When and where will the next WERC Conference be held?

April 28 - May 1, 2019 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH

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?

Proposals are currently being accepted through November 21, 2018. 

When will I learn if my proposal was selected?

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

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.

At this time, the 2019 WERC Conference Committee is seeking additional session proposals from practitioners who are interested in presenting case studies on the following topics:

IT & Software

Block Chain

Big Data / Data Analytics

Cloud-based vs local WMS

Labor Management Systems (LMS)

IT Security and Disaster Recovery

Manufacturing

The Internet of Things (IoT)

Attracting labor into modern manufacturing facilities

How to interface manufacturing goals with supply chain goals

Metrics / KPIs

Real-time, scannable data/dashboards

Measure productivity without an LMS

Actionable data; Hierarchy of data/metrics; Control tower

Outsourcing

Vested Outsourcing

Total cost of ownership (Pain share/Gain share)

Retail or Wholesale

Direct Store Delivery

Reverse Logistics

Best practices

Strategies

Hydrogen fuel cell implementation and/or utilizing alternative fuels

Transportation

Practices for addressing driver shortages

What types of sessions are open for proposals?

• Thought Leader Session (FKA Breakout Session) – a 60 minute lecture style session with 1-4 presenters with Q&A for 50-200 attendees on Monday or Tuesday of the conference.
• Peer-2-Peer (P2P) Discussion Session – a 60 minute facilitated discussion session (no presentation) with 1-2 facilitators for a maximum of 40 attendees on Monday or Tuesday of the conference.
• TED-Style Talk – a 15 minute story presentation by 1 presenter for 50 - 250 or up to 800 attendees on Monday or Tuesday of the conference.
• Deep Dive Session – a double-length (2 hour), in-depth session with 1-2 presenters for 30-200 attendees on Monday or Tuesday of the conference.

 

Who attends 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 31, 2019.

• 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:

• 2019 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 31, 2019. (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?

November 21, 2018      Deadline for additional session proposal submission

Nov - Dec 2018             Notification of proposal selection

January 31, 2019           Speaker registration deadline

February 2019               Conference Session Schedule Completed

April 5, 2019                  Deadline for submission of all session PPT files for anti-trust and commercialism evaluation

April 28-May 1, 2019     WERC 42nd Annual Conference, Columbus, OH

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:

• 2019 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