SEPTEMBER 25-28, 2025
Vancouver Convention Centre West
Speaker Applications
Applications are due April 15
IDS Vancouver’s Conference is a unique opportunity to bring your case studies, teachings, predictions and never-before-seen approaches to an engaged audience of creative professionals looking to learn, source and be inspired.
Transformative change for both people and the planet is occurring at a rapid pace right now. More than ever, design thinking and insightful expertise is needed to push new realities forward by reimagining and reforming how we live, work, and create. Take part in shaping our future by showcasing your original approach and engaging ideas in front of the decision-makers of design at the #IDS25 Vancouver Conference happening September 25, 2025.
HOW IT WORKS
The first step is to apply for the program. You will be asked to submit a draft title and description of the talk (approximately 150 words). IDS will select eight seminars to be part of the conference program. Applications are due by 15 April. Successful applications will be notified by the end of April, and titles, descriptions, speaker bios and photos will be finalized by the second week of May.
Each talk in the conference will be 1 hour long, including audience Q&A. Each talk will be promoted through IDS Vancouver’s marketing channels.
SELECTION
Speakers, seminars, panels and workshops will be selected based on varying criteria, including relevancy, timeliness, originality, speaker experience and cohesion with the seminar program.
Good, snappy titles and write-ups are very important - your talk might be great, but if it’s not described well, you might not get the best audience (see what Toastmasters has to say about talk titles).
As an industry, we have a tendency to overthink and try to cover a lot of different ideas, but some of the best talks focus on one clear idea (see what TED has to say about it).
We believe that design is for everyone, and at IDS, we are committed to making the architecture, design and built industry more diverse, inclusive, and equitable. We ask that you give this some consideration when submitting your sessions that we want to ensure representation in all areas (e.g. gender, race, ethnicity, ability, education, expertise, backgrounds, disciplines, industry etc.) - especially when submitting a panel discussion.