How Do We Select Conference Presenters?

Our Running USA Conference Planning Committee works year-round to put together a wide variety of content that is relevant and engaging for our attendees across all segments of the industry, including event directors, product vendors, technology companies, marketing experts, media, and many more.

It is our goal to select engaging and knowledgeable presenters and dynamic industry experts. Speaking and presentation topics are defined months in advance and will likely be full by November 2021. Presentation opportunities are purely educational and not considered as part of sponsorship opportunities. Speakers will be asked to refrain from making any product or service pitches during their presentations.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not pay conference presenters or panelists, nor provide lodging or travel stipends. Presenters register to attend the conference and pay the regular attendee price.

Presenter Roles + Topics of Interest

Presenter Needs (please select one during application process) 

Idea Labs: Educational sessions (approximately 100 attendees) where presenters focus on a pressing industry topic, talking through best practices, practical solutions, trends, etc., giving attendees a wealth of information to take and implement in their own businesses and races.
General Sessions: Main stage presenters (600-800 attendees) give 60-90 minute presentations or participate on panels that tackle subjects in-depth that are pressing to the endurance industry.

Topics of Interest

  • Sales and Marketing
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Sponsorship
  • Course Operations
  • Post-COVID events
  • Technology
  • Virtual Events
  • Insurance
  • Safety and Security
  • Expo and VIP
  • Runner Experience
  • Charity Programs

Presenter Qualifications

We are looking for presenters who can “edutain.”

What does that mean? It means you can capture an audience’s attention, engage and motivate, all the while sharing valuable information they can use to grow their races and businesses.

Ask yourself, “can I edutain an audience of 50 people, of 200 people, of 600 people for one hour?” If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you.

Other things we’re seeking:

  • Having attended at least one past Running USA conference is favorable
  • An awareness of industry trends and best practices, as well as an understanding of the pain points races and businesses experience.
  • The ability to create actionable takeaways for all audience attendees.
  • Complete focus on the audience and helping them learn, strategize and brainstorm. The Idea Labs and General Sessions are not the time to pitch your product. If you are looking to pitch an audience, we have an expo and other opportunities for that.
  • A desire to build presentations with a heavy focus on imagery, quick rotation of slides,  and meaningful messages.

Presenter Requirements + Deadlines

We are looking for presenters with specific areas of knowledge and focused presentation ideas, not general expertise. If you have a presentation you would like considered for 2022, please fill out the application form below with the following information.:

  • Topic and target audience
  • Length of presentation
  • Best session type for presentation.
  • Short personal biography
  • Link to video of previous presentations (if available)
  • Please only submit for yourself. Multiple submissions by the same individuals will not be considered.
  • Speaker spots are not sponsorable opportunities

Fill Out the Speaker Application

(IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not pay conference speakers or panelists, nor provide lodging or travel stipends. Speakers register to attend the conference and pay the regular attendee price.)

Tuesday, August 31 is the deadline to submit your application for consideration. We strongly suggest if you are interested in speaking to submit your application form as soon as possible

Please send all inquiries and questions to speakers@runningusa.org

Running USA received over 120+ requests to speak and present in 2020. Due to the high volume of submissions, we are unable to respond to each submission individually. If there is interest in your topic after committee review we will contact you by 9/30/21.  Thank you for your interest and see you at the 2022 Running USA Industry Conference.