Call for Sessions

The 2025 Call for Sessions has now closed. Submitters can expect notifications around November 1, 2024.

 

DESIRED TOPIC CATEGORIES

Processes

  • Direct to Consumer Distribution
  • Outsourcing & Vendor Relationships
  • Inventory Control
  • Reverse Logistics
  • External Disruptions

 

Technology & Data
  • Digital Transformation
  • Partner Data Integration
  • Benchmarking, Metrics & KPIs
  • Execution Software
  • Machine Learning
 
 
 

PREPARING A SESSION PROPOSAL

Session Information

  • Type of Session – presentation or discussion format
  • Working Session Title – doesn’t need to be catchy
  • Topic Category
  • Session Description (max 60 words)
  • Three (3) specific, actionable Participant Take-aways (max 25 words each)

 

Presenters or Facilitators
  • Presenters and facilitators are required to register and pay for the full conference, and receive a discount of 25-50%
  • Presenters and facilitators must know they are being submitted and have agreed to participate and abide by WERC's terms and conditions (including the registration fee)
  • Full Name, Title, Company, Mailing Address, Phone Number, Valid Individual Email Address, Category, and Business Type is required for all proposed presenters and facilitators

Timeline

  • September 30: Deadline for session proposal submission for first Call for Sessions
  • November 1: Notification of status for proposals received by September 30
  • October 15: Deadline for session proposal submission for second Call for Sessions
  • December 15: Notification of final status for all remaining proposals
  • January 15: Conference session schedule completed
  • January 31: Presenter/facilitator registration deadline
         Important: presenters/facilitators not registered by this date will be considered as cancelled and related sessions will be re-evaluated as a result
  • April 15: Deadline for submission of all session PPT files for anti-trust and commercialism evaluation 
 
 
 

SUBMITTING A SESSION PROPOSAL

  1. Download and review the complete FAQs and Terms & Conditions
  2. Click "Login" above
  3. Select "New User" to create a profile (this is different from your WERC membership profile and your 2024 submission profile)
  4. Click the "Submissions" tab (it will appear after you've created your profile)
  5. Complete the submission form and click "Save & Submit"
  6. You can edit your profile and submissions or create new submissions at any time prior to October 15, 2024
 
 
 

REVIEW CRITERIA

Your proposed session will be reviewed by the Conference Committee and evaluated based on the following criteria.
 

Content

  • Session is led by a Practitioner
  • Session contains no sales/commercialism (sales/brand commercialism is strictly prohibited)
  • Topic is timely and relevant (case study, includes actual outcomes, presents the operations perspective)
  • Take-aways are clear and valuable
  • Audience appeal
  • Level is appropriate for the audience (intermediate to advanced)

 

Presenter or Facilitator
  • Includes recognized leaders in the industry
  • Presenter is appropriate to the topic
  • Prior WERC engagement
  • WERC membership status
 
 
 

FAQs AT A GLANCE


Who can submit a session?

  • Sessions should be submitted by a Practitioner (shipper or first party, or operations role)
  • Suppliers and Consultants are also permitted to submit proposals but are required to include a customer/practitioner/shipper in their proposal as the lead presenter (with a valid email address)
  • Proposals from PR or marketing firms are not permitted
  • Special consideration is given to current WERC members and volunteers
  • Note: Submitters should select Login and then find and select "New User" to create a profile (no other profiles are connected to this process)

 

Can I talk about how great our product is during the session?
  • Sessions should provide solid educational value to the audience
  • Sales/brand commercialism in educational sessions is strictly prohibited
  • Sessions that hint at a sales focus will not be selected by the Committee
  • Commercial session time slots are available for a fee by contacting sales@werc.org (note: purchased session time slots are not part of this submission process)

 

Do presenters have to register?
  • Full-conference, paid registration is required of all presenters and facilitators on or before January 31 to remain on the program
  • Presenters receive 50% off and facilitators receive 25% off registration
  • View published registration rates
  • Complimentary speaker registration is not available

 

What happens if we change a presenter?
  • After a proposal is accepted, should any of the presenters change or cancel, the affected session will be subject to reconsideration by the Conference Committee
  • Presenters not registered by January 31 will be considered to have cancelled their participation, and the affected session will be subject to reconsideration by the Conference Committee

 

When will I hear if my session has been selected?
  • Sessions submitted on or before September 30 will be notified on or around November 1.
  • Possible statuses are:
    • Accepted
    • On Hold (pending further review and consideration)
    • Declined
  • Sessions submitted between October 1 and October 15 (and sessions having received an On Hold status from the September 30 deadline) will be notified on or around December 15

 

When will I know what day and time my session will occur?
  • Session time slots will be assigned in January 2025