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Fees are a separate negotiation after acceptance. Asking in the proposal invites bidding and turns review into a price comparison.
Event ManagementForms
Call for speakers: a proposal form that reviewers can compare
A call for speakers is an open invitation for people to propose talks, and the proposal form is where those submissions arrive in a consistent shape. The form should ask for the talk, its audience and outcomes, the format and length the program can fit, and the practical details the program team needs to schedule the speaker. Ask for what reviewers will score, and leave out questions that reward connections over the strength of the idea.
What people search
Call for speakers: 880 average monthly searches.Google Ads Keyword Planner · 2026-10-09 · United States
Field blueprint
What reviewers need to score a proposal
| Field | Type | Required | Why you ask it |
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker nameFirst and last name | Short text | Required | The person the program team contacts. Name the lead speaker here and list co-presenters in their own field. |
Email address | Required | Where the program team sends the decision and any scheduling questions. | |
Organization or roleCompany, school or independent | Short text | Optional | Context for reviewers about the speaker's work. Keep it descriptive rather than a test of credentials. |
Talk titleA title that names the takeaway | Short text | Required | The working title. Reviewers and the program list read it first. |
Session formatKeynoteStandard talkWorkshopPanel | Single choice | Required | Sets the room and the time slot the program team plans for. |
Preferred lengthUnder 30 minutes30 to 45 minutesOver 45 minutes | Dropdown | Optional | Lets the program team fit the talk into the schedule without a second round of questions. |
Summary for the programTwo or three sentences that a stranger could understand. | Long text | Required | Becomes the public description if the talk is accepted, so reviewers read it before anything else. |
What the audience will be able to doWrite each outcome as something a person can do afterward. | Long text | Required | States the outcome of the talk. Short, action-based items make a proposal easier to judge. |
Target audience levelBeginnerIntermediateAdvancedMixed | Single choice | Required | Helps the program balance beginner, intermediate and advanced sessions across the day. |
Relevant experiencePaste a link, not a file. | Long text | Optional | Examples of earlier talks or work on this topic. Ask for links written out in plain text. |
Have you presented this talk before?YesNo | Single choice | Optional | A repeat talk may suit a different track. The program team makes that decision; the answer simply gives it context. |
Co-speaker names and roles | Long text | Optional | So the program lists everyone who presents, with the part each one plays. |
Access or technical needs | Long text | Optional | Lets the organizer plan captions, step-free access, or a specific screen or audio setup for the session. |
Consent to public listingYes, list my name and summary if acceptedNo, keep my proposal private | Single choice | Required | Confirms the speaker agrees to a public listing if the talk is accepted. Have your own counsel check this wording. |
A filled example
A completed proposal (fictional)
Example only, not a real submission
- Speaker name
- Dana Whitfield (fictional example)
- Talk title
- Schedules that hold up when a session runs long
- Session format
- Standard talk
- Preferred length
- 30 to 45 minutes
- Summary for the program
- A planning method for sessions with a fixed end time, using a timed buffer and one named decision-maker for each block.
- What the audience will be able to do
- Set a buffer for each block. Name who may cut content when time runs short. Test the plan on one real session.
- Target audience level
- Intermediate
- Have you presented this talk before?
- No
- Consent to public listing
- Yes, list my name and summary if accepted
Questions to leave out
Questions a proposal form should not ask
Please send your government ID or tax number.
Identity and tax details for paid speakers belong in the contract process your finance team and counsel set up, not in a call for proposals.
Will your friends and colleagues vote for this proposal?
Votes from people who know the speaker skew the result. If you want community input, run it as a separate, clearly labeled step.
Try it
Preview the proposal the way a speaker sees it
After a response arrives
After a proposal arrives
Stored, then processed by the hourly job
Each proposal is saved, then picked up by a scheduled job that runs hourly in production. The creator is notified after processing, so a new proposal may not appear in the count right away.
Export the proposals for the committee
Export a CSV of the grid for your review committee. Score every proposal against the same criteria, and keep the scores in your own records rather than in the form.
Answer every speaker yourself
The form does not send decisions. Write to each speaker from your own email with the outcome, the program date if accepted, and the next step.
Assign speaker questions to one person
If the form creates Customer Care cases for submissions, set a priority, tags and an assignee on each one so a speaker's question has one owner.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a call for speakers and a proposal form?
The call is the public invitation with its dates, themes and rules. The proposal form is where people submit a talk. Publish the call on your event pages, link the form from it, and keep the questions identical for every speaker so reviewers compare like with like.
Should speakers send a one-sheet or one-pager?
A one-sheet is an optional summary of a speaker's background. Ask for a short bio in a text field and, if you want one, a link to the speaker's own page. This form does not accept attachments, so do not ask speakers to send one through it.
Is there a free speaker proposal form template?
The field list above works as a template you can copy into any form tool. Attain OS can build a proposal form in the app and share it by a link, but it does not produce a Word or PDF copy.
How long should a call for speakers stay open?
Long enough for a speaker to draft a proposal, and the closing date should appear in the call itself. The form does not send reminders, so repeat the closing date in your own announcements.
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How to build it
Choose a category and a form type in the wizard. Answer three Atty Suggestions questions, then give the form a title. Atty builds the fields in the background. Edit the fields and ask Atty to refine them, then publish and share the /f/ link.
