The Aquaponics Association
2012 Annual Conference
Call for Presentations
The Aquaponics Association Conference Committee invites parties to submit their ideas for presentation topics for breakout sessions at the September 22nd – 23rd, 2012 Aquaponics Association Conference in Denver, CO.
The Committee is accepting proposals through an online application process detailed below. We are looking for proposals that address topics associated with any of the major workshop themes.
All online applications must be received by June 1st, 2012.
The Conference
The second annual conference will be located in beautiful Denver, CO on the weekend of September 22nd, 2012. The conference will include tours of local aquaponic farms in the metro Denver area on Friday the 21st. In addition to our keynote speakers, the remainder of the weekend will focus on a variety of breakout sessions which were extremely popular at the first annual conference.
Our goal for the 2012 conference is to expand the breakout session offerings by providing more variety in topics and presenters, increasing the length of the sessions and increasing accessibility to all of the sessions for the conference participants.
Call For Breakout Session Presenters
We are seeking to provide a wide range of topics that directly relate to and contribute to the field of aquaponics for the benefit of promoting the latest advances in the industry, sharing best practices, and providing tools, tips and resources for aquaponic enthusiasts. The 2011 conference included 15 breakout sessions across three major workshop themes.
Commercial Farming - Home Gardening - Community Based
Some of the specific breakout session topics from the 2011 conference included:
- An Insider’s View of Farmer’s Markets
- De-Complexing Plumbing
- Lighting in Aquaponics
- Insect Control
- Greenhouses and Automation
- Tips for Profitable Commercial Aquaponics
2012 Workshop Themes
Breakout sessions will be organized under the following major themes. Presenters are encouraged to focus on topics that fall within the major workshop themes.
Commercial Farming
Home Gardening
Community Based
Aquaponics in Education
Fish and Plant Topics
Breakout Sessions
Breakout sessions will be 45 minutes in length with 15 minutes between sessions for participants to move to the next session and for presenters to prepare their materials. Presenters should allow for at least 10 minutes of question and answer time. It is up to the presenter as to whether or not they want to take questions during the presentation or wait until the end. More specific presentation guidelines and tips for presenters will be sent out following acceptance of the presenter’s application.
Please note that two presentations will need to be given, one on Saturday and again on Sunday so that conference participants have the opportunity to choose more sessions throughout the weekend.
Evaluation of Proposals
Due to the popularity of the breakout sessions at our first annual conference, the conference committee expects to see a larger pool of applicants for breakout sessions presentations. It is likely that not all applicants will be selected to present at the 2012 conference due to space and time limitations. The Aquaponics Association Conference Committee will evaluate proposals for breakout session speakers based on the following criteria:
- Relevance of proposed topic to aquaponics and the workshop themes
- Quality and depth of the subject matter
- Presenters experience with the proposed subject matter
- Degree of potential audience engagement and interest
- Practical applicability of the topic
- Adherence to all application requirements. Incomplete applications or applications not adhering to word count limitations may be rejected
Speaker Compensation Policy
Volunteering as a speaker is an excellent opportunity to showcase your talents and share your experiences with an audience of your peers. We seek speakers who prepare and present programs without personal or product promotion or campaigning. As a token of thanks, approved presenters will receive a $100 discount towards their conference registration.
Speaker Guidelines
- Presentations may be recorded for future CD and online use.
- Presenters should plan on presenting their topic on both Saturday and Sunday
- Presenters agree to submit application materials by the required date
- Presenters agree to submit the presentation to the conference committee no later than 48 hours in advance of the conference
- Presenters are asked to focus on the topic they have agreed to speak on, and not use this as an opportunity to advertise. Please use only the last slide of your presentation to display business contact and / product specific sales information.
- Applications must be submitted by the person who will be speaking. If you know of a speaker that would be appropriate for the conference, please direct him/her to the Association website to complete this application.
- The description, summary, and biographical information may be edited for inclusion in conference materials.
- All approved presenters are expected to register for the conference by June 1st, 2012
The Aquaponics Association Conference Committee will review all submissions and formulate a program outline for the Aquaponics Association Board approval in May 2012. All individuals submitting proposals will be contacted by the committee.
By submitting the application, I am agreeing to the guidelines listed above and also to make my presentation at any time during the conference should schedule adjustments need to be made.
Speaker Application
Application Deadline
All applications must be electronically submitted by April 1, 2012. The Aquaponics Association 2012 Conference Committee will review all proposals and will notify applicants by email if their application for presentation is accepted or not by May 15th, 2012.
