Speaker's Guide

Since 1983, speakers at Services Cooperative Association have presented a variety of educational topics of interest to emerging business owners. They are recognized as some of Houston's best public speakers. Your participation is appreciated. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, here are some suggestions for your presentation:

Attend a Business Building Breakfast Meeting prior to your speaking date to become familiar with the location, facilities and format of the meeting.   Plan to arrive about 15 minutes before the meeting starts so that you may make your first appearance to the group in a poised, professional manner. Wear normal professional attire (coat and tie for men) and bring business cards. Your speaking date will be established after you have attended a first meeting.  

In selecting a title, use as few words as possible and see if you can make your title attention getting, catchy or appealing.  Your name, company and presentation topic will generally be publicized, including media, starting about six weeks before your speaking date, with a link to your web site from the SCA Upcoming Speakers web page.

Should something occur that will prevent your presentation on your scheduled speaking date, please arrange for your own replacement on the topic you selected. We do not accept this responsibility. You have it totally when you commit to the date and topic.

On the week of your presentation, call in your reservation to (713) 932-7495 x 48 before noon on Monday as confirmation that you are the featured speaker for that week.

On the day of your presentation, arrive about 30 minutes before the meeting starts to give yourself time to interact with the people present, many of whom will be attending just to hear your topic. Bring a bio or whatever you wish said for an introduction by the program chairman. Since the time allocated for your presentation includes the reading of your bio you may want to keep it brief.

When you have handouts (strongly encouraged) give them to the program chairman who will arrange one at each place-setting. Of course your handout will have complete contact information, including your name, your name, telephone number, email and web address and will represent you and your organization in the most professional manner.

You will register at the front table in the normal manner, with one exception; there will be a "Speaker" ribbon for you to wear during the meeting. You will sit at the head table at the end position with the Texas flag behind you and the lectern to your right.

You will have 10 minutes for your presentation, including your bio which will be read by the program chairman as you are introduced. Should you have a lengthy bio, you may want to include it as part of your handout to minimize loss of presentation time.

Timing cards will be at the back table, positioned directly in your line of sight from the lectern. The program chairman will count down your time from 10 to 1, flipping a card after each minute has passed. When you see that you have one minute remaining, you should be in the closing section of your presentation. Shortly before the last minute has elapsed, the program chairman will return to the front of the room in preparation for leading the applause at the conclusion of your presentation.

When you have completed your presentation, remain at the lectern where the program chairman will present you with a framed "Certificate of Appreciation" on behalf of SCA.

Your presentation is to be of a non-commercial, informational, educational nature. Should you wish to present a commercial message, you may do so by informing the program chairman in advance and paying a $100.00 commercial message fee.You will have given a commercial message in the event that you make any reference to your company or what your company does.

Should you wish to further commercialize your presentation, you may choose to sponsor the weekly SCA faxes and emails of the SCA newsletter EntrepreNEWS, which are sent the week prior to your presentation, for an additional $100.00. These reach approximately 5,000 people each week and are considered by many to be an excellent method of promotion.  You may also be the "Business Showcase Company" for an additional $100.00. If you wish to do all three (commercial message, fax/emails and business showcase) you may have the package price of only $250.00.

While SCA by-laws require speakers or their representative to attend a meeting prior to being scheduled as the speaker and to pay meeting costs, the by-laws do not require speakers to advertise via fax or pay a commercial message fee unless giving a commercial message. Once again, you will have been deemed to have given a commercial message in the event that you make any reference to what you or your company does. Should you do, even inadvertently, during your presentation and not have made prior arrangement with the program chairman and already paid the commercial message fee, the program chairman will request the commercial message fee at the close of the meeting.

Not-for-profit organizations and SCA associates are exempted from commercial message fees.

Audio-visual equipment is available from the host establishment at a nominal charge if you wish to incur this fee.

You may obtain a video of your 10 minute presentation for only $49.99. You can use this video to assess the quality of your presentation or send it to groups interested in booking you as a speaker. To obtain the video, you must purchase the option prior to your presentation. To purchase, go to the SCA button and enter "Record presentation video." Click here to purchase.

Top Tier Speakers click here

Should you have questions, contact the Program Chairman via email at
service@serviceSCA.org or by telephone at (713) 932-7495 x 41.

© 2003 Services Cooperative Association.  
All rights reserved.