Call for Papers – Spring 2021

A New Era of Resiliency

DRJ Spring 2021, our four-day conference | March 29 – April 1, 2021

Main Contact: Lesley Vinyard
Lesley@drj.com / (636) 282.5800
1862 Old Lemay Ferry Rd., Arnold, MO 63010

About

For over 30 years now, DRJ’s conference has been the most comprehensive in the industry and focuses on all aspects of business resiliency/continuity and disaster recovery planning. On average, more than 1,000 people attend to hear from industry experts, view the extensive exhibit hall with the latest technology, experience unlimited educational opportunities, and make lifelong professional and personal connections. All sectors of the business continuity profession are represented: banking/financial; public utilities; transportation; insurance; communications; manufacturing; government; educations; IT services; Internet services; retail; wholesale; health care; petroleum, entertainment, etc.

We welcome submissions from all practitioners, consultants, authors, and vendors from corporations, academia, non-profits, government, and the military.

Conference Format

DRJ Spring 2021 is from Monday to Thursday.

  • Workshop Sessions are 2.5 hours long and are in-depth non-lecture studies of specific business continuity issues, problems, or solutions. These sessions feature interactive activities such as hands-on scenarios, role playing, and more.
  • General Sessions are 1 hour (6 total). Topics are presented to all attendees and have a broad appeal.
  • Breakout Sessions are 1 hour each in 7 different tracks (5 sessions in each track for a total of 35 breakout sessions). These are more lecture-type sessions with one to two presenters who share information and include Q&A time.
  • The Solutions Track is where seasoned industry veterans and/or service providers present solutions using up-to-date resources, products, and strategies. There are 8 sessions in this track (1 hour each).
  • Roundtable Discussion submissions are permitted but must be limited to 4 people (3 panelists and 1 moderator). Each panelist’s name, title, company name, and valid email address must be included with CFP submissions.

Session Content

Sessions must be educational around a business continuity, disaster recovery, or related theme. No endorsement segments will be accepted.

Potential Conference Topics

  • Business Impact Analysis
  • Case Studies
  • Cloud Computing
  • Corporate Reputation
  • Crisis Management
  • Cyber Security
  • Data Back-up
  • Data Replication
  • Electronic Commerce
  • Emergency Management
  • Enterprise Risk Management
  • Facility Management
  • IT/Network Failures
  • Lessons Learned/Case Studies
  • Medical/Health Care
  • Pandemic Planning
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Risk Assessment/Analysis
  • Physical Security
  • Social Media
  • Team Building
  • Telecommunication
  • Terrorism
  • Work Area Recovery
  • Workplace Violence

Benefits of Speaking at DRJ

DRJ conference speakers are highly regarded as subject matter experts in the industry. As a speaker at DRJ Spring 2021 you’ll:
  • Present ideas and challenges to our attendees
  • Enhance your personal and professional resume
  • Gain recognition by appearing at the industry’s largest business continuity conference
  • Share your expertise and knowledge with the industry
  • Network with other subject matter experts and industry leaders
  • Receive free admission to the conference, which includes admission to all sessions, workshops, hospitalities, product demos, and entrance to the exhibit hall. This represents a value of $1495.00.

Submission Guidelines

Electronic submissions will include the following:

  • Select Presentation Format (Workshop, General Session, Breakout, Solutions Track, Panel Session/Roundtable Discussion)
  • Contact Information (name, address, title, company, email, etc.)
  • Brief biography (1-2 sentences)
  • Speaker Headshot (color, .jpg format, 300 dpi resolution)
  • Session Title (descriptive)
  • Synopsis (with clear definition of session and take-aways, 250-word limit)
  • If an individual is submitting on behalf of a presenter, include their name as “support staff” with all communication
  • Submissions from public relations firms will not be accepted unless speakers’ contact information is included.  All communication from DRJ will be directed to the speaker, not the PR firm.
  • Submit electronically here.

Accepted Presentations

If your presentation is accepted, the speaker will be required to submit a PowerPoint file using the dedicated conference logo for inclusion in the conference proceedings by the deadline. Once the presentation has been accepted, no change to the topic, the format, number of presenters or other modifications to the original submission can be made without written approval by DRJ.

Important Items to Consider

  • By submitting a call for paper, you are committing your availability to the conference dates
  • Ensure you have permission from your employer to speak
  • DRJ reserves the right to make reasonable changes to the title, description, track and speaker biography of successful submissions
  • Potential speakers must advise DRJ if they plan to submit their presentation to any other conference or seminar. DRJ does not accept presentations which have been submitted or already presented to any other BC/DR conference or CFP.