The Experts Conference - Call for Papers

Whether you’re a veteran speaker or hitting the stage for the first time, we want to hear from you! Submit an abstract and share the expertise you want to bring to our delegates. We’re accepting abstracts for The Experts Conference for Directory & Identity and The Experts Conference for Exchange, being held in both Las Vegas and Berlin in 2009. Share your expertise with delegates who crave knowledge and want to learn from the best. Experts like you!

DON'T WAIT! THE CALL FOR PAPERS CLOSES AT 5:00 PM MST ON AUGUST 4, 2008!

• Click here to download the paper submission template
• Please submit your proposal by completing the Submissions Form and submitting it to TEC2009@netpro.com.

Speakers selected through the Call for Papers process will be notified by August 15, and they will be highlighted in a press release on August 25.

The Directory Experts Conference was created in 2002 to address the need for advanced Active Directory and ILM education. Now, The Experts Conference embraces additional Microsoft technologies, including Exchange, RMS, CardSpace and SharePoint. The Experts Conference accomplishes this by bringing together professionals for four days of intense technical sessions, as well as powerful networking opportunities.

The Experts Conference Themes:

• The Experts Conference 2009 for Directory & Identity: “Identity Without Borders: Bringing the Identity Metasystem to the Enterprise”
• The Experts Conference for Exchange: "Under the Hood: Architecting and Administering Exchange 2007, the Foundation for Unified Communications"

Papers that relate to the theme will be given first consideration.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Decide if you are able to commit to the deadlines and speaking dates. Our deadlines are specifically created to allow sufficient time to meet our printing and shipping deadlines. You must be willing to accommodate the specified deadlines, delivering your presentation, bio, photo and speaker contract by the deadlines stated.

2. Decide what subjects/topics your presentation will cover. This is intended to help us place your talk in the appropriate subject/topic category.

3. Understand the time constraints. General Session talks will be 60 to 75 minutes. It is expected the speaker will budget time for audience participation and Q&A.

4. Submit a proposal for a presentation. Please submit your proposal by completing the submissions form. Proposal submissions are due no later than August 4, 2008, for The Experts Conference 2009. Completed forms may be sent to TEC2009@netpro.com.

Note: Although we will make a reasonable attempt to accommodate speakers' requests for equipment/services, we cannot guarantee the availability of such items. In the case that special equipment/services or additional equipment/services are requested, the speaker is expected to bear such costs.

PLEASE DO NOT WAIT TO SUBMIT!

Presentations are selected and evaluated in the order received. If you want to present on a topic, let us know early. This helps us plan and select topics.

PROPOSAL SELECTION CRITERIA

Proposals will be reviewed by a NetPro panel. Submissions will be rated on a one to five scale, with five being the highest, and the resulting scores will be added. The submissions with the highest scores will be selected. In the case of topic overlap, a lesser scoring submission may be selected to keep variety in the program. Submissions with multiple topics/presentations will be looked upon more favorably.

People submitting a proposal will receive email notification of receipt of the proposal, generally within 48 hours. Once selection has been completed, you will receive an email with confirmation of acceptance or rejection.

Speakers will be contacted if there are any questions about their proposed presentations.

Remember, all presentations must be vendor neutral. No sales pitches for services or products are allowed. Presentations that include vendor pitches will be eliminated from the selection process. All sources of information, software, etc., should be properly cited.

THINGS TO NOTE:

Technical talks that reveal new ideas are of greater interest than those that cover material addressed in the past. The Experts Conference continues to be a highly technical conference, and any presentation that furthers this goal will be given extra attention. Consider submitting multiple proposals. Speakers with multiple session proposals will be given high consideration.

Note: By speaking at The Experts Conference 2009 you are granting NetPro permission to reproduce, distribute, advertise and show your presentation, including but not limited to The Experts Conference Web site, and/or electronic ads, flyers, mailers, etc. If your presentation contains copyrighted or proprietary information, and you do not have permission from the appropriate authority within your company or otherwise for this type of distribution of your materials, please request "restricted distribution” prior to submitting your proposal.

SPEAKING REQUIREMENTS

To meet the goals outlined above, NetPro requires several items from selected speakers.

1. You must sign and return a Speaker Contract once your proposal is approved. The deadline for return of a signed Speaker Contract is September 30, 2008.
   
2. Your completed materials for the printed conference proceedings MUST be submitted by the date specified on the Speaker Contract or you will be dropped as a speaker and an alternate speaker will be selected to replace you.
   
3. NetPro expects speakers to be available during the lunches, receptions and dinner to meet and mingle with the attendees. If you cannot do so, or if you are required to come to the conference late or leave early, please make note of this when you submit your materials.
4. Assume that the attendees already understand the basic concepts regarding your topic. The Experts Conference is an event dedicated to advanced users. As such, we expect advanced, technical content from speakers. All presentations will be evaluated based upon the technical level and quality of the topic and content.
   
5. If you are performing a demonstration we expect you to provide any additional necessary equipment. We will only provide an Internet connection, power, and Audio/Visual equipment as detailed in the Presentation Resources section below.
6. All presentations will be loaded onto a single laptop for the presentations. We expect all presenters to submit their final, revised documents by March 13, 2009.

PRESENTATION RESOURCES

NetPro will make every effort to accommodate most requests if they are made at least four weeks in advance of the conference. Tools currently available include additional LCD projectors, slide projectors, microphones, video switch boxes, and Internet access.

NetPro currently provides one laptop, one LCD projector, one screen, wireless and/or podium microphone, and video switch box in the general session room, and one laptop, one LCD projector, one screen and a wireless or podium microphone in the secondary rooms.

HOTEL INFORMATION

The Experts Conference 2009 will be March 22-25, 2009, at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Experts Conference Europe 2009 will be held 14-16 September 2009 at the Berlin Hilton in Berlin Germany.

IMPORTANT DATES

• August. 4, 2008: Call for Papers closes for TEC 2009.
  
• August. 15, 2008: Speakers notified.
  
• September. 30, 2008: Speaker contracts and speaker photos due.
  
• February. 20, 2009: Presentations for The Experts Conference 2009 due for review.
  
• March 13, 2009: If requested, modified, final presentations for The Experts Conference 2009 due.
  
• March 22-25, 2009: The Experts Conference 2009 for Directory & Identity and The Experts Conference 2009 for Exchange in Las Vegas.