Digital Construction Week is all about sharing ideas, hearing from different people and growing the community.

That’s why we’re launching our New Voices campaign, as part of our call for speakers. We want to encourage new speakers working in the built environment to apply to speak at the show.

Not presented before? Not a problem.

We’re urging anyone who’s new to the stage, that feel they have something exciting to share with the AECO community, to submit a presentation.

Maybe you’re just starting out and have insights that could help others in the same position? Or are you working at the cutting edge, pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology in the built environment?

If you have a fresh perspective and new ideas to share that could help drive our industry forward, then we want to hear from you.

What should you talk about?

DCW features 10 different theatres that focus on some of the key trends shaping digital construction including BIM, Geospatial, Visualisation, Business Transformation, Industry 4.0. and more. Read more about the theatres and the kinds of presentations we’re want to receive for each one here.

Before you apply, make sure you know which theatre your proposed presentation will fit in, plus a second choice option, to increase your chances of success.

When it comes to the content of your presentation, we prefer interactive sessions – and we never accept anything that’s sales focused. We want to receive submissions that feature case studies, research projects, debates, workshops, live demos, how-to guides, examples of best practice, new technologies and new ideas.

Find out more about what we’re looking for here.

How to apply

All applications to speak must be made through the online application form before the deadline of Friday 29 May.

To fill out the form you’ll need to prepare a few things first:

A high-resolution speaker headshot (jpg or png)
Speaker bio (150 words) – a short biography about yourself and your area of expertise
Session title (max 10 words) – keep it concise and impactful to grab visitors’ attention
Preferred theatre – decide which theatre your session is best suited to
Detailed session summary (500-750 words) – tell us what people will learn from your session, why it’s important, and what makes it stand out. Will you provide a case study or testimonial? Will you use facts, figures, or research to support your presentation? What format will your session take; presentation, workshop, debate, live demo, Q&A?
Session description (200 words) – this should be a shorter, snappier version of your detailed summary. This is the text that will be used on the website and in marketing materials. It should encourage visitors to attend and explain what they’ll get out of your session.
Three key learning points – think about three key things your audience will learn and be able take away with them

Presentations should be 25 minutes long, including 5 minutes for Q&As at the end. We encourage you to submit more than one presentation, so don’t be afraid to get creative.

Just in case you’re wondering, it’s free to apply and there is no charge to speak at Digital Construction Week. We choose our speakers by selecting the best quality presentations submitted via our call for speakers.

Tell a friend

We need your help. If you know someone who you think should be sharing their work, ideas or experiences at DCW 2020, then we want to hear about them.

Maybe it’s someone you work with? Or maybe you’ve seen them on social media? Whichever it is, we’d love you to share this story with them, or send your speaker suggestions to [email protected].

Need inspiration?

We know it’s not easy stepping into the limelight for the first time. That’s why we’ll be doing our best to help you out by sharing advice for new speakers, including some tips on how to make your session stand out.

You can also take a look at last year’s programme for plenty of inspiration and ideas about the kind of sessions that make the cut at DCW.