Big Wins on the Final Day of Bid & Proposal Con 2018

Not to be outdone by the previous two days’ inspirational talks, the final day of Bid & Propsoal Con 2018 kicked off with and energizing round of Ignite Talks, back for its fourth year.

In an Ignite Talk, each speaker gets five minutes, and then they’re off. This year, there were nine speakers.

• When the fear of staying the same is greater than the fear of change, you will find freedom. Only by disrupting or changing things can you become the change you want to see in others, said Alyssa Feliho, CP APMP.
• Being a proposal writer is no different than being a parent, said Amy Kuhs, but they’re both rewarding despite the wrinkles and the gray hairs.
• Sometimes you need to step back and see the big picture before you realize the system is broken and it’s time to change, said Shannon Smith, CF APMP. The deadline is not more important than your wellbeing.
• Borrow ideas from Shakespeare in your proposals, said Morgan Barker: Get right to the point, focus only on what’s important, keep the flow logical, make your story universal, and have a strong conclusion.
• Who is the real me – the polished, professional me or the grungy, lounging at home me, asks Samantha Enslen, noticing that all the trappings of a polished look mean, to her kids, mom’s working and they prefer her just the way she is.
• The proposal team is just like an orchestra, said Tracie Bretecher, CPP APMP, and Jesse Legge, CP APMP (the first APMP tag-team Ignite talk!). If you have all the right pieces, you’ll have amazing sound and harmony.
• Having a motivated team starts from the top, said Ashley Kayes, CP APMP. If your team stays happy, they’re more likely to work hard.
• Fail often, said Ashley Carpenter. Never give up – grit is a learned behavior, it’s not something you were born with.
• I’m genetically predisposed to care about the English language too much, said Jeff Leitner. Language is power, so pay attention and learn to embrace the silence.

Want to give an Ignite talk in the future? Look for future emails from APMP and start thinking now about topics.

APMP Chair Jamie Ninneman also recognized the past chairs from the previous two years: Nick Adams and Kristin Dufrene. Both agreed that while volunteering a lot of work, it’s incredibly rewarding. Dufrene especially enjoys meeting all the first-time attendees at the conference, which Adams echoed, saying how wonderful it is to see people realize that there’s a community of like-minded professionals with the same challenges.

There were two more rounds of sessions, and then the conference officially ended with the Closing Ceremony. Vendors had the opportunity to give away prizes, including gadgets like Amazon Echo products, Apple products, Skull Candy noise-cancelling headphones, as well as gift cards, especially to Amazon, and more. APMP gave away $1,000 to three lucky winners as well as an expenses-paid trip to Bid & Proposal Con 2019.

Save the date! Bid & Proposal Con 2019 will be June 3-6, 2019, in Orlando, Florida. Look for registration to open in early 2019.

Read more about what happened at the beginning of the conference as well as highlights from day 1 and day 2.