Speaker Application

The Orion Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce a call for speakers. We are seeking presenters and facilitators to share leading-edge ideas, inspire enlightening discussions and convey the fundamentals for growing business. Topics are selected based on member surveys, the success of past events, and the timeliness and relevance of topics to the overall business community. Each program has different goals, objectives, and audiences and we look forward to hearing how you'd like to bring value to a future event.

Please keep in mind that this is not a promotional pitch for the presenters, but an opportunity to showcase your particular area of expertise. Dates and locations will be decided once the final schedule has been issued. Applicants may submit proposals for multiple topics or programs.

Process:

As speaking opportunities emerge, the Chamber staff and event planning committees will decide the best fit for the speakers and presentation topics based on those who submitted proposals.

A successful proposal will show how a presentation will:

-Articulate lessons learned—including concrete examples of what worked and what did not.
-Provide tangible takeaways, so audience members can put good ideas to work right away.
-Engage the audience to interact with the speaker and other attendees.

Professional business speakers must adhere to the following responsibilities:

-Belong to an organization who is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and is in good standing, or has presented before for other organizations and has strong references for those presentations.
-Have competencies in high-quality, educational presentations and workshop facilitation tailored to the audience.
-If applicable, engage attendees with a short 5-minute group activity as well as audience participation and discussion.
-Provide practical learning/tips that audience members can employ in their business.
-Arrive at the presentation a minimum of 30-minutes early to check technology setup and room layout.
-Provide an opportunity to respond to questions and network with attendees post-event.
-Coordinate with staff regarding any special equipment or speaker needs in advance.
-Ensure the session is not perceived as an infomercial; Must not make sales pitches about a particular product or service.
-Use generic names if at all possible. If a specific product or service must be mentioned, also mention the names of two or three similar products or services.
-Do not disparage the competition.
-Provide balanced and unbiased information.
-Complete the Speaker Proposal Form below.