Conferences & Education

WIB Speaker Guidelines

If you are interested in submitting a speaker proposal, please go to our Request to Speak webpage to learn more on how to submit your proposal.

About WIB

Established in 1937, WIB has taken a leadership role in providing community and independent banks throughout the West with an avenue to share information and to help each other succeed. Being one of the first to provide financial comparisons for peer groups enhanced WIB's reputation as a leader in community banking education. We exist to inform community bankers in ways that will keep them in tune with industry trends, issues and solutions; focus on opportunities to educate them so that they may grow and prosper; and connect bankers together with each other, industry experts, products and services to help strengthen their bank's competitive advantage.

Benefits to the Presenter

  • Publicity for yourself and your expertise in front of industry leaders from across the West.
  • Information dissemination and feedback on your work.
  • Opportunity to meet and network with people in your industry.

The WIB Audience

  • The WIB audience is comprised of small to mid-size banks in the Western states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and the U.S. Territories. To learn more about the makeup of our membership, you may go to our Member Profile page.
  • They are primarily Presidents, CEOs and other senior level management professionals that have a significant amount of responsibility and/or decision-making capabilities within the bank.
  • They look for strategic and cutting-edge ideas to help them do their job better and positively affect the bottom line or growth of the bank. They look to presenters to directly connect them to these strategies.

Delivery & Presentation Methods

Conference Breakout Sessions presentation times usually last between 45 and 50 minutes plus time for questions and answers. Webinars last approximately 90 minutes with a small amount of time available for questions and answers. For conference or forum sessions we recommend looking beyond the typical lecture style presentation. Additional ways to engage the audience include using case studies or a panel of experts with a moderator leading the discussion. Visuals and handouts are recommended for a more engaging presentation.

The format of your presentation is strictly educational and the presentation must be structured to advance the development of the community bank professional by addressing issues pertinent to them as well as solutions for these issues. Review of presentations by WIB is standard and if we feel your presentation is too sales-oriented, we will require that you modify it and resubmit. Nothing in your presentation or materials, in whatever medium, shall disparage or denigrate any person or group on the basis of race, religion, age, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or marital status; shall disparage or defame the name, goods, services or products of others; or shall create a hostile, offensive or intimidating environment. Failure to observe these rules may result in the speaker's presentation being terminated while in progress.

Notification of Acceptance & Selection Process

Receipt of proposal will be acknowledged via email. Email is the preferred method in which to submit your proposal. All of our Conferences and Forums have an Advisory Committee that reviews presentations submitted and determines the topics and speakers to be presented at the event. If selected to speak, you will receive a confirmation, listing the session type, date and length, along with a Speaker document outlining when the signed agreement and presentation materials are due to WIB. In addition, one week prior to the start of the event, you will receive a speaker sound check document. This confirmation will identify your session room, your expected arrival time as well as an expected attendance for your session.

Speaker Information

Speaker Fees/Honorariums: Each presenter is required to pay their own expenses related to presenting at the event. No fees are given to presenters.

Registration

As a speaker, WIB will register you into the event and will provide you with a confirmation outlining the amount due (if appropriate). All speakers are responsible for registering their guest(s) and/or for optional activities.

Handout Materials

Presenters are encouraged to handout materials that are easily readable and re-usable for the attendee. Unless otherwise instructed, your final PowerPoint presentation will be produced as a black and white handout with two (2) slides per page not to exceed a total of pages. If you have additional handout materials, they are due to WIB no less than 15 business days prior to your presentation and are subject to review by WIB prior to distribution at the event.

Audio/Visual Equipment Requirements

A podium, one screen, one projector and one wireless lavaliere microphone will be provided for all sessions. Other equipment, such as a laptop, may be available by prior request.

Copyright/Publishing Rights

Your presentation may be recorded for use following the event. Presenters agree, by submitting and delivering a presentation, to allow and assign all rights to WIB to capture, reproduce, make available and/or sell recordings of presentations, slides and other related materials, in a paper and/or electronic format, without license, liability or limitation.

As the presenter, you are responsible for securing any and all necessary licenses or consents for the use of any copyrighted works and/or the use of any name, likeness, voice or other impression, or other intellectual property owned by any third party, which is issued during the presentation or in any handouts. Presenters agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Western Independent Bankers from and against any claim of liability and any incident or resulting loss, cost or damage (including costs of suit and attorney's fees) for failure to obtain the proper licenses or consents and/or for infringements or other violations of the intellectual property rights or the rights of privacy or publicity of any third party.

Sale of Materials

Any material brought for display and sale (books, tapes, CDs, etc.) must be approved by Western Independent Bankers prior to the Conference. 

Cancellation

In the event a presenter must cancel due to illness or an unforeseen emergency, he/she is responsible for recommending a speaker comparable and acceptable to WIB. Should WIB concur with this recommendation, the presenter agrees to assist WIB in securing the replacement presenter. WIB reserves the right to cancel the program in whole or in part, at least 30 days prior to the event, without cause of recourse by the presenter.

For questions or comments please contact Kerry Curtis, VP of Research & Program Development at kerry@wib.org or go to our Request to Speak webpage.