Setting Up Your Call for Papers

Learn how to create and configure a Call for Papers (CFP) to accept speaker submissions.

Quick Access (Organizers only)
Go to My Events → Select an event → Call for Papers

Overview

The Call for Papers feature allows you to:

Accept talk proposals from speakers
Customize submission forms
Set deadlines
Review and select presentations

Creating a CFP

Step 1: Access CFP Settings

Open your event dashboard
Click "Call for Papers" in the sidebar
Click "Settings" or "Configure"

Step 2: Basic Configuration

Set up the essential details:

Field	Description	Example
Opening Date	When submissions open	January 1, 2024
Closing Date	Submission deadline	March 31, 2024
Instructions	Guidelines for speakers	"Submit your talk..."

Step 3: Set Dates

Configure the CFP timeline:

Opening Date

When speakers can start submitting
Typically 3-6 months before event

Closing Date

Submission deadline
Allow time for review after closing

Tip: Consider a soft deadline with extensions for late submissions.

Step 4: Write Instructions

Provide clear guidelines:

## Submission Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in speaking at Tech Summit 2024!

### What We're Looking For

- Technical talks (30-45 minutes)
- Workshops (2-4 hours)
- Lightning talks (10 minutes)

### Topics

- Cloud & Infrastructure
- AI/ML & Data Science
- DevOps & SRE
- Web Development
- Mobile Development

### Requirements

- Original content
- Beginner to advanced levels welcome
- Practical, actionable takeaways

### Selection Process

1. Submissions reviewed by committee
2. Notifications sent by April 15
3. Speakers confirm by April 30

Step 5: Publish CFP

Review all settings
Click "Publish CFP" or "Open CFP"
Your CFP is now live!

Configuring Submission Forms

Customize what information you collect from speakers.

Default Fields

Standard fields included:

Talk title
Description/abstract
Speaker name
Speaker email
Speaker bio

Adding Custom Fields

Go to CFP Settings > Form
Click "+ Add Field"
Configure the field:

Setting	Description
Field Name	Label shown to speakers
Field Type	Input type (text, select, etc.)
Required	Is this mandatory?
Help Text	Instructions for the field

Available Field Types

Type	Use Case
Text (short)	Title, links
Text (long)	Abstract, bio
Dropdown	Track selection, level
Multi-select	Topics, tags
Checkbox	Agreement, options
Date	Availability
File upload	Slides, documents

Example Custom Fields

Talk Level

Type: Dropdown
Options: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Required: Yes

Track/Topic

Type: Dropdown
Options: Cloud, DevOps, AI/ML, Web, Mobile
Required: Yes

Talk Duration

Type: Dropdown
Options: 20 min, 45 min, Workshop
Required: Yes

Previous Speaking Experience

Type: Text (long)
Required: No

Managing Your CFP

CFP Status

Status	Description
Draft	Not yet published
Open	Accepting submissions
Closed	No longer accepting

Extending Deadlines

To extend the closing date:

Go to CFP Settings
Update the closing date
Save changes
Optionally notify previous submitters

Closing Early

To close CFP before the deadline:

Go to CFP Settings
Click "Close CFP"
Confirm the action

CFP Link

Find your public CFP link:

Go to CFP Settings
Copy the "Public CFP URL"
Share via:
- Social media
- Newsletters
- CFP aggregator sites

Promoting Your CFP

Tips for attracting quality submissions:

Post on Twitter/LinkedIn
Share in relevant communities
Submit to CFP listing sites
Reach out to past speakers
Partner with user groups

Best Practices

Timeline

Phase	Timing
Open CFP	4-6 months before event
Close CFP	2-3 months before event
Review period	2-4 weeks
Notify speakers	6-8 weeks before event
Confirm speakers	4-6 weeks before event

Form Design

Keep forms concise
Only ask for necessary information
Provide clear instructions
Include examples where helpful

Communication

Acknowledge submissions
Provide timeline expectations
Be responsive to questions

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Analytics

Custom Forms