Session Guidelines and Criteria 
 
This page is for CSCMP members looking to submit a session idea to the general 2023 EDGE Call for Sessions. You must be a CSCMP member for your submission to be considered. Click here to enroll in membership.

 
EDGE sessions are unbiased, educational and actionable - and they are the reason that 2700+ supply chain professionals choose to come to EDGE every year. To maintain high caliber content, we ask that all submissions meet high standards to ensure only top-quality sessions that further the education of supply chain are considered. Please read carefully the criteria for eligibility (failure to meet these criteria will result in a session being rejected) and the content guidelines (tips on how to make your session as interesting, thought-provoking and valuable as possible). 
Criteria for Eligibility
 
All sessions must meet the following requirements:
 

  1. Educational Sessions Only. Selling is not permitted. Selling is defined as any of the following: Repeated reference to a company (manufacturers or retailers may be exempt, if they are demonstrating circumstances in their own supply chain and not referring to company services), repeated reference to a company's products or services, distribution of sales or marketing material, or branded content.

  2. CSCMP Membership. You must be a CSCMP member to submit a session. Visit our membership page to become a member today.

  3. In-Person Conference. All speakers must present the session in-person at the conference location. No virtual sessions will be held.

  4. Session Format. All sessions must fit within a 60-minute time frame. Consider 45 minutes of presentation and 15 minutes of Q&A.

  5. Each Session Needs a Customer. All sessions must have at least one speaker who is a customer and/or retailer or manufacturer. This helps avoid tendencies towards 'selling' and ensures applicable, actionable content from real supply chains.

    1. There is a minimum of 2 presenters for each session idea and a maximum of 5 total presenters. Only retailers/shippers/manufacturers may present alone.

  6. Third Party Submissions Not Accepted. Sessions submitted by a third party (such as a marketing consultant or agency) on behalf of the intended speaker/author will not be accepted. Session authors are expected to be committed to crafting educational content and sourcing valuable speakers. A third party implies disinterest in this effort and indicates selling.

  7. Limit to 3 Session Ideas. A maximum of three (3) submissions per company will be permitted. Companies may only be represented in one (1) session across all tracks at EDGE, with some exceptions for manufacturers/retailers.

  8. Submit Your Idea Online. All submissions must be submitted through the website; submissions received through email will not be considered.

 
Content Guidelines 
 
Our member volunteers evaluate submissions based on their likelihood to produce fresh, interesting, actionable content. The following are taken into consideration when reviewing submissions:
 
 
Relevance and Practitioner Value
  • Consider how relevant and important the topic is in supply chain right now and in the future.
  • What is the impact of this session and its significance to common practices?
  • Will attendees be able to take the content back to their job and apply what they have learned?
  • Does the content have value for attendees' companies? Is this session broadly transferable?
  • Will the practitioner community see the value in this session and be excited to attend?
  • Will the attendees be able to relate to the content and improve their knowledge?
 
Content Clarity
  • How well-executed is the session’s description—is it clear and concise without having to guess what the intentions are? Ambiguity counts against a submission. 
  • Does the session supply key takeaways (i.e. specific skills or practical knowledge that attendees can apply in their careers)?
  • Does the session content provide clear objectives and why the topic is important?
 
Supporting Speakers
  • Are the customers/speakers proposed attractive to the topic?
  • Are the speakers from companies that attendees can relate to?
  • Are there any speakers listed at all? Is their contact information provided? 
    • Listing speaker names and contact information shows you have contact with the speaker, which makes confirming their participation possible. A session listed with no names or contact information means the track chair will need to source speakers, so please provide suggestions within your network. Talk to your potential speakers ahead of time. Speakers don't have to be confirmed at submission, but a submission with a specific speaker and contact information is far more likely to be selected.  
  • Is there a customer presenting with a service provider/consultant?  Remember, this is a requirement.
 
Overt Selling
  • Does this session appear to be geared towards the selling of a certain product or service? (If yes, the session will be disqualified)
  • Is this session just a promotion? (If yes, the session will be disqualified)
  • Is this session an unbiased view with a case to prove that a method/idea/process/skill is effective to the greater supply chain community? (Case studies regarding application of a best practice or new technique are acceptable, whereas case studies regarding a company-specific product or service are not.)