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Speaker Hub › Speaking Opportunities
Conferences looking for speakers right now, with dates, deadlines and what each event wants, plus the next calls to plan for and a step-by-step guide to getting your proposal accepted.
By Awais Ahmad, Founder of GrowProfiles
Updated 29 October 2026 · 11 min read
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18 open calls
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Checked 29 Oct 2026
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How to apply
Open calls for speakers
Nov 2026
Closing soonest
Deadline
MPI WEC 2027
Nov 6
ILA Women & Leadership
Nov 13
AHA Leadership Summit
Nov 13
SOAHR 2027 (SHRM-Atlanta)
Nov 15
SHRM HR-X Live! 2027
Dec 15
Checked 29 Oct 2026
Proposal accepted
"Your session has been selected for our spring conference."
Accepted ✓
Breakout
The basics
Quick answer
A call for speakers is how a conference finds some of its speakers. The organiser publishes a deadline, and you send in a session title, a short description, your bio and often a video of you speaking. You may also see it called a call for proposals, a call for presenters or a CFP. Below are 18 calls for speakers open now for 2027 events, the next ones to plan for, and how to write a proposal that gets accepted.
18
Calls open now
3
Opening soon or to confirm
10
Big events to plan for
5
Confirmed, no call yet
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Every event below was checked against the organiser's own website or official submission page on 29 October 2026. We refresh this list every month.
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To apply, search the event name followed by "call for speakers" and submit through the organiser's official website.
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Deadlines can move. Confirm the date on the official page before you start writing.
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Most calls are for breakout sessions and panels. Keynotes are usually booked directly, but a strong breakout is often how planners find their next keynote speaker.
New to speaking at conferences?
Start with our guide to how to get speaking engagements. It covers where to find opportunities, how to pitch and how to follow up.
Open now
These calls close this month, listed by deadline. If one fits your audience, it's worth drafting your proposal this week.
Open · closes Nov 2, 2026
August 7–10, 2027 · Charlotte, North Carolina
Looking for: Association leadership and management education sessions.
Only days left, so submit now if it fits.
Open · closes Nov 6, 2026
June 28–30, 2027 · The Venetian, Las Vegas · Meeting Professionals International
Looking for: Meetings and events industry education.
For speakers: Free registration plus a $500 stipend.
Open · closes Nov 10, 2026
August 3–5, 2027 · San Diego
Looking for: Workplace wellbeing and health promotion.
For speakers: Free registration and eligible expenses for the lead presenter.
Open · closes Nov 13, 2026
June 14–16, 2027 · St. Catherine University, St. Paul, Minnesota · International Leadership Association
Looking for: Leading in turmoil, women's leadership in the age of AI, global and inclusive perspectives, consultants and practitioners, community leadership.
For speakers: No speaker fees or free registration.
Acceptances are due December 15, 2026.
Open · closes Nov 13, 2026
July 18–20, 2027 · San Diego · American Hospital Association
Looking for: Healthcare leadership: behavioural health, care redesign and staffing, AI and digital tools, leading change.
For speakers: Free registration; you pay your own travel. Keynotes are by invitation only.
Panels and case studies. Selections announced February 1, 2027.
Open · closes Nov 15, 2026
March 31–April 1, 2027 · College Park, Georgia
Looking for: HR sessions that qualify for SHRM and HRCI recertification credit.
For speakers: Speakers are not paid.
Open · closes late Nov 2026
May 5–7, 2027 · La Crosse, Wisconsin
Looking for: Workforce, financial pressures, regulatory change and innovation in aging services. Keynote proposals are accepted.
For speakers: Honoraria for keynote proposals only; $100 off registration for the main speaker.
The exact closing day isn't published, so apply early.
Open · closes Nov 30, 2026
May 10–12, 2027 · Orlando, Florida
Looking for: HR, payroll, workforce management, benefits and business growth.
Open to Paychex and Paycor customers, HR consultants and partners only.
These calls are open now. Where an organiser hasn't published a deadline, treat it as "apply soon": many calls close early once they have enough strong proposals.
Open · closes Dec 7, 2026
November 7–10, 2027 · Minneapolis
Looking for: Leadership development, wellbeing and engagement, workforce strategies, marketing and inclusive cultures, across 10 tracks.
For speakers: A free day pass on your presentation day, or $300 off full registration.
Open · closes Dec 15, 2026
June 27–30, 2027 · Chicago
Looking for: HR and people topics.
For speakers: SHRM usually covers registration, economy airfare and two hotel nights for speakers, with an optional stipend. Confirm for this event.
Decisions are due by April 16, 2027.
Open · closes Dec 31, 2026
April 26–29, 2027 · Gaylord Opryland, Nashville
Looking for: Wellbeing, recognition, belonging, performance, the future of work and workplace culture.
For speakers: Registration and hotel are covered for accepted speakers. A video sample of you speaking is required.
Rolling · until Apr 1, 2027
EmERGe May 11–12, 2027, plus virtual and London events
Looking for: ERGs, inclusive leadership, manager effectiveness, talent, the multigenerational workforce, AI and the future of work, health and financial wellbeing.
For speakers: A free conference pass for selected speakers.
A general call reviewed on a rolling basis, so earlier is better.
Open · deadline not published
April 2027 · Sioux Falls Convention Center
Looking for: HR topics, with separate applications for keynotes and breakout sessions.
Reviews started in August, so apply soon.
Open · deadline not published
September 21–23, 2027 · Kalahari Resorts, Sandusky
Looking for: A wide range of HR topics for around 1,000 attendees.
Open · deadline not published
May 24–29, 2027 · Shoreditch, London
Looking for: Innovation, creativity and business across 14 conference tracks.
Public submissions are open; no closing date is published yet.
Open · deadline not published
April 13–15, 2027 · Miami
Looking for: The future of work, HR, talent, skills, AI and employee experience.
For speakers: A speaker pass plus five free passes for your network.
Favours HR practitioners from large organisations.
Open · deadline not published
March 16, 2027 · London · Data & Marketing Association
Looking for: The future of marketing: data, creativity, AI and customer engagement.
Rolling · no deadline
National and virtual events through the year · National Association of Women Business Owners
Looking for: Women's entrepreneurship and business ownership.
A year-round speaker pool rather than one event.
Coming up
Put these in your calendar now. The best proposals are written before the call opens, not in the last week.
Expected February 2027
September 8–10, 2027 · Boston
Looking for: Marketing, sales, AI and business growth.
The 2026 call ran for about two weeks in February, so sign up for their updates now.
Check status
April 4–7, 2027 · San Diego
Looking for: Learning, skills, workforce, higher education, edtech and AI.
Its call for speakers page is live, but no deadline is shown.
Check status
2027 date to be announced · Ewing, New Jersey
Looking for: Women's leadership, wellbeing and resilience.
A 2027 proposal form is linked from the summit's site.
These events have confirmed 2027 dates but no open application. Speakers are usually invited or pitched directly, so contact the organiser's programme team instead.
NSA Influence 2027 · July 17–20, Scottsdale
IMEX Frankfurt 2027 · May 11–13
IMEX America 2027 · Sept 28–30, Las Vegas
Social Media Marketing World 2027 · April 1–3, Anaheim
Experiential Marketing Summit 2027 · April 27–29, Las Vegas
Plan ahead
These well-known calls have already closed for 2027. Large US conferences pick speakers 8 to 11 months ahead, so the time to prepare for 2028 is now.
SHRM Annual Conference 2027
June 27–30, 2027 · Chicago
SHRM lists July 15 of the year before as its deadline. For 2028, plan to apply by July 2027.
SHRM Talent 2027
April 11–14, 2027 · Denver area
Closed September 18, 2026. Decisions are due December 18, 2026.
ATD 2027 International Conference & EXPO
May 16–19, 2027 · Boston
Closed August 6, 2026. Based on this year, expect the 2028 call in July and August 2027.
PCMA Convening Leaders 2027
January 10–13, 2027 · Miami Beach
Closed September 4, 2026. PCMA keeps a year-round form for session ideas.
SXSW 2027
March 15–21, 2027 · Austin
The PanelPicker ran June 23 to July 26, 2026. Expect the same window in 2027.
SXSW EDU 2027
March 13–16, 2027 · Austin
Closed in summer 2026. The next call is expected in summer 2027.
ISTELive 27 and ASCD Annual 27
June 27–30, 2027 · Boston
The main call is closed, but some session formats are still being accepted.
AASA National Conference on Education 2027
February 25–27, 2027 · Atlanta
Closed May 29, 2026. The 2027 call opened in March, so expect the 2028 call around March 2027.
ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership 2027
March 22–24, 2027 · Nashville
Closed. ACHE opens its call for a short time each spring.
TICE 2027 (Training Industry)
June 8–10, 2027 · Raleigh, North Carolina
Closed October 2, 2026.
Calls follow a predictable rhythm through the year. Use it to plan your submissions a season ahead.
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Calls for autumn events: UNBOUND, Content Marketing World, MarketingProfs and ACHE. Some education calls, such as AASA, open now too.
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Calls for big US conferences the following spring and summer: SXSW, SXSW EDU, ATD and SHRM Annual.
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Calls for the next spring: NACE, ASAE, state SHRM conferences, Learning Forward and HR Tech Asia.
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Rolling forms from PCMA, Seramount and MarketingProfs, local TEDx events, and speaker bureaus such as Workhuman's.
By topic
Looking for a call for speakers in leadership, women's leadership or wellbeing? Here's where the events above fit.
AHA Leadership Summit
LeadingAge Annual Meeting
ILA Women and Leadership
ASAE Annual
ACHE Congress
Workhuman Live
SHRM state conferences
Seramount
SHRM HR-X Live!
UNLEASH Miami
Women's Leadership Summit (TCNJ)
Seramount
ILA Women and Leadership
Wellness Alliance Summit
LeadingAge Annual Meeting
Workhuman Live
ASU+GSV Summit
ISTELive (some formats)
SXSW EDU (2028)
DMA Annual Conference (London)
UNBOUND
SXSW London
SXSW (2028)
Step by step
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Choose five to ten events where the people in the room are the people who book you. A smaller event in your niche beats a famous one that isn't.
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Read the themes, formats and audience notes, then look at last year's sessions. Pitch something the agenda is missing, not something it already has.
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"Lead Through Change Without Losing Your Best People" gets picked over "Leadership in a Changing World". Be specific about who it's for and what they get.
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Most calls ask for 150 to 300 words. Name the problem, your approach and three takeaways attendees can use the next day.
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Have a short bio, a professional headshot and a two- to three-minute video of you speaking to a live audience. Many calls now require video.
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Reviewers often score as proposals arrive. Submit a week before the deadline, keep a tracker of every call, and send a short thank-you whatever the answer.
Most calls ask for the same things. Have these ready and each new proposal takes minutes, not hours.
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A title that promises a clear outcome
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A description of 150 to 300 words
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Three practical takeaways
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Who the session is for and their experience level
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Format and length: keynote, breakout, panel or workshop
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A short bio written in the third person
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A recent professional headshot
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A video of you speaking to a live audience
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Any past events where you've given the talk
Save time on your bio and talk
Use our free speaker bio template for the bio, and our keynote speech outline to shape the session you're proposing.
Call for speakers
Any open invitation to apply to speak
Call for proposals (CFP)
You propose a session; the most common term
Call for presenters / presentations
Same idea; common at education and association events
Call for papers
Academic; usually needs a written paper or abstract
Money
Usually not. Most calls for speakers are for breakout sessions, and the reward is the stage, the audience and the planners in the room, not a fee. Paid keynotes are mostly booked directly by event planners or through bureaus.
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The most common perk. ATD, HDI and Training Industry's TICE all give speakers free registration.
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Workhuman Live covers both for accepted speakers.
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SHRM offers stipends or expense reimbursement for some national conference speakers.
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Most state conferences, TEDx events and many associations don't pay. Some education conferences don't even discount registration.
That doesn't make unpaid sessions a waste. One strong breakout gives you video for your reel, testimonials from organisers and introductions to planners who book paid keynotes. Just pick events where those planners are actually in the room.
Know your fee before they ask
When a planner asks you to keynote after your session, have an answer ready. Our speaker fees guide shows how to set and quote your fee.
FAQ
An open invitation from a conference or event to apply to speak. You submit a session idea, a short description, your bio and often a video before a deadline, and the organisers choose the sessions that fit their programme.
This page lists open calls checked on 29 October 2026. Also look at the websites of associations in your industry, your state SHRM chapter, local TEDx events, and the "speak at our event" pages of conferences you'd like to attend.
Usually not. Most calls offer a free conference pass. A few cover more, such as Workhuman Live, which covers registration and hotel. Paid keynotes are mostly booked directly.
Large US conferences usually close their calls 8 to 11 months before the event. Smaller and industry events often choose 4 to 7 months ahead.
There's no central TEDx application. Each local TEDx event chooses its own speakers, so look for TEDx events near you and apply through their own nomination forms. TEDx speakers are not paid.
A clear title, a 150 to 300 word description, three takeaways, who the session is for, the format and length, a short bio, a headshot and a video of you speaking.
A call for speakers or proposals asks for a session idea. A call for papers is mostly academic and asks for a written paper or detailed abstract.
Ask for feedback, improve the title and description, and submit again next year or to a similar event. Most experienced speakers are turned down far more often than they are accepted.
Written by
Awais Ahmad
Founder of GrowProfiles. Since 2018 I've built websites, SEO, video and marketing for speakers, coaches and trainers, including three-time Olympian Devon Harris.
Read my story →Keep reading
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