three individual CityTalks are programmed back-to-back to comprise a breakout session.
This format requires a well-conceived presentation, good visuals, and a great deal of rehearsal. A sense of humor helps!
CityTalk proposals include:
- Proposed title (10 words or less)
- 100-word description containing:
- Topic
- Key learning objectives
- Relevant research
- An answer to the question: What information will people take back to their own communities?
- Name, contact information and professional bio of proposed speaker
Propose a CityTalk
Deadline: August 20, 2018
A 75-minute informal, interactive conversation with a common interest/concern on a particular topic. A single facilitator may offer a maximum of a 10-minute presentation on which the issue/concern is framed for the attendees and then guide the discussion with prepared questions. At the conclusion of the discussion, the facilitator will spend some time summarizing key findings, suggestions, and points. THIS IS NOT A PANEL PRESENTATION WITH PANELISTS.
Facilitated Discussion proposals include:
- Proposed title (10 words or less)
- 100-word description containing:
- Topic
- Key learning objectives
- Relevant research
- An answer to the question: What information will people take back to their own communities?
- Name, contact information and professional bio of proposed facilitator
Propose a Discussion Forum
Submission Requirements and Review
Broad appeal to all League members within municipalities throughout California, current and timely topics, originality, innovativeness, interactive/creative, thought/discussion provoking, evidence based, and the avoidance of product/vendor commercialization. Complete details
- A maximum of three speakers per breakout session. (Sessions are approximately 75 minutes)
- Each panel may only have one panelist per city/county, firm, company or organization.
- It is strongly encouraged that submitted proposals by consultants/vendors include a city or county official as a presenter.
- Gear your topic toward cities/counties, city/county officials, and staff department leaders.
- No commercialism.
- If an originally accepted speaker cancels, the session may be disqualified.
- Additional speakers not included in the original proposal are not permitted to be added without review and approval.
- Individuals may have only one speaking/presiding role per conference.
Please note: the program planning committee reserves the right to modify accepted proposal session titles, descriptions, presenters or other elements as necessary to insure balance, quality and enhance marketability.
Registration and Speaker Policy
The League of California Cities® is a not-for-profit association, and to keep registration costs as low as possible, is unable to provide any reimbursement of expenses, travel, or other compensations. Due to the difficult economic challenges cities/counties are experiencing, we recognize and deeply appreciate your interest and commitment. The success of our program depends on the efforts of practicing professionals willing to volunteer their time to professional education. Complete details
Preferred Speaker Qualifications:
- 5+ years public presentation experience.
- 2+ years experience related to working in or presenting on the topic of the idea.
- More than 2 successful speaking engagements to large audiences at a regional or state level in the past two years.
- Must not pose a conflict of interest with subject/business area or must disclose such information in each speaker bio submitted.
If you are an elected official, business, or private consultant and would like to attend other sessions, you will need to register for the conference. Registration will be open in mid-September at www.cacities.org/events.
Privacy Policy
We value your privacy and will never share any of your personal information nor sell your e-mail address to an outside party.
Submit a proposal now
Deadline - Monday, August 20