The APCO International 77th Annual Conference & Exposition — August 2011 in Philadelphia, Pa. — is the largest gathering of public-safety communications officials and the premier event within this industry. The Call for Papers invites APCO International members, industry associates, business professionals and educators to submit a written presentation for the Professional Development Track program, workshop or roundtable discussion at the APCO International 77th Annual Conference & Exposition.

Speaker Registration
As a program Primary Speaker, Panel Leader or Panelist, you’ll receive 1 Full Conference Registration (does not include Distinguished Achievers Breakfast & Blue & White Gala Ticket). This includes entrance to exhibit hall, and all sessions Sunday through Wednesday.

APCO International is pleased to provide you with the above concessions, however, is unable to offer remuneration or cover the expenses for presenters at the APCO International 77th Annual Conference & Exposition.

Submission Requirements
Please be prepared to include with your entry:

1. Target audience and general topic;
2. A biography of the presenter — please include overview of speaking/training experience (APCO event, year and topic);
3. If applicable, information about proposed co-presenters or panel members;
4. A suggested title;
5. A brief description of the presentation (100 words or less);
6. Three guarantees of what an attendee will learn in your session;
7. Presentation format (classroom-style or roundtable discussion or other); and
8. Date and place where program was last presented and any date and place you intend to present prior to the APCO International 77th Annual Conference & Exposition.

All submissions must be submitted electronically via the online submission process. You must complete the entire form and click Submit for your presentation to be sent for review. Clicking Save and Edit Later will not submit the presentation. A confirmation email will be sent to you providing you with a user id and password to enter the abstract service center and make any necessary changes to your submission before the deadline.

Evaluation Criteria
Proposed program topics will be evaluated based on the quality, timeliness, relevance, practicality and focus of the topic. Historical data from surveys and evaluation of previous events will be used to analyze potential attendee interest in the topics proposed, as well as the speaker’s ability to provide a high-quality session.

The amount of time provided for each session is 1 hour. Please keep this in mind as you prepare your submission. Click here for tips for abstract submission.