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Home2024 Speaker FAQ
hot takes

Conference Speakers
Frequently Asked Questions


1. What's a "hot take?"
Hot Take (noun): A bold and unpopular opinion, a controversial idea, or a strong perspective that goes against the status quo. 


2. Who will attend MAVA's conference?
Role: MAVA's conference is attended by people who lead volunteers -- volunteer engagement leaders. Many of them have the title volunteer coordinator or volunteer manager. We'll also have volunteer directors and executive directors present, as well as people who wear many hats at their organizations.
Location: Usually we have at least 25 states represented at this conference. Most of the participants will be from Minnesota.
Sector: Participants come from many different kinds of organizations: Faith-based, government, culturally specific organizations, basic needs, youth & mentorship, services for older adults, conservation and wildlife, parks, animal welfare, healthcare, arts and culture, etc. 

 


3. How many attendees can I expect in my session?
So hard to know! We have about 150 attendees registered currently. If you are presenting a breakout session, yours will be one of four happening at the same time -- you might estimate having 10-50 people join your session.

4. What do I need to bring to my session?
If you want to hand out any printed materials, you'll need to print and bring those. Other than that, you don't have to bring anything! Anne will compile your slides into one deck per room per day, and they will be easily cued up and ready to go. (Please send to Anne by Monday!) We will also have a powerpoint clicker available to you.

You're welcome to bring your own laptop if you prefer. If you don't have an HDMI port, please bring your own adaptor to HDMI. Special note: if you have slides with animation OR non-standard fonts, you may want to bring your own laptop as a backup if it looks wonky when you get to the room. 

5. Will someone be there to support me during the session?
 You will have a dedicated session host volunteer available 15 minutes before your session starts. They will help you get settled in and get your presentation pulled up. They will introduce you when the session starts, and they will hand out paper surveys at the end of the session.

We will also have a "rover" volunteer who will check in with every room to troubleshoot if there are any tech issues. 

6. What will the room be like?
We have completed speaker room assignments -- check out the updated conference schedule, with the "spicy" room names mavanetwork.org/schedule All rooms will have sound/microphone, which we would like you to use. 

Here are room details (all will be set up with round tables for 8 people)
Spicy Main Stage: 2,400 square feet, holds 200 people
Harissa Room: 600 square feet, holds 48 people
Wasabi Room: 1,400 square feet, holds 64 people
Sriracha Room: 600 square feet, holds 40 people

7. What's your stance on me advertising my consulting/speaking services? 
Try to limit your pitch to 60 seconds and one slide! If your session is strong, attendees may seek you out as a resource in the future, but the session should stand on its own as a complete learning opportunity. 

8. What advice do you have for an effective session?

  • They really want to talk to each other! (and hear from you!) Your session will have more impact if you build in opportunities for conference attendees to engage with your ideas and engage with each other.
  • Less is more. Including too much content can make the session feel rushed and uncomfortable for participants, and leave them feeling unsure what to take away. If it's helpful, consider: What is one takeaway/big idea/resource you'd like to give participants, and then trim material that distracts from it.
  • Make time for reflection. Research shows that reflection can help us turn insight into action steps. If possible, invite participants to reflect at the end of your session, even briefly, for example: What did you learn? How will you use it?

  • Right after your session, participants will complete a short survey to evaluate their learning and their likelihood of implementing it. We will share the results with you after the conference!