Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Speaking Proposals

The NASPP does not offer speaking opportunities in exchange for exhibiting and sponsoring at the Conference.  To maintain the integrity of the Conference, our number one consideration when evaluating speaking proposals has to be the content of the proposal and qualifications of the speakers.  We have around 60 exhibitors every year, far more than the number of speaking slots we have available, therefore we cannot guarantee a speaking slot to every exhibitor.

We do, however, look at past and current exhibition and sponsorship commitments, and other past contributions to the NASPP (both financial and in-kind), when we evaluate speaking proposals. For example, if we have two equally compelling proposals in terms of content and speaker qualifications, we would give preference to the proposal submitted by firm that is a consistently strong supporter of the NASPP. Here are some factors to be aware of in terms of how we evaluate the level of support provided by firms that have submitted speaking proposals:

• We do not consider promises of support; we give preference only where we have received payment or a firm commitment of support.
• Preference is given in correlation to the level of commitment.  For example, a firm that purchases only one exhibit booth will receive less preference than a firm that purchase multiple booths and also agrees to a sponsorship.  We have close to 60 exhibitors at the Conference, but usually less than 20 sponsors, so sponsoring is an excellent way for firms to distinguish themselves from the other exhibitors. 
• Examples of support that we consider include, but are not limited to, exhibiting at the Conference, sponsoring the Conference (in addition to exhibiting), contributing content to the NASPP website, speaking at local chapter meetings, supporting local chapters (e.g., sponsoring local chapters or helping to run a chapter), and the number of NASPP memberships the firm maintains.
• Firms that have a long (multi-year) history of supporting the NASPP and our Conference will receive preference over first-time exhibitors or those that make only minimal or limited contributions.