We want to see you in New Orleans for WE25 this October! If you’re interested in presenting at this year’s event, the WE Call for Participation (CFP) process for Breakout Sessions (Listen & Learn Lectures, Engaged Exchange Panels, and Snap Sessions) is now open.
While WE25 may seem far off, the time will pass more quickly than you’d expect. Please keep in mind these important WE25 CFP deadlines:
- CFP Opens: Monday, Jan. 13
- CFP Closes: Monday, March 10
- CFP Results Sent to Submitters: Friday, May 23
- Session Agreement Due: Monday, June 16
- WE25: Thursday, Oct. 23 – Saturday, Oct. 25
The WE CFP process is highly competitive — SWE receives over a thousand submissions each year! In order to review all the submissions we receive, we solicit SWE members with subject matter expertise to review and score proposals according to an established process and rubric.
Want to maximize your chances of being selected? Follow these five steps:
Step 1: Familiarize Yourself With the CFP Process
This CFP pertains specifically to Breakout Sessions at WE25:
- Listen & Learn Lectures (30 minutes, 1-2 speakers)
- Engaged Exchange Panels (45 minutes, 3-5 presenters)
- Snap Sessions (15 minutes, 1-2 speakers)
In order to maximize your chances of having your Breakout Session proposal selected for WE25, please thoroughly read the CFP Submission Guidelines in its entirety. This document describes all necessary submission content.
SWE only accepts CFP submissions submitted through the Cadmium online submission portal. Please view this short tutorial video explaining how to submit a Breakout Session proposal in Cadmium.
Step 2: Choose a Topic That Illustrates a Unique Perspective
This may be self-explanatory, but it could also be the most crucial step in having your session stand out during the review process. SWE frequently receives multiple CFP Breakout Session proposals on the same topic, so we recommend that submitters ensure their session has a unique perspective. Think about a session you would want to attend at WE25 — how and why would it grab your attention?
For example, we receive a great many proposals on the topic of imposter syndrome / confidence. If you are submitting a session on imposter syndrome, be sure to consider: what unique elements will distinguish your session during the review and selection processes? Our CFP processes are becoming increasingly competitive each year, so you can increase your chances of selection by ensuring that your proposal presents a unique and memorable perspective.
Step 3: Secure Your Speakers
Speakers’ qualifications to present on the session topic are an important part of the score that reviewers will assign to your session, so it is critical to secure qualified speakers now to include in your CFP submission. SWE takes the review process seriously and wants to ensure that a session’s actual speaker lineup on presentation day matches the submitted speaker lineup.
- For WE25, if any post-submission changes to speaker lineup are required, these will be possible ONLY through the Cadmium accepted-sessions portal and ONLY up through Oct. 6, 2025. NO speaker updates will be accepted by email for WE25.
Step 4: Outline Your Submission Outside of Cadmium
The #1 complaint SWE receives about Breakout Sessions is that the presented content does not match the session description and learning objectives as stated in the conference schedule and app. When this happens, it is most often because the submitted session proposal was not fully conceptualized, and the content was changed later.
In order to avoid this top complaint of conference attendees, remember that attendees select sessions to attend based on title, description, and learning outcomes as submitted during the CFP process. Though you will use Cadmium to submit your proposal, it can be helpful to write out a full outline of your proposal before submitting. Taking the time to plan a high quality proposal and realistically deliverable session is a critical step in getting your session accepted and following through on your stated learning outcomes for attendees. Refer to the WE CFP microlearning course for best practices and examples of writing effective titles, descriptions, and learning outcomes.
As a reminder: SWE only accepts CFP submissions through the Cadmium online submission portal. Please view this short tutorial video explaining how to submit a Breakout Session proposal in Cadmium.
Please note, you cannot update your session content after the submission deadline. This is because SWE takes the review process seriously and wants to ensure that presented content matches submitted content. Therefore, it is critical to finalize your session description and learning outcomes at the time of submission, so they accurately represent what you will present at WE25 if selected.
Step 5: Use All Your Resources
To further increase your chances of earning a high score on your Breakout Session proposal, please take the WE CFP microlearning course to identify best practices to answer each question and view examples of answers that received high and low scores.
You have roughly two months to submit a Breakout Session proposal, but the time will pass by quicker than you think. Take time to plan out a schedule for building your proposal so you are not putting together a submission last minute. A good submission takes time to craft, so be sure to take your time and even step away from the submission every now and then to get a good look at your submission.
Peers are also a great resource! Invite a trusted colleague to review your proposal before submission. Many experienced speakers highly recommend having a trusted colleague review the session content prior to submission. Fresh eyes may catch something your brain has come to gloss over.
- Tip: SWE recommends that submitters share the WE25 CFP Guidelines with any colleagues from whom you might solicit feedback on your submission, so they can familiarize themselves with the expectations of the CFP process.
Get Started
Now that you’ve read through these five steps, you’re more prepared for the CFP process than you were 10 minutes ago!
Make sure your proposal (including the speaker list) is complete, finalized, and error-free. Submit your proposal through Cadmium no later than Monday, March 10, at 11:59 p.m. US Central Time. After this deadline, no changes can be made to your session content.
Remember, it’s important not to become overwhelmed during the CFP process. We are excited to read your submissions and want to ensure that your proposal is as successful and complete as possible for the review process!
If you have any additional questions about WE25 CFP, please reach out to us at cfp@swe.org.
Additional Resources
- Keynote Speakers selection is totally separate from the CFP process and usually occurs at least one year before the conference. Please visit WE Local Keynotes to get a sense of Keynote presentations and the Keynote process at WE Conferences.
- The Poster Competition process is entirely separate from the CFP process. Please visit WE Local Posters to get a sense of Poster content and the Poster process at WE Conferences.
- At WE25, each Affinity Group (AG) will be allocated a 90-minute session in the Affinity Group Lounges. AG leads/co-leads will learn more in the coming months.
