Thank you for your commitment to speak at EA Ignite. As the conference approaches we hope this page provides you with everything you need for a successful conference.
Please review the Speaker Guidelines below before you complete the forms and your presentation.
Important deadlines for EA Ignite. Please email all submissions to Samantha Fournelle at [email protected].
NOW DUE: Signed Speaker Agreement, Headshot & Bio
August 6: Session Title & Description
October 15: PPT Presentation & Session Handouts
**If you need session handouts printed, please sent via email by OCTOBER 12th
HOTEL: EA Ignite staff will book your hotel for you based on your flight dates. IF your dates are different than your flight dates, please notify Sam or Heidi.
AIR: Please book flights by October 8.
** Per your Speaker Agreement, you are responsible for all ground transportation fees.
Please upload the following to your Session Confirmation form.
All presentations and session materials must be submitted via the EA Ignite Presentation Materials form (PowerPoint or PDF). Per your speaker agreement, we require that all speakers submit presentations in advance to be available for attendees to download and take notes on.
Session presentations will be posted in our Mobile App, so attendees can download before and after the conference in the app or via their web browser. All presentations will be protected and only available to our attendees.
We will not print handouts for attendees this year, in an effort to minimize touchpoints. If there are materials attendees need to complete during your session, in an interactive exercise, please upload them with your session materials.
Please upload your slides and/or materials in Speaker Materials form. Workbooks may be submitted in PowerPoint, PDF or Word (only if providing additional materials above and beyond your slide presentation).
Audience: EA Ignite attendees are seasoned admins and senior in their field. They work primarily for large corporations or institutions. Most have some college; many are degreed. 97% of attendees are female; however, we do not want male attendees to feel either left out or singled out. Attendees at EA Ignite work primarily for C Suite Executives, and many of them guide or supervise other admins.
Please check the day and times of your presentation carefully.
Your presentation should present practical, relevant information for the attendees, based on the content description. Please deliver the program as described on the marketing material or EA Ignite website. Attendees chose their session(s) based on that description.
Sessions should be as interactive and engaging as possible. However, given the time constraints, all participatory exercises should be highly structured. Use examples and illustrations that your audience can relate to.
Please keep your introductory comments brief – our attendees are eager to dive in and make the most of their time! We have found that attendees do not receive sessions well that start with a “talk among your selves” networking activity. Please be sure to get to the heart of your presentation quickly. Your attendees are eager to learn techniques and get information that they can take back to work and use.
If you are presenting more than one topic during the conference, please be aware that members of your audience will be in both of your sessions. We have had feedback periodically that presenters used the same stories or content in multiple sessions. Content for each session should be unique.
Your presentation should be timed accurately and adhere to the scheduled time on the program and your contracted agreement, and respect the scheduled start and end times. Attendees want to garner as much information as possible in the designated time slot. The breaks between each session are designed to allow time for necessary refreshment or restroom breaks, meals, or sufficient time to walk to their next destination. Running overtime interferes with the overall schedule.
Be mindful of the diversity of our audience. We are thrilled to see so many different companies, different industries, different backgrounds, race, gender, age, etc. Our attendees have gone through rigorous lengths to get to EA Ignite and all deserve respect and high-level and high-quality training.
Attendees look for sessions that are beyond basic and are a “deeper dive.” We know this can be difficult to gauge with a diverse audience; however, we ask that you take care to use most of your time to present “how to” skills, shortcuts and techniques as opposed to background or general information on the topic. Remember: your audience are very experienced executive assistants.
Room setups will vary.
Each meeting room will have an LCD projector, Screen and Wired Lavaliere Microphone. You must your laptop and any connectors/dongles to use for your presentation. If you prefer a slide advancer, please bring your own. If you are using something other than a standard PC, please inform us ahead of time
INTERNET: Attendees will have access to wireless internet. However, there is limited bandwidth, and some hands-on sessions and workshops will need it to run effectively. If it is not essential that your attendees go online with their smart phones or laptops during the session, please refrain from suggesting that they do so. Please also refrain from operating in an online environment during your presentation unless it is essential. Please design your presentation with that in mind.
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to the start of your session.
Yes. Attendees will complete an evaluation after each session, and the results help inform our future topics and speaker selection.
Professional business attire is required when delivering presentations.
There will be wireless internet available for the presenters that require it. For technology sessions: if you need strong bandwidth, please notify us via the AV form.
Each meeting room will have an LCD projector, Screen and Wireless Lavaliere Microphone. For the greatest ease and success, presenters must bring their own laptop and any connectors/dongles to use for your presentation. If you prefer a slide advancer, please bring your own that is compatible with your laptop.
Room setup varies by room.
If you have a specific request for room set up, please note that in the Speaker Portal. Do be aware, however, that the hotel staffing and the schedule may not allow us to meet your request. In most cases, we are not able to shift room sets between sessions.
Executive Assistants are among an organization’s most vital assets. No longer the office worker of yesteryear, today’s administrative staff must be multi-skilled, versatile and ready to adapt to new roles and greater responsibilities. Yet current research shows that many, if not most, admins are not receiving the training they need to grow and succeed. What’s more, the need for training goes beyond the traditional skills such as technology, travel planning, and event management; a majority of managers agree that project management, leadership, communication, and management skills are equally vital.
EA Ignite offers admins powerful career development strategies. You will equip today’s administrative staff with the essential strategies, skills, and tools they need to meet the fast-changing challenges of today’s leaner organizations. EAs attending EA Ignite will:
Sam Fournelle will return this fall.
This summer, while Sam is on maternity leave, you may contact Jackie Buck ([email protected]).
Thank you for joining us as a presenter at the inaugural EA Ignite – we are confident that your contributions will be nothing less than excellent!
We look forward to seeing you in San Antonio.
Warmest regards,
The EA Ignite Team
