At a conference that sells no speaking slots, you cannot buy your way on stage; you get there by being the right person for a subject the programme already needs. Start by reading what the organiser says about how speakers are chosen, then approach the programme team with one specific topic and a reason it matters to that audience, not with a sponsorship package.
We organise Proof of Talk Abu Dhabi. No speaking slot there is sold, and 95% of speakers are chief executives or founders. That shapes the advice below. It is general guidance for any such event, and it is not a description of a form you can fill in, because we have not published one for us.
1. Find out whether slots are sold
Look for a plain statement. If it is missing, ask. A programme where speakers pay is an advertising product, and an application to it is a purchase. Our own position is set out in how the programme is built without pay-to-speak.
2. Read the speakers already listed
The speaker page tells you the level and mix the organiser wants. Compare your own role honestly. At Proof of Talk the speaker pages show who has already been confirmed. If you are two levels below that mix, a talk proposal will not work; a place in the audience might.
3. Pick one subject, not a CV
A programme team receives a list of credentials all day. What it needs is a topic it can place on a stage. Name one subject from the agenda themes, say in two sentences what you would tell the room that it does not already know, and say what you have done that supports it.
4. Show you can speak
Link one recorded talk or panel. Organisers with a capped, senior audience cannot risk a speaker who does not hold a room.
5. Do not trade a purchase for a slot
If a company is also considering a partnership, keep that conversation separate. Where a slot is not for sale, mixing them only slows both down. Partnership questions go through the partner enquiry.
6. Ask for the attendee route too
Many people who want to speak would also benefit from simply attending. At Proof of Talk, admission is by application: request access and each application is reviewed.
What we do not say here
We do not describe a speaker selection process step by step, because the details are not published on the site. The FAQ is where answers will appear first.
Written by the Proof of Talk editorial team, 8 November 2026.