Welcome

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) invites you to submit a proposal to speak at the upcoming, 2025 Traceability & Sustainability Conference.

Note: Please review the important information below before filling out the proposal form under the "Submission" tab, found in the top left corner of this page.

Rules, Details, and Information about Speaking Roles

AAFA does not pay for speakers, including travel, lodging, or per diem. Do not submit a proposal if you are seeking to be paid.
If you are a service provider or supplier to the apparel & footwear industry, your company must be a member of AAFA to be considered for a speaking role.
Speaking roles are very limited.
Speaking roles are educational only. Any sales pitches, commercials, and/or promotional content will be immediately rejected, speaking roles are intended for thought leadership only.
Each idea/topic requires a unique submission. You can submit multiple proposals.
Speakers and topics may be combined with other ideas or speakers; we do not guarantee that, if selected, your topic will be a standalone presentation.
Submissions that are outside the scope of this event will not be considered.
Suggested proposal topics for the conference include but are not limited to:
- Supply chain mapping
- Transparency
- Worker rights and ethical labor practices
- Circularity and lifecycle assessment
- Extended Producer Responsibility
- Water conservation
- Climate change
- Environmental, Social, and Governance Objectives
- Sustainable materials
- Sustainable packaging
- Regulatory compliance

Important Dates & Deadlines:

If you have submitted a proposal for AAFA's 2025 Traceability & Sustainability Conference, you can expect to receive feedback by February 24, 2025. Please see our projected* timeline below:

Call Opens: November 12, 2024
Call Closes: January 24, 2025

Call for speakers submission deadline: January 24, 2025
Proposals reviewed by subject matter experts: January 27- February 17, 2025
Notifications sent to speakers/submitters by February 24, 2025

*Dates are subject to change

Event Audience:

Titles of Previous Year's Attendees the Proposal Should Aim to Engage:

VP, Director, or Manager of Sustainability and Traceability
VP, Director, or Manager of Social Responsibility
VP, Director, or Manager of Compliance
VP or Director of Supply Chain and Sustainability Consulting
VP, Director, Analyst, or Advisor of ESG
General Counsel for Human Rights and Sustainability

AAFA's Call for Speakers Process

AAFA's subject matter experts review speaker proposals, ensuring alignment with target audiences, learning objectives, and event structure. They evaluate proposed speakers for their expertise, experience, and ability to deliver valuable content. Speakers are selected based on their alignment with the below criteria with an emphasis on delivering high-quality, educational, and engaging sessions and ensuring thought leadership perspectives are provided to conference attendees.

AAFA is looking for strictly educational submissions, steering clear of any commercial or sales pitch. Our subject matter experts quickly eliminate and dismiss anything deemed 'sales pitchy' or vendor-specific. As we expect to receive more submissions than we can include in our conference program, due to limited open speaking slots, our subject matter experts prioritize proposals with clear and concise learning objectives that align with the program. AAFA will collaborate with selected speakers during the session development process and ensure objectives and guidelines are met.

Proposal Criteria:

Cutting-edge or innovative content
Creativity in presentation
Well-defined learning objectives
Applicability for attendees in their roles and actionable takeaways
Inclusion of real-world case studies, examples, and stories
Potential for interactive audience participation
Speaker's knowledge, engagement, and experience in the submitted topic
Speaker's industry leadership and expertise
Emphasis on providing educational value

Submission period: