Information and Resources for Applicants

Successful events start with strong speakers. This is your opportunity to highlight your expertise and offer real solutions to the most urgent problems Total Rewards and compensation professionals face today. We want to help you craft an excellent proposal so you can make your voice heard, and deliver impactful, intelligent solutions to your Minneapolis-area community.

We are offering the following resources to support you, our applicants: 

  • Read the information on this page to learn about selection criteria, topics, available session formats, and speaker types.
  • Download the Submission Planning Worksheet to help you think through your submission before heading to the digital form.
Download Submission Planning Worksheet
  • Attend the Office Hour session. During this time WorldatWork staff will be available to review and provide feedback on submissions, help solve any technical problems, or answer general questions about the event or Call. Staff will be waiting to connect with you in the Zoom room on Thursday, April 17 from 12-1pm CT / 1-2pm ET.
Add Office Hour to Calendar

All submissions must be completed through the online form and are due by April 23, 2025. If you need an accommodation or have questions, please email us at speakers@worldatwork.org. 

Key Dates
Selection Criteria
Key Topic Areas
Session Formats
Speaker Types
Call FAQs

What are the Key Dates?

April  1, 2025

Call for Content Opens

April 17, 12-1pm Central / 1-2pm Eastern

Office Hour (Add to Calendar)

April 23, 2025

Call for Content Closes

By May 28, 2025*

Notifications Sent

*After sessions are selected, accepted speakers will receive more details about the venue, technical requirements, deliverables, and training.

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What is the selection criteria?

This is a one-day event, and we will only be able to accept a very limited number of sessions from this call.

Follow the tips below to make your application stand out. 

  • Include practitioners: Include the voice of someone who is currently living and breathing Total Rewards or compensation.
  • Be creative with your session format: How can you present your ideas in a new or different way? How can you ensure engagement? 
  • Get specific: The more details you provide in your description, the more likely you are to be selected.
  • Be topical: The event will occur in early October. What will be top of mind for Total Rewards professionals during that time? How can you connect your content to a larger trend in the macro environment?
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What Key Topics can sessions address?

Our Key Topics align to the WorldatWork Total Rewards Model. Within these Key Topics we expect to see popular themes such as technology, equity, communication, analytics, culture, or the future of work.  

Total Rewards

Navigate the evolving workforce, workplace, and the demands for a new approach to work amid macro-geo-social political environment, tight labor market, changing roles, skills, and values.

Compensation

Share innovative and successful strategies in base pay, variable compensation, sales compensation, equity-based compensation, paying for the job vs. skills, communication, compensation analytics and prediction, market evaluation, performance measurement, and recognition. This includes the complex and nuanced strategies in Executive Rewards and Sales Compensation. 

Benefits

Explore emerging strategies in healthcare, retirement, time off, and holistic employee-centered benefits. Help attendees navigate challenges in communication, personalization, budget constraints, strategic globalization, and evolving regulations.

Well-Being

Set the stage for holistic well-being strategies, including culture, programs, and mindset changes that help employees thrive and boost productivity. Focus on physical, mental, family, financial, and purpose aspects.

Careers

Showcase career pathways shaped through job architecture, career pathing, upskilling, global mobility, and more. Optimize talent, build capabilities, and create a win/win outcome.

Recognition

Elevate the accomplishments of your employees while reinforcing progress towards organizational and business goals.
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What types of session formats will there be?

We all have different learning preferences. In order to meet as many individual preferences as possible, WorldatWork Minneapolis Summit will offer a variety of session formats. The submission form will ask you to suggest which of the following formats you believe will best help participants engage with your ideas. If your submission is accepted, you will work with the WorldatWork team to finalize your session format. 

Submission Tip: Be Creative with Your Session Format

When crafting your submission, think beyond the traditional presentation format. How can you present your ideas in a fresh, engaging way? How can you maximize audience participation?

Most submissions follow a standard presentation structure, but you can stand out by proposing an interactive format.

Consider submitting a Roundtable session to make your proposal more competitive and impactful.

Roundtable

Do you have a question you want to explore with your Total Rewards community? Roundtable Discussions are facilitated conversations that honor the experience already in the room. The most successful roundtable discussions have 2-3 main questions participants explore in tables of 8 and a facilitator that can float among the group synthesizing and sharing what is shared.

Discussion

Whether you plan on gathering a panel or having a 1-on-1 conversation, discussions are a great way to explore a particular topic or problem from various viewpoints. Discussions work best when having different experiences represented is essential to understanding the concept or finding a solution to a challenge.

Case Study

Did you implement a new program, integrate a new technology, or explore new ways of communicating? A Case Study is the perfect way to share what you did, why you did it, and lessons learned.

Big Idea

Do you have research results, a framework, or a transformative experience to share with your community? Big Idea sessions should leave participants thinking differently.​​​​​​​
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What types of speakers present?

Submission Tip: Include Practitioners

Conference participants highly value insights from practitioners with firsthand experience. Given the limited number of session slots, submissions that feature practitioners will receive priority consideration.

To strengthen your proposal, include the perspective of someone actively engaged in Total Rewards or compensation, ensuring your session delivers real-world expertise and practical takeaways.

Academic: Full or part-time professor with no other source of employment.

Consultant: A professional hired to provide expert advice to multiple clients or organizations. Does not include internal consultants. See practitioner definition.

  • Examples: Partner, Managing Director, Principal, Practice Leader, Attorney

Non-Profit Organization Representative: Advocate from a relevant non-profit, offering industry-specific insights and expertise, aligning with our event's cause and mission. 

Practitioner: “Internal” professionals accountable to influence or deliver rewards for that one specific organization. Excludes those working in professional services supporting external customers.

  • Examples: SVP Total Rewards, Manager, Compensation Manager, Director Employee Benefits, CHRO, Financial Analyst, HR Business Partner, Benefits Specialist, Compensation Committee Chair, Chief Legal Officer, Recruiter

Service Partner: A supplier or someone who works for a company that provides organizations with services other than management consulting. See consultant definition.

  • Examples: IT Solutions Provider, Payroll Processing Provider, Recognition Outsource Provider, Insurance Agent, VP Product Development, Sales Director, Account Executive

Still Have Questions?

We are happy to help! Click below to contact the Events team. 

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