Call For Presentations for March 2024 Conference in San Francisco

In an effort to foster increased input and collaboration from field partners, the Alliance is accepting presentation proposals for three session formats: Innovations Sessions, Spotlight Sessions, and Transformation Talks. All content for the Transformation Talks will be entirely sourced from submitted proposals, and a select amount of the Innovation and Spotlight Sessions will be selected from submitted proposals. Please see below for detailed descriptions of each session format.

This conference will focus on the innovative and creative ways that all members of the homelessness system can foster connections and explore collaborative partnerships, leverage new resources, and implement best practices to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness.

In requesting submissions at its conference, the Alliance seeks to highlight a diverse range of voices and perspectives. Submissions are open to anyone with skill, background, knowledge, or expertise relevant to ending homelessness. Speakers with lived expertise of homelessness, and speakers presenting research & data, are especially encouraged to submit proposals.

General conference registration will open October 2023. Parties interested in both speaking at and attending the conference should plan to submit their proposals now, and formally register once registration is available. Selected presenters for Innovation and Spotlight Sessions will receive complimentary conference registration; those who have already registered will be reimbursed for their registration fee upon conclusion of the event. Selected presenters for Transformation Talks will receive half-off their conference registration fees. Additional registration slots will not be held for submitting presenters who are not selected.

Submission Overview

The Alliance encourages submissions from people working across all roles in the homeless service sector, including systems leaders, frontline workers, advocates, people with lived experience of homelessness, researchers, and others. The Alliance specifically encourages researchers to consider opportunities to share new and emerging research.

All proposals must fall within at least one of the conference’s core categories:

Requirements for Presenters

• In-Person Presentations: All presentations must occur in person at the event. Proposals for virtual presentations will not be accepted for this conference.
• Non-Federal Affiliation: Please note: HUD staff, HUD TA providers, and USICH staff are not eligible to apply to submit a presentation proposal.
• TA providers not funded by HUD are eligible.

Submission Guidelines

• All proposals must be submitted electronically through the Alliance conference website on or before the deadline date of October 9.
• Only a complete submission is eligible for review. Be sure to follow all directions before you submit.
• Presentations should not serve as a platform for promotion of an individual, organization, or project. Preference will be given to proposals that reflect a variety of perspectives on a core topic and/or lead to innovative solutions to ending homelessness.
• Each presentation has a limited number of speakers per session. Each Innovation Session should have between two and three presenters, each Spotlight Session should have no more than two presenters, and each Transformation Talk should only have one presenter.
• All submissions must identify a primary presenter. Primary presenter is allowed a maximum of one (1) proposal submission per conference. If more than one (1) proposal is submitted per primary presenter, only the first submission will be reviewed and eligible for acceptance.
• The individual submitting the proposal (author) will be the point of contact for all communication with the Alliance conference planning committee. If this person is also a presenter, their information must be provided during Step 4 (“Presenter Information”) during the submission process.
• A proposal may only be submitted under one presentation type (i.e., Innovation Session, Spotlight Session, Transformation Talk).
• An organization may submit multiple presentations. However, an individual presenter is only eligible to speak at one session through the Call for Presentations process. Presenters that are speaking on an approved proposal are still eligible to speak at Alliance-led sessions, should they be recruited by Alliance staff to do so.

Audience

For all session types, authors must select their target audience for the presentation. Target audiences include: frontline providers, people w/lived expertise, program leaders, system leaders, policy advocates, policy administrators, and researchers.

Innovation Session

A 75-minute session intended to engage participants in an interactive discussion or activity around a new or pressing issue. This session is designed to maximize the opportunity for session participants to engage in discussion, as opposed to just listening to speakers present on a specific topic.

Structure:

Innovation sessions should be limited to two to three speaker(s). Speakers are expected to lead discussions by inviting comments and questions from those around the room. Innovation sessions can be designed as a fishbowl, campfire, or other type of facilitated discussion.

Goals:

• Create an atmosphere where attendees are encouraged to discuss new or pressing issue(s) in the field.
• Encourage collaboration and brainstorming of solutions to issues.
• Help others to learn about innovative and/or creative things happening in other communities.

Submission Criteria:

Innovation Session submissions shall not exceed the character limit of each section overall and must include:
 

• Session title (no more than 75 characters)
• Session description (no more than 500 characters)
• Additional session presenter(s) information
• Three learning objectives for session (500 characters per objective)
• Brief description of proposed session format. Preference will be given to proposals that reflect specific methods for ensuring an interactive experience, beyond simply including time for questions and answers (no more than 750 characters)
• Brief description of what findings or lessons learned will be presented. If relevant, include summary recommendations for others who may be considering a similar approach. (no more than 750 characters)

Spotlight Session

The spotlight sessions are 45 –minutes long, intended to provide program participants with a more detailed examination of a particular nuanced concept or community example. It is designed to maximize the amount of time the conference participants have for asking detailed questions. It is important that the speaker(s) in the Spotlight Session be strong and engaging public speakers.

Structure:

A Spotlight Session is limited to one to two speaker(s). The speaker(s) should plan their presentations to allow for 20-25 minutes of extended Q&A. They may choose to give a 15–20 minute presentation followed by extended Q&A, or they may choose a longer presentation that encourages Q&A throughout.

Goals:

• Allow speakers more time to explain a topic in more detail and engage attendees in discussions.
• Educate attendees on new tools and resources.
• Increase collaboration and discussion on certain topics.

Submission Criteria:

Spotlight Session submissions shall not exceed the character limit of each section of each section overall and must include:
 

• Session title (no more than 75 characters)
• Session description (no more than 500 characters)
• Additional session presenter information (if applicable)
• Three learning objectives for session (500 characters per objective)
• Brief description of proposed session format. Preference will be given to proposals that reflect specific methods for ensuring an interactive experience, beyond simply including time for questions and answers (no more than 750 characters)
• Brief description of what findings or lessons learned will be presented. If relevant, include summary recommendations for others who may be considering a similar approach. (no more than 750 characters)

Transformation Talks

Transformation Talks are 10-minute presentations, modeled on TED Talks, intended to engage conference participants on a single idea or new development. Presented in concise, focused presentations, Transformation Talks feature one speaker per topic covering distinct points of view.

Structure:

Transformation Talks feature multiple speakers, each providing a brief presentation (no more than 10 minutes) on one specific topic or transformative idea, presented from their point of view. Speakers are encouraged to use audio and visual aids in their presentations. Presentations are scheduled back-to-back and do not include time for Q&A.

Submission Criteria:

Transformation Talk submissions shall not exceed the character limit of each section of each section overall and must include:
 

• Title for talk (no more than 75 characters)
• Talk description (no more than 500 characters)
• The Learning Objectives, Session Format, Findings and Lessons Learned fields in the application are not required for Transformation Talks.

Criteria

The Alliance will conduct a review of proposals using a cross-functional team of staff and stakeholders. The team will consider these criteria in evaluating and choosing abstracts to be presented at the conference:

• Meets all submission criteria
• Addresses one of the subject topics listed
• Shows an innovative approach or solution
• Submitted in a timely manner

All proposals are due by Monday, October 9, 2023, by 5:00 P.M. PT/8:00 PM ET. Members of the Alliance conference planning committee will select submissions for presentation. All points of contact (those who submit the proposal) will be notified of application status between October 23 – 27, 2023, via email.

If your proposal is accepted, the Alliance reserves the right to make changes to the recommended presenters, program, and materials. Proposals that are similar in subject matter may be accepted and merged at the discretion of the Alliance.

Important Dates

All selected presenters will be required to:

• Submit an outline of your presentation to conference@naeh.org no later than February 5, 2024 confirming presentation content.
• Submit all final presentation materials (slides, handouts, etc.) to conference planning team by February 20, 2024.
• Complete and submit a speaker details form.

If a proposal is selected:

• Selected presenters for Innovation and Spotlight Sessions will receive complimentary conference registration. This registration is reserved for the presenter only and is nontransferable. Individuals who have already registered will be reimbursed for their registration fee upon conclusion of the event.
• Selected presenters for Transformation Talks will receive half-off their conference registration fee. Individuals who have already registered will be reimbursed half of their registration fee upon conclusion of the event.
• Additional registration slots will not be held for submitting presenters who are not selected.
• If you are a person with lived expertise of homelessness, and you will require travel assistance to participate, please check the appropriate box on the application.
• All presenters are expected to be available for all conference dates (March 4 – 6, 2024) in order to facilitate session scheduling.
• Presenters are responsible for their own conference-related expenses, including but not limited to travel, lodging accommodations, and meals outside of ones provided during the conference. However, the Alliance has a limited budget to support participation of presenters with lived expertise of homelessness.