WATERLOO, IOWA (January 6, 2016)—Registration for Heartland Conference 2016 has opened and as conference organizers solidify plans for the three-day event, the search for new speakers continues.

“We’re always trying to add fresh new faces and topics,” said Sara Laures, vice president of VGM Education and a 15-year member of the conference planning team. “Our database of over 400 presenters is always evolving based on the industry.”

Celebrating its 15th anniversary, Heartland Conference will be June 13–16 in Waterloo, Iowa. Although every VGM division plays a role in organizing the conference, VGM Education is tasked with developing and implementing the educational components, including recruiting speakers and tracking CEUs earned.

Laures says that part of the appeal of Heartland are speakers who come back year after year but one of the challenges is finding new presenters. She mentioned that her team uses several techniques to recruit new speakers, including member referrals and actively reviewing industry publications to seek bylines of contributing authors.

“Those that present during Heartland can reach over 1000 attendees,” said Laures. “Presenters not only help attendees receive training and provide them with business solutions, but they are also invited to attend all of the events that Heartland Conference offers.”

Industry experts that are interested in presenting during Heartland Conference 2016 should contact Lori Schilling, manager of education services, VGM Education, at Lori.Schilling@vgm.com by January 16.

Visit vgmheartland.com for more information.