Online Submission Form

Sustainability is a cross-cutting concept that touches all aspects of public works operations and service delivery. The demands for economic, social, and environmental responsibility are increasing daily. Bring your leading-edge experience to those at the forefront of the public works sustainability movement.

What topics are we looking for? (Don't feel limited by these topic suggestions; out-of-the box thinking is encouraged.)

• Leading-edge or innovative tools, practices, case studies
• Practical resources and how-to’s for sustainability
• How Your Agency has Taken Steps Toward Sustainability
• Public Works Success Stories in Sustainability
• Measuring Sustainable Return on Investment
• Long-Term Planning and Strategic Thinking
• Life cycle cost analysis
• Practical Sustainability
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Practices
• Low Impact Development
• Pavement
• Complete Streets
• Sustainable Best Practices in any area of public works including:
• Transportation Planning
• Traffic Engineering and Design
• Operations and Maintenance
• Right-of-Way Management
• Facility Design
• Construction and Maintenance
• Solid Waste Management
• Fleet Management
• Water and Wastewater Facilities and Treatment
• Stormwater Management

Submission Guidelines:

• Online submissions only
• Submission deadline for 2012 Sustainability in Public Works Conference: October 15, 2011.
• Learning Objectives: All proposals must include three (3) learning objectives that indicate exactly how the attendee will benefit from the presentation. Instructions for developing appropriate learning objectives are included on the online form.
• Registration and travel expenses: Speakers at APWA's Conferences are also considered attendees of the event and are expected to register at the appropriate member or non-member rate and cover their own travel expenses.
• No Sales-pitches Please: Direct promotions of products, services, or monetary self-interest are not appropriate education sessions. APWA members are traditionally vocal in their displeasure with sessions that appear to be sales presentations or promotions. APWA audiences prefer sessions that present case studies from the user perspective.
• Paid Professional Trainers and Speakers are welcome to use the Online Submission Form, but be sure to check the "paid speaker" box.

How Are Presentations Selected?

All submissions are reviewed and evaluated by a subcommittee from the APWA Center for Sustainability. The evaluation process is competitive based on these criteria:

1. Relevance and Clarity: Learning objectives are clearly stated using active verbs indicating exactly what the benefit would be to the learners.
2. Practical Application: Presentation provides take-away knowledge material that can be used by the attendees in their day-to-day work settings.
3. Leading-edge: Presentation addresses critical issues, emerging trends, innovative methods and technologies.

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