APAC Regional Forum: Programs

The Forum Committee selects and coordinates the educational programming for the event.

View the Policies for definitions of speaker types and additional information regarding speaker engagement.

Keynote and other General Sessions

Keynote speakers and topics are aligned with the mission and strategic goals of the organization. Keynote topics are strategic in nature, and are equally relevant to school (including MBAs and specialty masters) and employer audiences. See additional definitions of keynote and plenary speakers in the Policies. 
 

1. Receive a recommendation for a keynote or plenary speaker and/or session topic from a committee member or other source. 
2. The ED and Board Liaison will review the speaker list to ensure they are aligned with the strategic goals of the organization. 
3. Topics should be selected based on the following criteria:
   • Relevant to meeting the needs of CSEA's diverse membership, with a focus on the APAC region
   • Keeping in mind all functional areas within the membership: employers, career center leaders, coaches, employer relations, specialty masters, working professional MBA's, new and seasoned professionals
   • Special focus on the current landscape, while being broad enough to be applicable when the conference takes place
4. Committee members narrow down the speakers and rank them in order of preference. Outreach is then made to speakers - one at a time to avoid having to turn down a speaker. Local speakers are preferred to save travel costs, but non-local speakers can be considered depending on budget. Committee members who know the speakers general conduct the outreach. 
5. Once the speaker is confirmed, discuss the organization’s needs and desired topic with the speaker. 
   • MBA/Masters career services professionals that work with business students to help them prepare for their job search and with employers to help them recruit on their campus. Attendees will represent all areas within the career services office, including directors/leaders, career coaches and employer relations professionals. School types range from small to large, public and private, and span multiple geographies.
   • Recruiters, talent acquisition professionals, university relations professionals and others at companies that hire MBA/Masters students for full-time and internship opportunities. This could also include hiring managers, or anyone involved in the graduate business student hiring process. Company types range from small to large, non-profit and for profit, and spam multiple geographies.
   • Our organization brings together these professionals for networking, learning and conversations that drive the future of the industry. Attendees are generally collaborative, friendly and eager to learn and discuss topics of interest.
   • For the APAC event the focus is on that region.
6. The Executive Director will coordinate the contract and payment process with the speaker (if needed).
7. Obtain the speaker’s bio and picture (for keynotes only), job title and organization, and write the session description for marketing purposes. Send the information to the ED. 
8. If working with a panel, schedule a phone call with the panelists in advance to discuss the specifics and questions that will be asked. If the committee member is not the session moderator, the moderator can do this as long as the committee members confirms that it takes place. A best practice is to develop draft questions and share them with the panelists. Shortly thereafter, schedule a group call for the panelists to get to know each other, build rapport, and discuss what will be shared. Final questions can then be disseminated after the call. Ideally, the call will take place at least two weeks in advance of the conference. Other items to discuss with the panelists:
   • Ask if they prefer to introduce themselves or have the moderator introduce them. If the moderator will be introducing them, request their bio/introduction. We recommend incorporating a fun element into the introductions, rather than simply reading a bio.
   • Discuss how many questions will be asked, and who will answer each question.
   • Develop some seed questions for committee members to ask if there is a lull during the question time period.
9. Obtain the speaker’s A/V needs and travel schedule and send them to the ED. 
10. Work with speaker on-site to make sure they arrive on time and that needs are met.

Breakout Sessions

The APAC forum sometimes has concurrent breakout sessions that focus on topics relevant to a smaller audience. Depending on need, breakout sessions can be selected in a similar format as the keynote and plenary speakers (see steps above). The primary difference is that the topic doesn't have to appeal to the entire audience. See the Policies for additional parameters surrounding breakout sessions. The committee generally coordinates the facilitators/speakers and topics for the concurrent sessions.