Call for APATX⋆25 State Conference Session Proposals

TIMELINE

• Submissions will be open until May 18, 2025.
• Proposal submitters will be notified of the status of their proposal no later than July 21, 2025.
• Speakers, panelist, and moderators for proposals accepted are required to register for the APATX⋆25 State Planning Conference. Upon acceptance of session, a discount code for a speaker rate will be sent out. Additionally, we will have a code for speakers that are only speaking at their session and not attending the conference.

CONFERENCE THEME

Love and Happiness!

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Speaker Information and Biographies: This is required for all proposed speakers/panelists. Do not submit a session with only one speaker!

Session Title: A brief and descriptive explanation of your session.

Session Learning Objective: Describe what attendees will take away from attending your session.

Session Description: Describe your session, including a summary of the topic and the information, benefits, or lessons that you expect attendees to gain. This is the primary element of your proposal that the reviewers will use to evaluate your session. (Please stay within your allowed characters. Make sure to focus on the session description you want in the brochure.)

SESSION CRITERIA

APATX25 is committed to creating space for meaningful discussions that reflect the diverse communities we serve across Texas. We invite proposals for engaging sessions that bring together a range of perspectives, experiences, and expertise.

To ensure dynamic conversations, sessions must include speakers from more than one organization and should reflect diversity in backgrounds, professional experiences, and viewpoints. Sessions featuring diverse speakers will be prioritized.

We encourage submissions that:

•  Showcase collaboration across sectors, organizations, and disciplines
•  Include speakers from underrepresented backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences
•  Address critical planning issues with a lens of equity, innovation, and inclusivity

By ensuring diverse representation in every session, we can create a conference that truly reflects and serves the communities we plan for. We look forward to your ideas and contributions.

We do have two requirements:

• Sessions must have more than one presenter. Sessions should be a group of panelists, a discussion between panelists, a moderator with a panel of experts, lessons learned, etc.
• All proposed presenters must be listed in the session proposal and must be notified of their potential involvement. Please DO NOT list the names of presenters without discussing it with them first!

TIPS AND TRICKS

• Start early. Don't miss the deadline.
• Don't repeat the same session as 2024.
• Focus the content/topics in your proposal to be relevant and emerging to the field of planning.
• Tie the proposal descriptions to the learning outcomes.
• Be clear and concise in describing your session.
• Receive firm speaker commitments before entering them in your proposal.
• Include diverse experts as part of your panel.
• Be creative — think of how to engage the audience while presenting your content.
• The best sessions are interactive and engaging, offering innovative ideas and fresh approaches.
• This annual call is highly competitive. Proposals will be reviewed and ranked by the Conference Committee and additional Reviewers.

Make your session description interesting! Conference session descriptions can easily fall into the trap of being dull, leading attendees to believe that the presentation itself will be dull, too. If you have a session title that successfully exploits the curiosity gap, making attendees read your session description, you need to deliver by showing them why your session will be interesting:

• Spell out who should attend.
• Focus on your readers and what they will get from attending your session.
• Include specific learning objectives.
• Consider using bullet points to highlight important information.

SESSION TRACKS

Click here to learn more about session tracks and what topics are covered.

• Design, Development, and Preservation
• Sustainability & Resilience*
• Ethics*
• Housing, Community, and Economic Development
• Law*
• Managing Change in Communities
• Planning for Inclusiveness and Social Justice (Equity)*
• Planning, Health, and the Natural Environment
• Planning Practice and Careers
• Politics, Policy, and Government
• Small Town and Rural Planning
• Technology and Planning
• Transportation
  

*Indicates a mandatory CM topic. Please review APA's Criteria for Mandatory Credits.