Media and Press

Media & Press

A New Kind of Live Speaker Showcase

The Proving Stage is a community-driven, live speaker showcase bringing together Thought Leaders, Topic Experts and Proven Practitioners for 20-minute presentations in front of a real audience. Typical speaker showcase events only provide a glimpse of speakers' capabilities by limiting their presentations to 10 minutes or less. Only after the 10-minute mark does a true professional speaker show their differentiation from casual speakers. The October 2, 2026, event in Aurora, Colorado, features nine presenters who have auditioned to win their spot on the main stage. Topic categories include: AI, Leadership and Mental Health.

Why The Proving Stage Is Newsworthy

As AI makes it increasingly possible to create polished and even fabricated speaker videos, The Proving Stage brings the focus back to what happens when a real person stands in front of a real audience. Presenters have 20 minutes to demonstrate their expertise, how they communicate it and what an audience can DO with what they learn.

Uncut. Unedited. Unfiltered.

Local Story Angles

The Proving Stage offers several potential angles for business, community, technology, workplace, health and event-industry coverage, including:

• The changing role of AI in evaluating and hiring professional speakers

• Colorado Thought Leaders, Topic Experts and Proven Practitioners taking the stage

• Practical perspectives on AI, Leadership and Mental Health

• How speakers are selected and evaluated before being hired for events

• Why live, in-person communication still matters in an increasingly AI-generated world

• How speaking can help local experts build businesses, careers and professional visibility

• The creation of a new community-driven approach to speaker showcases

Interview Opportunities

About the Founder and Producer: Marty Dickinson

Marty Dickinson has been involved in the professional speaking industry for more than 25 years and is a national member of the National Speakers Association and a current board member of NSA Colorado. He has hired speakers to speak at events, produced his own training and conference events and is an active speaker himself on the topic of reigniting revenue to get your business growth plan back on track in 60 days. Marty supports speakers throughout the U.S. and Canada through Speakers Speak LIVE, his five-year running, private weekly virtual speaker showcase event and Achieve Speakers LIVE, a public monthly live streamed multi-speaker showcase. His experience producing showcases, supporting speakers and event production has led to the creation of The Proving Stage.

Press Releases

Latest News and Announcements

Access current press releases, event announcements, speaker news and other updates from The Proving Stage.

[Friday, September 18, 2026: News Release]

Photos, Video & Media Assets

Need Something for Your Story?

Professional photos, event graphics, logos, speaker photos and available video can be provided for editorial coverage. Media representatives can also request specific assets or information needed to support an upcoming story.

[Request Media Assets: [email protected]]

Attend as Media

See The Proving Stage for Yourself

Journalists, television and radio professionals, podcasters and other qualified media representatives are invited to request media credentials to attend The Proving Stage live in Aurora. Experience the presentations, meet the speakers and conduct interviews from the event.

[Request Media Credentials: [email protected]]

Media Contact

Have a Story Idea? Let’s Talk.

For interviews, media credentials, photos, video, speaker introductions or additional information about The Proving Stage, contact:

Marty Dickinson
Producer, The Proving Stage
[email protected]