Call for Speakers – 2014 NNBA Annual Conference

Event location: Orlando, Florida

Dates: Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5, 2014 Pre-conference: Friday, October 3, 2014

Deadline for proposals: February 15, 2014.

The NNBA will notify speakers by March 1, 2014. Speaker spots are limited. The association considers late proposals if space is available.

Theme: Business opportunities and business practices for nurses to start or improve their business.

Expectations: NNBA looks for speakers who are engaging, informative, and outcome based.

Presentations: The presentations are typically divided into 30 to 50 minute sessions. A speaker may speak in multiple tracks and give multiple presentations. Presentation methods include lecture and interactive sessions, such as tabletop and panel discussions. The presentations:

  • Should provide rich information for the entrepreneurial nurse
  • Should be interactive to enable the audience to participate in the learning experience
  • Should be clear, crisp and interesting
  • Should provide take-away materials that enable attendees to follow your suggestion

Proposals: Proposals must be limited to three-pages and must include:

  • Full contact information (full name, mailing address, email address, phone number)
  • A short title: Keep the title short. Use 5 words or less. If you need to describe the content further, put a colon after the title and add a secondary title
  • An abstract: This 50 to 75-word paragraph should consist of three sentences. In the first sentence, tell why you are appropriate for the topic. In the second sentence, profile your target audience. In the third sentence, describe the topic

Abstract example: The presenter, Michelle Podlesni, RN, president of the National Nurses in Business Association, will share key elements for success as a nurse business owner. This presentation is designed for nurses whose businesses are already up and running and for those just getting started. The course content will include determining the correct legal structure (DBA, LLC, Inc.), names, logos, funding, office setup, marketing, and managing the liability of self-employment.

  • A brief bio: Your biography should focus on your experience related to the topic

Bio example: Michelle Podlesni, RN, is the president of the National Nursing in Business Association. She is the author of the bestseller, Unconventional Nurse: Going From Burnout to Bliss!  She is an entrepreneur business owner, author and trainer.  Michelle was voted National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) 2013 – 2014.  She is a mentor with the HealthCare Business Women’s Association (HBA) and a course developer for Brandman University.

  • Two objectives: State in the objectives what you expect attendees to be able to accomplish after your session.
  • A short outline: Include a list of the main topics of your session in the outline.

Photos: Please include a professional portrait (electronic JPEG file) with your proposal. Submit proposals as a Word document attached to email and send.

Contact Person: The contact person is Michelle Podlesni, NNBA President. She can be reached at (877) 353-8888 or via email.

Compensation: The National Nurses in Business Association is a membership organization dedicated to providing unsurpassed education and networking opportunities for nurses. We are looking for speakers interested in sharing their expertise with fellow nurses on business topics. As compensation, the association offers the speaker:

  • Access to the conference at no charge
  • If the session is recorded, the speaker may request a master audio copy of their presentation for a small fee. The association owns the right to publish the presentation and all derivative works in all media. The speaker owns the copyright of the material and the right to reproduce the recording without restriction
  • The opportunity to request to present a pre-conference event. The association will consider pre-conference sessions of 4 to 8 hours in length. For nurses who want to do a pre-conference event, the association will advertise it, sell the registrations, collect the money, pay the expenses, and negotiate a revenue sharing arrangement with the speaker.

Each speaker is responsible for paying all of his/her own expenses (travel, lodging, and meals).

Handouts: Speakers may bring their own handouts if they choose.

Audience Demographics: The audience includes nurse entrepreneurs and nurse entrepreneurs-to-be. The majority are female, registered nurses who are self-employed or interested in self-employment, between the ages of 30 to 68, and reside in both urban and rural regions of the U.S.

Meeting Room Setup: Breakouts and conference session are classroom style (setup may be changed if the numbers indicate). Speakers present from a riser or stage. The setup includes a screen, computer, and LCD projector. Pre-conference sessions ranging from 4 hours to 8 hours are held in small meeting rooms, schoolroom style. Seating style changes to round tables for tabletop discussions.

Past Speakers: Speakers at past conferences were business experts, nurse entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and ancillary service providers (for example including attorneys and accountants).

Marketing: The conference is marketed by the association in print and on the Internet. Speakers and sponsors also market the event. Thank you for considering speaking for the National Nurses in Business Association.