First-time speaker and abstract submissions

The experience of being a first-time speaker at WCT in 2021 was incredibly meaningful to me — both personally and professionally. It gave me the confidence to present in front of any audience and, since that presentation, I’ve felt empowered to share my research at national and international conferences.

I encourage all first-time presenters to take advantage of this opportunity. It's a chance to develop lasting presentation skills that will benefit you throughout your career.

When I was told that I had been given a space as a first-time speaker, I was really nervous. However, the support and coaching from Oliver was amazing — he taught me the tools to use to speak to a large audience and I felt ok about it.

Getting onto the stage and looking out was probably the most nerve-wracking bit. But once I began talking, it just flowed. I even found his voice coaching me as I stood there. I could hear him saying, pause, sip some water, slow down, look around. The talk went really well. The atmosphere was so supportive.

I had no idea how this would change me. My next talk was on a roadshow with Michael Moseley. I continued gaining confidence and began getting involved in more programmes at work and starting to feel like I could speak up and I am now a quality improvement coach for others as well as a nurse advocate.

For anyone contemplating this, I’d say give it a go. It’s a once in a lifetime experience being taught by someone with so much knowledge and experience.

I was a first-time speaker at Wound care today 2026. This was a great experience, that I would thoroughly recommend! From the early steps of submitting my abstract onwards, Binkie and the team at wound care today were so helpful and supportive, from guidance on layout of slides to practical help with formatting.

There was no need to feel nervous about actually speaking too, as then there was organised online support from Oliver as well as face to face support on the day. I was still nervous but was really helped to be well prepared and I’d certainly recommend doing it!