
Speaker submissions information
If you applied to speak and have any questions, more details on speaking at the Best Friends National Conference are below. We are reviewing all submissions thoroughly and we will notify all submitters of our final decisions via email by March 10.
It is essential that the topics we ultimately select cover a wide range of animal shelter and community programs and innovative and proven strategies to help save more lives.
Speakers with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences will be selected, and we welcome first-time presenters to submit proposals.
We ask that speakers present an entire session directly related to their submitted proposal, lasting 45 minutes (please limit the amount of time spent on Q&A to be as minimal as possible). We may request that speakers provide additional time for roundtable discussions and question-and-answer sessions for conference attendees.
All breakout sessions will be limited to a maximum of two co-presenters, and information for both presenters must be included in the original submission. If submitting for a panel, we will allow one moderator and up to three panelists (please see “conference expenses” section for details on expense coverage differences).
We welcome presentation submissions that cover the following topics:
- Advocacy and community engagement
- Cat-specific lifesaving
- Culture and change management
- Dog-specific lifesaving
- Executive leadership and staff development
- Field services and animal control
- Fundraising and development
- Lifesaving programs
- Marketing and communications
- Rescue group operations and administration
- Shelter medicine and animal care
- Shelter operations and administration
Timeline for submissions

Want to make your submission stand out?
We consider submissions on topics that are thoughtfully planned out, and we ask that you explain precisely what you intend to share with conference attendees.

Speaker expectations
We're looking forward to reviewing your proposal, here is what will be expected of you if selected:

Involvement at the conference
Best Friends will provide the official conference schedule in early 2023 so that you can plan your trip accordingly.
