Invite speakers

18 months before conference

invite potential speakers

The pre proposal format does not require a full list of 10 to 12 speakers.

Why you should recruit only half the number of confirmed speakers at the pre-proposal stage.

SICB encourages organizers to confirm only a fraction of the required speakers at the pre-proposal stage. In your pre-proposal, list confirmed speakers to ensure that there is still enough wiggle room to respond to suggestions from the SICB program officers and to allow SICB community members to (self-)nominate suitable speakers that would enhance your symposium.

Invite in multiple waves until you get 4 to 6 confirmed speakers by the time you submit your symposium pre-proposal. An email template is below.

When inviting mid-and late-career speakers with their own research team, please encourage them to pass the invitation along to a team member; or after they accept, offer them to invite additional presenters from their team for contributed sessions (incl. the offer to submit a manuscript).

Inform potential speakers that you are still in the planning phase. Yet refrain from downplaying the chances of your proposal. SICB works hard to help organizers put together winning symposia. Please ask for input early and all at critical steps. Proposals that are not invited for the upcoming SICB meeting are invited to change format (workshop, ICB special issue) or postpone the symposium by one year.

More information about the why and how of pre proposals can be found at the pre proposal page.

Consider offering complementary events, such as a workshop, panel discussion, round table, or outreach event, that increase the impact of your symposium and make use of the unique opportunity of bringing people together for your symposium.

Information that you might want to share with your presenters

Symposium format

each talk is 30 minutes, including discussion
a one-day symposium typically comprises 11 30-minute slots; symposia may host up to 11 speakers; the time slots at the end of the symposium or the end of each session may be used for other events such as a panel or round-table discussion; half-day symposia are possible
schedule: symposia begin at 7:45 am with an introduction or at 8 am with the first speaker; morning session: 7 time slots with a required break from 9:30 to 10 am; required lunch break: noon to 1:30 pm; afternoon session: 4 time slots; the symposium must conclude at 3:30 pm

Publication requirement

Speakers are required to publish a manuscript with ICB on a topic related to their talk

articles can be a range of formats (such as research article, review, perspective, policy paper)
articles longer than 12 pages may incur page charges
one color figure is free in the print version if the manuscript is submitted by the early-bird deadline (contact ICB for publication timelines)

Funding for speakers

speakers who submit a manuscript to ICB will have their registration fee waived or reimbursed, depending on time of submission
symposia receive funding from SICB divisions (typically $1000 to $5000 depending on the number and commitment of divisional sponsorships) to support speakers
membership fees will be reimbursed for new members only; existing, renewing or lapsed members will be reimbursed at the registration rate for members

Timing

Symposia occur during the SICB annual meeting, held typically January 3-7, manuscripts need to be submitted around the same time

starting 12 months before conference

Recruit full complement of speakers

Share that your symposium is a go and is looking for additional speakers on social media and through other channels to communicate with your community and beyond.

Encourage your confirmed speakers to reach out to recruit additional speakers to the symposium and to the complementary sessions.

Invite in multiple waves until you get 11 confirmed speakers. An email template is below.

We recommend that you invite stand-by speakers to the complementary session. Please inquire with complementary presenters if they are comfortable being on the symposium stand-by list. There always are some dropouts up to the last moment. Use the tips for how to deal with drop-outs.

When inviting mid-and late-career speakers with their own research team, please encourage them to pass the invitation along to a team member; or after they accept, offer them to invite additional presenters from their team for contributed sessions (incl. the offer to submit a manuscript).

Template email 1 to invite speakers

This template is intended for invitations BEFORE your symposium proposal has been invited by SICB

Dear X,

I hope this email finds you well.

I would like to invite you (or a member of your lab) to speak at our planned symposium entitled [insert symposium title]. I am reaching out to you because [insert relevant text here, such as relevant expertise, recommendation or referral by a colleague, etc.]. Your participation would greatly strengthen this symposium.

If our symposium proposal is accepted, then the symposium will take place during the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) in [insert location] from [insert conference dates].

If you are interested, please send a tentative title and indicate whether you will need financial support for traveling. We will apply for funding to support our speakers.

SICB requires that speakers submit a paper based on their presentation to the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology (ICB). ICB welcomes a wide range of article types related to your presentation. [edit text as applicable: “given the nature of our symposium highlighting emerging investigations ..., a review article about ... would certainly be appropriate”; if the speaker is unlikely to want to lead a publication, offer co-authorships.] The submission deadline is typically near the time of the symposium.

Please let me know (if possible before [insert deadline, typically within 2 weeks of this notification]) if you [include or strike as applicable: or a member of your lab] would be interested in participating.

I have attached a list of invited (and confirmed) speakers.

Thank you so much for considering our request. We would be very happy seeing you at our symposium!

Sincerely,

[Your name], on behalf of the Symposium Organizers

[insert organizer names here]

Template email 2 to invite speakers

This template is intended for invitations AFTER your symposium proposal has been invited by SICB

Dear X,

I hope this email finds you well.

I would like to invite you (or a member of your lab) to speak at our planned symposium entitled [insert symposium title]. I am reaching out to you because [insert relevant text here, such as relevant expertise, recommendation or referral by a colleague, etc.]. Your participation would greatly strengthen this symposium.

Our symposium will take place during the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) in [insert location] from [insert conference dates].

If you are interested, please send a tentative title and indicate whether you will need financial support for traveling. We will apply for funding to support our speakers.

SICB requires that speakers submit a paper based on their presentation to the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology (ICB). ICB welcomes a wide range of article types related to your presentation. [edit text as applicable: “given the nature of our symposium highlighting emerging investigations ..., a review article about ... would certainly be appropriate”; if the speaker is unlikely to want to lead a publication, offer co-authorships.] The submission deadline is typically near the time of the symposium.

Please let me know (if possible before [insert deadline, typically within 2 weeks of this notification]) if you [include or strike as applicable: or a member of your lab] would be interested in participating.

I have attached a list of invited (and confirmed) speakers.

Thank you so much for considering our request. We would be very happy seeing you at our symposium!

Sincerely,

[Your name], on behalf of the Symposium Organizers

[insert organizer names here]

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