FAQ's

When and where will the next WERC Conference be held?

May 6-9, 2018 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC

Who is eligible to present a session at the WERC Conference?

Anyone is welcome to submit a proposal for consideration for a session at the WERC Conference, however suppliers, 3PLs and consultants are required to partner with a customer/practitioner/shipper to be considered. Additionally, special consideration is given to current WERC members, corporate members, certified facilities, solutions partners, sponsors and volunteers. Interested in joining or getting involved with WERC before submitting your proposal? Visit www.werc.org

 

Might I receive an invitation to speak at the conference as in the past?

Individuals will no longer be invited to speak without first having submitted a proposal for consideration.

 

When can I submit a session proposal?

Additional proposals will be accepted through October 31, 2017. 

When will I learn if my proposal was selected?

Proposals accepted in the first round of selection will be notified by October 31. Proposals not selected initially will be notified by November 30 and may be kept on file in case of session cancellations November through January.

Proposals submitted in the second round will be notified by November 30.

What topics are the Conference Committee seeking for sessions?

Past conference attendees have indicated a preference for sessions that present practical techniques and case studies which showcase successes and cautionary failures that can be utilized or referenced in their own businesses immediately.

Sessions should fall under the following subject areas:

• Health Care / Pharma
• IT & Software
• Manufacturing
• Material Handling
• Metrics / KPIs
• Outsourcing
• People
• Processes
• Real Estate / Facilities
• Retail or Wholesale
• Reverse Logistics
• Strategies
• Transportation
• Women @ WERC
• Other

What types of sessions are open for proposals?

• Thought Leader Session (FKA Breakout Session) – a 60 minute lecture style session with 1-5 presenters with Q&A for 50-250 attendees on Monday or Tuesday of the conference.
• Peer-2-Peer (P2P) Discussion Session – a 60 minute facilitated discussion session with 1-2 facilitators for a maximum of 40 attendees on Monday or Tuesday of the conference.
• TED-Style Talk + Peer-2-Peer (P2P) Discussion Session – a 15 minute story presentation by 1 presenter for up to 800 attendees, followed by a 60 minute facilitated discussion session with 1 facilitator for a maximum of 40 attendees on Tuesday of the conference.
• Deep Dive Session – a 2 hour interactive and/or hands-on style session with 1-2 presenters for 20-50 attendees on Sunday afternoon of the conference.

 

What level of content is WERC seeking?

WERC Conference attendees are generally mid to upper management with 7+ years of industry experience, so selected sessions will be expected to deliver intermediate to advanced level education.

 

If my proposal is accepted, will I be permitted to speak in my session but not attend the full conference?

Speaking at the conference but not registering for the full conference is not an option. All WERC Conference selected speakers must register for the full conference at the prevailing rate for their category (Member, Non-member, Practitioner, Supplier or Consultant, Educator, Solutions Partner, Sponsor, etc.), less the speaker or facilitator discount, prior to the speaker registration deadline of January 15, 2018.

• For Thought Leader Sessions, TED-Style Talks and Deep Dive Session speakers, a discount of $250 off the prevailing rate will be offered.
• For P2P session facilitators, a discount of $150 off the prevailing rate will be offered.

 

If my proposal is selected, will I be compensated or receive an honorarium for speaking at the conference?

WERC does not directly compensate speakers with honoraria, instead, you will be offered a discount off your conference registration fee.

• For Thought Leader Sessions, TED-Style Talks and Deep Dive Session speakers, a discount of $250 off the prevailing rate will be offered.
• For P2P session facilitators, a discount of $150 off the prevailing rate will be offered.

 

What will happen if my proposal is not selected for the conference?

When submitting your proposal, you may choose to have it considered for any or all of the following:

• 2018 WERC Annual Conference Session
• A WERCouncil (Regional Chapter) Education Event/s
• A WERC Webcast
• An article to be published in WERCWatch or WERCsheet (WERC’s member electronic & print newsletters)
• A whitepaper for industry reference

If your proposal is not selected for the conference, if you’ve chosen any other opportunities, your proposal will still be considered for those upcoming opportunities for the next year.

 

What is required of WERC Conference Speakers?

All speakers must agree to the following terms and conditions:

• All speakers in accepted sessions agree to meet all deadlines throughout the planning process or their session will be subject to cancellation.
• All WERC Conference selected speakers agree to register for the full conference at the prevailing rate for their category (Member, Non-member, Practitioner, Supplier or Consultant, Educator, Solutions Partner, Sponsor, etc.), less the speaker or facilitator discount, prior to the speaker registration deadline of January 15, 2018. (Speaking at the conference but not registering for the full conference is not an option.)
• For Thought Leader Sessions, TED-Style Talks and Deep Dive Session speakers, a discount of $250 off the prevailing rate will be offered.
• For P2P session facilitators, a discount of $150 off the prevailing rate will be offered.
• All speakers are responsible for their own travel expenses and producing their own session visual aids.
• All speakers, unless they live in the conference destination, are required to stay in an official conference hotel.
• All speakers’ names, titles and company names will appear as indicated in promotional materials and the speakers agree to advise WERC promptly should any changes occur.
• The specific date and time for conference sessions will be assigned by WERC approximately 60 days in advance of the conference and specific days or time slots cannot be guaranteed prior to that time.
• WERC’s Board of Directors maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding disrespectful behavior of any kind and presenters are reminded to refrain from overt statements, harsh language or humor that disparages the dignity of any individual, group or company.
• All speakers agree that electronic recordings of all presentations and the materials delivered to WERC may be made available as post conference materials available for sale to the general public.
• I hereby consent, on behalf of all speakers proposed here, to the recording, duplicating and distribution of our presentation(s) and the material(s) that we deliver to WERC via an Electronic Recording and release, discharge and acquit WERC from any and all claims, demands or causes of action that we may hereafter have against WERC whether for libel or violation of privacy or anything else by reason of recording, duplicating and distribution of our presentation(s) or the material(s) that we deliver to the conference via Electronic Recordings. This release in no way inhibits us from using our own materials in any manner we so desire. This release will inure to the benefit of WERC as well as its affiliates, successors and assigns, (Electronic Recording means a recording of the presentation via video, audio, digital or any other form or method of copying, recording or transmission, now known or hereafter devised including, without limitation, copying or recording by phonographic, magnetic, laser, electronic, filmstrips, transparencies, online, Internet, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, cassette, video disks, floppy disks, or any other human or machine readable medium, and broadcast or transmission thereof.)
• Commercialism or direct promotion of a speaker’s product, services or company is strictly prohibited in all WERC educational sessions.
• Sessions submitted by suppliers, 3PLs or Consultants are REQUIRED to include a customer/practitioner/shipper as a speaker in their session. The practitioner should be confirmed at the time of proposal submission in order for the proposal to receive full consideration. If the proposal is accepted and the practitioner later cancels, a 2-4 week period (at the discretion of WERC) will be permitted to replace the canceled speaker with another practitioner to be approved by the Conference Chair. Should a suitable replacement not be confirmed within the allotted timeframe, the session will be subject to cancellation.

 

What is the tentative timeline for WERC Conference Speaker responsibilities?

September 8, 2017        Deadline for session proposal submission

October 2017                 Notification of proposal selection

November 30, 2017       Deadline for submission of all speaker agreement forms and supplier commitments for 2018 conference support

January 15, 2018           Speaker registration deadline

February 2018               Conference Session Schedule Completed

April 20, 2018                Deadline for submission of all session PPT files for anti-trust and commercialism evaluation

May 6-9, 2018                WERC 41^st Annual Conference, Charlotte, NC

Are there presentation opportunities other than the Annual Conference?

Yes, when submitting your proposal, you may choose to have it considered for any or all of the following:

• 2018 WERC Annual Conference Session
• A WERCouncil (Regional Chapter) Education Event/s
• A WERC Webcast
• An article to be published in WERCWatch or WERCsheet (WERC’s member electronic & print newsletters)
• A whitepaper for industry reference