top of page

Calling all speakers! School Photographers of America is now accepting submissions for speakers to present at our 2026 Summit from June 23-25 in Raleigh, NC.

​

Presenters will leas real conversations around the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping school photography and yearbooks right now. This is about sharing practical solutions, smart strategies, and the lessons learned from actually running and growing a business in our industry.

​

Serving as a presenter helps strengthen leadership skills and deepen professional experience, but just as important, it creates space for meaningful dialogue. When we come together to exchange ideas openly and honestly, we strengthen not only our individual companies but the future of our industry. That collaboration is how SPOA continues to preserve, protect, and promote the great tradition of school photography and yearbooks.

Speaker Proposals

If you are willing and able to participate in the International Conference, please submit via Whova form by Monday, April 6th, 2026.

​

This form includes:

  • Session Topic

  • Session Title

  • Session Description

  • Speaker Biography

  • Speaker Contact Information

  • Speaker Avilability

​

Session Title: 6-8 words (Avoid vague titles. Cleaver is great, but easy to understand what the session will cover is key.)

​

Session Description: 45-60 words. Avoid using the speaker's name in the session description. Describe what the speaker will cover and what the audience should take away from the session. Please use complete sentences.

​

Speaker Biography: 80 words max. We prefer bio information that is relevant to the session or the industry. Avoids overly professional details about a product/service/company.

SPOA.Callforspeakers1.jpg
SPOA.Callforspeakers2.jpg

  • The submissions collected form this Call for Proposals will be considered for breakout sessions only.

  • Our 60 minute breakout sessions will take place on Wednesday and Thursday. If you are interested in presenting a 3 hour pre-conference session on Tuesday morning, please specify in your application.

  • Presenters must be available on any day for which SPOA assigns your session.

  • Proposal submission does not guarantee participation in the 2026 conference.

  • Under no circumstances may a breakout session be used as a place for direct promotion of a presenter's product, service, or monetary self-interest. Sales pitches disguised as a presentations will not be considered.

  • All presenters must pay conference registration fees and have a registration badge. Please explain this policy to your co-presenters. While we do not pay an honorarium or expenses for presenting breakout sessions at the Annual Conference, we hope that the intangible benefits for being a part of our programing make the effort worthwhile for presenters.

  • If not already registered, anyone chosen to be a speaker/presenter must register to attend the conference within 30 days of notification. 

  • Persons presenting at the conference are expected to use material and language that does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, physical ability, and/or sexual orientation.​

SPOA.Callforspeakers3.jpg
SPOA.Callforspeakers4.jpg
SPOA.Callforspeakers5.jpg

  • SPOA does not pay for honoraria, speaker fees, or travel expenses to breakout session speakers.

  • The presenter will be listed in printed materials and is responsible for managing the submission process, as wall as providing all required asses to SPOA by Friday, April 24, 2026, should the submission be selected.

  • Breakout rooms will be equipped with a TV with HDMI hookup for presenting. Any other audio/visual equipment must be requested by Friday, April 24, 2026, but are not guaranteed.

  • Presenters agree to abide by the terms of the copyrighted release in order to present.

  • SPOA may record audio and/or video presentations and make clips available to members.

  • Presenters agree to permit SPOA to record their session for conference attendees.

  • Presenters understand that SPOA does not provide hardcopy handouts to attendees. 

  • If your proposal is selected, SPOA reserves the right to revise presentation titles, reassign the conference room location, and/or edit the program summary for promotional and program materials.

  • SPOA reserves the right to cancel a session based on noncompliance to any point. This includes, but not limited to failure to fully register, failure to return required documents, presenter changes, etc.

  • SPOA may consider a submitted proposal for other meetings and/or conferences.

SPOA.Callforspeakers6.jpg

Session Proposals

Members and other individuals interested in supporting the goals and programs of SPOA and the school photography in your book industries are invited to submit conference program proposals for breakout sessions. This invitation is extended to anyone working in the school photography or your book industries or anyone working with industry that supports these industries.

​

Proposal must be received by Monday, April 6th to be considered. If the landline has passed, please contact Stephanie Hayes at stephanie.hayes@schoolphotographersofamerica.com to see if speaking times are still available.

​

Each person submitting a proposal will be notified by email the status of that proposal.

​

The number of proposals accepted will be determined by the number of rooms and available time slots.The program committee will look for variety and coverage of topics appropriate for wonders and company executives in the school photography and yearbook industries. In addition, the committee will consider topics appropriate for photographers, sales people, operations personnel, and others working in these fields.

​

Individuals are invited to submit proposals on topics including, but not limited to, these areas:

  • Finance: Managing cash flow, budgeting and projection, taxes, employee benefits and profit sharing, payroll, succession planning, and acquisitions.

  • Human Resources: Recruiting, perfromance improvement management, employing people through the seasonal aspect of our business, and diversity in the workplace.

  • Leadership: Leadership traits and styles, employee engagement, professional growth, and staff development.

  • Legal: Business law, understanding risks, exposures, and liabilities

  • Management: Managing different personalities, conflict resolution, and effective meeting strategies.

  • Marketing: Market research, engaging the school, public relations, SEO, online and social media promotions and customer experience, consumer behaviors, proof vs prepay and online vs offline marketing.

  • Operations: Data security, managing the calendar, factors to consider with packaging and pricing, success stories for increasing efficiencies and revenue, converting nonbuyers, and family business management.

  • Photography: Composition basics, lighting, tips and tricks, sports photography, portrait photography, photo editing, image workflow/organization, hiring photographers, off camera flash, groups, sports, and AI.

  • Professional Development: Growing in your career, time management skills, goal setting, and  understanding emotional intelligence. 

  • Sales: Writing and executing a sales plan, goal setting and tracking performance, relationship and referral based selling, prospecting, scaling your business, and how to say "no."

  • Yearbooks: Basics of journalism, creations and design, yearbook sales, elementary and secondary books, partnering with publishers and producing books.

​

Email questions about the speaker proposals to Stephanie Hayes at stephanie.hayes@schoolphotographersofamerica.com.

bottom of page