Conference News: CMOs at MIT; MWC Shanghai Postponed; EmTech Talks

CMOs at MIT: MIT is known for hosting smart, timely conferences for functional roles across the C-suite. Their CIO event and CFO event have been around for years, attracting leaders from F500 companies. For the first time next week (28 April), MIT will host a CMO Summit for leading marketers. Hosted by Sinan Aral, a global authority on business analytics; award-winning researcher; entrepreneur and venture capitalist (who also happens to head the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy), the one-day, virtual conference will “explore how digital technology is revolutionizing marketing today and into the future.”

MWC Shanghai Postponed: Earlier this week, the GSMA announced that it will postpone MWC Shanghai originally scheduled for 29 June – 1 July 2022. According to their statement, “Global circumstances remain dynamic, and with the evolving pandemic and measures in Shanghai, our industry stakeholders and partners cannot continue confidently in their preparation for the event.” They also said that the contracts and commitments of sponsors and attendees will roll forward to the next edition currently scheduled for 28th–30th June 2023. You will find the official statement here.

Speaking Opportunity: The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the global information technology ecosystem; and the more than seven million technology professionals, who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the U.S. economy. ChannelCon (2 – 4 August in Chicago) is their flagship event, open to all companies that are building, selling, influencing and driving the adoption of technology, plus IT pros, media and more. They are now accepting suggestions for speakers who can address a variety of topics found here. Submit your idea before the 29 April deadline!

Conference Manager Q&A: Erin Underwood is an Event Content Producer for MIT Technology Review’s premier EmTech event series. She has been busy this year bringing their conferences back live to the MIT Media Lab (though they continue to have a virtual component). We caught up with Erin who shared her thoughts on best practices for speaking and topic abstract development.

Speaker Strategies: What is the most important trait of a good speaker?

There are so many speaker traits that translate well for in-person and online environments. However, the most compelling trait is learning how to bring out your own natural confidence and enjoyment of the topic, sharing what excites you about the topic. When you find that spark, you will immediately feel and look more comfortable on the stage. As a result, your presentation delivery and discussion answers will flow more naturally and will be more compelling. It doesn’t matter if you are talking about a new microchip material, a routine AI process, or cutting-edge gene research, you were selected for this session because of your subject matter knowledge and expertise. If you didn’t enjoy some aspect of your work, you wouldn’t be in your position. So, find your love and excitement for the topic and let it shine through on stage. You will leave a lasting impression long after your session closes.

Speaker Strategies: What is the most important piece of a successful presentation abstract/topic description?

Session abstracts can be a struggle to write, especially when included in a cold request sent to an event organizer. Descriptions and abstracts are largely defined by the type of conference for which they are being submitted. As an organizer of a professional emerging technology conference, I receive a steady flow of session descriptions from potential speakers and PR firms. When I am looking through descriptions, the one thing that I always look for is a clearly stated takeaway that attendees will get out of the session. Will you be sharing tips for success? Will you be providing educational information that builds a general understanding of a topic or allows for smarter decisions to be made? Will you be revealing a rare look at some new research? Or will you be providing pragmatic advice that people can implement when they return to the office? These are some of the hooks that grab my attention because this is how I figure out where your story might fit into my agenda and how I can help my attendees recognize your suggestion as a “must see” session.

Coming Up Next Week: Hailing itself as the world’s leading marketplace for “unbridled innovation, unmatched connections and transformative technologies shaping the future of media and entertainment,” NAB Show returns to Las Vegas next week, 23-27 April. New for 2022, the just-constructed West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center is home to NAB’s Intelligent Content and Connect content. Becker’s Healthcare Annual Meeting runs 25-28 April in-person in Chicago, but also offers its content on a virtual platform in early May. VentureBeat GamesBeat Summit will also employ a customized hybrid model, with physical content at The Beverly Hilton on 26 April and online programming 27-28 April, all designed to explore what’s to come in the next generation of gaming. Reuters Digital Health USA is planned for 26-27 April in San Diego, where organizers expect more than 300 health leaders from health systems, payers, policy makers, pharma, and health tech to meet. And at the Fast Company Most Innovative Companies Summit (26-27 April; Online), attendees will hear from leaders of companies like Virgin Group, Chipotle, Walgreens, and Slack.