Our Programme Committee has completed the final selection of papers that were submitted in 2021 for EPHMRA’s 2022 online Conference – and have we got an outstanding programme lined up for you! What really stood out for us, though, was the quality and volume of submissions that we received.
We very much appreciate all of the time, thought and energy that you put into paper submissions to speak at the Conference. This year we received over 35, which as you might imagine, was quite a task for each member of our Programme Committee to review.
As outlined in our 2021 blog ‘A Peek Behind the Scenes’, there is a rigorous selection process that we undertake to achieve a varied, interesting and high-quality Conference Programme. Unfortunately, though, this does mean that some papers weren’t accepted, and we wanted to take a moment to say thank you.
Feedback and Tips for Submitting a Paper
If you had a paper that was turned down, then you’ll already have heard from us with an offer for detailed email or verbal feedback. We feel it is important to explain why the paper wasn’t quite right this time and offer advice for future submissions.
Here are a few tips for creating a submission which is likely to resonate with our Programme Committee and delegates attending the conference:
- Always emphasise what the take-away learnings will be for people listening. It may sound obvious but the importance of this can’t be overestimated, as this demonstrates that you have thought about what value your paper will bring to people in the audience.
- If you are from an Agency, having a speaker from Industry to speak with you will really make a difference to your submission, as we know that delegates gain great insights from hearing how research has added value to clients.
- Read through your submission and have a think about whether it might be interpreted as a promotional ‘sales pitch’ by those reading it and ultimately listening to your paper at the conference. We have had a lot of feedback over the years that delegates switch off if they think that a paper is promotional, so whether intended or not, it’s best to minimise emphasis on the benefits of your particular product/service!
- Consider having your submission reviewed by peers before sending it over – this is a great way to pick up on areas that might need clarification or further explanation.
Coming Soon
Keep an eye out for exciting speaker announcements.