Keynote speakers have long been the intellectual centre of a conference, usually selected by the organising committee from senior experts and well-known names. Expectations are changing: participants value diversity, dialogue and engagement. An open call for keynotes is a simple way to respond.
Why traditional keynotes fall short
- The same names appear on many programmes.
- Young researchers rarely reach the main stage.
- The gap between speaker and audience stays large.
- Complex topics call for multidisciplinary and societal perspectives.
Three types of proposal
- Solo keynote: a recognised expert proposes a visionary talk on the conference theme.
- Co-keynote: an established researcher and an early-career scientist present together. Two voices, one dialogue.
- Emerging voice: a young researcher or practitioner proposes a fresh perspective and is paired with a senior mentor to co-present.
How it works
- The programme committee defines two or three keynote themes.
- The call is launched through the abstract platform, email and social media: a 300-word abstract and a short bio.
- The scientific committee selects on innovation, relevance, storytelling and diversity, and matches emerging voices with senior speakers.
- Speakers prepare together in a short online mentoring session.
- The co-keynote is delivered as a dialogue or interactive presentation.
- A recap, video or interview is published afterwards.
Practical guidelines
- One or two co-keynotes per conference is enough to make a difference.
- Keep the selection criteria short and public.
- Plan a moderator for dialogue formats.
What it brings
New voices share the stage, intergenerational dialogue sparks fresh ideas, young researchers gain exposure and mentorship, and the audience gets a more dynamic session. An open call turns the conference from a stage into a platform: the future of conferences lies not only in who speaks, but in who participates.