SPEAKER FAQ
Who speaks
at Catalyst Conference?
What types of presentations are
delivered at Catalyst Conference?
What are the responsibilities of
Catalyst Conference speakers?
How are Catalyst Conference speakers
selected?
What happens if a speaker is unable
to present?
Who attends Catalyst Conference and what do
they expect from speakers?
What is the required length of stay
for conference speakers?
How much time do the speakers at
Catalyst Conference have to present their materials?
Whom should I contact with other
questions?
Who speaks at Catalyst Conference?
There are three general categories of speakers
at Catalyst Conference: Burton Group analysts and consultants,
end-users with case study presentations, and vendors.
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What types of presentations
are delivered at Catalyst Conference?
Catalyst Conference presentations fall generally into four
categories: Addresses by Burton Group analysts
and consultants; neutral, industry- or market-related
presentations given by industry experts and standards-body
representatives, vendor presentations discussing
clients’ requirements and the vendor’s
specific response to those requirements; and end-user
case studies that spotlight corporate challenges,
directions, and solutions.
Note that case studies are delivered by end-user
company representatives who may not share the
podium with vendors. Burton Group values strong
case study presentations and we are pleased that
vendors encourage clients to submit proposals,
but case study speakers are required to present
on their own. End-user speakers are welcome and
encouraged to discuss their requirements, selection
criteria, product choices, and deployment experiences
with the audience.
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What are the responsibilities
of Catalyst Conference speakers?
Speakers must follow the presentation guidelines
provided by Burton Group speaker coordinators.
These guidelines focus on the issues and concerns
of Catalyst Conference end-user attendees which vendors
should address directly in their presentations.
Catalyst Conference is not an opportunity to give canned
marketing pitches. Speakers should tailor a message
to address substantive issues.
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How are Catalyst Conference
speakers selected?
End-user speaker criteria:
- Relevance of presentations to the theme and
topics of Catalyst Conference, and
- A speaker's willingness to frankly discuss
real issues. Burton Group doesn’t ask
end-users to reveal proprietary information
about their implementations and business models,
but we do ask that they openly articulate the
issues they need network vendors to address.
Case study presenters should present both successes
and problems.
Vendor speaker
criteria:
- Relevance of presentations to the theme and
topics of Catalyst Conference;
- Freshness, and uniqueness of what a vendor
has to say. Catalyst Conference is renowned for meaningful
discussion of substantive issues. Speaking at
Catalyst Conference is not a marketing opportunity, but
rather a chance to show thought leadership,
describe strategic plans, and make significant
announcements.
- A vendor's industry position. Burton Group
selects a mix of established industry leaders
and emerging companies who are entering the
market with new products. The speaker selection
process and its related criteria are outlined
on the Speaker Submission form.
The speaker selection process and its related
criteria are outlined on the Speaker Submission
form.
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What happens if a speaker
is unable to present?
Burton Group selects you as a speaker at Catalyst Conference
based on the content of their proposed presentations,
positions and roles within their companies, and
their reputation in the industry. If you must
withdraw, Burton Group asks that you propose an
alternate speaker from your company. Burton Group
reserves the right to select the substitute speaker—either
your proposed alternate or someone from a different
company.
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Who attends Catalyst Conference
and what do they expect from speakers?
Catalyst Conference is an ideal environment for
enterprise technologists, product and service
providers to meaningfully interact and discuss
the issues facing the network industry. Conference
attendees are primarily middle- and upper-level
IT planners, architects, and managers who are
technically adept. They attend Catalyst Conference to hear
industry leaders share strategic future vision
and address substantive issues, not hype products.
Corporate strategy announcements are welcome;
product pitches and software demonstrations are
not. Demonstrations are permitted in Hospitality
Suites.
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What is the required
length of stay for conference speakers?
Registration fees for all Catalyst Conference speakers are
covered compliments of Burton Group. Speakers
are welcome and encouraged to participate in the
full conference but are required to attend the
entire day on which they speak. Each day begins
with a speaker preparation meeting and may conclude
with a roundtable in which all the day's presenters
participate. Attending the entire day also allows
each speaker to be fully aware of outstanding
issues or events that occur during the day. (A
speaker coordinator is assigned to each speaker
and will provide specifics about speaking schedules
and presentation duration.)
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How much time do speakers
have to present their materials?
Vendor speaker participation includes a formal
presentation (25 minutes) followed immediately
by a brief question and answer session (10 minutes).
The end of each conference day concludes with
an all-speaker panel discussion (90 minutes).
All speakers are required to attend the entire
day on which they speak, as they are involved
in both the first and last activities of the day.
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Whom should I contact with other
questions?
Contact your speaker coordinator or Larry
Gauthier.
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