Speaker

Speaker Information

If you're interested in speaking at Online Retailer, please read and understand the following before contacting us.

Overview

National Media (organiser) acts as the advocate for conference attendees and seeks to provide them with the highest quality experience, education and networking opportunities.

Online Retailer is one of the world's largest e-commerce and digital marketing events for retailers, brand manufacturers and mail-order companies. The insights and business intelligence delivered at this conference helps executives set their business and marketing agendas, and e-commerce investment strategies for the year ahead.

Online Retailer's reputation is based on its content quality, integrity and independence. Our audience needs to be confident that when it comes to setting the agenda and selecting speakers, our decisions are not influenced by exhibitor or sponsor pressures, or by any personal interests. We take this responsibility very seriously.

Agenda Selection

How does Online Retailer set the conference agenda?
The conference agenda is driven by pre-selected topics. While we encourage speaker submissions, we do not look to those interested in speaking to set the agenda for us. We select the topics, set the agenda and then recruit subject matter experts to deliver the relevant content. If you have a great story to share or some ideas for a presentation, please tell us.

Topic Selection

How does Online Retailer select topics for the agenda?
Months and months of research, reading, surveying, listening, networking and conversing with our target audience helps us find the hot topics, issues and challenges facing online and multichannel retailers. We gain input from previous attendees and we work with an industry advisory board comprising experienced, successful retailers. We do welcome suggestions for agenda topics, but please ensure they are relevant to our target audience. Our unwavering goal is to provide value to our attendees with stimulating, inspiring and informative content relevant to their business.

Content Selection

What sort of content does Online Retailer look for?
Our attendees come to the conference seeking real, practical information, specific tips and best practice examples to help them optimise their website performance, maximise marketing results and improve their online operations. All speakers are asked to share data, insights and results that attendees can take back to their office and implement immediately. Our aim is to send each and every conference delegate home, newly inspired and energised with actionable ideas and techniques to put to work right away. Generalised, high level presentations are of no interest. Exclusive content is!

Speaker Selection

How does Online Retailer select speakers?
By extensive research and networking in Australia and internationally. Throughout the year, we attend relevant events around the world in search of great speakers. If we can't attend, we talk to people who have. Positive prior reviews count for a great deal - if you have a reputation for delivering quality presentations, it carries a lot of weight. If you are known for presenting a sales pitch, we'll know too.

Speaker Profile

Who can speak at Online Retailer?
There are no restrictions on who can speak, but we value experience, track record and professional reputation above all else. We aim to deliver our audience speakers from a blend of big and small retailers, web-only merchants, brand manufacturers, direct response companies, analysts and solution providers.

Supplier-side Speakers

Can vendors speak at Online Retailer?
Yes. We recognise the important role that vendors play in this industry's success. E-commerce solution providers along with technology developers play a crucial part in the success of many online retailers and are often at the forefront of internet development. One thing vendors can't do is buy their way onto the agenda. We are delighted when we can include an exhibitor or sponsor into the program, but unlike other conferences, there is no connection between exhibiting or sponsoring and being on the stage. We choose supplier-side speakers the same way we choose retail speakers - based on their qualifications.

Self Promotion

What value is there in speaking if I can't promote my business on stage?
Speaking at Online Retailer is an enormously rewarding experience, providing extensive personal and corporate publicity through our industry-wide marketing. If you're selected to speak at Online Retailer, you gain an opportunity to be recognised as an industry thought-leader. By delivering a highly engaging, informative and educational talk, you gain credibility and leadership status within the online retailing community. This results in your brand being top-of-mind with not only the attendees, but also the media who consistently report on the speakers they find most interesting. A word of warning for those who see speaking as an opportunity to promote their company from the stage - our audience is extremely savvy, and you will do your own and your brand's reputation far more harm than good by using your stage time as a company promotion or for a sales pitch.

Deadlines

What is the deadline for submitting speaker proposals?
We aim to have all speakers selected by the end of February, 2010. We will still accept proposals after this time, in the case that any relevant openings become available.

Speaker Submissions

What information should you submit?
PLEASE NOTE: PR firms should only forward proposals by the actual presenter.

Speaker bio - no more than 100 words
List of recent speaking engagements
Area of expertise - please be specific
Proposed topic with presentation name
List of five key take-a-ways attendees can expect from your presentation

Speaker Rules

What are the rules around speaking at Online Retailer?
Should you be selected to speak, you will be required to agree to the following rules:

No selling from the stage - our attendees will not accept it, and nor will we. Speakers who use their stage time to sell their product or credentials will not be invited back.
Company logo/branding will be permitted on opening and closing slides only. Organiser reserves the right to modify presentations that include company logos/branding on all subsequent pages.
Strict adherence to the allotted speaking time.
Agree to have your presentation filmed and made available online (password protected).
All presentations must be unique and exclusive to Online Retailer.
Agree to make yourself available to speak with attendees at the event.