The Conference Manager Survey Says…
Sessions Still Succinct, Meetings Matter & AI Use is Administrative
In the year since we last surveyed our conference contacts on the trends they are seeing, a lot has changed. To help us better understand how massive global and technological shifts have affected the event landscape, we asked conference organizers from around the world to share lessons learned from producing events in the past year, including the role of AI. Our goal was to better understand what executive and expert speakers can expect as they pitch ideas to conference producers and take the stage. Here are a few of the things that Scarlino Speaker Strategies, LLC’s State of Conference Speaking in 2026 survey revealed:
Shortening session lengths have limits: 80% of organizers reported that their keynotes are at least 18 minutes and 80% of firesides are at least 21 minutes, longer than last year’s survey indicated. For the most part, the 10-minute keynote is no more. Speaker Strategies has seen a return of lightning talks, but those tend to be reserved for breakout sessions at technical conferences.
Breaking through the noise: Two-thirds of conference organizers accept less than 20% of speaker submissions, extending the trend from our 2024 and 2025 surveys. In our experience, the average speaker acceptance rate still ranges between 15 – 25%, regardless of the conference size or industry. Getting a spot on a coveted stage remains as competitive as ever!
Networking &interactive sessions still popular: More than ever, conferences are utilizing 1:1 matchmaking meetings, off-the-record roundtable discussions, and small group dinners to ensure that attendees (and speakers) can get to know each other before, during and after their gatherings. Meeting peers, potential business partners, and customers has always been one of the most important elements of a good event.
AI’s role is mostly administrative: Most survey respondents let us know that AI is being used for topic research, transcribing prep call notes, and to edit session descriptions – saving time, but not overhauling the strategic conference planning process. All agreed that AI is of lesser use in speaker outreach and development. One of the responders said it best: “”AI can’t help with speaker recruitment, as that tends to be relationship based.”
What are the takeaways as you consider speaking opportunities in the fall and beyond?
Manage Expectations…
This is still the key to ensuring that an executive has a successful and positive conference experience. Be sure that the speaker understands what to expect, especially with regards to session length and format. While session times are slightly longer than last year, anything more than 25 minutes is rare. Also, conferences are still prioritizing interactive panels and fireside chats over solo talks in most cases.
And Be Strategic!
AI will not help you write a winning abstract if it is not relevant to the current conference theme or your speaker’s title is not aligned with the others on the agenda. Do your homework before submitting an idea and align your session ideas according to the conference’s goals and audience.
Whether you are a conference organizer or working in corporate communications, if you want to share your observations from the trenches – or if you want to find out how to leverage Speaker Strategies’ relationship-based approach – we would love to hear from you!