CALL FOR PRESENTERS: 2025 Event Safety Summit
INFORMATION FOR PRESENTERS
The theme of this year’s Event Safety Summit is “Solidarity in Safety.” To us, this is more than a tagline — it’s a culture we build together. It means showing up for each other across roles, sharing what we know, asking for help or guidance, and working together to make our events safer and our community stronger. The Summit will be open to any aspect or angle of the safety environment, whether or not it has been presented here before.
This year, we are designing the Summit to reflect that spirit. Sessions will emphasize participation over presentation. If you teach physical skills, we’ll make room for hands-on learning. If you lead group exercises, we’ll configure space for teamwork. If your content doesn’t involve movement, consider how attendees can still be active participants in their own learning.
If you have something to teach and you're ready to engage, not just talk, we want to hear your ideas. We’ll help you bring it to life!
EDUCATION FORMAT
The 2025 Event Safety Summit is designed around how adults learn best — through active learning. We retain more when we’re engaged: thinking critically, solving real problems, and connecting ideas to our own experience. Sessions that prioritize participation, accessibility, and real-world application lead to stronger takeaways and better outcomes for professionals. During the presenter prep phase, we’ll provide tips and tools to help support different learning styles — through clear communication, accessible visuals, and interactive formats. The Summit format will proceed roughly along the following lines:
Each day will begin with a General Session to introduce key concepts.
There will be 50-minute breakout sessions, with several sessions running concurrently. Some breakouts will be organized by a common theme.
The final session of the day will bring the entire group back together to discuss lessons learned.
We are also planning a group social activity one evening, a new member reception, affinity group meetings, and an optional venue tour.
PRESENTATION CRITERIA
Every presenter should:
(a) Bring an Informed Point of View: Presenters should speak from real experience, research, or direct involvement in their topic. Every session must include clear, practical takeaways that participants can apply in their own work. While insight and perspective are valuable, sessions should move beyond general overviews and must avoid any form of sales pitch.
(b) Deliver Your Topic with Clarity and Care: Sessions should be delivered in a way that is clear, engaging, and thoughtfully paced. While presentation styles may vary depending on the topic, we look for presenters who can communicate their message effectively and create a meaningful learning experience for attendees.
(c) Include Audience Interaction: Every session must include at least one interactive element that invites attendees to participate. This could include:
a hands-on task or group activity
a facilitated discussion, case study, or tabletop exercise
live polling or audience prompts
or simply working the room with dynamic questions and real-time engagement
In addition, presenters are expected to uphold the following values:
Teach, Don’t Sell: An engaging presentation may naturally elevate your visibility, but the purpose is to educate, not promote. Sessions must not function as infomercials.
Be Fully Present: We expect presenters to show up with focus, intention, and care for the learning environment. Speak with purpose, listen actively, and foster participation.
Respect the Room: We work in a high-intensity industry, but professionalism matters. Offensive language—even in storytelling—is strongly discouraged. Presenters are expected to maintain an environment of inclusion and respect, aligned with the ESA Code of Conduct.
SPEAKER EXPENSES
The Event Safety Alliance is a 501 (c)(6) non-profit association that exists through the generosity of its members and contributors. Speakers are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs, and any other expenses related to presenting at an ESA hosted event. If costs present a barrier to participation, ESA welcomes direct inquiries to explore potential support options on a case-by-case basis.
PRESENTER APPLICATION
To submit your session idea, please complete the application and submit supporting materials here or at this link: https://airtable.com/appw75bAMnBO594Nj/pagFByx8x1yhIf8ye/form
Applications are due by midnight Eastern Time on July 31, 2025.
If you have any questions, contact: summit@eventsafetyalliance.org.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Please complete each section of the form to the best of your ability. If you’re unsure about any part, submit what you can—we’re here to support you through the process.
Point of Contact Information: This is the main presenter and the person with whom we’ll communicate throughout the process.
Co Presenter Information: If you’re presenting with someone else, list their name and contact info here. If your session includes panelists, a facilitator, or has a unique format involving multiple voices, feel free to use the notes section to explain. This helps us understand how your session will flow and who will be involved.
Presentation Information: Share your session idea. What is it about? Who is it for? What do you want people to walk away with? Let us know the format you’re envisioning—whether it's hands-on, a roundtable, case study, or something else. If there’s a specific track or theme your session supports, you can note that too.
As part of this section, please include a 3-5-minute video pitch where you explain your session idea and why it’s a good fit for the Summit. This helps the committee get a sense of your style, clarity, and enthusiasm.
To submit your video:
Record a short clip on your phone or computer.
Upload it to YouTube and set the visibility to Unlisted (not Private or Public).
Paste the Unlisted YouTube link in the form.
(Unlisted means only people with the link can view it — it won’t appear publicly on your profile or in search results)
If you’re new to presenting, don’t worry — we’re not looking for perfection. We just want to get a feel for your voice and vision — we’ll provide guidance along the way.
Presenter Credentials: Tell us a bit about yourself. You can include a short bio, resume, relevant experience, past speaking engagements, or anything that gives us context. If you're new to presenting but have a strong point of view and can deliver it enthusiastically, we still want to hear from you. ESA is glad to support first-time presenters—everyone starts somewhere.
REVIEW & FOLLOW UP
Once you submit your application, you’ll receive a confirmation message after submitting your application — you’ll see a message like this:
All proposals submitted by midnight Eastern Time on July 31, 2025, will be reviewed by the Content Selection Committee. We’ll begin scoring and discussion in August and aim to notify finalists by the end of that month.
If anything changes, we’ll keep you in the loop. We’re committed to being clear and respectful of your time throughout the process.