Welcome to the official VidFest Expo Speaker Submission application! We are thrilled you are interested in presenting at VidFest, and look forward to reading your submission.
Please note: the deadline to submit is March 31, 2025! And be sure to read the "Guidelines to pitch a winning presentation for VidFest Expo" below!
Also note: This is a premium event people looking to learn and grow a YouTube channel, specifically. We will have a separate beginner track to help people getting started, but many attendees will be looking to grow, improve, and streamline existing Channels.
We have limited speaking slots. You must have an active YouTube channel with a minimum of 1,000 subscribers.
Examples of topics we are looking for include:
—Understanding and leveraging YouTube's algorithm for massive growth
—Strategies for growing your channel
—How to leverage AI to streamline content creation or production
—How to use basic AI to get started with a channel
—How to monetize by selling digital products via your YouTube channel
—Deep dives into thumbnail creation
—Equipment on a budget to help you bootstrap a YouTube channel
—How to leverage YouTube long-form and short-form content
—Building an audience
—SEO and Discoverability on YouTube
—How to Deal with Criticism
—How to Differentiate Between Destructive and Constructive Criticism
—How to get your first 1,000 subscribers
—Best practices for setting up a channel
—How to utilize technology and work with editors, virtual assistants, and AI
Be creative in your submissions and feel free to submit as many presentations as you would like (again, please see our Guide to Pitching below and be sure you submit each presentation separately).
*** UPDATED *** GUIDELINES TO PITCH A WINNING PRESENTATION FOR VidFest EXPO
These are some things we’ve learned so far that will help you in your pitch to speak at VidFest Expo!
BE VERY SPECIFIC in your submission. For example: “How to Step into Your Greatness” or “How to Kill it in Social Media” are too generic and broad. Be specific; title your topic geared to this particular audience.
Your pitch should be more than 4 sentences long.
Each pitch/presentation should be about one topic. For example: “How to Start, How to Grow and How to Make Money” is again, too broad as there is no way someone could offer that information effectively in a 20-30 minute talk.
Your pitch should be audience-centered, not You-centered. For example, a session that is how You overcame adversity and how attendees can learn from how You did that and went on to do x,y, and z is just not as impactful; focus on what you can TEACH. (As someone once said, let your story be the icing, not the cake!)
Be creative with your Title and Description: the title and description that go into the agenda come straight from your submission! Think about someone reading the agenda and debating which talk they want to see. Use your title and description to draw people to your presentation!
PRESENTATION TITLE: Try not to name your presentation “How to do ABC...”.
A presentation titled “20+ Ways to Promote Your YouTube Channel Besides Using Social Media” is much more enticing than “How to Promote Your YouTube Channel.”
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION: Be thorough and descriptive! Again, thinking about you as an attendee and reading the schedule … what would attract you to your presentation?
Using the topic above, this is an great example of a description:
"Social media is a necessary evil in promoting your YouTube Channel, but it’s only ONE of more than two dozen methods you can use to get the word out about your show!
Don’t take the “build it and they will come” attitude, meaning, just because you release an episode and it’s on numerous platforms doesn’t mean people will automatically find it.
This session will provide a variety of budget-friendly methods -- at little or no cost -- that every YouTuber can employ to get the word out about their show!"
(Thank you Bruce Wawrzyniak for allowing us to adopt his topic/description as an example!)
PRESENTATION TYPES
Full breakout presentation speaker: You’ll get 20-30 minutes of time with an additional few minutes for Q&A added based on demand.
Panel style speaker: You’ll be on a panel with 3-4 others who can co-share on a subject, idea or strategy. You MUST bring your own panelists. (Panels must include who your fellow panelists would be as well.)
SPEAKER TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
We’ve provided some specific guidelines to which you will give your commitment by agreeing below. If we select you as a speaker for VidFestExpo (#VidFestExpo), you will be committed to these terms and conditions:
1. We recommend speakers or panelists apply to speak directly at #VidFestExpo. Submissions from agents & PR firms will be considered after those submitted by speakers directly.
2. If selected for a speaking opportunity at #VidFestExpo, the VidFest Team will communicate directly with the speaker/panelists in lieu of a third party (agent and PR firm etc.) Furthermore, this will serve as the agreement between speaker and #VidFestExpo. No other agreements will be issued.
SPEAKER OBLIGATIONS:
3. In addition to speaking, all speakers, moderators, experts, and panelists are given access to attend our exclusive YT Meet and Greet VIP Networking Event.
SPEAKER EXPECTATIONS & COMPENSATION:
4. Compensation will consist of the following: All speakers will receive a comped VidFest Pass to the conference. This will be the sole compensation unless otherwise agreed upon in writing. If the speaker has already purchased a pass to the conference and then is chosen they may pay their pass forward to someone who needs a hand up, or get a partial refund that accounts for the food and beverage cost (pending the pass you bought) after being chosen to speak.
OTHER IMPORTANT CONDITIONS:
6. By agreeing to speak at #VidFestExpo, you are granting VidFest the right to use your name, image, likability, bio and topic information in the promotion of the show and your session. This includes listings on our web site and landing pages, promotional mailers/e-mails/newsletters, advertisements, the show directory/addendum and various other sources as to be determined by the VidFest team.
7. Cutting Edge Events, LLC. shall have the right and royalty-free license to sell or to produce and show a video/tape-delayed broadcast of the speaker’s session, or to the public generally, through streaming Internet video, or recordings.
8. There is to be absolutely, positively no selling by speakers. Educate the audience; do not sell to them. Impress attendees with your knowledge and they will seek you out. Blatant self promotion is prohibited. Freebies are allowed.
9. There are to be no political discussions or political jokes from speakers up on any of our stages unless the show and the discussion is political in nature and attendees already know what they're in for.
10. This Agreement shall in all respects be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida and Hillsborough County. Please complete the fields below and confirm your agreement.
