Want to Speak at AI Week? Read This First.

How to Get Accepted to Speak at an AI Conference?

Let me be blunt: we don’t need another panel of polished bios and buzzwords.

What we do need?

• Operators who’ve actually implemented AI—and can walk us through the mess and the magic.

• Leaders with bold ideas (and maybe a few battle scars).

• People who can say, “Here’s what we tried, here’s what broke, and here’s what we’d do differently now.”

If you’ve got practical insights, bold ideas, or hard-earned lessons from the front lines of AI adoption then this is your moment. The AI Week event series, powered by Enterprise Technology Association, is designed to spotlight the people doing the real work. Not the hype. Not the hypotheticals. The builders, operators, and leaders rolling up their sleeves and figuring out what AI actually means for business.

Whether you're experimenting with AI in sales ops, rethinking customer service with agents, or building smarter tools for your team or if your story has substance, we want to hear it.

Our stages span the Midwest to the Southeast, in cities where innovation meets real-world constraints. Every event is designed to be regional, relational, and results-driven.

So if you’re thinking about submitting a speaker proposal, here’s how to make it count.

How to Strengthen Your Speaker Application for an ai Conference

1. Share Use Cases, Not Just Opinions.
AI Week isn’t the place for generic frameworks or “thought leadership” without receipts. We want specifics.

• What did you build or change?

• What results did you see?

• What would you do differently now?

The more your story is rooted in actual experience with metrics, outcomes, or lessons, the better your shot at making the agenda. Even better if you include metrics, pitfalls, or a before-and-after comp

2. Keep your session title clear and your description punchy.
Speak to humans, not just your resume. This isn’t academia. It’s not a pitch deck. Our audience includes operators, marketers, technical teams, civic leaders, and founders who need to know fast: is this session worth their time?

Instead of:
"Transformational AI Enablement for Enterprise Value"

Try:
"How We Used AI to Eliminate 80 Hours of Manual Work—Without a Dev Team"

Skip the filler. Make it specific. If your session title sounds like something you’d actually say out loud, you’re doing it right.

3. Bring a perspective that moves. Challenge the Room.
We don’t just want what worked. We want what challenged you.

• Contrarian takes welcome.

• Ethical dilemmas? Even better.

• Mistakes that taught you more than success ever could? Bring it.

Sessions that push past the headlines and unpack the how and why behind your choices stand out. If you’ve got a lesson from failure, or a perspective that’s missing from the mainstream AI narrative, we want to hear it.

4. Make it relevant to the local ecosystem.
Each AI Week is designed for its host city’s economic and civic context. We want speakers who understand and speak to that.

Your proposal is stronger if it:

• Addresses regional industries or workforce shifts

• Highlights cross-sector collaboration

• Offers tools attendees can apply immediately

We’re not looking for abstract. We’re looking for applicable.

5. Be open to format.
Some talks are best solo. Others thrive as panels, firesides, or lightning rounds. Flexibility gives us more ways to say yes.

If you’ve got a strong message and a willingness to collaborate, we’ll help find the right format. Just be open. We’re not looking for perfection, we’re curating utility, energy, and momentum.

What Makes AI Week Special?

Community-Driven: More than a conference, AI Week is a catalyst for local progress and national innovation, uniting executives, startup founders, academics, and public sector leaders.

Accessible Expertise: Each event is intentionally held at local venues, fostering connection and collaboration—not just on the main stage, but in every breakout and networking moment.

Practical, Action-Focused Content: The event is designed for leaders who want to move beyond buzzwords and discover how AI drives real business value and responsible adoption.

Diverse Voices: AI Week draws from a wide range of sectors and perspectives—from Fortune 1000 companies to civic innovators—ensuring truly cross-disciplinary insights.

Not a Vendor Showcase: Our mission is to spotlight solutions, best practices, and human-centered stories, not sales pitches.

Ready to Apply?

Submitting your proposal only takes a few minutes. If you’ve got something worth sharing—or someone in your network does—this is the moment.

Submit Your Speaker Proposal Here

The future doesn’t need more polished slide decks. It needs honest stories, sharp insight, and leaders willing to speak plainly about what’s working—and what still needs work.

If that’s you, we want you on our stage.