So far, 2020 has been a year of many changes, and our announcement that RSA Conference 2021 USA has been moved from February to May resulted in a few ripples. Naturally, our Call for Speakers time frame has also shifted, but we are thrilled to announce that the time has arrived for you to share your ideas for consideration. The RSAC 2021 Call for Speakers launches on August 25 and closes on September 18.

Last year, we received a record number of submissions, and we were impressed with the genuine thoughtfulness reflected in the submissions. Whether it was a Privacy topic or one on Hackers & Threats, speakers made great efforts to connect their ideas to our Human Element theme. Though connecting your submission to the theme is certainly not a prerequisite to having your submission selected, we really appreciated the creativity and humanity that came through in 2020. We anticipate that this year’s theme of RESILIENCE will be at the forefront of what we review. Given the conversations we’ve had with industry leaders and security practitioners around RESILIENCE, we are excited to read this year’s submissions.

To help answer any questions you might have about the submission process, we have pulled together several resources that you can review and return to at rsaconference.com throughout the Call for Speakers submissions process. Below are links to sources that should prove useful to you in developing a compelling speaker proposal:

1. Sample submissions from 2020 sessions: With thousands of submissions and only hundreds of speaking opportunities to fill, we are looking for polished submissions that focus on detail. But what does that mean? We’ve heard that question before, so we’ve compiled some examples of superior submissions that were among the top-rated sessions and speakers this past year, according to attendee surveys. Learn from their success stories. It wasn’t just the actual submissions that shined, but these submitters who were accepting of feedback from the Program Committee and applied it to the presentations. They excelled from submission all the way through to execution.
2. Submission tips: We provide a quick rundown of tips to help you best frame your submission. It’s important to note that it is very clear what has been written by an actual speaker and what has been created by a PR or marketing person on behalf of the speaker. Your submission is not a marketing brochure—it is your opportunity to show the Program Committee that you are a passionate expert with a well-thought-out proposal, showing in-depth insights that are unique from the hundreds of other submissions they are reviewing.
3. FAQ: There are always many questions in and around our submissions process. The FAQ will run through the main ones, remind you of key dates and deadlines, and highlight different opportunities available at Conference. Odds are high we answered your questions here.
4. Idea Starters: Sometimes you need a little boost to get a good idea started. This year, we are sharing some preliminary ideas for track descriptions along with idea starters to help you think about the kinds of sessions our Program Committee would like to see at Conference. These track descriptions are a work in progress, and the final descriptions will be based on the sessions selected by the Program Committee gleaned from the great inbound of submissions we know we’ll receive.

RSA Conference is where the world comes together to talk security. The content selected goes deeper than identifying a problem. Our attendees are looking for actionable insights and quality education. What makes it onto the agenda is selected by a Program Committee comprised of industry experts—security professionals, privacy experts, data scientists, technology experts, researchers, government employees, attorneys and others. Two to three judges carefully review every single submission for each track. They pick the sessions they think best collectively deliver a comprehensive view of the topics that belong on their track, and they are eager to see what you can bring to the conversation this year.

Thank you for taking the time to share your wisdom with the cybersecurity community. Your commitment to the advancement of others is what strengthens the professionals in our industry. Good luck, and we certainly hope to see you as a speaker at RSAC 2021.