Call for Expressions of Interest
In presenting at
Connecting Up Conference 2015
Theme: Empowering communities in the information age
27-29 May 2015
Adelaide, Australia
(Adelaide Convention Centre)
About the conference
The Connecting Up Conference is a three-day interactive event that has continued to grow in
size and quality since it was first established in 2004. It is targeted to not-for-profits who are
interested in innovation, change and finding solutions to further engage with the community
and achieve outcomes through improved operational and organisational efficiency.
As technology and the digital landscape continue to evolve rapidly and the competition
becomes stronger, not-for-profits need to continue to innovate to keep up with the changes
and stay ahead of the game.
The 2015 conference aims to encourage not-for-profits to adopt a more strategic approach in
all aspects of their operations, including technology planning, program management and
productivity, marketing and communications and overall organisational management. We also
hope to inspire them to explore their potential areas for growth and opportunities for
innovation to achieve more positive outcomes.
The conference is an excellent opportunity for not-for-profits to learn from inspiring
international and local speakers, engage and share with other delegates and walk away with
new insights to help their organisation drive social change.
Connecting Up invites you to be a part of this highly anticipated annual event in the not-forprofit sector and expand your network in the not-for-profit community.
The keynote speakers
Join the 2015 keynote speakers, including:
Darian Rodriguez Heyman, USA
Co-Founder & Chief Development Officer of BetterWorld Wireless, which serves U.S. not-forprofits with calling, texting, and data plans powered by Sprint. Also the former E.D. of Craigslist
Foundation, Co-Founder of Social Media for Not-for-profits, the only conference series devoted
to social media for social good, and the best-selling author of Not-for-profit Management 101
(Jossey-Bass). Co-founded Beyond Interactive, one of the first digital advertising agencies, and
from 2004-2008 was Executive Director at Craigslist Foundation where he launched their Notfor-profit Boot Camp and educated and inspired over 10,000 not-for-profit leaders.
Tim Conolan, Melbourne, Australia
CEO & Founder - TLC for kids, Aus Local Hero 2014, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 Social
Entrepreneur Southern Region. Has worked in the non-profit sector for over 23 years involving
philanthropy, fundraising, service delivery, community support, major fundraising campaigns
and working with major donors.
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The audience
More than 320 delegates attended the 2014 Connecting Up Conference on the Gold Coast from
not-for-profit organisations all over Australia, with some international visitors from New
Zealand and North America. We also received 50 registrations for the live streaming program.
The conference attracts a mix of not-for-profit executives, including CEOs, Board members,
directors and managers, as well as project coordinators and service providers in IT,
online/digital media, community engagement, marketing, communications and fundraising.
We will once again be expecting over 300 delegates to attend the 2015 conference, with
hundreds more reached via the live streaming and online presence (web and social media).
The sector
The Australian not-for-profit sector is diverse and consists of organisations of varying sizes. We
want to ensure that as many causes are represented and that their experience is shared across
the sector. The various categories of not-for-profits listed in the Connecting Up Directory
illustrates the breadth of the sector and we encourage broad participation at our annual
conference.
For further enquiries, please
contact:
Karen Vance
Connecting Up
Phone: 1300 731 844
Email: conference@connectingup.org
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Guidelines for presenter submissions
Each year Connecting Up receives great interest from potential speakers wishing to present at
our annual conference. In order to streamline the process, we have prepared the following
guidelines.
Streams and topics
For the 2015 conference, we are seeking presentations that fit into one of the four conference
streams: technology, marketing & digital media, productivity and leadership. Topics may
include, but are not limited to:
Technology
 BYOD and workforce mobility
 CRM
 Mobile apps
 Open source apps and tools
 Data strategy, management and collection
 Online meetings and remote access
 Latest technology trends
 How to make the best use of old and emerging technologies in NFP
 Case study on new technology implementation in an NFP on a tight budget
 Data security and virtualisation
 How to make the best use of technology in small organisations with minimal resources
 Practical demonstrations and how-to on specific solutions and tools
 Cloud storage and backup
Productivity
 Tips and tricks for using technology to increase productivity
 Productivity planning
 Technology demonstrations
 Time management
 Project planning and implementation
Marketing & Digital media
 Email marketing and campaigns
 Funding and grant writing
 Marketing planning
 Innovative marketing campaigns
 Infographics
 Visual marketing strategies
 Applying the right communication tools to your NFP’s vision
 Utilising different online fundraising platforms
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 Innovative fundraising methods
 Membership, sponsorship and partnership
 Cutting through communications clutter
 Content writing (collateral or website)
 PR for not-for-profits
 Member engagement
 Building donor loyalty
 Measurements, metrics and ROI
 Website design and management
 SEO
 Online campaign (online ads, Google AdWords, blogging, etc.)
 Analytics and measurement (web and social media)
 Social media tools (LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook apps, Google+, etc.)
 Gamification for social good
 Online engagement strategies
 Geo-social networking applications (location-based apps)
 Online collaboration
Leadership
 Community leadership
 Strategic relationship building
 Stakeholder engagement
 Increasing revenue and organisational sustainability
 Fostering organisational culture and change
 Engaging boards of management and getting buy-in
 Internal NFP policies
 Attracting and retaining staff
 Volunteer management
 Financial management (accounting, investment, tight budgets)
 Case studies on NFP innovation (especially in small organisation)
 Case studies on change management program and achieving success in an NFP
Session criteria
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
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Sessions need to include case studies or success stories within the not-for-profit sector
(co-presentation with the featured not-for-profit is encouraged)
Sessions must include take-away practical tools or strategies (ie, the how-to guide, top
10 tips, etc.)
Sessions must be applicable to not-for-profits of different sizes (many of our audience
are from the small to medium organisations)
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Submission requirements
Initial expression of interest to present must be submitted by COB Friday 17 October 2014 to:
Conference Coordinator
conference@connectingup.org
GPO Box 11017 ADELAIDE SA 5001 Australia
The topics outlined above are for guidance only. Interested presenters are also welcome to
propose other topics that will benefit not-for-profit organisations as long as they fit within the
criteria and fall under the main streams of technology, marketing/communications, digital
media and leadership. The conference organisers may request further details or abstract of the
proposed presentation once the presenter is shortlisted.
Presentation requirements
Presenters should plan for a 45-minute session and must also allow time for questions within
the specified session duration. You should be prepared to deliver your presentation twice if
there is sufficient interest. Electronic presentations and any other relevant materials must be
supplied to the organisers in advance.
Presenter exemptions
Presenters included in the conference program will be exempt from registration fees for the
two-day conference (additional programs such as breakfast and masterclass are not included).
Unfortunately, we are not in the position at this point to be able to offer airfares and
accommodation to rural and interstate presenters. Please indicate if your Expression of Interest is
entirely conditional on having some or all of your costs met.
Selection guidelines
Please bear in mind that this conference is about sharing knowledge and skills with others so
that delegates can leave the conference with tangible, practical ideas and/or skills to assist
them in their own projects and plans. Therefore, please ensure that your presentation addresses
the actual implementation of a project or program.
Should you be shortlisted and the organisers find that your abstract is based on academic
papers, theoretical research or future projections, we reserve the right do decline your offer to
present (there are other forums for these). Presenters should also refrain from directly promoting a
particular product or business service but provide a client case study to showcase their
innovation (please contact us for sponsorship or booths for this purpose).
If we are unable to include your presentation in the 2015 conference, there may be potential to
repurpose the content for our other events (eg, webinar or workshop).
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Expression of interest form
Presentation details
Presentation title: Click here to enter text.
Presentation description (up to 150 words):
Click here to enter text.
Key learning outcomes:
Click here to enter text.
Stream (please tick all that apply):
☐ Technology
☐ Marketing/communications
☐ Digital media
☐ Leadership
Presentation level (please tick all that apply):
☐ Beginner/introductory
☐ Intermediate
☐ Advanced
Name of potential presenter: Click here to enter text.
Current job title: Click here to enter text.
Contact details
Organisation: Click here to enter text.
Address: Click here to enter text.
Email: Click here to enter text.
Mobile: Click here to enter text.
Work phone: Click here to enter text.
Social media details (if any)
Blog/Website: Click here to enter text.
Twitter: Click here to enter text.
YouTube: Click here to enter text.
Facebook page: Click here to enter text.
Other: Click here to enter text.
Short biography (no more than 100 words):
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Relevant project examples (please provide web links, short descriptions, etc, if available):
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Presentation experience (please list any other presentations you have done, including topic
and where, if applicable):
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Please submit by COB Friday 17 October 2014 to:
Conference Coordinator
By email: conference@connectingup.org
By post: Connecting Up, GPO Box 11017 ADELAIDE SA 5001 Australia
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