Quick Summary
Designers, your work deserves wider recognition, and speaking at events like NeoCon 2025 in Chicago could boost your exposure and business. Apply by January 20, 2025. To prepare, get a professional headshot, write short and long bios, create a media kit with key info, clean up your social profiles, and develop a signature talk with a clear seminar summary and punchy title. If NeoCon isn’t right for you, pitch other stages like podcasts or meetups. Speaking not only builds credibility but can lead to sales inquiries.
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Hello,
Designers like you constantly inspire me. Your designs transform how people live and work. Your dedication to your craft is remarkable, and you always deliver, even under pressure. Your work deserves to be celebrated and shared with a wider audience. Which is why I believe you should be speaking on stages.
Stages like NeoCon.
NeoCon is the largest conference for commercial designers, happening in June 2025 in Chicago. And you should apply to speak. The industry needs fresh voices like yours. Just imagine what the exposure could do for your business. The application closes on January 20, 2025. Here’s the link.
This isn’t sponsored, by the way. Speaker applications for conferences like this typically open early in the year, so now’s a good time to start preparing.
Here’s how:
- Prepare the basics. Get a professional headshot and write a short (100-word) and long (300-word) biography.
- The media kit. Whether in a PDF or on a webpage, have key info like your bio, social media links, and headshots in one place. Include podcast or publication features and public-speaking footage if you have it. (This is obnoxious, but here’s mine.)
- Clean up your socials. Organizers want speakers who aren’t just experts but charismatic. They’ll check your social media to see how you write, speak and engage with the public.
- Your signature talk. This is the hardest part. What topic are you an expert in that the audience will find valuable? Summarize your seminar in 150 words, outline three to five learning objectives, and give it a punchy title.
Now, you’re ready to apply or pitch yourself to speak.
Of course, if a conference like NeoCon isn’t for you, that’s okay. You still have everything you need to pitch a ‘stage’ that fits your business. Whether that’s a podcast, radio show, local meetup, or something else.
Also, remember that these speaking opportunities aren’t just for building credibility. They can also directly impact your bottom line. Every conference or podcast I’ve spoken at has brought at least one sales inquiry. But that wasn’t always the case. When I first started public speaking, I didn’t know how to convert the audience.
Next week, I’ll tell you how I changed my approach and break down the strategy that made all the difference.
Until next Thursday,
Daniela
P.S. Not in the USA? Applications aren’t open yet, but keep an eye out for these international design conferences:
- Vancouver, Canada – Interior Design Show, September 2025
- Melbourne, Australia – Design Show, June 2025
- London, United Kingdom – Decorex, October 2025
