Call for Speakers

October 12 – 16, 2011
San Diego, California

Information (please review before completing the online form)

You are invited to submit a presentation proposal for the APDT 2011 Annual Conference. We are looking for skilled speakers, who can present solid basics, cutting edge research on behavior, and/or innovative positive training techniques.

Visit the ADPT website, at www.APDT.com, to see the scope and range of topics at the 2010 conference. We are looking for new, fresh, and innovative proposals in our efforts to provide contemporary education. Your opportunity to be selected will be enhanced if your presentation is new, fresh, and has not been presented at other venues.

The selection committee is interested in receiving proposals that discuss solutions to training ideas and/or problems.  Your proposal should provide a limited introduction to the idea and/or problem and provide solutions for them. Preference will be given to presentations that include videos and/or demonstrations. Proposals that include solutions and data on how to resolve training or behavior issues will be considered over proposals that only discusses How to Identify the Problem.

Your proposal should be addressed to trainers and pet professionals, not to individual dog owners.

We Will Be Selecting Speakers for The Following

Trainer Development Track (TD) – is designed for pet professionals, for those who would like to brush up on foundation skills and add more positive methods to their training, and for anyone preparing to take the CPDT Exam or those new to the field.

Intermediate Track (INT) – provides continuing education to pet professionals with practical experience in the industry.  In-depth discussions, demonstrations, and applications are provided.  Knowledge of basic concepts by the attendees is assumed.

Science Track (SCI) – provides advanced theoretical and empirically grounded education into the basis of training and understanding the context of animal behavior research.

Hands-On Workshops - allow handlers to work with a dog.  Dogs are furnished by local shelters or pet owners.  Attendees will share a dog with a partner.

Live-Demo Workshops - participants will watch live demonstrations of direct training by the speaker/instructor.

Interactive Workshops - attendees will participate in an interactive discussion of subjects led and presented by a speaker/moderator.

 

Length of Your Session Presentation or Workshop (choose one)

•  Three-hour Session Presentation
•  90 minute Session Presentation
•  Three-hour Hands-On or Live-Demo Workshop
•  90 minute Interactive Workshop

Enhance Your Proposal
Please submit a minimum of three proposals. We would like speakers to present twice during the conference.  Individual speaker proposals will be given higher consideration than presentations led by co-speakers.

Sample of a Presentation
If you have not previously spoken at an APDT conference, provide a sample of yourself giving a spoken presentation to an audience. Please do not direct the selection committee to view materials of you on the internet or submit newspaper/magazine articles written about, or by you.  Upload your video to YouTube and then send the link to APDT@details2.com. Sample must be posted by September 24, 2010

Speakers Proposals Submission Format
Please submit your proposals on-line (use link to the form at the end of this page). You will receive an e-mail confirming we have received your submission. If you do not receive a confirmation, you should re-submit or follow up with the APDT Conference Office. (See contact information below.)

Before You Begin Your Submission Please Read the Following Instructions Carefully
Incomplete Submissions Will Not Be Reviewed

• View the PDF Checklist to identify all required information. 
• Prepare your materials accordingly; note the maximum word counts for all sections.
• Collect all the information you will need in advance.
• Prepare your submission using word processing software as there is no spell check on the on-line form. Software packages will also allow you to perform a word count for the sections in which a maximum word count is specified.
• Copy and paste your submission into the appropriate fields.
• Complete all required fields. These fields are indicated with an asterisk *
• You must complete a new submission for each presentation.
• Print/save a copy of your submission for future reference.

How Will You Know if You Are Selected?

If you are selected you will be contacted by the APDT conference office staff or by an APDT Conference Committee member in November/December of 2010.

You will be required to sign a contract outlining the date, time, and place of: the presentation, the agreement terms, the deadlines for session descriptions, audiovisual requirements and presentation workbook material submissions.

You will commit to maintaining an educational and professional development focus in your session and to eliminate all sales messages or presentations. Speakers who incorporate a sales theme or message and/or receive low audience evaluations will not be invited to present at future conferences.

Approval as a speaker at an APDT Annual Conference does not mean the speaker will automatically be repeated at future events. The APDT continues to offer a fresh program with new speakers and diverse topics each year.

If you were not selected for 2011, you will receive a letter in December. Please remember that we receive a large number of proposals and can only select a small number of speakers each year. We receive many wonderful proposals we are not able to select due to limited speaker slots.

On-Line Submissions: Visit the online submission form.

Post Sample Presentations to: Upload your video to YouTube and then send the link to APDT@details2.com. Sample must be posted by September 24, 2010

Questions or Having Difficulties:
APDT Conference Office - APDT@details2.com or call 866.570.9967

Deadline to submit proposal is September 14, 2010.
No extensions!

 

You can also download the above information and the Checklist as a PDF document here:

• Checklist
• How to submit your information