PHCCLA is Lighting the Future for the Trades
THANK YOU for serving as a speaker for the PHCCLA 2026 Annual Convention and Tradeshow, to be held July 17-19, 2026 at the Sheraton New Orleans in the historic New Orleans, LA.
Please let this page serve as your speaker's guide. We encourage you to bookmark the page for easy reference and continue to check back as the event gets closer for additional details. If you have any questions, please email us at info@phccla.org.
May 15, 2026 - Please submit your speaker questionnaire so we may better plan for your presentation, as well as market your session.
June 1, 2026 - Please register for the convention as a speaker.
June 24, 2026 - Deadline to reserve your hotel room.
July 6, 2026 - Submit all presentations and handouts. (Please use this submission form.)
PHCCLA allows speakers to design their own presentations, or you may use the PHCCLA created template. Please ensure your slides have the following information:
Opening slide contains the session titel, and your name, company and appropriate credentials.
Closing slide contains your contact information.
Please include a slide with references as appropriate for your presentation.
All continuing education sessions will be held at the Sheraton New Orleans on Canal St. PHCCLA will make accommodations for presenters as noted in the speaker questionnaire. Any additional requests should be communicated no later than 4 weeks prior to the event so our staff may assist in meeting your requests to be the best of our ability.
Learn the Content: Familiarity with the content allows a speaker to focus on presenting, rather than trying to remember the points to make. To minimize worry about forgetting elements of the presentation, include notes in your presentation file and have a printout of your script or talking points.
Practice Makes Perfect: Speakers should practice their content delivery in the environment in which they will deliver it. To make speakers more comfortable, ask colleagues, roommates, or family to sit in front so they can present to familiar faces.
Understand the Tools: If utilizing live polling tools (digital, flash cards, etc.), practice with the tools to feel comfortable.
Speak Up: Check audio levels before presenting, but also make sure to breathe at regular intervals to speak audibly and clearly. Maintaining a clear, even tone throughout the presentation will allow the audience to hear without strain.
Make Eye Contact: Make eye contact with audience members to make them feel engaged.
Don’t Fear Mistakes: Humans make mistakes, even during presentations. Realize that flubs happen and they won’t derail your presentation – unless you let them. Just keep going in your planned presentation and remember, the audience is forgiving.
Be Prepared: During the presentation, have a glass of water nearby to sip as needed. Also, keep handy a printout of your slides or notes in case you need to refer to them.
Source: https://www.inxpo.com/assets/pdfs/litepapers/How-To-Be-An-Engaging-Speaker.pdf
Please plan to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled presentation time. You must check in with the PHCCLA registration desk prior to proceeding to your session room. A microphone and computer will be provided with slides pre-loaded. Please also bring a copy of your slides on a flash drive. Should you require special audiovisual equipment or internet access please include this information on your faculty questionnaire or contact our office at least 4 weeks in advance of the session.