Most Active Speakers 2024

Sessionize proudly presents the list of the most active speakers in the year 2024!

  • 1011 speakers
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Andreas Wolter

Andreas Wolter

Andreas Wolter is a leading data security expert and founder of Sarpedon Quality Lab. Previously, as a Program Manager for Azure SQL and SQL Server at Microsoft, he led the revamp of SQL Server’s permission system and designed the external authorization framework for Microsoft Purview—now also used by Azure databases in Microsoft Fabric.
Andreas served on Microsoft’s security review board, where he analyzed threat models for SQL Server and Azure SQL features, drove changes to ensure other features complied with the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) and also led the last major overhaul of SQL vulnerability assessment in Microsoft Defender for SQL.
One of only seven Microsoft Certified Solutions Masters (MCSM) for the Data Platform worldwide, and a former Microsoft MVP, Andreas brings over 25 years of experience. He has spoken at international conferences for more than 15 years and helps customers improve performance, availability, and security while reducing costs through optimized licensing and resource usage across SQL Server deployments on-premises, in Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS.

Andreas Wolter is a leading data security expert and founder of Sarpedon Quality Lab. Previously, as a Program Manager for Azure SQL and SQL Server at Microsoft, he led the revamp of SQL Server’s permission system and designed the external authorizat... Show more

Jonathan "J." Tower

Jonathan "J." Tower

Jonathan, or J. as he's known to friends, is a husband, father, and founding partner of Trailhead Technology Partners, a custom software consulting company with employees across the U.S., Europe, and South America. He is a 12-time recipient of the Microsoft MVP award for his work with .NET, a frequent speaker at software conferences around the world, and was recently elected to the .NET Foundation Board for the 2026–2027 term. He doesn’t mind the travel, though, as it allows him to share what he's been learning and also gives him the chance to visit beautiful places like national parks—one of his passions. So far, he's visited 58 of the 63 U.S. national parks.

J. is also passionate about building the software community. Over the years, he has served on several non-profit boards, including more than a decade as president of the board for Beer City Code, Western Michigan's largest professional software conference. Outside of work, J. enjoys hiking, reading, photography, and watching all the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars ceremony each year.

Jonathan, or J. as he's known to friends, is a husband, father, and founding partner of Trailhead Technology Partners, a custom software consulting company with employees across the U.S., Europe, and South America. He is a 12-time recipient of the Mi... Show more

Julien Topçu

Julien Topçu

Julien is a hands-on CTO with 15 years of experience, specializing in Domain-Driven Design (#DDD). His expertise lies in helping organizations build systems that deliver high business value. Julien focuses on aligning organizational structure, architecture and software practices with business objectives. As a member of the OWASP foundation, he actively promotes application security best practices. An international speaker, Julien enjoys sharing his knowledge with others.

Julien is a hands-on CTO with 15 years of experience, specializing in Domain-Driven Design (#DDD). His expertise lies in helping organizations build systems that deliver high business value. Julien focuses on aligning organizational structure, archit... Show more

Elkhan Yusubov

Elkhan Yusubov

Elkhan is a cloud architect, tech trainer, and mentor with experience in Microsoft Azure, AWS, IBM Cloud, and enterprise healthcare systems.
He is an active Microsoft MVP and MCT Regional Lead, a member of the Microsoft Tech Community, and an Azure SME (Architecture, DevOps, Security) - who is leading the cloud and infrastructure group at T-REX Solutions.

He is a community speaker and has volunteered for local and global events; Global Azure, Cloud Lunch and Learn, Azure Back to School, Azure Spring Clean, Festive Tech Calendar, Give Camps, Azure Data Fest, SQL Saturdays, Cyber Back to School, Come cloud with Us, and others.

Over the years, Elkhan proudly contributed to Microsoft Azure, Security, and HL7 FHIR communities to advance data interoperability, secure design, and help communities move forward.

Elkhan is a cloud architect, tech trainer, and mentor with experience in Microsoft Azure, AWS, IBM Cloud, and enterprise healthcare systems. He is an active Microsoft MVP and MCT Regional Lead, a member of the Microsoft Tech Community, and an Azure ... Show more

Hannes Lowette

Hannes Lowette

Hannes is a developer, a coach and a father of 3.

In software development, he has always had a passion for performance, databases, distributed systems and large scale applications. He's always weighing every solution's benefits against its drawbacks, reducing friction where possible.

As a coach, he is enthusiastic about knowledge sharing, personal growth and building careers. Building a company culture around learning is what gets him out of bed.

In his free time, when he’s not building LEGO® castles with his kids, he likes to spend time building guitars, playing chess, mountain biking and doing all round geeky stuff.

You can often find him on stage at the conference afterparty, especially as the guitarist of Dylan Beattie & the Linebreakers.

Hannes is a developer, a coach and a father of 3. In software development, he has always had a passion for performance, databases, distributed systems and large scale applications. He's always weighing every solution's benefits against its drawbac... Show more

Eberhard Wolff

Eberhard Wolff

Eberhard Wolff has 20+ years of experience as an architect and consultant - often on the intersection of business and technology. He is Head of Architecture at SWAGLab. As a speaker, he has given talks at international conferences and as an author, he has written more than 100 articles and books e.g. about Microservices and Continuous Delivery. His technological focus is on modern architectures – often involving Cloud, Domain-driven Design, and Microservices.

Eberhard Wolff has 20+ years of experience as an architect and consultant - often on the intersection of business and technology. He is Head of Architecture at SWAGLab. As a speaker, he has given talks at international conferences and as an author, h... Show more

Massimo Crippa

Massimo Crippa

Massimo Crippa is a cloud enthusiast with 20+ years of experience shaping enterprise solutions on Microsoft technologies.

He began his career in the Italian ICT sector as a web developer, before moving into middleware and messaging projects. Since 2011, he has been based in Belgium, where he works as a Lead Architect at Codit.
Massimo’s expertise spans the entire cloud journey from defining strategy and showcasing Azure PaaS and container-based solutions, to delivering hands-on implementations with customers.

Outside of work, he’s a proud dad of two, passionate about motorbikes, and always eager to explore the latest in cloud technology.

Massimo Crippa is a cloud enthusiast with 20+ years of experience shaping enterprise solutions on Microsoft technologies. He began his career in the Italian ICT sector as a web developer, before moving into middleware and messaging projects. Since... Show more

Steve Bilogan

Steve Bilogan

Steve is a Senior Engineer, a Microsoft MVP, and one of the core maintainers of the open-source Uno Platform project. When not at his computer, he is either watching the Montreal Canadiens lose or asleep on the couch.

Steve is a Senior Engineer, a Microsoft MVP, and one of the core maintainers of the open-source Uno Platform project. When not at his computer, he is either watching the Montreal Canadiens lose or asleep on the couch. Show more

Matthew-Hope Eland

Matthew-Hope Eland

An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering, AI, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog. Matt is the author of "Data Science in .NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio .NET Developer Group, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and .NET.

An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering, AI, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie, r... Show more

Tonie Huizer

Tonie Huizer

Tonie Huizer is a Software, Data, and DevOps Consultant who believes good tech starts with understanding your people. A regular on international stages and a Microsoft Certified Azure Developer, Tonie loves helping teams simplify complex challenges; whether that’s modernizing database deployments, designing scalable systems, or just getting Dev and Ops to finally talk to each other.

Tonie is known for his clear, energetic presentation style and ability to make complex topics accessible and engaging. As a Redgate Community Ambassador, he advocates for database DevOps and contributes to open knowledge sharing through blogs, talks, and events across the globe. He also co-leads SeaQL Saturday, a community-driven event that blends education, networking, and Sammie, his Kooikerhondje mascot. (Because yes, even events are better with a dog.)

Whether he's discussing Azure DevOps workflows, database release automation, or the cultural shifts required to implement DevOps successfully, Tonie brings real-world experience, humor, and actionable insights. His goal is to inspire professionals not just to adopt new technologies, but to transform how teams collaborate and innovate.

And when he’s not speaking about tech, he might just be speaking about whisky. Tonie is a passionate whisky enthusiast who loves sharing stories, flavors, and the occasional tasting session with his fellow connoisseur of TasteWhisky. If you're into DevOps, data, and a well-aged dram on the side, Tonie’s your man!

Tonie Huizer is a Software, Data, and DevOps Consultant who believes good tech starts with understanding your people. A regular on international stages and a Microsoft Certified Azure Developer, Tonie loves helping teams simplify complex challenges; ... Show more

Andrew Madson

Andrew Madson

Andrew Madson leads Developer Relations at Fivetran, where he builds global programs that help developers and data teams adopt modern data and AI tooling. He has built DevRel, education, and evangelism functions at Fivetran, Tobiko Data, and Dremio, delivering technical content, large-scale community programs, and keynotes across major industry conferences.

Andrew is a published author of the O’Reilly “Definitive Guide to Apache Polaris” and a graduate professor of data science and engineering. Andrew previously led AI and data teams at Arizona State University, J.P. Morgan Chase, and MassMutual among others.

Andrew Madson leads Developer Relations at Fivetran, where he builds global programs that help developers and data teams adopt modern data and AI tooling. He has built DevRel, education, and evangelism functions at Fivetran, Tobiko Data, and Dremio, ... Show more

Stevan Milovanovic

Stevan Milovanovic

I am a software engineer who loves turning creative ideas into apps people actually enjoy using. Over the past ten years, I’ve worked across startups, service companies and product-based teams, and even had a go at entrepreneurship, picking up plenty of lessons along the way about building scalable and maintainable mobile solutions with modern tech.

I’m always curious and learning something new to keep up with the latest trends in mobile development.

I love connecting with other tech enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to share ideas or build something awesome together.

I am a software engineer who loves turning creative ideas into apps people actually enjoy using. Over the past ten years, I’ve worked across startups, service companies and product-based teams, and even had a go at entrepreneurship, picking up plenty... Show more

Nikos Delis

Nikos Delis

Microsoft Certified x6, MVP for Azure & IoT, Senior Cloud Architect and tech enthusiast. Passionate about software architecture and solution design.

During my 10+ years of hands-on experience in Software Engineering, I have primarily focused on .NET-based solutions and Azure as a cloud-services provider. I have worked with pretty much all kinds of applications, from small Windows Forms tools to large-scale enterprise web-based solutions. The more I code, the more I realize that my true passion is solution design and software architecture, regardless of tech-stack and platform.

Sharing knowledge and insights is the finest thing I know and the one thing I love the most in the IT community.

Microsoft Certified x6, MVP for Azure & IoT, Senior Cloud Architect and tech enthusiast. Passionate about software architecture and solution design. During my 10+ years of hands-on experience in Software Engineering, I have primarily focused on .N... Show more

Alaa Bitar

Alaa Bitar

SharePoint Addict since 2007
aMP community member

SharePoint Addict since 2007 aMP community member Show more

Michaël Hompus

Michaël Hompus

Michaël Hompus is an Architect and Area Lead at Info Support.

As an architect he is part of several teams, creating new and innovative solutions.
Michaël has many years of development experience with .NET, Java, and Azure.

His passion is to share knowledge with colleagues, customers, and peers.
Microsoft has recognized his efforts for the community by awarding him a Microsoft MVP award.

Michaël Hompus is an Architect and Area Lead at Info Support. As an architect he is part of several teams, creating new and innovative solutions. Michaël has many years of development experience with .NET, Java, and Azure. His passion is to sh... Show more

Steve Dalby:  MVP

Steve Dalby: MVP

I started my Collaboration journey by anticipating the release of SharePoint Server 2001 and was updated with an invitation to be an MVP. I tell stories from experience and real-world examples of how we implement M365, PowerPoint and AI Solutions across the Microsoft Landscape.

With a background in Stand-up comedy and 20+ years of experience moving people to collaborative working. My stories have helped people and business identify the value they can bring to their organisations.

Delivering MS Teams & SharePoint Change to companies like Heineken, US Army, Atlas Copco, Ford Motor Co. and Euroclear Bank. I now head up the Infrastructure Services team at Lineas NV Belgium.

I started my Collaboration journey by anticipating the release of SharePoint Server 2001 and was updated with an invitation to be an MVP. I tell stories from experience and real-world examples of how we implement M365, PowerPoint and AI Solutions acr... Show more

Yves Habersaat

Yves Habersaat

Yves Habersaat is a Business Applications Consultant and AI Tech Lead at Sword Group in Switzerland, specializing in building applications and solutions with Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics 365, and the Power Platform.

With a strong passion for modern development technologies and application lifecycles, Yves focuses on Microsoft 365 services such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Viva, and Microsoft Copilot. He possesses expertise in modern development tools including SharePoint Framework (SPFx), Teams SDK, Microsoft Graph, Git, TypeScript, React, Visual Studio, and Azure DevOps.

He actively shares his knowledge and experience through speaking engagements and his blog at www.yhabersaat.ch, always ready to support and assist the community.

Yves Habersaat is a Business Applications Consultant and AI Tech Lead at Sword Group in Switzerland, specializing in building applications and solutions with Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics 365, and the Power Platform. With a strong passion for mod... Show more

Jeremy Meiss

Jeremy Meiss

Jeremy is an international speaker and is currently the Director of DevRel at OneStream Software, previously at CircleCI, Solace, Auth0, and XDA. With almost 30 years in Tech, covering just about every functional area, including support, system and database administration, application and web development, project management, program management, and systems analysis, Jeremy is active in the DevRel and DevOps communities, a co-creator of DevOpsPartyGames.com, and organizer for DevOpsDays Kansas City. A lover of all things coffee, community, open source, and tech, he’s also house-broken, and (generally) plays well with others.

Jeremy is an international speaker and is currently the Director of DevRel at OneStream Software, previously at CircleCI, Solace, Auth0, and XDA. With almost 30 years in Tech, covering just about every functional area, including support, system and d... Show more

Alison Cossette

Alison Cossette

Alison Cossette is founder and CEO of ClariTrace, where she's building graph-based intelligence for AI systems. Her work spans AI governance, physical AI, and retrieval research—she recently won "Most Impressive Project" at Physical AI Hack 2026 for a VLA-powered robot that reads books to children. Alison serves on the US NIST Generative AI Public Working Group and has studied AI and Data Science at Northwestern University at the Master's level. She speaks globally on building AI systems that are capable, controllable, and worth trusting.

Alison Cossette is founder and CEO of ClariTrace, where she's building graph-based intelligence for AI systems. Her work spans AI governance, physical AI, and retrieval research—she recently won "Most Impressive Project" at Physical AI Hack 2026 for ... Show more

Fabrice Bloch

Fabrice Bloch

Statisticien public, agiliste militant, formateur en design-thinking et en leadership

Statisticien public, agiliste militant, formateur en design-thinking et en leadership Show more

Marisol Steinau

Marisol Steinau

I am a Data Solution Architect with a strong background in Microsoft technologies, specializing in data architecture, data engineering, and DevOps. Over the years, I have worked extensively with various Microsoft ERP systems, and in recent years, I have primarily focused on Dynamics 365 FSCM & CE. I am passionate about designing scalable and efficient data architectures, integrating enterprise data platforms, and optimizing data workflows. My experience spans across on-premises and cloud-based solutions,
with a deep focus on Microsoft Fabric, Azure, and modern data platforms. I love sharing my knowledge through speaking engagements and helping organizations unlock the full potential of their data.

I am a Data Solution Architect with a strong background in Microsoft technologies, specializing in data architecture, data engineering, and DevOps. Over the years, I have worked extensively with various Microsoft ERP systems, and in recent years, I h... Show more

Sandra Kiel

Sandra Kiel

Sandra is a Microsoft MVP, speaker, and entrepreneur driven by one question: how can digital work feel more intuitive, motivating, and human? As founder of a company rooted in gaming and interactive experiences, she brings game thinking into the Microsoft ecosystem—from Microsoft 365 and Copilot experiences to Business applications and Collaboration workflows. Sandra translates proven game UX patterns into adoption-friendly solutions that help people navigate complexity with confidence.

Beyond technology, Sandra is a passionate community builder. She actively creates spaces where people connect, learn, and grow and she is especially committed to helping new speakers find their voice. Because her own speaker journey started late, she knows how intimidating the stage can feel. As a woman in tech, she also understands what it takes to be seen and taken seriously, and she mentors others to step forward, build confidence, and shape their own path in the community.

Sandra is a Microsoft MVP, speaker, and entrepreneur driven by one question: how can digital work feel more intuitive, motivating, and human? As founder of a company rooted in gaming and interactive experiences, she brings game thinking into the Micr... Show more

Javier Armesto

Javier Armesto

I am Javier Armesto Gonzalez, a technology leader with over 20 years of experience in the IT sector. Currently, I work as Head R&D + AI @ at VS-Sistemas.

With a passion for technology and innovation, I have been honored by Microsoft with the MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award in the "Business Applications" category for the past two years, recognizing my valuable contributions to technical communities.

Additionally, I am a certified Microsoft trainer, dedicated to delivering advanced knowledge and training on Microsoft technologies. In recent months, I have been actively collaborating with Microsoft Reactor on YouTube, sharing my expertise on Azure's artificial intelligence services.

I also share my knowledge and experience through my personal blog, TechSphere Dynamics, where I publish articles and resources on the latest trends and technologies in business applications and artificial intelligence.

For more information or to contact me, feel free to email me at javiarmesto@gmail.com.

Blog : https://techspheredynamics.com/
YouTube channel : https://youtube.com/@techspheredynamics9753?si=AbZ6nSljq3SAxst8
MVP Profile : https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-US/MVP/profile/29ac6398-c755-ed11-9561-000d3a197333

I am Javier Armesto Gonzalez, a technology leader with over 20 years of experience in the IT sector. Currently, I work as Head R&D + AI @ at VS-Sistemas. With a passion for technology and innovation, I have been honored by Microsoft with the MVP (... Show more

Marco Parenzan

Marco Parenzan

I'm a passionate and customer-focused solutions architect with deep expertise in IoT, Cloud, .NET, and industrial applications. Microsoft has recognized my contributions with the MVP award since 2014 for Azure, and since 2024 specifically for Azure IoT.

With a background as an independent architect and developer, I’ve built a career around designing scalable, real-world solutions that bridge the gap between modern cloud technologies and industrial needs. I’m a frequent speaker at major tech community events across Italy, sharing knowledge on Azure, IoT, and .NET development.
As the community lead of 1NN0VA, a Microsoft-recognized tech community in Pordenone, Italy, I’m passionate about fostering innovation, mentoring developers, and supporting local tech growth. In 2016, I authored a book on Microsoft Azure to help others embrace the platform's potential.
At heart, I’m a missed researcher and a retro computing lover. I enjoy developing retrogames and playing with his Commodore 64, diving into sci-fi and comic books, and relaxing with a good streaming serie.

I'm a passionate and customer-focused solutions architect with deep expertise in IoT, Cloud, .NET, and industrial applications. Microsoft has recognized my contributions with the MVP award since 2014 for Azure, and since 2024 specifically for Azure I... Show more

Marjolein Opsteegh

Marjolein Opsteegh

My name is Marjolein Opsteegh, I'm a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and a big Power BI enthusiast, living in the Netherlands, who loves to share knowledge, especially about the intersection of Power BI, UI, and UX. As a consultant, I design and build dashboards that are both visually appealing and user-friendly, keeping end-users in mind throughout the process.

In addition to creating dashboards, I enjoy writing about frontend principles and sharing practical tips to help others get the most out of Power BI. I frequently speak at events and host Q & A sessions, inspiring others to improve their skills and embrace the power of data visualization, both off- and online.

My name is Marjolein Opsteegh, I'm a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and a big Power BI enthusiast, living in the Netherlands, who loves to share knowledge, especially about the intersection of Power BI, UI, and UX. As a consultant, I design and build da... Show more

Ram Mohan Rao Chukka

Ram Mohan Rao Chukka

Ram is a Senior Software Engineer at JFrog R&D . Previously worked for startup companies like CallidusCloud (SAP Company), Konylabs. Loves Automation, Linux, openSource

Ram is a Senior Software Engineer at JFrog R&D . Previously worked for startup companies like CallidusCloud (SAP Company), Konylabs. Loves Automation, Linux, openSource Show more

Barret Blake

Barret Blake

Microsoft MVP, husband, father, speaker, mentor, writer, architect@NimblePros, developer, former manager, gamer, LEGO enthusiast, Buckeyes fan, model railroader. When I'm not doing all that other stuff I also occasionally develop applications. Find links to my previous speaking, podcasts and sessions at my website: https://barretblake.dev

Microsoft MVP, husband, father, speaker, mentor, writer, architect@NimblePros, developer, former manager, gamer, LEGO enthusiast, Buckeyes fan, model railroader. When I'm not doing all that other stuff I also occasionally develop applications. Find l... Show more

Andrea Dottor

Andrea Dottor

Andrea Dottor, I am a consultant, developer, and trainer in the .NET field (primarily ASP.NET and Blazor), author of the podcast 📢 '.NET in Pillole,' and a 🏆 Microsoft MVP since 2008.

I am one of the founding members of XE - Development User Group (XeDotNet).

I began my journey in software development in 2002 using the .NET Framework in the industrial automation sector, later transitioning to the web world in 2005, a field that has fascinated me and continues to provide new challenges and opportunities for growth.

Andrea Dottor, I am a consultant, developer, and trainer in the .NET field (primarily ASP.NET and Blazor), author of the podcast 📢 '.NET in Pillole,' and a 🏆 Microsoft MVP since 2008. I am one of the founding members of XE - Development User Gro... Show more

Johan Smarius

Johan Smarius

Johan has been developing software since 1996 and has worked with .NET since version 1.0. With extensive experience as a lead developer and architect for .NET solutions, he is deeply passionate about clean coding and test-driven development. At JMAC Software Solutions and Bergler, he designs architectures for .NET solutions and coaches and trains developers in the domain of software engineering in general and Microsoft technologies in particular.

Johan has been developing software since 1996 and has worked with .NET since version 1.0. With extensive experience as a lead developer and architect for .NET solutions, he is deeply passionate about clean coding and test-driven development. At JMAC ... Show more

Christian Weyer

Christian Weyer

Christian Weyer is Co-Founder and CTO of Thinktecture AG and a catalyst for new technologies with a strong focus on the practical implementation of Generative AI in modern software solutions. With 30 years of experience in software engineering, he advises ISVs and enterprises across industries on how to efficiently integrate LLMs and advanced AI technologies into real-world applications.
As a cross-vertical AI technology advisor, Christian bridges strategy and execution — helping organizations move Generative AI from theory into productive practice. He is a passionate international speaker, sharing hands-on insights at conferences and events worldwide.
Christian is a Microsoft MVP for AI and a Google Developer Expert (GDE) for Web AI, maintaining close relationships with the product teams in Redmond and Mountain View.

Christian Weyer is Co-Founder and CTO of Thinktecture AG and a catalyst for new technologies with a strong focus on the practical implementation of Generative AI in modern software solutions. With 30 years of experience in software engineering, he ad... Show more

Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers.

Most Active Speakers 2024

Every year, we put together a list of the most active speakers. This list features the top 3% of speakers who have participated in events using Sessionize during the 2024.

The 3% is calculated from the pool of all speakers that have at least one accepted session in year 2024. We don't include inactive speakers or speakers that had no accepted sessions during the year. There are around 38,000 unique accepted speakers this year, the 3% is 1036. Not all of them have their speaker profiles set as public, and we respect that, so the list doesn't show all of them.

The calculation is based on the number of accepted events, that's the main criteria, but to get more refined results we also look at things like multiple sessions per event, sharing a session with a co-speaker and how big the event is. Number of submissions and declined sessions don't affect the list.

Please note that the count of events and sessions in this list does not represent the number of events and sessions from the year 2024. Instead, it shows the number of events and sessions featured on the speaker's public speaker profile; these numbers have nothing to do with the award itself.