Our annual conference ADVANCE serves as a top-notch educational opportunity for law enforcement professionals. It’s geared towards developing leadership and offers knowledge and know-how that will help propel the careers of those in attendance. 

Right now, we’re looking for talented thought leaders for our 2021 conference to present a wide array of topics. Most importantly, we’re looking for presentations that are BOLD, innovative, engaging, inspiring, and informative for police executives and department personnel from across the west.

New for 2021:  With the ongoing unknowns of the pandemic, speakers should be prepared for both in-person or virtual presentations.

If you think you’re a good fit, please submit examples of teaching and practice in law enforcement education. Submissions may be emailed to cleveroni@cpoa.org. All completed submissions will be peer-reviewed and the ADVANCE 2021 educational program will be announced to the public in April 2021.

Below are a series of frequently asked questions about the Call for Presentations process.

Q: When does the Call for Presentations open for ADVANCE 2021?
A: The Call for Presentations opens December 18, 2020.

Q: What is the deadline to complete a submission?
A: The Call for Presentations will close on February 28, 2021. If you would like to be notified when the ADVANCE 2021 Call for Presentations opens next year, please join our email list. (Form needs to be created)

Q: What topic should I submit for consideration for ADVANCE?
A: The CPOA is looking for a wide array of topics that are BOLD, innovative, engaging, inspiring, and informative for police executives and department personnel from across the west. CPOA’s goal is to offer relevant, timely education and training to help attendees do their jobs more effectively and make their agencies more successful. First-hand perspectives and problem-solving provide great insight. Proposals should address contemporary or emerging issues confronting agency heads, department managers, procurement specialists, analysts, and supervisors. 

Some current topics to be considered are:

• Emerging ideas, tools or approaches to current public safety challenges
• Technology 
• Officer Safety, Health and Wellness
• Active shooter debriefs and case studies
• Recruitment, Retention, and Succession planning
• Innovative cases on agencies facing a particular challenge or dilemma
• Community-Police Relations, Social Justice, and Public Trust
• At-Risk Populations: Persons with mental illness, elderly, and/or homeless
• Use of Force/De-escalation
• Police Culture and Morale

Q: What information is required?
A: The following information is required in order to submit a presentation proposal and to be considered for ADVANCE 2021:

• Title of Presentation
• Locations/events where course has previously been delivered and references (if any)
• Speaker/Presenter Contact Information: Name, Rank/Title, Agency/Organization, Address, Phone, and Email
• Presentation Description
• Major concepts or issues addressed (top 3 takeaways)
• Methodology/Adult learning activities employed
• Topic/Audience
• Speaker fees (if any, see Q&A below)

Q: What should I write for Learning Objectives?
A: Well-developed learning outcomes are participant-oriented, observable, and measurable. Describe the skills, knowledge, and/or learning outcomes participants will be able to demonstrate as a result of this activity. (For example: At the culmination of this session, participants will be able to…) You should describe your learning outcomes using action verbs.

Q: What is Methodology?
A: Methodology refers to how you will present the information. 

This could include tools like: 

• PowerPoint slides that will be used to cover key points and create class discussion
• video examples used to provide an understanding of the learning objectives
• Exercises to increase learning points in the presentation. 

Use this area to also explain how your information was formulated and your sources (e.g. case studies, interviews, or research).

Q: Can I choose more than one topic?
A: If your presentation covers multiple topics in detail, you should select all that apply.

Q: What happens if I do not have all the required information to complete my proposal?
A:  All proposals must be completed in order to be considered. Any proposals left “incomplete” will not be considered for ADVANCE 2021.

Q: How do I submit a proposal?
A: The submission may be emailed to cleveroni@cpoa.org.

Q: What are the review criteria for presentations?
A: All presentations are peer-reviewed by CPOA staff and ADVANCE committee members. 

Reviewers will consider the following:

• Does the topic address a contemporary law enforcement issue?
• Can the presented information apply to different-sized agencies and a diverse audience?
• Is the topic unique and information not available through other sources?
• Is the course description clear and concise? Can attendees easily tell what to expect by reading it?
• Are the learning objectives clear and can be met in the allotted time?
• Are the proposed speakers qualified to instruct the workshop topic?
• If the presentation is focused on a specific audience, is there a proposed speaker from that audience? For example, is an attorney speaking in a Legal Officers workshop or a law enforcement executive speaking at an executive level session? The audience wants to learn from its peers and gain first-hand knowledge from those who have experienced the material or information presented.

Q: When do presentations take place?
A: Educational programming is conducted Monday through Wednesday, September 14 to 16, 2020. Submission of a proposal is a commitment that the speakers will be available to speak on any conference day and time as assigned by CPOA staff. The CPOA has limited options to accommodate speaker conflicts.

Q: If accepted, how much time will I be given to present?
A: Most general sessions are 120 minutes long, breakout sessions are typically 60 minutes. Lite Bite sessions are 20 minutes long. In the Call for Presentations you must designate the length of your presentation. 

Q: Can I promote any products or services during my presentation?
A: No, CPOA does not allow the promotion of products and services during educational sessions. Attendees give very poor ratings to sessions that appear promotional. While speakers may talk about products and services that have been used to solve a problem or address the presentation topic, they should use extreme caution and instead focus on the issue. Whenever possible presenters should suggest alternative products and services as well. 

Q: When will I know if my presentation has been accepted for ADVANCE 2021?
A: The submitter will receive notification from the Training Manager by mid-February.

Q: Does CPOA pay speakers?

A: It depends, but generally not. As a non-profit whose mission is to build law enforcement leaders, CPOA tends to draw from industry professionals who support our mission and donate their time to show their support. There are instances where CPOA may choose to offset uncoverable direct expenses for the presenter (like a hotel room night or airfare), or even pay a small honorarium if it believes the content will be valuable to its attendees on a case-by-case basis. If a speaker requires a larger fee and expenses in order to speak, it is up to the ADVANCE committee to determine the value and the draw of the speaker before committing to higher fees. All speakers will receive a complimentary registration to ADVANCE.

Q: How are workshop rooms set up? What audio-visual equipment will be available for my presentation?
A: Most rooms will be set theater style to maximize seating. There may be a few rooms with limited classroom seating in the front of the room. We are happy to accommodate your room set needs to maximize learning. 

Additionally, the following AV equipment will be set in each room:

• Podium
• Power and technology connection for speaker provided computer 
• Wireless lapel mic
• (1) screen
• (1) LCD projector

All selected presenters will be required to provide an AV-needs form. Any additional requests will be considered at the discretion of the Conference Program Manager and the availability of such resources.

Q: I have never presented at a CPOA event before. What is expected of me?
A: CPOA members invest a considerable amount of time and expense to attend the event. For these reasons, CPOA works hard to ensure each and every event at the show realizes its full potential.

Our members expect that:

• Presenters will prepare for their event prior to arrival.
• Presenters have significant knowledge and expertise in the subject area and have sufficient presentation skills to effectively communicate.
• Presenters will engage the audience. The greatest success you can have is to inspire your audience, so they come out of the presentation buzzing with thoughts and ideas. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Engage your audience as quickly as possible.
• Presenters will not engage in commercial presentations of their organization.
• Presenters will be conscious of the time limit of their presentation.
• Presenters will not simply read directly from written statements.
• CPOA will expect that speakers will assist in their own attendance marketing by providing a 60-second self-produced video (mobile phone video is fine) that CPOA will use for this purpose. Promoting your participation on your social media channels is also requested. Other marketing opportunities may be presented that we hope you will engage in whenever possible.
• Presenters understand that, unless otherwise agreed to in advance, presentation materials provided for the CPOA event may be used/distributed in full or in part for marketing purposes (placement on www.cpoa.org or social media channels, etc.).

If you do not see your question answered above, please contact Executive Director Carol Leveroni at cleveroni@cpoa.org or KaShawn Seibles, Training Coordinator at kseibles@cpoa.org.