With Civo Navigate, our upcoming tech conference, just around the corner, you may be considering submitting a Call for Proposal (CFP) for an opportunity to share your expertise and insights with a wider audience. If you're new to the world of tech conferences, a CFP is a document proposing your presentation for a particular conference. Our CFP submission process for Civo Navigate is now open for a wide variety of cloud native topics such as Kubernetes, Edge Computing, and Machine Learning.

In this article, we'll guide you through the best practices for submitting a successful CFP and increasing your chances of being accepted to speak at our conference.

What is a CFP?

If you're considering speaking at a tech conference like Civo Navigate, you'll need to submit a Call for Proposal (CFP) to propose your presentation idea. A CFP is a document that outlines what your session will look like and why it's valuable for attendees. Your submission will typically include a title, an abstract of your idea, a definition of how it will benefit the community, your bio, and your company's bio.

Submitting a successful CFP is crucial for getting accepted to speak at a conference. By following the guidelines provided by the conference organizers and providing a compelling proposal that meets the needs of the audience, you'll increase your chances of being selected to present.

Once you've submitted your CFP, the conference committee will review it and notify you via email if you've been selected to speak. The selection process can be competitive, so it's important to put your best foot forward and make sure your proposal meets the needs of the conference organizers and attendees. By following these best practices, you'll increase your chances of being accepted and sharing your expertise with a wider audience.

What steps to follow while submitting a CFP?

To get a CFP selected, you will need to follow a number of steps mentioned below:

Step 1: Consider the conference theme and focus

Before starting your CFP, read the conference instructions to understand how your topic aligns with the conference theme and the audience you'll be speaking to. If the conference focuses on Kubernetes, for example, make sure your presentation relates to this topic.

Step 2: Create a clear and concise title

Your title should be focused and help the reader understand the topic you'll be presenting. A good technique is to write your abstract first and use it to guide the creation of your title.

Step 3: Write a compelling abstract

Your abstract should give attendees a sense of what they'll learn from your session, without giving away too much information. Remember that the abstract is like a trailer for a movie, so make sure it's intriguing and leaves attendees wanting more. Consider starting with a story and ending with a call to action.

Step 4: Highlight the benefit to the community

Explain how your talk can benefit the community, whether it's helping attendees get started with technology or offering insights on industry trends. Make sure to differentiate your presentation from others taking place at the conference.

Step 5: Include relevant resources

In the resources section of your CFP, you can add slides or recordings from previous conferences or upload a video to YouTube explaining a particular topic. This helps the review committee evaluate your speaking skills and could impact the acceptance of your proposal.

Step 6: Get feedback from industry experts

Before submitting your CFP, revise it and get feedback from industry experts. This could help you avoid repeating talks from previous years and ensure your content is fresh and engaging. You can find industry experts on Twitter or other professional networks.

Step 7: Proofread your CFP

Before submitting your CFP, make sure to proofread it for errors and inconsistencies. A polished and professional CFP could make a big difference in the acceptance of your proposal.

Civo Navigate Europe 2023

At Civo Navigate NA 2023 we welcomed over 50 speakers across the two-day event allowing attendees to learn anything from machine learning to the secret ingredients to building a thriving company culture. Some of the sessions included:

  • Docker 101 in 2023 - Bret Fisher, Creator of Docker & Kubernetes Mastery
  • I am cluster-admin destroyer of all you hold dear - Matt Williams
  • Cloud Native and Why Simplicity Matters - Catherine Paganini
  • Learn to hack: Discover a pen tester's secret weapons - Oliver Pinson-Roxburugh
  • The Future Skills People Need to Succeed in Tech - Tameika Reed

The conference even kicked off with a Keynote session from Steve Wozniak where he sat down with Mark Boost (CEO) and Dinesh Majrekar (CTO) to talk about the future of tech and his time at Apple.

You can watch the full Keynote session below:

Interested in getting the chance to speak at Civo Navigate Europe 2023? Submit your CFP for today by clicking here.

Summary

This blog post provides tips on submitting a successful Call for Proposal (CFP) for tech conferences such as Civo Navigate.

The post explains that a CFP is a document outlining your proposed presentation for the conference and includes a title, an abstract, and information on how it will benefit the community. The post outlines steps to follow to increase the chances of getting your CFP accepted, including considering the conference theme, creating a clear and concise title, writing a compelling abstract, highlighting the benefit to the community, including relevant resources, getting feedback from industry experts, and proofreading your CFP. By following these best practices, speakers can increase their chances of being accepted and sharing their expertise with a wider audience.