Presenter and speaker guidelines
Share your knowledge and promote your work

2022 WORLD TRAILS CONFERENCE 

Skiathos | Greece  | 26-30 September 2022

Please review the guidelines below for delivering a presentation at the 8th World Trails Conference. We encourage diverse and creative submissions. An emphasis will be placed on short presentations (8min) and the focus will be on dialogue and discussion.

WELCOME – You are in the right place to make a difference for trails locally and globally
Thank you for considering being a presenting attendee at the 8th World Trails Conference. We cannot wait to welcome you and so many other trail professionals and enthusiasts to the beautiful island of Skiathos in Greece. We are working on a programme for our in-person experience that will be inspiring and a unique networking opportunity. You may also attend from your home country if you choose to join the event as a virtual participant.

These detailed guidelines aim to help you navigate your options as a presenter and will help make the conference a success and ensure that all the sessions flow with ease. We ask each presenter to carefully note the content of this document.

PRESENTERS FROM OVER 38 COUNTRIES
We have an incredible selection of presenters already pre-registered from around the world, representing over 38 different countries. Our aim is to make this a conference that makes a difference for trails around the world, by sharing our insights, knowledge and experiences while building valuable friendships as we network, converse and enjoy ourselves.

We have simultaneous translation of certain sessions into Korean, Japanese, Spanish and French. Please note translations will be dependent on the number of attendees registered for a certain language. We cannot guarantee all listed languages will be available if there are under 15 attendees requesting a language. 

WE ARE LOOKING FOR GREAT SPEAKERS AND PRESENTATIONS
We are looking for dynamic trail thought-leaders with experience to share their knowledge, insights and inspiration. Speakers and presenters who are confident, knowledgeable and have given deep thought to the topic they plan to present. We are looking for topics that genuinely take trail issues and opportunities into the future.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPEAKERS
Joining the World Trails Conference has multiple benefits for speakers:

  • Share your valuable insights for addressing solutions linked to trails
  • Engage in meaningful and impactful dialogue with colleagues from across the world
  • Tell your trail organization’s story and share your unique trail insights – Presenter Sessions
  • Showcase a new technology, tools, marketing ideas or case studies – Presenter Sessions
  • Lead a conversation, panel dialogue or problem-solving session – Special Sessions
  • Give a short inspiring or informational talk about your trail – Trails of the World Sessions
  • Teach a skill or practical approaches to issues in a simple workshop – Workshops 
  • Network with inspiring fellow leaders, academics and practitioners from around the world

MOST SUITABLE TOPICS TO PRESENT ON
Suitable topics to present on will intersect with the thematic focus areas of the conference:

  • Sustainability
    • Trail building, planning and design
    • Sustainable Development Goals
    • Monitoring and maintenance
    • Trail Assessments and accreditation
  • Sports
    • MTB and cycling trails
    • Trail running and events
    • Multi-use trails
  • Nature
    • Biodiversity and wildlife
    • Nature connection and conservation
  • Culture
    • Pilgrimage routes, cultural routes
    • Spirituality and experiences
  • Technology:
    • Maps and navigation
    • Information apps and monitoring
    • Digitizing trails
  • Health
    • Wellbeing, mental health
    • Mainstreaming nature prescriptions
  • Knowledge
    • Research, insights from academia, working with trail data
  • Cities
    • Urban trails
    • Mobility and green cities
  • Finance
    • Funding models, community solutions
    • Memberships and fundraising
  • Climate Change
    • Off-sets, reducing carbon emissions
    • Restoration projects
  • New Trends
    • New user demands and needs
    • Emerging user groups
  • Marketing:
    • Build your trail narrative, social influencers, reach new markets
  • Communities
    • Volunteers, young trail ambassadors
    • Inclusion, diversity, equity, education and outreach
  • Media
    • Storytelling, film, books and photography
  • Peace
    • Trails linked to peace and transboundary projects
  • Tourism
    • Destination marketing and tourism trails
    • Trail readiness, guides and services
  • Trails and Islands
    • A special theme for the 2022 conference , inviting all island destinations to participate
  • Workshops
    • Trail assessments and monitoring, trail signage and planning

SESSIONS TYPES
We have three types of sessions during the conference:

  • Presentation Sessions
    These are focused on presentations that succinctly share key concepts and information. Each presentation is limited to 8-10min and should share no more than 3 key ideas.
  • Special Sessions, Dialogues and Workshops
    We all know that the most value in a conference is in the form of dialogues – so we have especially made space on the programme for Special Sessions, that allow for engagement, conversation and dialogue. These sessions are specifically focused on deepening the conversation and to develop specific outcomes from the conference that can form guidelines for international best practice in relation to trails. These sessions are moderated by ​World Trails Network’s International Task Teams (these are global teams of volunteers working towards common goals to strengthen trails internationally through publications, campaigns and projects). Bring your experience and expertise to these conversations and help shape the future of trails around the world.
  • Trails of the World – Information & Promotional Session
    This session takes place on the last day of the conference and is open to the public. These sessions are short promotional type presentations taking the Pecha Kucha format – which is 20 slides screened for 20 seconds each on automatic time change. These presentations were very popular at our Conference in Tottori, Japan and resulted in some very creative and impactful presentations in Santiago de Compostela. Guidelines on how to prepare for this type of presentation will be sent to those presenters whose proposals are accepted.

See further details below for each session type.

Please contact us at info@worldtrailsconference.org you have any questions or need further assistance.

Submit your Proposal

PRESENTATION SESSIONS

PRESENTER GUIDELINES

Before the Session
  • Present no more than 3 key ideas or concepts. Keep your presentation informational and avoid using too many slides. Format might look like this:

    • Give a short background to your subject and focus on the main take home point. (1 min)
      • Key issue / nature of the problem / focus of our project, etc.
    • Don’t try and cover more than 3 main points in your talk. (Give each point 2 min.)
      • What we found works / what we tried / how we are addressing it, etc.
    • Have a clear set of points as a conclusion. (1 min)
      • Insights / recommendations / opportunity for further research, lessons learned, etc.
  • Practice your presentation and ensure you can deliver it in approximately 8 minutes. The majority of sessions have 5 to 6 presenters as a panel, and going over your time limits the potential for audience discussion. You will be asked to conclude within a minute once you exceed the 9 minute mark. 
  • Presentations are followed by 25min of Q&A
During the Session
  • Give a great presentation.
  • Speak slow enough to allow the translators to keep pace.
  • Keep eye contact with your audience. 
After the Session
  • Join the Special Session that follows with the same theme as your presentation to contribute to further dialogue.

Please contact us at info@worldtrailsconference.org you have any questions or need further assistance.

Submit your Proposal

SPECIAL SESSIONS, DIALOGUES AND WORKSHOPS

MODERATOR GUIDELINES

Before the Session
  • If you are a moderator of a special session, you should prepare a short, 10 minute, presentation that will begin the discussion.
  • Invite the presenters from your Presentation Session linked to your session theme to be part of the panel of this special session OR include others who bring a different perspective and can contribute to an insightful dialogue.
During the Session
  • The Special Sessions build on the content of the Presentation Sessions and allow for the World Trails Network’s  International Task Teams to incorporate the insights shared in the Presentation Sessions. 
  • Dialogue should be free flowing but directed to stay on topic, and move towards an outcome of lessons, insights, best practices or actions.
End of the Session
  • Record any ideas that evolve from the session that can contribute to the conference concluding statement and commitments. Note opportunities for collaboration that can be championed or explored by a World Trails Network Task Team.

Please contact us at info@worldtrailsconference.org you have any questions or need further assistance.

Submit your Proposal

TRAILS OF THE WORLD – PROMOTIONAL & INFORMATION SESSION

PRESENTER GUIDELINES

Before the Session
  • This is your opportunity to market your trail to the world in a short presentation Pecha Kucha style.
  • Remember you only have 20 slides and they change automatically every 20 seconds – so you MUST practice your presentation to get your timing correct. This is what make this type of presentation fun, engaging and interesting.
  • In preparing your presentation focus on: 
    • Where your trail is located in the world
    • Have a good map
    • Indicate its difficulty rating
    • What options exist for doing the trail
    • Have beautiful inspiring pictures
    • Highlight key aspects of what makes the trail unique, interesting
    • Give some history and make it inspiring 
    • Tell a great trail story – in bite-sized chunks
    • Indicate who to contact and list your website address
During the Session
  • Giving this kind of presentation is great fun and you will be astonished how much information you can pack into just 6 minutes and 30 seconds.
End of the Session
  • After thunderous applause, many more people from around the world will know about your trail and will want to visit.

QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about the programme, please contact the Conference Organizing Committee via: info@worldtrailsconference.org

Submit your Proposal
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