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Seven Tips to Get on a Panel at a Conference

By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

Admit it. You’ve been to an industry conference and you see the people on the panel and you wonder, “How in the heck did ‘that’ guy get on the panel? I could do that.”

Well, you’re not alone. Like getting asked to prom, you can wait to get an invitation or be aggressive and make it happen. As a publicist I am often asked to get a client on the convention dais, and as a result here are a few tactics I have learned that actually work. Here are seven tips to help you land a panel gig.

1. Bring a big name to the party

If you have little name recognition organize a panel around a topic and call in a favor from Bill Gates or another notable friend, client, customer or vendor by creating your own panel. Then pitch the "ready made" panel, which includes you of course, to the conference organization. That makes less work for them and you get more editorial control over the discussion. Big names draw big crowds. All conferences like big names.

2. Create a catchy title

Even if you have a big name on your panel, an unexciting panel title and no mention of the big name will not be as interesting to the conference planner. Take a page from the entertainment industry. Would people rather watch "Desperate Housewives" or the same program titled "Five Bored Housewives on Wisteria Lane?”

3. Make a promise

Tell conference planners what prospective audience members will learn and what they will take away from the presentation in the program description. For example, tell them they will learn to do X, Y and Z and be able to implement something tangible in their own business or practice.

4. Offer to promote the conference

Tell conference planners that you'll promote the convention to the prospective conference goers. This helps drive more people to the conference and they will surely like that. You can offer to promote the event using:

• A public relations campaign to industry and consumer media
• A direct mail piece to your clients and customers
• A series of e-mails to your clients and customers with a link to the conference's Web site

5. Bring something to give away

Tell conference planners you'll be giving away something of value to audience members if you get the engagement. Items such as a free video, autographed book or new software are often welcomed by conference planners as they make them look good.

6. Make yourself the logical choice to speak on a particular topic

Demonstrate expertise by showing conference planners your articles on the subject. Nobody wants to take a chance on an unknown person with shaky credentials. But, if the conference planner can Google you and find your Web site and numerous articles you’ve written or your quotes in news, that takes the uncertainty out of the equation and they’re more apt to book you.

7. Plan way in advance

Most conferences are booked in convention halls years in advance and most programs are decided upon many months in advance. If you really want to get on a panel, make your pitch before your competitor does, which could be several months in advance. There’s always a chance of a last minute booking but it’s always best to plan way ahead to increase chances.

Remember, just like the prom, you can wait around until they ask you or you can do the asking and make it happen. The bottom line: you've got to market yourself, so get aggressive and initiate the opportunity.

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Scott Lorenz is the president of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in marketing authors. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC Nightly News, ESPN, The New York Times, Nightline, Time, PBS, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Family Circle, Woman's World and Howard Stern. For more information visit www.westwindcos.com.