Call For Presenters

Workshop Proposals Now Open for the 2025 ACCT International Conference in Cleveland, OH, USA.

The initial call for presenters has closed, but the waitlist is now open.

Click here to submit a proposal on the waitlist.

Deadline for waitlist submissions is December 16, 2024 .

We will notify initial presenters that have been selected in July 2024 and those that have been selected from waitlist may be contacted at any time prior to conference. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us at workshops@acctinfo.org.

Workshop Proposal FAQ:

How do I submit a proposal? 

    • The initial call for proposals is closed for the 2025 conference. Waitlist will open soon.
    • We will let presenters know of decisions in July 2024. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us at workshops@acctinfo.org.

Deadline: Wednesday, May 31st, 2024

    • Why is the deadline when it is? 
      • There are a plethora of logistics that need to be worked out in advance and that takes a lot of coordination with multiple people and venues. 
      • Scheduling the sessions for the event itself can be very time consuming because of the numerous things to consider. 
      • Some of these things include: meeting room size, room setup, set changes between sessions, AV requirements, tech support needs, etc. 
      • Additional things we consider when making the schedule include: Inspector Certification Exam (ICE) or Operation Reviewer (OR) CEU’s,  if a Presenter has other obligations during the conference itself such as presenting on behalf of another ACCT Committee, or if a Presenter intends to also Exhibit.
      • Lastly, we try to lock in the schedule as early as possible in order to make the information public so potential attendees know what is being offered and can prepare budgets early in anticipation of joining us! 
      • We realize this deadline is several months earlier than the actual conference and that things are rapidly changing in our industry. However, please note that the more information you can provide in your initial submission the easier it is for us to make decisions about if it should be offered or not. 

What are the session tracks and why are they important? 

    • FP – Facilitation / Programming
      • These workshops speak to facilitators, challenge course managers, trainers/testers and anyone looking to improve their program. Facilitators can find workshops in this track that can add to their “bag of tricks” when working with participants. While other workshops in this track focus on ways to build and strengthen your programming. 
      • Keywords Workshop Coordinators look for to place in this track include: Games, teambuilding, facilitation, soft skills, group games, props/no props, storytelling, programming, etc. 
    • IB – Industry / Business 
      • This track is great for individuals & companies looking to gather more detailed insight on the industry, hearing straight from ACCT leadership, as well as from those on the frontline of our industry. These workshops focus on topics that reach all facets of our industry.   
      • Keywords Workshop Coordinators look for to place in this track include: industry, business decisions, planning, standards, market, marketing, ROI, updates, research, analysis, reports, certifications, waivers, legal, laws, diversity, hiring, HR, etc. 
    • OM – Operations / Management
      • The OM track speaks to attendees that serve in a wide variety of management roles within our industry. They are looking to acquire insight and data on how to operate and manage an aerial adventure park, zip line tour or challenge course program. 
      • Keywords Workshop Coordinators look for to place in this track include: operations, management, staffing, staff training, standards, record keeping, etc. 
    • TR – Trainer
      • The TR track is meant for individuals, trainers, operations and vendors that focus on conducting training for practitioners in the aerial adventure, canopy, and challenge course industry. 
      • Keywords Workshop Coordinators look for to place in this track include: staff training, guide training, local operating procedures, facilitator / trainer competency, etc.
    • TT – Technical Topics 
      • Perfect for those interested in learning more about the technical side of the challenge course industry. Also contains workshops relevant to ACCT Inspector Certification Exam (ICE) applicants. 
      • Key words the Workshop Coordinators look for to place in this track are: gear, use/cleaning/tracking/storage of equipment, belay systems, knots, rescue systems & skills, building, inspecting, mechanical advantages, PPE, equipment tracking, ICE, etc.

What are additional things to consider when thinking about creating a strong workshop submission?

    • Think of your audience.
    • Skill level: We are always looking for sessions that serve individuals with various skill sets; from people that are very new to the industry to seasoned professionals with decades of experience.
    • Focus area: Our community serves many different populations such as commercial and recreational use, educational and/or camp use, and therapeutic use.   
    • Creative/descriptive workshop titles grab an attendee’s attention. We have a six word limit, so get creative & have fun with it!

What happens after I submit a proposal?

    • A Workshop Review Task Force (WRTF) is formed.  
    • Who is on the WRTF? 
      • Representatives from various ACCT Volunteer Work Groups provide us feedback on submissions received. This provides us different perspectives on the submissions we collected. 
    • What does the WRTF do? 
      • A unique link with the session specific information for each submission received is shared with each WRTF member within 2 weeks of the call for presenter deadline. 
      • Please note contact information etc. is kept confidential, however, the following IS shared: Presenter Names, Co-Presenters, Session Title, Description, and Learning Objectives. 
    • Responses from the WRTF are due within two weeks of receiving forms. Each member is asked to let the work group know via the form provided if they feel a session should be offered or not.
      • There is an opportunity for them to provide additional feedback such as we need more information, there are too many similar submissions, a presenter has submitted multiple sessions and I’d prefer this one offered over others etc. 

What do the Workshop Coordinators do with the information received from the WRTF? 

    • After the responses have been received from WRTF members the Workshop Coordinators regroup with ACCT Staff to look at WRTF responses along with previous presenter evaluations. These things help us make the most informed decisions about final workshop selections. 
    • Venue contracts are re-visited to ensure we only accept sessions we have contracted space for. 
    • When accepting pre-conference sessions we re-visit all of the above and also take into consideration if the Pre-con has been offered in the past. It is our overall goal to provide opportunities for new topics to be shared. 
    • Lastly, we work hard to ensure that with final selections there is session track variety so we offer a good balance of content.

When should I expect to hear if I’ll be presenting at the 2025 conference? 

    • It is our goal to having the vetting process completed and begin notifying applicants about the status of their submission(s) in July. If your session is accepted a discount code will be issued if applicable. ACCT offers one (1) discounted registration per session presented. If your workshop consists of more than one presenter please discuss amongst yourselves who will be registering with this code. The primary presenter discount code will be issued around the time of launching registration annually.