Call for Speakers for the 54rd Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships in February 8-10, 2027.
The Conference will be organized around five main topic areas.
- Crew Training and Development
- Ship’s Operations & Safety
- Educational Programming and Marine Science (Ocean Literacy, Environmental initiative partnerships and conservation)
- Tall Ships Events and Port/Festival Organizers
- Administration/Organizational Sustainability
We invite you to share your knowledge and experience in one of these five areas with Tall Ships America members. And if you have an idea to share and highlight that is beyond the scope of these topics, please submit!
GUIDELINES
Forum Day Information for the in-person conference:
The Forum Day is divided into two tracks – Ship Forum (ship operations and safety) and Shore Forum (Programming, Administration, Education). The Forum Day is designed to be a hands-on, workshop oriented day. Sessions can be 60 minutes to two hours.
Focus Session Information for the in-person conference:
Each session lasts approximately 75 minutes. Speakers jointly occupy 45 – 55 minutes of the allotted time for each session, leaving 20 – 30 minutes for questions/discussions depending on the topic. Sessions may include a single presenter, co-presenters or a small panel (limit 3 people). There is opportunity for longer, workshop type sessions on the Forum Day.
Speakers should make the sessions as interactive as possible to include audience participation through discussion or activity. An LCD projector, screen and laptop (PC/Windows/MS Office) are provided in each session room. Additional audio-visual equipment is the responsibility of each presenter.
Presentation Application Process
Please submit a 500 word (or less) summary of your presentation idea that includes your objectives, the intended audience, and the “take-away” value for the audience. We encourage proposals that address the conference theme, but this is not required. Your submission must include the following:
- A working title
- A concise paragraph of 150 words or less describing your proposed session, including take-aways, to be printed in the conference program. (Tall Ships America reserves the right to edit submissions.)
- The format you envision (panel, individual presenter, co-presenters or interactive workshop). Panels are limited to a maximum of three people.
- Your name, contact information (email and phone number) and that of any co-presenters.
- A brief biography (150 words or less) for each presenter. Photo preferred with biography.
- Special requests regarding room set-up.
- Any audio-visual requirements in addition to the standard room set-up mentioned above.
Deadlines and Selection Process
The deadline for submitting proposals is November 15th. The proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Committee and you will be notified of a decision no later than November 30th. The committee is looking for sessions that are substantive, innovative and interactive and relate to one or more of the five main topics listed above.
All presenters will be required to submit an electronic copy of the session by January 31st, 2027. These will be posted on the Tall Ship America website following the conference. Please, no overt promotion of a specific company or product. If you will use handouts (recommended), plan on supplying 50 copies. *To maintain a sustainable platform, we recommend that no paper handouts be supplied. Digital links to documents are preferred.
Presenter Policy
Tall Ships America appreciates the valuable contributions that mariners, educators and administrators make by speaking at this conference. Speakers serve as volunteers and do not receive compensation. Tall Ships America will not pay for travel, lodging, meals, or other expenses associated with the conference. Presenters are expected to register and pay for the conference, but may be considered for a reduced registration fee. This fee reduction does not apply to large panel participants (over three panelists).
