388: What Makes a Stand-Out Conference Speaking Proposal and Presentation with Cathy McPhillips

388: What Makes a Stand-Out Conference Speaking Proposal and Presentation with Cathy McPhillips

Many conferences get hundreds of speaker submissions. How can you make yours stand out so it gets selected?

Then, once you do get selected, how do you make sure you deliver an engaging presentation at the conference?

That’s what I talk about with my guest Cathy McPhillips, who is Chief Growth Officer at the Marketing AI Institute.

Along with the virtual events they host year-round, they also host an in-person conference called MAICON, which I spoke at in 2023.

I invited Cathy on the show to share with us:

  • Her background and what brought her to the Marketing AI Institute
  • How Cathy and the team select speakers for MAICON and their other events
  • What they look for in speaker submissions
  • What makes a great speaker at their events (based on audience feedback)
  • Tips she has for the listeners who want to speak at conferences
  • >What they’re doing at the Marketing AI Institute and you can get involved

About My Guest: Cathy McPhillips is Chief Growth Officer at the Marketing AI Institute, overseeing marketing, growth, and customer experience, including MAICON and AI Academy for Marketers. Previously, Cathy led marketing at Content Marketing Institute and Content Marketing World, managed community growth for Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, and owned her own strategic digital marketing business. She started her career at two Cleveland advertising agencies. Cathy was an Ohio University Jerry L. Sloan Visiting Professional in Public Relations, is a Folio: Top Women in Media, and a MarTechExec Woman You Need to Know in Martech.

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/388/

Marketing AI Institute: www.marketingaiinstitute.com

The Artificial Intelligence Show podcast: https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/podcast-showcase

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Connect on LinkedIn:

Related Podcast Episodes:


Become Bookable Live Online Workshop - April 15, 2026
If you want to speak more but you’re not sure where to start or your efforts haven’t produced the results you want, I’m hosting a live online workshop called “Become Bookable: How to Get Speaking Invitations” on Wednesday, April 15th.


A lot of brilliant women assume they just need to pitch themselves more. But the real reason speakers get invited isn’t because they pitch harder — it’s because they’re positioned as bookable.

In this 3-hour interactive workshop live on Zoom, I’ll show you how speakers actually get invited — and help you clarify the positioning that makes event organizers say yes.


As a podcast listener, use the coupon code “Podcast100” to save $100 on your registration.

Learn more and register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/bookable

Avsnitt(491)

114: [Coaching] Building Your Thought Leadership Platform with Lisa Zawrotny

114: [Coaching] Building Your Thought Leadership Platform with Lisa Zawrotny

What are the elements of being a thought leader? What does it mean to be a thought leader? How can you build your thought leadership platform? As a speaker, you are seen as a leader, an authority, an ...

2 Apr 201955min

113: Storytelling Isn’t Enough: Your Content Needs to be E.P.I.C.

113: Storytelling Isn’t Enough: Your Content Needs to be E.P.I.C.

I gave this presentation on E.P.I.C. content 4 times to 4 different groups in a recent 2-week period. Whew! In this episode, you'll hear the presentation itself as well as why I decided to include cer...

26 Mars 201941min

112: [Coaching] Deciding On Your Signature Talk Topic with Teresa McCloy

112: [Coaching] Deciding On Your Signature Talk Topic with Teresa McCloy

If you have multiple aspects of your business or of the work you do with your clients, it can be challenging to figure out what’s the best topic and content to use for your signature talk. Should you ...

19 Mars 201945min

111: Make More Time for Speaking and Visibility with Clockwork Principles with Adrienne Dorison

111: Make More Time for Speaking and Visibility with Clockwork Principles with Adrienne Dorison

I’m obsessed with the book “Clockwork” by Mike Michalowicz (who also wrote “Profit First”). I read it the first weekend it came out last fall and it has revolutionized the way I look at my business. W...

12 Mars 201948min

110: Making the Most of Speaking at Trade Shows and Conferences with Sue Monhait

110: Making the Most of Speaking at Trade Shows and Conferences with Sue Monhait

When you speak at a conference or trade show, have you thought about how you can invite the audience to continue the conversation with you after your session? In this episode, my guest Sue Monhait sha...

5 Mars 201942min

109: How to Put On a Winning Workshop with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz

109: How to Put On a Winning Workshop with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz

This episode is jam-packed with what you need to know to put on your own paid workshop. I recently co-hosted a workshop on Personal Branding and Visibility with Diane Diaz, founder of The Brand Teache...

26 Feb 201942min

108: NLP Can Make You a Better Speaker with Candice Czaplak

108: NLP Can Make You a Better Speaker with Candice Czaplak

You want to feel more confident and prepared for your speaking engagements, especially if it’s an important one like the first time delivering your signature talk or a big keynote or a TEDx talk. But,...

19 Feb 201946min

107: Make Your Presentations More Brain-Friendly Using Behavioral Economics with Melina Palmer

107: Make Your Presentations More Brain-Friendly Using Behavioral Economics with Melina Palmer

I love this line from my guest: “Our brains are lazy.” That includes your audience’s brains (no offense). Knowing this, how can you make your presentations more brain-friendly, engaging, and persuasiv...

12 Feb 201939min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
varvet
badfluence
rss-jossan-nina
svd-tech-brief
rss-borsens-finest
uppgang-och-fall
avanzapodden
rss-svart-marknad
bathina-en-podcast
fill-or-kill
borsmorgon
tabberaset
rss-dagen-med-di
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
lastbilspodden
24fragor
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
rss-den-nya-ekonomin
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di