A call for speakers page that brings in talks you want
The quality of a programme is set by the call for speakers long before the review meeting. A clear call says what you're looking for, what you offer, how talks are chosen and by when, and it makes submitting easy for someone who has never spoken before. Send each submission to a table so reviewers can score them side by side.
What the call needs to say
Would-be speakers decide in a minute whether to apply. They're looking for signs that their idea fits and that they'll be treated fairly. Answer these near the top:
- Themes
- Three to six topics you want, with an example talk title for each. Examples do more than abstract descriptions.
- What you don't want
- Product pitches, talks given elsewhere recently, or whatever you're tired of. Saying so saves everyone time.
- Formats and lengths
- Talk, lightning talk, workshop, panel, each with its length in minutes.
- Dates
- When the call closes, when people will hear back, and the event dates. Give the closing time and time zone, not just the day.
- What you cover
- Ticket, travel, accommodation, a fee, or none of these. Be precise; it decides whether many people can apply at all.
- How talks are chosen
- Who reviews, whether review is anonymised, and what you weigh.
- Support for new speakers
- Mentoring, rehearsal slots, a speaker guide. This widens who applies.
- Code of conduct
- A link to it, and a contact for questions.
The submission form
Ask for what reviewers need to decide and what you'd need to programme the talk. Leave everything else for after acceptance.
| Field | Why |
|---|---|
| Name, email, pronouns (optional) | Contact and introductions |
| Talk title | Working title is fine |
| Format | From the list on the page |
| Abstract (public) | What appears on the agenda if accepted |
| Notes for reviewers (private) | Outline, why this speaker, what attendees take away |
| Experience level of the audience | Helps build a balanced programme |
| Previous talks (links) | Optional; never required, or first-timers drop out |
| Travel support needed? | Yes or no, so you can budget |
If you anonymise review, keep the abstract and reviewer notes in separate fields and tell submitters not to name themselves in them.
Reviewing in Airtable
Send each submission to an Airtable base and add reviewer columns: a score per reviewer, a theme tag and a status (submitted, shortlisted, accepted, declined). Hide name and links in a view used for anonymised scoring. When the call closes, sort by average score, then build the programme by hand, checking balance across themes, formats and voices. Reply to everyone, declined submitters included, by the date you promised. The run a call for speakers workflow covers the timeline from opening to the final programme.
How Anticode builds it
Describe it as part of your event site or on its own: "a call for speakers page for a one-day frontend conference in Leeds, with themes, formats, what we cover, review process and a submission form". The built-in contact form only asks for a name, email and message, so the submission form is a custom form tied to a site function, with up to 30 plain-text fields; when someone sends it, the function's heading and message appear on the thank-you page, such as "Thanks, you'll hear from us by 15 March". Check the preview to confirm the fields match your list.
Submissions are saved in the dashboard, sealed at rest, and can be emailed to you. Add the Airtable connector and each one is sent to your base once, without retries; compare totals with the dashboard when the call closes. Once you've accepted talks, a speakers collection in the CMS gives each speaker a page, and an event agenda page can follow.
Limits
- No file uploads: speakers can't attach slides, photos or videos. Ask for links, and collect headshots after acceptance.
- No speaker accounts, so people can't log in to edit a submission. Ask them to resubmit or email changes.
- No review tooling in Anticode; scoring happens in Airtable or wherever you send submissions.
- No automatic closing at the deadline. When the call closes, ask for the form to be removed and a "submissions are closed" note in its place.
Questions people ask
How long should a call for speakers stay open?
Long enough for people to plan a talk and get approval from an employer, often four to eight weeks. Send a reminder a week before it closes.
Should we pay speakers?
At least cover costs if you can, and say clearly what you cover. Unpaid travel narrows who can apply.
Can one person submit several talks?
Yes, one form per talk keeps each idea reviewable on its own row.