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 DC and Richmond-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.
  • Attend an 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 July 17, 2024 from 1:00-2:00pm Eastern.

All submissions must be completed through the online form and are due by July 30. If you need an accommodation or have questions, please email us at speakers@worldatwork.org

What are the Key Dates?

July 10, 2024

Call for Content Opens

Extended to July 30, 2024

Call for Content Closes

By August 8, 2024*

Notifications Sent

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

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. 

  • Get specific: The more details you provide in your description, the more likely you are to be selected.
  • Be creative with your session format: How can you present your ideas in a new or different way? How can you ensure engagement? 
  • Include practitioners: If you will have multiple speakers in your session, include the voice of someone who is currently living and breathing Total Rewards or compensation.
  • 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?

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.

What types of session formats will there be?

We all have different learning preferences. In order to meet as many individual preferences as possible, Total Rewards Summit Series: Arlington 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. 

Discussions

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.

TR Talks
A TR Talk is inspired, fun, and makes you think big and small - in 25 minutes or less! Presenters with a specific story, discovery, or revelation who want to hone their ability to impact participants in a condensed amount of time are encouraged to consider this session format.

Case Studies

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.

Roundtable Discussions
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.

Big Ideas

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

What types of speakers present?

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.