Currently in its 23^rd year, the event in Palm Springs attracts a wide array of distinguished attendees and speakers, engaging leaders from every facet of the content ecosystem. It is one of the most important annual events for individuals and companies engaged in the creation, management and dissemination of content in the dynamic landscape of distribution environments.

Call for Proposals: Main Program

The main program presentations, which are strictly reserved for marketing-free content, take place Wednesday February 21 through Friday February 23, after TR-X (Tech Retreat eXtra) and the supersession on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. According to program maestro Mark Schubin, “For the main program, ANYTHING related to moving images and associated sounds is fair game.” With this far-ranging call, “from scene to seen and gear to ear,” the main program is sure to be as inventive, intriguing, and leading edge as in previous years. 

Proposals for main program presentations are short and informal and must be submitted by the proposed presenter. Schubin notes, “A sentence or two is usually sufficient and if those few sentences are of interest, submitters will be contacted.” Presentations in the main program are typically of half-hour duration, including set-up and Q&A (if any). Longer or shorter presentations can sometimes be accommodated. Panels are typically longer, and submissions for panels should include the panelists and moderator (arranging panelists and moderators is the presenter’s responsibility).

The deadline to submit main program proposals is the end of the day on Friday, October 27 2017. Proposals should be sent directly to Mark Schubin at [email protected] In the event a submission is not promptly acknowledged, submitters should contact Mr. Schubin to confirm receipt. Decisions are expected by the beginning of December.

Call for Proposals: Breakfast Roundtables

Breakfast roundtables begin at 7:30 AM on four mornings during the retreat, Wednesday to Friday. The breakfast roundtables can include marketing information, and table moderators are free to teach, preach, inquire, ask, call-to-task, sell, or do anything else that keeps conversation flowing for an hour. The HPA Tech Retreat roundtables are a popular part of the Tech Retreat, and offer attendees and experts the chance to dig in and converse on important topics.

Opportunities to present a breakfast roundtable are competitive, and spots fill quickly. Even though there is no deadline, once the maximum number of tables is reached (32 per day), no more can be accepted. Wednesday and Thursday typically fill to the limit; Friday often doesn’t. Proposals should include the desired day(s) and the desired topic(s).

Further details for the 2018 HPA Tech Retreat will be announced in the coming weeks, including supersession topics, TR-X focus, and Innovation Zone details, as well as seminars and meetings held in advance of the Tech Retreat.