Now Accepting Speaker Submissions for SUMMIT 2023!

The Women in Manufacturing Association (WiM) invites industry professionals to submit speaking proposals for the 2023  SUMMIT  to be held on September 25 - 27, 2023. To ensure that the entire community can participate, the 2023 SUMMIT will be a hybrid conference, with both a virtual experience and in-person sessions at the Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, CA. 

The Women in Manufacturing SUMMIT is the highlight of WiM’s busy calendar of year-round programming dedicated to supporting, promoting, and inspiring women in the manufacturing sector. The WiM SUMMIT brings together manufacturers of all types and welcomes individuals from every job function. The event features exclusive tours of leading manufacturing facilities, professional development sessions, roundtable discussions, and inspiring keynote presentations, as well as social and networking events. More than 1,000 attendees are expected to participate this year. 

WiM seeks presenters who share cutting-edge ideas, inspire enlightening discussions, and offer the latest innovative concepts and trends that are changing how we work in manufacturing. Proposals are encouraged on presentation topics related to professional development, personal development, technical innovations and training, manufacturing business trends, strategic leadership, and diversity, equity and inclusion. 

To be considered to speak at the 2023 SUMMIT, please complete the online application form by Friday, March 31, 2023. 

Selected speakers will be notified by email  by June 1, 2023. You will only be notified if you are selected to speak. 

Submit your presentation proposal here

*This online form must be completed for consideration. Due to the sheer volume of speaker applications, we cannot schedule briefing calls or respond to individual inquiries.  

Speaker Benefits

• Each presenter will receive one complimentary registration to the SUMMIT
• Your name, company and title of your presentation will be published in the conference program and on the conference website and will be featured on social media
• Your presentation provides an excellent marketing and business development opportunity by highlighting your company’s leadership, best practices and successes
• As a speaker, you are recognized as a leader in your field and to the WiM community
  

The Evaluation Process:

All proposals are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Overall quality
• Relevance to the industry
• Well-defined focus within the program track structure
• Practical applications of the material
• Timeliness of the topic
• Speaker qualifications

To be considered as a conference speaker, your program must be educational in nature, sales presentations will not be accepted. The final program selections and notifications will be made by early June. You will be notified by email if your presentation is selected.

Our events team is working hard to establish safety protocols to make in-person/hybrid events possible. While we look forward to welcoming members back to face-to-face education and networking, we are also planning for the contingency of needing to hold any of these events entirely virtual.

As a result of this uncertainty, we are asking our prospective speakers to be flexible and be prepared to speak both in person and virtually.  

Session Formats:

Keynote - The main, featured addresses at the conference. The topics of keynote addresses fit closely with the conference theme. Keynote speakers are all well-accomplished in their fields. (30 minutes – 1 hour in length)

Breakout Session - Smaller group sessions focused on specific topics or discussions that attendees choose to attend. These sessions are normally run concurrently with other sessions. (45 minutes – 1 hour in length)

Panel - Panels are moderated sessions of no more than four panelists, plus one moderator. The moderator should have a predetermined set of questions and incorporate audience questions and feedback into the discussion. Panel presentations should be designed to engage with the audience. (45 minutes – 1 hour in length) 

Roundtable - A speaker presents a topic and leads discussion. At roundtables, participants could visit more than one roundtable discussion during the session.

Workshop - These sessions are meant to provide conference attendees with practical tools and approaches, featuring
interactive components that will engage participants in learning activities throughout the time block. (1-1.5 hour in length) 

Learning Pathways:

Professional Development
Personal Development 
Technical Topics
Sustainability
Innovation & Transformation
Allyship
Manufacturing Business Trends 
Strategic Leadership 
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

Audience Learning Levels:

Foundational: Focus on awareness and factual recall; appropriate for those with limited experience of the subject area seeking introductory understanding of the content areas.

Applied: Focus on understanding and comprehension; appropriate for those with some experience seeking to build on, apply, or enhance existing knowledge using content in practical applications to master concepts

Strategic: Focus on application and implementation of highly technical or detailed topics; appropriate for those with substantial prerequisite knowledge seeking the most up-to-date information to heighten expertise.

Instructional Design:

The Women in Manufacturing Association (WiM) seeks proposals that reflect adult learning principles and reflect the best thinking in the field, informed by theory, research, and practice.

To deliver exceptional learning experiences, preference may be given to proposals that demonstrate an ability to:

• Reflect innovation and cutting-edge content
• Stimulate and provoke discussion and audience engagement
• Facilitate knowledge transfer and development of new competencies
• Provide diverse approaches for different types of learners
• Present a business case with evidence supported by research or data
• Provide concrete examples and relevant takeaways that can be utilized immediately
• Use methods that draw out relevant past knowledge and experiences
• Motivate learners with goal- or outcomes-focused design
• Demonstrate relevance of lessons through “real-life” case studies as they relate to current business environment.

Submit your presentation proposal here

*This online form must be completed for consideration. Due to the sheer volume of speaker applications, we cannot schedule briefing calls or respond to individual inquiries.  You will only be notified if you are selected to speak.