The increased emphasis on effective learning for conference participants means that proposal reviewers will be looking much more closely at certain elements in each proposal. All these elements will be required for proposal submission; reviewers will be rating proposals on how well these elements connect with and contribute to learning value for audiences.
The elements of a successful proposal include:
To ensure an effective learning experience for conference-goers, it is critical you first identify the target audience for your topic. Generally, sessions and workshops which clearly target audiences, tightly focus on a topic, and actively engage participants are those most likely to be selected. Such opportunities, when executed well, also tend to receive higher participant evaluations.
As you are designing your proposal, keep adult learning principles and practices in mind. Conference participants are successful actuarial professionals and expect session and workshop content that is highly relevant and practical. Making the link between any theory/research, the topic, and application to daily work is important. Regardless of how many years they have been in the field, participants will bring their own experience to your session or workshop and will expect you to honor and engage that experience.
The seminar attracts a wide variety of professionals in this and related fields; most can be grouped according to primary areas of expertise and roles. The goal of the seminar planning committee is to provide an overall balance of sessions and workshops at the conference in which each of our target audiences will find value.
During the proposal submission process, you will be asked to identify to which of the following target audiences your content is directed. Please keep in mind that the roles outlined below may include professionals both within and from outside the U.S.
| Area of Expertise | Target Audience Roles Include |
|---|---|
|
Actuaries |
Commercial lines, personal lines, other property casualty, workers comp, loss reserving, pricing, reinsurance, ERM, CAS/CIA/SOA fellows, CAS/CIA/SOA associates, international; other individual professionals |
|
Non-actuarial professionals |
Regulators, data scientists, underwriters/brokers, predictive modelers, recruiters, claims adjusters, product managers, statisticians, general management, finance |
|
College/university |
Faculty teaching actuarial science, math, statistics; actuarial students/candidates |
|
General professional interest |
Anyone else attending the conference working in or with an interest in the field; of interest to more than one of the primary target audiences noted above |
Level of audience content knowledge
Targeting your audience includes defining the level of audience experience in the topic area to which your content is directed. Seminar sessions are divided into three primary experience levels that apply across all target audience groups. You will select one level of content knowledge during the proposal submission process.
Level 1: No prior knowledge of the subject matter. Little or no technical content. (0-3 years' topic experience)
Level 2: General knowledge of the subject matter. Moderate technical content. (4-9 years' topic experience)
Level 3: Working knowledge of the subject matter. Moderate to highly technical content. (10+ years' topic experience)
To ensure a balance of learning opportunities based on effective adult learning principles and practices, seminar learning opportunities will consist of two basic formats, within which will be a number of learning approaches. As you prepare your proposal, think about what type of content you wish to share and how you will deliver it. The new proposal submission process requires you to choose one format and one learning approach.
Conference Formats
| Conference Format | Description |
|---|---|
|
General sessions |
General session topics appeal generally to the profession and are typically 75-90 minutes long. No other sessions are offered during the general sessions to encourage everyone to attend. The second general sessions may be held concurrently with another general session and cover topics appealing to very different audiences. |
|
Concurrent sessions |
Standard concurrent sessions of 75 minutes in length, targeted yet open to all participants, with audience sizes ranging generally from 25-200. Plan a session with good coverage of fewer topics rather than limited coverage of many topics. 60-75 concurrent sessions are generally offered during the seminar. Some will be accepted through the Call for Presentations; Other sessions will be generated and staffed by the seminar planning committee. |
|
Workshops |
Workshops feature a participant-centered and highly interactive approach. These learning events should focus on skill-building and provide ample opportunity for participants to practice. When designing the workshop and its learning approaches, plan to build in direct application to the participant's job and consider what "take-aways" will be immediately applicable upon return to the office. Workshops may be offered in three or six hour time blocks (half day or full day). The total number accepted depends on the number of other concurrent sessions, the topic proposed, and the schedule. |
Once you have selected a conference format and content focus area, you will be required to choose one of the following learning approaches. This choice allows you to focus your program at a deeper level of learning within the content area you've selected. Regardless of format, focus area, or learning approach, every proposal must include a description of how session participants will be able to immediately apply what is learned to their own work environments.
The seminar planning committee will select conference sessions to include a variety of approaches as described below. Design your proposal with one of these in mind.
| Learning Approach | Description |
|---|---|
|
Core Topic |
The nuts and bolts of the actuary field – topics that make up the "backbone" of the field. Sessions in this category will be of interest to both new practitioners and experienced practitioners wanting a refresher or who have changed roles. |
|
Hot Topic |
The things everyone in the profession is talking about. Everyone wants to discuss, learn about, and figure out how to apply the content in their own environments. |
|
Innovation |
A new application of, or a new spin on, a familiar subject; a core topic with fresh perspective; or totally new ideas gaining ground in actuarial science. What do they mean short- and/or long-term for the field? |
|
Trends |
These sessions will exemplify the most advanced thinking about the profession and its environment. A big part of these sessions will be trend application; that is, how will these trends likely impact those who work in the field and their organizations? |
|
Experienced/ |
The content of these sessions should challenge and stimulate participants, and should be strategic in focus. The sessions should be highly interactive and rely less on slides and lecture so as to incorporate topic-related participant experiences. Depth of topic is more important than number of topics covered in a single session. |
|
Case Study |
A first-person account of a project, initiative, or program from initial idea to end result. Proposals should detail the process, including what worked, what didn't work, and lessons learned. A key aspect of this approach is showing session participants how the content can be applied in their own workplaces. |
