How to become a Gel speaker

Someone just asked me, "How does someone become a Gel speaker?"

I get this question often enough that I thought I'd go ahead and write the manual.

If you want to be part of Gel - the conference and community - just buy a ticket already. (Two upcoming events: Gel Health and Gel 2010.) Attendees make the event. And even speakers themselves are essentially attendees throughout the event, except for the 20 minutes they happen to be on stage. If people only are interested in Gel to get on stage, that's generally a clue to me that they're only interested in exposure and not really in Gel itself.

With that said, for someone who has a specific desire to be on stage at Gel for 20 minutes, no matter any other outstanding experience you could have the rest of the time as an attendee (once again - just sign up already), then here are my suggestions...

How to become a Gel speaker

Do something amazing that hasn't been done before, and that hasn't been spoken about a million times at other conferences. And actually create or do something direct and real, not something about something else. (In the language of Gel, create a good experience, not just some abstract ideas.) And do it for awhile, so it has some longevity, and results, backing it up. At Gel we look for the real thing, the enduring thing, the good and authentic thing, not just a shiny exciting theory or the momentary blip of hype.

So - what doesn't work: "I have a new framework about design/marketing/experience/happiness and have written a book/won a design award/landed a big client with this idea." Nope.

Also what doesn't work: "I'm so great, and my career as a designer/consultant/author/whatever is so impressive, that I'll allow you to put me on stage to give an infomercial about my services." Uhh... no.

And by the way, if you're from a marketing agency or consulting firm or design house, buy a ticket and we'd love to have you as an attendee... we generally don't look for vendors to be on stage. (Please don't ask to speak about the book on marketing you just wrote. Lots of other books and lots of other conferences cover marketing already!)

What does work: I've created a customer-centered business over 20 years and have learned some timeless lessons that I can share. (See Danny Meyer or Chip Conley or John Williams.) Or, I'm working on making healthcare more patient-centered, and here's what we've tried so far. (See Bridget Duffy). Or, I had the insane idea to create 365 skulls in a year and actually did it, and here's how I managed to do it and what I learned. (That was Noah Scalin.) Or, I've helped free over 200 wrongfully convicted people from prison, including my co-presenter, and here's what that's like. (Video here.) Or here are a bunch of real-world examples of how to look at design in a different light. (Thanks, Seth Godin.) Or I researched how Las Vegas designs its customer experience, and here's what I learned. (Natasha Schull.) Or here's how I brew good beer, or organize a community, or write a good song, or design a good, I mean actually good, ad campaign. Or a bunch of other awesome speakers, all at Gel Videos.

And whatever you do, at all costs, never ever ever dispatch a PR person to write the conference organizer a note saying, "I have a client who's interested in speaking at your event." My thought is always, wow - they want to speak at an event but haven't figured out how to write an email themselves! Either that or they're too important to talk to the conference organizer, so they send someone else to do it for them. (One major exception: I pay attention to any recommendation from a past Gel speaker, or from any longtime Gel attendee.)

One last thing, maybe particular to Gel, it really helps not to have spoken before at other major events. If you're "on the circuit" already, it's unlikely that there's a fit with Gel. This is why I generally don't invite speakers based on any application I get from them (or, of course, their handlers)... usually good Gel speakers are people who have not spoken about their work, and so they're not out there trying to get a speaking slot.

In other words, anyone thinking of applying to speak probably is more suited to participate as an attendee than on stage. (So sign up already.)

But think of it this way. If you're doing great work, and are applying to lots of conferences to talk about your work, there are PLENTY of other stages to pursue. Just consider Gel more of an event that you should attend. So sign up already. (Two upcoming events: Gel Health and Gel 2010.)

P.S. Two more suggestions. Be responsive over email. And be nice.

• Aug 14, 2009
• IN: Gel
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