International Council on Active Aging®

Call for Presentations

Call for Presentations
International Council on Active Aging Conference 2021
November 10 – 12, 2021

Deadline is Friday, January 15, 2021 (11:59 pm Pacific Time)

Please note: proposals cannot be accepted once the submission site closes at 11:59 pm Pacific time, January 15, 2021. No deadline extensions or exceptions can be granted.

International Council on Active Aging, www.icaa.cc, is seeking knowledgeable, dynamic presenters for the ICAA Conference, Leadership Summit and Expo, November 10-12, 2021.

When developing the ICAA Conference program, the Selection Committee looks for proposals that are informative for the different roles in active aging, provide professional development for a variety of skill levels and enable interaction among the attendees.

The ICAA Conference education program may be held in-person classroom-style, virtually online, or as a hybrid blend of classroom and virtual sessions.

Guidelines for submissions

Carefully read the information in the Call for Presentations and the online proposal form. Proposals that are incomplete or do not clearly provide the requested information will not be considered.
Be prepared to indicate if the topic and presenter skill are appropriate for in-person or virtual sessions.
Download the proposal form and develop answers offline to copy and paste into the online form. The online system will not save proposals until all sections are complete and the proposal is submitted.
Avoid copying generic session ideas. Selection Committee members will seriously consider proposals that provide details relevant to the ICAA attendee.
Clearly state how the content will meet the Learning Objectives.
The Selection Committee will immediately reject a proposal that promotes a company, product, service or personal business. Complete information must be shared with attendees without having to purchase a product or service.
Proofread the proposal before submission.

About ICAA attendees

Attendees include executives and senior managers, department heads and staff in activities/engagement, fitness, therapy, recreation, leaders in departments that closely work with wellness such as food service/nutrition, chaplaincy, social services and health care.

They work with older adults at all points along the continuum of physical function, from highly fit through frail, and at all points along the continuum of cognitive function, from cognitively healthy or with minimal impairment through dementias. Their work takes place in a variety of sites (senior living communities, community/seniors centers, social service and public health organizations, parks and rec, medical fitness, health clubs, private homes).

Topic areas

For 2021, ICAA is seeking proposals in the following topic areas.

Trends and Innovations: Trends and how these can be applied within the organization, programs or activities and among peers and older adults. Innovation in the field, and “big picture” topics relevant to active aging.

Technology: Hardware and software that provides utility for staff in multiple areas, activities or communication tools for older adults, or meets a particular need, such as technology for people with vision impairment. Use of social media and multimedia is included here.

Management & marketing: Topics include business and department management (assessment, planning, budget, delivery), partnerships, and leadership of the organization’s wellness culture. Based on the ICAA Competencies for Wellness Leaders: http://www.icaa.cc/careercenter/ICAA-Competencies-for-wellness-managers-career.html. Marketing internally and externally.

Cognitive & emotional health: Programs, communication methods and activities or social groups that support the cognitive/intellectual and emotional dimensions of wellness. Identify the level of cognitive ability most appropriate for participants. Motivation and behavior change topics.

Physical activity: Profiles of existing physical activities that emphasize how to plan and deliver the activities. Physical activity research or exercise physiology serves as a base for the session. How will the physical activity be modified for high functioning or low functioning older adults? Sessions in the Walkabout category are held outdoors and use the local geography for interest or challenge.

Programming: A program can be a multidimensional calendar of all activities, or a single ongoing activity or class. Activities in each dimension of wellness, such as arts and culture, spirituality, lifelong learning, nutrition and environmental stewardship are examples. Includes development, content, leadership, outcomes tracking and refinement.

Research: Research findings with practical application to the work in a wellness dimension or a business process.

Wellness for health: Coordination between therapists and wellness staff, how fitness, activities and programs benefit people with a chronic health condition or physical or cognitive impairment.

Employee wellness: Integrating employees into current program or launching a new initiative. Techniques for motivating attendance and tracking results.

Selection Committee considerations

The conference Selection Committee looks for content that:

presents fresh approaches to current and future issues.
is based in evidence, either from research or outcomes.
relates to the daily work of attendees and can transfer to their work after the conference.
applies to the dimensions of wellness: emotional, cognitive/intellectual, physical, professional/vocational, social, spiritual and environmental.
promotes the integration of wellness culture among all disciplines, departments and organizational structures.
provides details on how to achieve an outcome (as opposed to stating an action should be done without explaining how to do it).
emphasizes what people can do, rather than what they cannot do.
promotes philosophies and language that are positive and aimed toward successful aging.
clearly explains the psychosocial and functional levels of the older adults being referenced rather than chronological age.

Presenter responsibilities

Before submitting a proposal, be aware that conference presenters:

submit written handouts 4 weeks in advance of the conference for inclusion in the conference handouts collection. If materials change between submission of the handout and the conference, the presenter is responsible for providing updated handouts at their own expense.
abide by the ICAA Conference Code of Conduct

At in-person conferences, presenters:

bring their own laptop and remote control (slide changer) if using a PowerPoint. Any audiovisual ordered onsite will be invoiced to the presenter.
provide their own 15 pin D-VGA adapter to the data projector if using a MAC computer.
understand that there is NO Internet connection available in session rooms.
may need to provide their own activity/fitness equipment at their own expense.
will not deliver any presentation in the same city during or within three weeks prior to the conference. Doing so will prohibit the presenter from future presentations.

For virtual conferences, presenters:

test the technology and virtual platform prior to the conference and attend trainings.
answer questions and address comments sent in the question and chat boxes.
understand that at virtual events my session will be recorded. I agree to grant ICAA the rights to record the session for registered attendees to view for the time period designated by ICAA, and as an ICAA member benefit after said time period. International Council on Active Aging grants the rights to the Presenter(s) to release full recordings of, or portion of, the presentation on the Presenter(s) website for clients or public access after the time period designated by ICAA. Presenter(s) grant ICAA exclusive rights to the handouts that accompany a presentation.

Session proposals

When preparing proposals, keep in mind the following points.

Honestly determine whether the content can effectively be presented in an in-person or virtual platform.
Write a session title that is both engaging and descriptive of the session content. Attendees rely on the wording of the title to choose the sessions they wish to attend. Keep titles to 10 words or less.
Provide as much detail as possible in the description so the committee members clearly understand the proposed content. If accepted, this information will be used to write the session description that is sent to certification agencies and to market the session.
ICAA reserves the right to edit session titles, descriptions and biographies.

How to submit proposals

Use the ICAA online presenter application form. Applications will ONLY be accepted online so the Selection Committee can easily access them. https://www.icaa.cc/conferenceandevents/presenter_application_form.php
The application sections DO NOT SAVE as you move from one step to the next. We recommend drafting all components of your proposal in advance and then copy and paste once you are ready to submit. This will also ensure you have a copy on hand.
Use one application per session. Maximum 3 presenters per in-person session.
Submit up to four sessions. The committee will not consider more than four sessions from one person.
You will be sent an email confirming we have received your application.