I work with new technology and reinvention of processes, products and communication – in my everyday life I work as a conultant (I have co-founded a small start-up – we are 5 employees now) and I have written a book about blogging as well. I know my subject and I walk the talk (meaning I don’t just talk about new processes – I actually work most of the time on getting tools and processes to work with our clients!)

The reason why I disagree that it doesn’t matter if there are women speaking on a conference is that if there are only male speakers I tend to believe that the organizers have to small a network to make a real interesting event. Their networks are to small or to narrow if they can’t find any good female speakers. (And I am not talking 50/50 here – I just want one or two interesting women). It makes me wonder if the male speakers are good then?

In Denmark – at the moment – there is a debate about why there are no women in business boards. (we have around 5 percent women in boards here) – and I think it is because women are not visible in the network where the recruiting takes place. I have never heard about a vacant position on a board – and I would have no clue where to look for it – so how can I apply? I think maybe it is the same with a lot of speaking jobs? If you are not part of the loop you simply have no clue that there is an opportunity to speak? (and I am not blaming any one – I just think women should do more to get on the mailinglists and men should do more to get more women on the list – or ask people to forward the proposals to new people!)

I have then started to organize events for Top-CEOs, having only women speak. the analysis of the first 3 events has shown the necessity of offering a real PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING TRAINING – as all women had excellent expertise, but none was excellent in speaking and presenting.

this is kind of frustrating.
anyway – hope dies last and I think we need to push also women up onto the podiums of this world as they have a backlogg in learning how to present themselves with self-confidence. and we need role-models in order to help younger women to come up more easily. learning is all about models – women do not find a lot of role-models to show them how to speak up with confidence, how to become active and share their enthusiasm and their knowledge.

my aim with the speakers agency and the events connected to it is substantially this: to create role-models. if you know somebody or you are one ourself, please: SHOW UP! :-)

I go to a conference for the quality of the speakers, not their gender. I would not specifically pick a conference because it had more women on the agenda.

And yes of course, we do have a much easier entrance to the speaking circuit through being a women, and every time somebody popps up this question it gets easier. But it is nothing more than a headstart. If you stand still after that, they will pass you.

[Work life balance is one issue on its own plus I am not dismissing the fact that child care and non supporting significant others are an issue here as well.]

The question stays – Do really more women come if more women are on the roster?

And no, as much as I like blogher, it does not count in this regard, because it is marketed specifically to women. ;)

I don’t know why more women haven’t done it – it has been one of the biggest career accelerators I have ever done. Maybe that’s part of it – women are incredibly protective of their work-life balance, sometimes to a fault.

That being said, every time I can be a part of the planning or feedback loop on a conference, usually the first words out of my mouth are, “What women do you have speaking?”. Most conference hosts want a big, diverse group of attendees. It’s funny how they seem to forget the obvious – get a diverse group of presenters, diverse attendees will show up.

GREAT post, btw!

And, somebody has to bring them to the attention of those organizers and make it easy enough to connect etc etc. Which is why we often end up with the same faces.

As usual, it is not black or white. With my interviews for example I found that sometimes the most boring description / bio had the most interesting people behind them, but only once I got through them, not before. Meaning, they will never appear on the radar, unless something spectacular happens. ;)

“Name dropping is an annoying disease.”
Which again goes with the problem: as long as customers demand big names to show up (and not be satisfied just with great content) you need those speakers. Hen egg problem. Hence the endorsing part.

About the just inviting … it is not what you do with men either. You do not ‘just’ invite men nor women. You need somebody who actually wants to be there and is capable of playing their role in this game. :)