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Events · free template

Speaker Proposal Form

Call-for-speakers submission form collecting session abstract, format, audience level and speaker bio.

A ready-to-use registration & events form for event organisers, venues and community teams: 17 questions, 3 pages, 3 conditional rules.

Questions
17
Pages
3
Layouts
classic · card
Conditional rules
3
Typical time
6 min
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Live preview and test console

This is the real form. Answer it to test the 3 conditional rules — nothing is sent or stored.

Page 1 of 3 — Session details

Submit a session proposal

1 question is hidden by conditional logic right now — change an answer above to reveal it.

What happens after submit: nothing is stored in this preview. On your own copy, every response triggers an instant email notification and lands in your response dashboard, ready to export or forward.

Happy with it? Take a copy into your workspace — every question, rule and setting comes with it.

Who this template is for

Speaker Proposal Form is built for event organisers, venues and community teams who need to collect registrations, dietary needs and ticket choices in one pass.

  • Event organisers, venues and community teams working in registration & events.
  • Teams who need to collect registrations, dietary needs and ticket choices in one pass without writing code or paying for a custom build.
  • Anyone replacing headcounts that change hourly and no single attendee list with one structured record per enquiry.
  • Respondents are attendees, guests and speakers — the form asks them 17 questions across 3 screens.
  • Mobile-heavy audiences, thanks to the one-question-per-screen card layout.

Why this form is useful

It removes the cost of headcounts that change hourly and no single attendee list and turns each submission into a record your team can act on immediately.

  • 6 questions are required, so submissions arrive complete instead of needing a follow-up email.
  • It collects a verified email address so replies and confirmations land.
  • It captures a phone number for urgent follow-up.
  • It accepts a document or photo upload as evidence.
  • It pins the request to a specific date.
  • Conditional logic hides 3 questions until they are relevant — shorter forms convert better than long ones.
  • Splitting the form across 3 pages keeps each screen short and shows respondents how much is left.
  • Every response is stored, searchable and exportable, so nothing depends on one person's inbox.

How to use this template

From copy to live form is a few minutes of work, and every step is reversible.

  1. 1Press “Use this template” — a fresh copy of Speaker Proposal Form lands in your workspace, ready to edit.
  2. 2Rename or delete any question, and change what is required. Nothing here is fixed.
  3. 3Open Notifications and add the email addresses that should be alerted on each submission; add an auto-reply to the respondent if the form collects an email address.
  4. 4Check the upload limits on the file question so respondents can attach what you actually need.
  5. 5Publish it, then either share the link directly or paste the embed snippet into your site — the embedded form resizes to fit and loads no marketing or advertising trackers.
  6. 6Watch responses land in Submissions, where you can filter, label and export them to CSV or PDF.

Logic and conditions blueprint

Exactly how this form behaves as it is answered — 3 conditional rules ship with it.

  • Features advanced show logic: if “Will you have a co-speaker?” is Yes, the form dynamically exposes “Co-speaker name and email”. Otherwise that question never appears.
  • Features advanced show logic: if “Have you spoken publicly before?” is No, this would be my first time, the form dynamically exposes “Would you like a mentor paired with you?”. Otherwise that question never appears.
  • Features advanced show logic: if “Preferred format” is Workshop / hands-on, the form dynamically exposes “What will attendees need to bring or install?”. Otherwise that question never appears.
  • All 3 rules are editable in the Logic tab, and the built-in checker warns about rules that contradict each other.

About this template

A call for speakers lives or dies on how easy it is to compare submissions fairly, which means the form has to ask every applicant the same structured questions rather than accepting a free-form email pitch. This one opens with the session basics — title, format and a one-paragraph abstract — because that is what a programming committee reads first when shortlisting. An audience-level question separates beginner-friendly talks from advanced ones, which matters when a schedule needs a mix of both. A field for what attendees should be able to do after the talk pushes speakers toward a concrete takeaway rather than a vague topic area, which tends to predict a stronger session. Speaker bio and headshot are collected once, in the same submission, so organisers aren't chasing marketing assets after acceptance. A co-speaker question and a past-speaking-experience field help a committee judge delivery risk for a new voice without penalising first-time speakers outright. The form closes with availability and a travel/remote preference, since scheduling constraints often decide between two otherwise-equal proposals.

What this form asks

Every question is editable — rename it, make it optional, or delete it entirely.

Page 1 — Session details

  • Session titlerequired
  • Preferred formatrequired
  • Audience levelrequired
  • Abstract (what will you cover?)required
  • What should attendees be able to do after your session?
  • What will attendees need to bring or install?

Page 2 — About you

  • Speaker namerequired
  • Email addressrequired
  • Phone number
  • Speaker bio
  • Headshot photo
  • Have you spoken publicly before?
  • Would you like a mentor paired with you?
  • Will you have a co-speaker?
  • Co-speaker name and email

Page 3 — Logistics

  • Can you attend in person, or would you need to present remotely?
  • Dates you are unavailable, if any

17 questions in total.

How the form changes as it's filled in

This template ships with 3 conditional rules, grouped into 3 behaviours driven by 3 questions. Everything below is already set up — edit or delete any rule once the template is in your workspace.

Driven by “Will you have a co-speaker?”

  • Reveals questions

    If “Will you have a co-speaker?” is Yes, the form reveals “Co-speaker name and email”.

Driven by “Have you spoken publicly before?”

  • Reveals questions

    If “Have you spoken publicly before?” is No, this would be my first time, the form reveals “Would you like a mentor paired with you?”.

Driven by “Preferred format”

  • Reveals questions

    If “Preferred format” is Workshop / hands-on, the form reveals “What will attendees need to bring or install?”.

Set it up step by step

  1. 1

    Score proposals against the abstract and takeaway, not the speaker's name

    Reviewing the abstract and outcome fields blind to who submitted keeps the selection process fair, especially for first-time speakers.

  2. 2

    Ask what attendees will be able to do, not just the topic

    A concrete outcome question filters out vague topic pitches and gives you stronger session descriptions for the schedule.

  3. 3

    Collect the headshot and bio at submission

    Chasing marketing assets after acceptance delays your schedule page — get them in the same form.

  4. 4

    Offer a mentor option for first-timers

    Pairing new speakers with an experienced one reduces delivery risk without excluding fresh voices from the lineup.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Accepting free-form pitch emails alongside the form, which makes proposals impossible to compare fairly.
  • Not asking about format upfront, so a workshop pitch gets scheduled in a 20-minute talk slot.
  • Forgetting to collect co-speaker details, leaving one name off the schedule and the badge list.

What it pairs with

Most teams don't run this form on its own. These are the forms and systems it sits next to.

What to do with the responses

Review submissions by format and audience level to build a balanced schedule, then confirm accepted speakers with their slot, format and any AV requirements.

Works in both layouts

Browse classic templatesBrowse card templates

Forms that overlap this one

These pages cover the same subject ground as the speaker proposal form, matched on the words people actually search for.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use this for a workshop-only call for facilitators?

Yes — the workshop format branch already asks what attendees need to bring; if your event is workshops exclusively, remove the talk and panel options from the format dropdown.

How is this different from a vendor or sponsor application?

Vendor Booth Application is for exhibitors selling products or services on the show floor, not people pitching a talk. Keep the two forms separate so programming and sponsorship review happen independently.

Should I make the headshot required?

Leave it optional at submission — most programming teams only need it once a talk is accepted, and requiring it upfront can discourage first-time speakers from applying.

Can attendees register for the resulting sessions with this form?

No, this is speaker intake only — use Webinar Attendee Sign-Up or Workshop Registration Form to handle audience registration once your schedule is set.

Is the Speaker Proposal Form template free to use?

Yes. You can preview and test Speaker Proposal Form on this page without an account, and take a copy into your own HelloForms workspace on the free plan. There is nothing to install and no card required to publish it.

What does the Speaker Proposal Form template ask for?

It asks 17 questions across 3 pages, 6 of which are required. Every question is listed in full further down this page, and each one can be renamed, reordered, made optional or deleted after you copy the template.

Can I edit the Speaker Proposal Form form after copying it?

Yes — the copy is entirely yours. Change wording, add or remove questions, switch between the classic and card layouts, restyle it to match your brand, and set who gets notified on each submission.

How does the conditional logic in this registration & events form work?

3 conditional rules ship with the template: Features advanced show logic: if “Will you have a co-speaker?” is Yes, the form dynamically exposes “Co-speaker name and email”. Otherwise that question never appears. Features advanced show logic: if “Have you spoken publicly before?” is No, this would be my first time, the form dynamically exposes “Would you like a mentor paired with you?”. Otherwise that question never appears. Features advanced show logic: if “Preferred format” is Workshop / hands-on, the form dynamically exposes “What will attendees need to bring or install?”. Otherwise that question never appears. All rules are editable in the Logic tab.

Where do responses to the Speaker Proposal Form form go?

Submissions land in your workspace under Submissions, where you can search, filter, label and export them to CSV or PDF. You can also email a notification to your team on every submission and send the respondent an auto-reply.

Can I embed the Speaker Proposal Form form on my own website?

Yes. Publish the form and paste the embed snippet into any page or share the direct link. The embedded form resizes to fit its container and loads no advertising or marketing trackers inside the iframe.

Can respondents upload files?

Yes. This template includes a file upload question, so respondents can attach documents or photos with their answers. You can adjust the accepted file types and size limits on that question.

Related templates

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Related categories

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