Call for Expressions of
Interest
In presenting at
Connecting Up Conference 2014
Theme: Driving change through strategy and innovation
7-9 May 2014
Gold Coast, Australia
(QT Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise)
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 2014 conference aims to encourage not-for-profits to adopt a more strategic approach in
all aspects of their operations, including technology planning, program management, 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 2014 keynote speakers, including:

Holly Ransom, Australia
A social entrepreneur with a dedication to driving innovative change in the not-forprofit and corporate arena. A leader in youth engagement and innovation with a passion
for building sustainable and thriving communities. President of Rotary of Crawley and
an Executive Director on a number of not-for-profit boards, including Giving West,
Global Voices and Youth Focus. A highly regarded keynote speaker and named as one of
the “100 Most Influential Australian Women” by the Australian Financial Review and
Westpac in 2012.
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The audience
The 2013 conference on the Gold Coast was attended by more than 340 delegates from notfor-profit organisations all over Australia, with some international visitors from New Zealand
and North America. We also received 47 registrations for the live streaming program, which we
offered for the first time in 2013.
The conference attracts a good 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 2014 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:
Christine Halim
Senior Events and Membership Coordinator
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 2014 conference, we are seeking presentations that fit into one of the four conference
streams: technology, marketing/communications, digital media 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
Marketing/communications
 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
 Innovative fundraising methods
 Membership, sponsorship and partnership
 Cutting through communications clutter
 Content writing (collateral or website)
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 PR for not-for-profits
 Member engagement
 Building donor loyalty
 Measurements, metrics and ROI
Digital media
 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



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 4 October 2013 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 2014 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):
Click here to enter text.
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 4 October 2013 to:
Conference Coordinator
By email: conference@connectingup.org
By post: Connecting Up, GPO Box 11017 ADELAIDE SA 5001 Australia
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