Speaker Information

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2023 Speakers

Speaking at a California CUPA Training Conference is a great way for agencies and companies to generate publicity and positive exposure. Getting in front of your target audience so you are a part of the conference agenda is a very effective way to get your message across at an event. Develop personal connections and friendships with other well-connected folks in your industry, as well as gain additional clients.

To register as a Speaker, submit a speaker biography OR if you already have a Speaker Biography submitted from a previous conference, EDIT/UPDATE your information at this link. Speaker biographies, once submitted, are reviewed and accepted by the Conference Manager, which, when approved, you will be able to submit an Abstract, schedule Sessions and upload Presentations.  Speakers may also pay additional single-day fees to attend the training conference on additional days.

We approved all Abstracts by October 31, 2024. You will be contacted by a Track Coordinator or the Conference Manager.  Approved Abstracts will receive an email confirmation to the person who submitted the Abstract. When your Abstract gets approved, you are then REGISTERED as a speaker for the day you are presenting. To register for the Full Conference, you must complete a Full registration or pay the daily rate for additional days, purchase a booth or apply for a scholarship if you are a CUPA/PA by October 31st.

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Speakers are required to submit a biography each year. Submitted biographies are forwarded to the Conference Manager for approval. Once approved, you will be registered, and able to schedule sessions. Speakers can attend sessions for free on the day they are scheduled to speak, and pay training fees for any other day as well.

Submit Biography

Speaker Information - 2025 Annual Conference

The 27th California Unified Program Annual Training Conference will be an IN PERSON event on M, T, W & Th from March 24-27, 2025 at the Marriott in Anaheim, CA, Orange County - (NOTE:  Again this year, Speaker Biographies must be submitted and approved BEFORE an Abstract may be submitted - If you have previously been a speaker, your Bio will pre-populate for your review/edits and submission.  If you make changes to your Bio, it will be submitted for review/approval by the CUPA Team before it will show up to be used in an Abstract submittal.  For questions, please contact the CUPA Team). 

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March 19, 2025 UPDATE - Have Speaker Questions...Please email Sheryl@calcupa.org or Jacob@calcupa.org or webmaster@calcupa.org or call us at 530-676-0815.

Speakers/Presenters need to stay tuned for important information that will be posted HERE.

Last Minute Speaker Updates/Tips
  1. Before each Session starts at 8,10,1 or 3 we will be showing a short video introduction.  As soon as that 2 minute video is over, you can self introduce and get started with your presentation.
  2. Please make sure your Session goes as long as listed on the program. Pro-Av will be able to help you get set up. We will have a laptop, projector, wireless mouse & advanced slide presentations/laser pointers. Each room has lapel mics and handheld Q&A mics for the Room Monitors to pass around when you ask for questions.

  3. Room Monitors are there to help you. They will post the Check in/Check out codes in the back of each meeting room. When someone asks a question, please have the Room Monitor ask the question in the mic and you should reiterate the question. At the last 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 1 minute and 0 minutes the room monitors will show yellow cards to let you know how much time you have left.

PowerPoint Template  PowerPoint Template to be used for ALL Presentations.  This is to be used by all speakers (except for Demonstration Sessions...please do NOT use this PPT Template...rather, use your own Organization Template) for their presentation for our CUPA-2025 Annual Conference 

  1. Speaker Information Open Q&A... CUPA Manager Sheryl Baldwin and Webmaster Tim Snellings will provide CUPA Conference Speaker Q&A Zoom Meetings

  1. Train the Trainer Speaker Training - For Presenters at the Annual Conference, an excellent online training was held on February 25 & February 26...stay tuned for zoom videos.

    Purpose
    Participants will learn essential skills and strategies to deliver engaging and effective training sessions. This program provides practical tools and techniques to create impactful presentations, engage learners, and ensure the application of knowledge in real-world scenarios. Designed for trainers, this workshop emphasizes boosting confidence and delivering dynamic, professional sessions.

    Agenda Highlights:

    Workshop #1:

    1. Strategies to captivate and maintain adult learners' interest in both virtual and in-person settings.
    2. Techniques for designing and delivering effective presentations, including introductions, conclusions, and chunking for attention.
    3. Methods to make learning stick using diverse modalities such as small group breakouts, polls, journaling, and case studies.

    Workshop #2:

    1. Interactive processes to minimize misunderstandings and enhance message clarity.
    2. Creating and using powerful visual aids, including PowerPoint and other creative tools.
      Addressing presentation anxiety through mind-body techniques.
    3. Handling participant questions effectively, including strategies for collecting and managing challenging inquiries.

  2. Marriott Meeting Rooms Facility Capacity Chart - Speakers have asked how big the room is they will be speaking to...how many seats in their room.  On the online conference agenda, search to find your Session, then click "Session Details".  This will show the Seating capacity of the room you will be in and how many people have reserved seats. 

  3. PowerPoint Template Upload your PowerPoint Presentation - One week before the day of your presentation, you will need to upload your presentation to this CUPA-2025 PowerPoint Dropbox Folder...NOTE:  This is for your PowerPoint version of your presentation.  (Please name your PPT file as follows: Session Code-Short Title-Your Last Name-Speaker Number such as "TU-L4-EXPLORING CalCUPA LMS-Snellings-1 PPT Presentation".)  It is also recommended to bring your presentation to the conference on a thumb drive...but please make sure you have a backup plan in case you lose the thumb drive or there is some compatibility issue.

  4. PDF iconUpload a PDF of your Presentation - One week before the day of your presentation, you will need to upload a PDF of your presentation so your attendees can view it ahead of time and after the conference.  You will need to upload your PDF presentation directly on this page. (Please name your PDF file as follows: Session Code-Short Title-Your Last Name-Speaker Number such as "TU-L4-EXPLORING CalCUPA LMS-Snellings-1".)  You can also upload any handouts you may have as a PDF on this same page as a separate PDF.

  5. Review Last Year's Speaker Training... We held a Speaker Training on January 30, 2024 where 87 of our presenters attended.  The Training was recorded...see video links below.
    Zoom Video Recording Part 1 (56:34) Presentation prep, tips & tricks, Speaker Info page
    Zoom Video Recording Part 2 (11:10) Example of using Slido live (you can answer the questions as this poll is active through Feb 25, 2024)
    Zoom Video Recording Part 3 (12:10) Overview of the CalCUPA LMS and instructions on creating Quiz Questions before or shortly after your presentation
    PDF of Speaker Training Presentation on January 30, 2024

  6. Is my Session Being Recorded? - Our goal is to record about 30 Conference Session Presentations.  You can view the PDF Agenda to determine if your Session is being recorded (it's highlighted in peach or yellow).  If your Session is being recorded, we are asking our Presenters to provide us with 6-10 multiple choice quiz questions with the correct answer for each 1/2 hour of the presentation.  This will allow us to convert the video Session into a Course on our Learning Management System...here are the basic steps for preparing your Quiz Questions:

    New This Year:  We have developed a Speaker Acknowledgement Form for you to review and affirm to make sure that you understand that your Session is being recorded and that we plan to convert your Session into a Course on our Learning Management System...we will review this at our upcoming training zoom meeting.  

    1. As you prepare your presentation, try to think of natural breaks in subject matter every 20-25 minutes. This allows for us to create 4 videos from a 2 hour presentation for use in the Course.
    2. If we create 4 videos for a 2 hour Course, we need 6-10 Quiz Questions for each 30 minute video.
    3. You should provide in a Word Doc highlighting the correct answer to the question.
    4. The quiz questions should be labeled to align with slide numbers in your PDF which will relate to the approximate video length. For example, if your presentation has 80 slides for a 2 hour presentation, you will create breaks in your presentation approximately every 20 slides, which should correlate to about 1/2 hour of video. This does NOT have to be exact, these are simply guidelines for you to follow.
    4. Quiz Questions are typically T/F or Multiple Choice. Again, make sure to highlight the correct answer to the question.
    5. Save your quiz questions word doc with the following name format: Session Code-Short Title-Your Last Name-Quiz Questions, for example, "TU-L4-EXPLORING CalCUPA LMS-Snellings-Quiz Questions" or "TU-L4-EXPLORING CalCUPA LMS-Snellings-Quiz Questions"
    5. Upload your Quiz Questions to our CUPA-2025 PowerPoint Dropbox Folder
    6. Send an email to webmaster@calcupa.org and let me know that you have uploaded your Quiz Questions
    7. You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours.
    8. If you don't receive a follow up email, please call our office at 530-676-0815.

  7. NOTE:  As a presenter/speaker, you are registered for the Conference automatically for the day/days you are presenting...this includes your lunch, please make your lunch selection HERE ASAP.  If you want to attend more days, you will need to pay for those days on our registration page.  View your registration status on the Conference Homepage.

  8. Select Your Lunches Got Lunch?  Please make sure to select your lunch for the day(s) you will be attending the conference. (lunch selection options now available...you must login first)

  9. Using Slido for Audience Participation/Poll Questions - Requires some coordination with our Webmaster and Conference AV Team...and it is fun for your attendees to engage actively with you during your presentation...here are the basic steps for using Slido:

    1. Prepare your Poll questions with the correct answer highlighted in a Word doc.  Question format can be Word Cloud, Open Text, T/F or Multiple Choice.
    2. Create a placeholder slide for each Slido question in your PowerPoint presentation.
    3. Finalize both documents.
    4. Name each of them in the following format: Session Code-Short Title-Your Last Name-Speaker Number, for example, "TU-L4-EXPLORING CalCUPA LMS-Snellings-1 PPT Presentation" or "TU-L4-EXPLORING CalCUPA LMS-Snellings-1 Slido Poll Questions"
    5. Upload each file to the CUPA-2025 PowerPoint & Slido Dropbox Folder
    6. Send an email to webmaster@calcupa.org and inform me of your file uploads.
    7. You will receive a follow up email within 24 hours.
    8. If you don't receive a follow up email, please call our office at 530-676-0815.
     
  10. Upload a Photo of yourself to your Profile - When you login, you will be taken to the Member Dashboard.  Click on the image above your Member ID on the left side of the page.  Select the "Choose File" button.  Navigate to a 100x100 or 200x200 px image and select image and click on "Upload Pic"...you should then see it now above your Member ID.

  11. View your Session Roster in Advance to gauge your audience...1) Login to the website.  2) Proceed to our Online Agenda.  3) Scroll through/Search the Agenda and find your Session.  4) Click on the "Roster" button on the bottom right of the Session Information to view who has signed up for your Session.  5) If interested, you can download the attendees in a CSV file format.  Of course, this will change as we get closer to the event.

  12. Speakers Preparation Room Available during the Conference - Desert Springs Room  

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All Sessions are for educational purposes and not intended to be a sales presentation.  Abstracts were reviewed for interest, significance and relevance to the conference theme.   Send Abstract inquiries to Sheryl Baldwin, Conference Manager at Sheryl@calcupa.org or call (530) 676-0815 for any questions.

Co-Conference Chairs 

Marjorie Terrell, San Mateo County
Mario Tresierras, LA County Fire Dept.
Jason Boetzer, CalEPA
Kristen Ward, San Bernardino Fire Dept.
Conference Manager, Sheryl Baldwin, CAL CUPA Forum

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CUPA-2025 Abstract Online Submittal Form Information

If you have any questions about this process, please contact conferencemanager@calcupa.org or call 530-676-0815.


Making speaker presentations available to attendees is an essential part of the training conference.  Your Presentation in a PDF format should be uploaded before the start of the training conference to provide attendees time for download and review.

Please use our 2025 Conference PowerPoint Template for your presentation

Convert your PowerPoint presentation and/or handouts to PDF and only upload the PDF version of each by clicking on the green "Upload Presentation" below. You will be able to connect your PDF presentation/handouts to your Session using a dropdown selection option on the Upload Presentation screen.

Typically, a PDF version of a Powerpoint presentation/handouts is considerably smaller in size and will contribute to a reduced load on our webserver. You can export a Powerpoint presentation to PDF directly from Powerpoint, or any Microsoft product.

Upload Presentation