Presenting

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

400 influential leaders in Sail Training Programs from across the country are gathering in Savannah, GA for three days in February 2024.

Do YOU have something to say? Here is your chance.

Presenting at NSPS

National Sailing Programs Symposium is only made possible by leaders inside and outside our sport donating their time and talent to educate the sailing community. Sessions include both professional education and personal development. Presenters have vast experience which the sailing community can learn from.

Education Tracks

These are our preliminary tracks for 2024: 

  • Business Development and Leadership – Business operations including budget management, operations, logistics, fundraising, sponsorship, marketing & communications and strategic planning. Understanding leadership, culture, employee happiness, and volunteer management
  • Innovation, Sustainability and Technology – Exploring creative programming, innovative competitive event formats and cutting-edge sailing technology. Designing events and programs that go beyond low impact to positive impact, innovations in sustainability
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility – Creating inclusive accessible programs, events and workplaces
  • Trends, Participation and Growth – Looking to the future to develop programming and events which grow participation.
  • Safety On and Off the Water – Comprehensive emergency action and crisis communication plans, lessons learned from recent incidents, Safe Sport guidance, accident proofing your organization and running safe regattas.
  • Well-being and Personal Growth – Prioritizing mental health and emotional intelligence

Target Audience

Program Directors
Yacht Club Management
Organization/Club/Program Leadership
Instructors/Coaches
Volunteers

Session formats

Breakout
Capacity: 75 people
Length of session: 60 minutes
Learning format: Full presentation using provided PowerPoint template.
Set up: Theater or Rounds (room dependent)
AV: There will be a provided laptop available and full audio-visual equipment provided including screen, projector, computer audio and microphone

Ways to Pitch a Session

Propose a Session
Want to present at NSPS 2024 and have a topic that you think is perfect? Submit a session proposal! Proposals don't require you to present a fully developed session. Instead, we'll ask a few brief questions designed to capture the importance of the issue and the solutions offered. Have an idea outside of the preliminary tracks? We want to hear about it! Submit a proposal and we will consider your session.

Propose a Topic: Share an Idea or Topic Area You Want to See at NSPS 2024
We want to hear the big ideas of our attendees! If you have a topic or idea you want us to explore at NSPS 2024, share it with us without needing to prep a full session proposal.

Pitch a Speaker
Know a great speaker or subject matter expert? Share the contact with us! Refer someone you want us to consider for a NSPS 2024 speaker.

Speaker Guidelines

Session content
All sessions must be educational in nature and not feature overt marketing or direct selling for a single company or product, although mentions of products and services are acceptable to illustrate learning points. All submissions are reviewed on the merits of the content and chosen with relevance to the program. In short, sales pitches are not allowed!

Presentation slides
An official US Sailing/NSPS PowerPoint template for speaker presentations will be provided, please prepare your presentation slides on provided template. Please bring completed presentation to the show on a USB. Note: sessions are not recorded unless otherwise noted.

Fees
US Sailing doesn’t typically compensate speakers for travel or accommodation expenses or pay speaker fees. We view speaking opportunities at NSPS as mutually beneficial, an opportunity to present yourself and your ideas to an influential and engaged audience together with a chance to leverage the opportunity for yourself or your organization and give back to the sport with your time and talent.

If accepted as a presenter do I have to register?
Yes, ALL session moderators and speakers must register and pay the conference registration fee. A discounted presenter registration rate will be offered.

Important Dates

  • Topic suggestions, and speaker referrals deadline: October 1, 2023
  • Proposals reviewed: Ongoing through October 15, 2023
  • Notification of session acceptance and delivery format: November 1, 2023
  • Approved sessions - final descriptions, speaker bios & headshots: December 1, 2023

Additonal FAQs

Review Process

Speaking at NSPS

If you do not see your question answered above, please contact events@ussailing.org