Prospective speakers are encouraged to submit proposals to participate in the Conference Programme.

The annual PURCON conference is well regarded for its high-level of practical content and sharing of best practices. Attendees are predominantly executive and operational staff in higher education procurement, finance and services management roles. 

If you want to recommend a topic or speaker for the Conference, please read the following guidelines. Our Conference Committee and the organisers will review session ideas to make sure the topic is well aligned and suitable.

Supplier and service providers 

Suppliers to the higher education sector will be required to exhibit in order to be considered as speakers, except in cases where the proposed presentation is of significant value for the delegates. Speaking opportunities for suppliers are normally reserved for Pavilion and Platinum exhibitors. 

Topical areas: 

PURCO SA's influence extends beyond procurement, and our typical delegates include procurement executives and buyers, as well as senior decision makers from Finance, ICT and Facilities Management. We also attract Registrars and Vice Chancellor to the event. These professionals are looking for information that helps them optimise their current environments and plan for the future.

The conference will include streams for:

  • Finance
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Facilities Management
  • and Innovation and Technology.

Quality and length of presentations

With few exceptions, we do not provide basic or entry-level inputs at our conferences. The average conference delegate is an experienced professional and expects a commensurate level of content and speaker.

Most sessions last a maximum 30 minutes plus time for questions. Presentations that focus on providing knowledge, case studies, real-life experiences and practical takeaways are well received by delegates. 

Presentations formats and style

The conference programme will include a mix of sessions. In addition to plenary presentations, we like formats that are collaborative (peer discussions, panels, round tables, etc.). If the topic is one that is more conducive to classroom style learning, we are agreeable to that approach provided it meets the quality and requirements outlined here. Sales and product pitch presentations are expressly discouraged.

All presentations are typically made available for download once the conference has concluded. We ask speakers for permission to release slides and any other information at a session, e.g. handouts or other promotional material. All slides and materials are subject to approval prior to the conference. New content added or day-of-event slides may or may not be used.

Attendees expect the content to be advanced and unbiased. PURCO SA was formed to create a forum for the sharing of best practices and to improve the business conditions for higher education procurement and finance executives. Members do not expect and will not tolerate one-sided, product-focused presentations.

Speakers will be featured in the Conference mobile event app. We ask that you complete a brief profile and upload headshot photo, session details, etc. Other mobile app features may be offered depending on the format of your presentation.

Conflicts of interest & legal

We request permission to distribute the materials/slides form your presentation to attendees after the event. You should also be aware that PURCO SA conferences are often attended by a wide-variety of industry professionals. If you have a conflict of interest in a product or service, we ask that you declare it. You are not automatically excluded from the discussion, but your relationship to the product or service must be disclosed and acknowledged.

A note on sales pitches

Our delegates know sales pitches. Attempts to pitch a particular product or service are not tolerated. Attendees expect quality content that is relevant and credible. Speaking at our conference will build brand awareness for you and your organisation. It is also a chance to network with higher education decision-makers. The speakers that fail to offer genuine value and engage in “selling” themselves miss out on the positive outcomes that can occur otherwise.

Submit speaker proposal

If the above is agreeable, we welcome your speaker proposal.Complete the speaker proposal form using our online Speaker proposals or suggestions webform and submit an abstract or proposal of no more than one A4 page to conference@purcosa.co.za.

  • Content must be relevant to higher education Procurement professionals, and their colleagues in Finance and Facilities Management
  • Content may not be of a marketing or sales nature. 

What we need

Presentation:

  • Provide a proposed Presentation Title
  • Provide a brief summary of the proposed presentation, including the delegate take-aways (answer the question why delegates should be excited about this session)
  • Provide information on previous speaker engagements
  • Indicate the specific target audience and level of content
  • Indicate the preferred presentation type e.g. plenary sessions, targeted breakaway, panel discussion, round tables etc. 

Speaker:

  • Provide a brief speaker biography
  • Include the speaker's details
  • Important: include links to online videos of the speaker's previous presentations

Where to send the proposal