Download the complete Request For Proposals
including a sample submission form [PDF]
Fill out the online workshop proposal form
About the Summit
The Out & Equal Workplace Summit is the nation’s preeminent conference addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues in the workplace.
Out & Equal’s 2008 annual Summit will offer the chance to unite and share the information needed to advance LGBT workplace equality. Out & Equal workshops are invaluable tools to keep pace with the multitude of changes happening around us and in the workplace.
The purpose of the Summit is to bring together LGBT employees, human resources and diversity professionals, employee resource group (ERG) leaders, organizational leaders, and others who are working to create safe and equitable work environments for LGBT people.
In addition to workshops, the Summit includes well-known plenary speakers, networking receptions, the annual Out & Equal Workplace Awards Gala Dinner, issue-specific caucus sessions, and great entertainment. In 2008, we anticipate attendance of over 3,000 people representing more than 200 companies and organizations from all over the world.
Why Present a Workshop?
- The opportunity to teach and interact with hundreds of workplace leaders from around the nation and the world, representing dozens of top companies and organizations
- Share your expertise with an enthusiastic audience ready to learn
- Be recognized as a leader in advancing workplace equality
Expectations
- Presenters are expected to register for and attend the 2008 Out & Equal Workplace Summit. Although we would like to cover presenters’ expenses for the Summit, as a nonprofit organization, we cannot.
- Presenters will be able to register at a reduced Summit fee. Information on how to register at the special presenter price will be sent after proposals are accepted.
- Presenters are expected to cover their own costs for travel, lodging, meals (outside those provided as part of Summit registration), and workshop materials (handouts, etc.).
- Out & Equal understands that workshop presenters will retain copyright and intellectual property rights to all materials presented at the Summit.
- However, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates requires permission to collect your presentation slides and handouts for historical record and to be made available (with proper attribution) on our website for ongoing educational purposes, as well as your permission to make audio, video, and photographic recordings of your workshop for historical record and educational purposes.
- Please be aware that members of the media may be present at any and all workshops.
- All materials presented in the workshops are proprietary to the presenter and may not be used for commercial gain by any other presenter or participant, nor may they be used without proper attribution. Presenters and registrants will be required to acknowledge and agree to this.
- Presenters are expected to be prepared and well-versed in the subjects they propose to teach. Executives, HR and diversity professionals, employee leaders, educators, and anyone committed to LGBT workplace equality are encouraged to submit proposals.
- Workshops are scheduled for 90 minutes. We anticipate audiences of 50 to 200 participants for each workshop. Plan your time to allow for presentation, Q&A, audience participation and completion of the feedback form supplied by Out & Equal.
- In order to increase the opportunity for Summit participants to attend the workshops of their choice, we ask that all presenters be available to present their workshop twice. If asked to repeat your presentation, we will contact you regarding scheduling.
- Presenters are responsible for supplying handouts to be used during their workshops discussions. Out & Equal has made a commitment to a more environmentally friendly Summit, and asks presenters to "think green" when making decisions about handouts and materials. We encourage presenters to utilize the Out & Equal Professional Network, an online networking space unique to Out & Equal, to distribute supplemental materials and continue conversations before and after the Summit.
Audience
The Summit brings together LGBT employees, human resources and diversity professionals, employee resource group (ERG) leaders, organizational leaders and allies from a variety of organizational environments. Workshops can also target specialty audiences, addressing issues specific to people of color, transgender persons, straight allies, gay men, lesbians, bisexual people, public sector employees, or other defined subsets of the diverse workplace community.
Our audience includes newcomers to the workplace and the issues of LGBT workplace equality as well as long-time participants with an advanced knowledge of the issues at hand. Please consider the experience levels of your ideal audience when creating proposals.
Content
What kinds of workshops are we looking for?
The objective of the Summit’s workshop offerings is to address the evolving learning needs of our participants. In 2008, we are seeking proposals and will give preference to the following topics:
- General professional and leadership skills
- Workshops focused on the use of technology as a means of networking with other professionals or advancing LGBT workplace equality both within organizations and the larger community
- Introductory workshops on LGBT workplace issues targeted to HR professionals and straight allies who are seeking basic knowledge
- Workshops that focus on transgender issues
- Topics that highlight the experience of LGBT people of color in the workplace
- Workshops focused on ERG development and best practices
- LGBT leadership skills including lessons in social and professional activism
- HIV/AIDS in the workplace
- Aging and generational differences and trends in the LGBT workforce
- International LGBT workplace issues
- Coming out and activism as allies
- Responsibilities and challenges for senior executives
- LGBT issues in media and advertising
- Challenges or training for ERG leaders
- Being out in the public sector
- Challenges for labor or blue-collar LGBT employees
- Connecting LGBT workplace issues to the marketplace and/or the community
Workshops addressing other relevant topics are welcome and will be given full consideration.
See examples of previous workshops from 2007, 2006, and 2005.
Other Considerations:
Participants have expressed a desire for “how to” or concrete action plans from presenters, and interesting field experts who inspire and engage participants in their topic. We will be giving preference to workshop proposals that also take into account these factors:
- Inter-company partnerships offering powerful advice from experts in different fields or companies
- Modeling diversity in race, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, background, ability, and other factors in the presenter list
- Experienced teachers or trainers with high levels of expertise
- Workshop outlines that include interactive exercises and practical take-away knowledge for participants
- Participants have expressed a preference for handouts or supplemental materials
What to Avoid
Participants in the Out & Equal Workplace Summit are overwhelmingly qualified and experienced professionals who come to the Summit with certain expectations of the experience. The following are things to avoid when putting together workshop proposals:
- Using workshops primarily as a marketing tool to recruit new business or to promote your company to others
- Unprofessional or inappropriate topics for the workplace
- Incredibly dense presentations that don’t leave time for questions and answers
- Unrehearsed presentations that stray from the main topic and run short on time
- Workshops which differ from their printed descriptions in significant ways
- Misleading experience level requirements of participants, especially when a workshop is labeled advanced or intermediate and spends time on basic or beginner training
Submitting a Proposal
Proposals are due no later than May 9, 2008. Notification regarding selection will begin May 31, 2008.
This year, our proposal submissions will be paperless and online. To submit a proposal, please fill out our online form.
Before opening our online workshop submission form, please be prepared with the following materials:
Name/contact information of all presenters
In the printed program we will print your name, title, organization, and (if requested) email or phone number.
We also ask you to submit a brief bio discussing your professional credentials to aid the Workshops Committee in evaluating your proposal.
Workshop title and 50-75 word description.
These will appear in public printed materials and online. They must be written to provide a concise description of what participants should expect. These may be edited for style and tone.
Abstract & Objectives
This information is reviewed by the Workshop Committee and will not be made public. Please provide a complete description of the workshop content, materials/handouts to be provided, and teaching objectives.
Answers to questions about your ideal audience, such as: size, experience level, professional roles, and interests. Other questions will deal with specific topic areas addressed in the workshop.
A list of materials you will need provided on-site (i.e., LCD projector, flip charts).
For More Information
If you would like to submit a proposal to present at the 2008 Out & Equal Workplace Summit and would like some assistance in refining your topic area, the Workshops Committee can provide you with some coaching and guidance. For specific questions about a proposal, please email summit@outandequal.org or call (415) 694-6500
