October 22-24, 2023 I Denver

Call For Speakers is now closed.

Inspire thousands of change-makers and K–12 private schools at the tech conference to fuel social impact.

The bigger, better bbcon 2023 gives you more reasons to speak.

We're combining bbcon with our
K–12 User Conference so everyone can take advantage of all the great content in one venue.

The energy of a live event is contagious—get inspired to push higher, move faster, and go further in your organization.

It's good for the sector—When you share, other changemakers benefit and we all help one another make a bigger impact.

Your insights as a Blackbaud customer and partner make the biggest impact at bbcon.

Why take it to the stage?

Make an
Impact

Help your peers go further with Blackbaud by sharing your real-life experience, successes, and lessons learned.

Grow Your Network

Meet with other expert users to trade insider tips, get help with challenges, and expand your working relationships across the industry.

Advance Your Personal Brand

Get recognized as the expert you are, and grow your career with speaking experience.

Plus: all speakers get a complimentary conference pass!

(Does not include Blackbaud University Day)

What We’re Looking For

Anyone who uses and loves Blackbaud software!

Executive Directors

Database Administrators

Fundraisers

Prospect Researchers

Marketers

Accountants

Business Managers

Learning & Development Trainers

IT Professionals

We welcome speakers from:

Nonprofits

Foundations

Colleges and Universities

K-12 Schools

Companies

Healthcare Organizations

Arts and Cultural Institutions

Tech Partners

What Do Speakers Share?

Success stories

Inspire other changemakers with your own organization's success story using Blackbaud software.

Tips & tricks

Let's get into the nitty gritty—share your best timesaving hacks!

Use-case examples

Have you tailored Blackbaud software to fit your organization's unique needs?

Lessons learned

Pay it forward so your colleagues can skip the learning curve.

Apply to Speak

We’d love to hear your thoughts on:

Leadership & Management

Operational Effectiveness

Research and Trends

Tech Innovation

Corporate Social Responsibility

Data Intelligence

Financial Management

Foundations

Fundraising and Marketing

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Grantmaking

Important Dates:

Call for Speaker Submissions

March 7–Apr 13

Notifications of Acceptance

Late May to early June

Content Reviews

Early June to mid Sept

Recordings for Virtual

Oct 2–17

Take the Stage

Oct 22 - 24

Apply to Speak

Questions? Read on to learn more about speaking at bbcon

Can you tell me more about bbcon?

Hosted annually, bbcon brings the Blackbaud community together to share, learn, inspire, and innovate.

After three years as a virtual gathering, we are back live this year in Denver–October 22 through October 24. We can’t wait to welcome thousands of Blackbaud users and those interested in learning more about how to use Blackbaud’s software to fuel their impact.

This year, we are excited to co-locate the Blackbaud K–12 User Conference at bbcon. Now K–12 private schools can connect their whole school community together for the learning event of the year.

If you are interested in speaking at one of our in-person pop-up sessions in Toronto or London (dates TBD, but likely in late October or early November), or curating specific content for our virtual audience, please note this in your description.

How are proposals evaluated?

The conference team uses a fair and thoughtful process to review all submissions. Session proposals will be reviewed and evaluated using the following criteria:

Quality of content: Keep proposals concise, specific, relevant, and enticing. There will be several concurrent sessions happening throughout the conference so make sure your description clearly depicts takeaways and key learnings.

Relevance to audience: Content should examine and explore the needs, challenges, and opportunities social good professionals face today and in the future. Target general concepts that apply to specific job functions or organization types represented at the conference.

Creativity and innovation: Why are you the best person to tell this story? Is there a specific challenge you’ve overcome with Blackbaud software? Or did you approach that challenge differently? Maybe you’re a power user of our software and have valuable tips for efficiency? Whichever it is, let us know.

Impact: We are seeking sessions that provide practical application and encourage attendees to take action.

Video Sample: If you don't have a video of a past speaking engagement, please record one for your application. Although not required, a video submission will provide additional insights on your presentation style and the value of your session.

What's my commitment if I'm selected as a speaker?

Due to the large number of submissions, even proposals that meet all criteria may not be selected. All proposals will be considered for bbcon in-person, virtual, and pop-up events in other geos.

Approved speakers are expected to:

Get engaged! Help spread the word about your session through your social media networks to increase attendance and generate excitement around your topic and the conference.

Join us live in Denver, Colorado October 22-24, 2023. You will receive a free conference registration pass (does not include costs for Blackbaud University Day pass), however, you are responsible for covering your own travel and hotel costs. We will have hotel blocks available starting in April.

Meet preparation deadlines. All deadlines will be outlined in the online Speaker Resource Center once speakers are approved.

Agree to our speaker release. We require all speakers to pre-record their session and to make a PDF of the presentation available for viewing. Select recordings will be released for promotional and educational use.

How will my session be shared with the virtual audience?

Although we will be livestreaming some of our mainstage sessions for our virtual audience, the breakout sessions for bbcon Denver will be pre-recorded and shared with virtual audience in mid-November.

What are the session formats for bbcon 2023?

Luminary Super Sessions: Deep dive into challenges, trends, and transformation across specific organization types. These sessions typically are moderated by a Blackbaud expert, featuring a panel of luminary speakers from across the social good sector.

Breakout sessions: Valuable insights, tips, and learning across a diverse set of tracks and topics. Sessions are typically 30 minutes and are available for on-demand viewing via a virtual pass (without live chat feature). Up to two speakers max per session.

Panel Session: A panel moderator facilitates a discussion with 3-4 panelists who can share trends, insights, and ideas with audience. These sessions are interactive in nature, typically 45-minutes in length (inclusive of attendee questions).

Birds of a Feather: Informal gatherings of like-minded individuals who wish to discuss a certain topic without a pre-planned agenda. These will be held in common-spaces throughout the convention center or at lunch tables.

Please note: Leading a BOF session only does not qualify for a free conference pass.

User Group Meeting: Looking to host a user group at bbcon in Denver? These will be held on last day of the conference and will be 60-minutes in length.

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65 Fairchild Street, Charleston, SC 29492

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