Most Active Speakers 2024

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

  • 1011 speakers
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Henk Boelman

Henk Boelman

Henk is a Cloud Advocate specializing in Artificial intelligence and Azure with a background in application development. He is currently part of the AI cloud advocate team and based in the Netherlands. Before joining Microsoft, he was a Microsoft AI MVP and worked as a software developer and architect building lots of AI powered platforms on Azure.

Henk is a Cloud Advocate specializing in Artificial intelligence and Azure with a background in application development. He is currently part of the AI cloud advocate team and based in the Netherlands. Before joining Microsoft, he was a Microsoft AI ... Show more

Roelant Dieben

Roelant Dieben

With over 20 years of experience developing software on the Microsoft stack, Roelant Dieben has a lot to share about stuff that has been obsolete for years. At Sopra Steria he is helping companies with their Azure cloud and AI challenges, he is a Microsoft Azure & AI MVP, and has a passion for machine learning & AI and application lifecycle management.

With over 20 years of experience developing software on the Microsoft stack, Roelant Dieben has a lot to share about stuff that has been obsolete for years. At Sopra Steria he is helping companies with their Azure cloud and AI challenges, he is a Mic... Show more

Sami Laiho

Sami Laiho

Sami Laiho is one of the world's leading professionals in the Windows OS and Security. Sami has been working with and teaching OS troubleshooting, management, and security since 1995. Sami's session was evaluated as the best session in TechEd North America, Europe and Australia in 2014, and Nordic Infrastructure Conference in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 (Keynote for NIC).

At Ignite 2018 Sami's sessions were ranked as #1 and #2 out of 1708 sessions!! This was the first time in the history of the conference that anyone has been able to do this!

Sami is also an author at PluralSight and the conference chair for the TechMentor and "Cyber Security and Ransomware Live!" conferences.

More info at: https://samilaiho.com/

Sami Laiho is one of the world's leading professionals in the Windows OS and Security. Sami has been working with and teaching OS troubleshooting, management, and security since 1995. Sami's session was evaluated as the best session in TechEd North A... Show more

T-Bone Granheden

T-Bone Granheden

A Jedi with an amazing ability to solve problems by just being present. Consultant on Microsoft 365, device management, security and compliance. Awarded Most Valuable Professional (MVP) on Microsoft Intune and Azure Virtual Desktop. Educational Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). Invests hard in having expertise in the very latest, Loves to test new products and services that come to market and has been involved in many TAP and Beta programs.

A Jedi with an amazing ability to solve problems by just being present. Consultant on Microsoft 365, device management, security and compliance. Awarded Most Valuable Professional (MVP) on Microsoft Intune and Azure Virtual Desktop. Educational Micr... Show more

Mabrouk Mahdhi

Mabrouk Mahdhi

Mabrouk is a Principal Software Engineer @ Xebia Germany and a Microsoft MVP. He specializes in .NET technologies including Blazor, ASP.NET, and .NET MAUI. His expertise extends to developing powerful web applications, APIs, and robust databases. Mabrouk is the founder of Tunisia Dev Days, one of the largest .NET conferences in North Africa. His prior book, Laughing at Null: A Humorous Guide to Software Life, offers a lighthearted yet insightful look into the world of software development.

Mabrouk is a Principal Software Engineer @ Xebia Germany and a Microsoft MVP. He specializes in .NET technologies including Blazor, ASP.NET, and .NET MAUI. His expertise extends to developing powerful web applications, APIs, and robust databases. Mab... Show more

Simon Painter

Simon Painter

I've been working as a .NET developer for over 16 years now in a variety of industries including government, retail and manufacturing. But I've been hacking around with computer code since I was old enough to read my Dad's copy of the ZX Spectrum BASIC coders manual.

I've been speaking about Functional C# at various user groups and conferences around the UK, USA, Europe and Australia and am particularly interested in seeing just how far we can push C# without breaking it.

In 2023 I released my first technical book: "Functional Programming with C#", published by O'Reilly Media.

When I'm not coding, or running after my two small children, I have been known to enjoy the classic series of Doctor Who, Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, Cryptic Crosswords, and rather more coffee than is probably good for me.

I've been working as a .NET developer for over 16 years now in a variety of industries including government, retail and manufacturing. But I've been hacking around with computer code since I was old enough to read my Dad's copy of the ZX Spectrum BAS... 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

Lisa Hoving

Lisa Hoving

Your friendly neighbourhood Data Engineer. My background is in Finance, but I have had the pleasure to be working in IT for the past 8 or so years. In my daily life, I design and build scalable data solutions in the Azure cloud.

Your friendly neighbourhood Data Engineer. My background is in Finance, but I have had the pleasure to be working in IT for the past 8 or so years. In my daily life, I design and build scalable data solutions in the Azure cloud. Show more

Anouck Fierens

Anouck Fierens

Anouck is specializing in Microsoft 365 and the Power Platform. She has more than 12 years of experience working with Microsoft technology, starting as a SharePoint developer and evolving to a modern workplace engineer. She is skilled in designing and implementing solutions for SharePoint and Teams, as well as leveraging the low/no code capabilities of the Power Platform to create apps, flows, and chatbots.

As a Microsoft Certified Trainer, Anouck is highly qualified to provide all your training needs, whether you want to take an official Microsoft course or a custom-made one tailored to your organization. She is also a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in M365 and Business Applications.

Anouck is passionate about empowering people to work smarter and faster with Microsoft 365. She loves to share her knowledge and best practices through blogs, webinars, and events. She is always eager to learn new things and explore new possibilities with Microsoft technology.

Anouck is specializing in Microsoft 365 and the Power Platform. She has more than 12 years of experience working with Microsoft technology, starting as a SharePoint developer and evolving to a modern workplace engineer. She is skilled in designing an... 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

Máté Tóth

Máté Tóth

Máté is passionate about technology and how it can enhance the way people work and collaborate. He began his Power Platform career years ago as a citizen developer. He leads the Hungary Power Platform User Group and shares his expertise at conferences, focusing on Power Platform, user experience, and mentoring.

Beyond technology, Máté advocates for the role of soft skills in tech - fostering collaborative groups, mentoring, and helping professionals identify and leverage their transferable skills. He believes that success in digital transformation is not just about tools but also about people and communication.

He prioritizes work-life integration, balancing professional projects with his hobbies, such as traveling, hiking, and public speaking. He’s also a Microsoft MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer and volunteer photographer, continuously blending his love for technology with creativity and cultural experiences.

Máté is passionate about technology and how it can enhance the way people work and collaborate. He began his Power Platform career years ago as a citizen developer. He leads the Hungary Power Platform User Group and shares his expertise at conference... Show more

Janarthanan Selvaraj

Janarthanan Selvaraj

Janarthanan Selvaraj is a Technology Manager and AI Expert at Atos. He is an alumnus of the University of Cambridge's FUEL Leadership flagship program and a graduate of Anna University. He has been honored with the prestigious Microsoft MVP Award in the AI category, specifically for his expertise in Azure OpenAI Service and Azure AI Services. Janarthanan is also Microsoft Certified Community Lead , a 6-time Microsoft Certified Trainer, a Microsoft Learn Expert in Data and AI, and a C# Corner MVP. His certifications include Microsoft Azure Certified Data Scientist, AI Engineer, Data Engineer, Azure Cosmos DB Developer Specialty, Developer Associate, and Power BI Data Analyst Associate, with a total of 17 cloud certifications spanning Microsoft Azure, AWS, GCP, Oracle, and Aviatrix.

As a resource person, Janarthanan has conducted numerous meetups, workshops, faculty development programs (FDPs), short-term training programs (STTPs), webinars, and knowledge-sharing sessions across organizations and educational institutions. He is an active speaker, mentor, blogger, researcher, and open-source contributor in the fields of AI and cloud computing. His work has been featured in various developer tech communities, conferences, and industry conclaves. Additionally, he serves as a mentor and jury member for events such as the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2025 Hackathon, Smart India Hackathon 2023, the Smart India Hackathon 2024, the Bank of Baroda Hackathon, and the Innothon 24 National Level 30-Hour Hackfest.

Janarthanan Selvaraj is a Technology Manager and AI Expert at Atos. He is an alumnus of the University of Cambridge's FUEL Leadership flagship program and a graduate of Anna University. He has been honored with the prestigious Microsoft MVP Award in ... Show more

Dave Rendon

Dave Rendon

📘 https://amzn.to/3ummI9B
🌐 https://blog.azinsider.net
💻 https://github.azinsider.net

▬▬▬▬▬▬ Hello There! 👋 ▬▬▬▬▬▬
Let's connect - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daverndn/

I'm David Rendon (Dave Rendon), a Microsoft Azure and AI MVP for 13 consecutive years and a Microsoft Certified Trainer. As an IT professional with more than 15 years of experience, I have focused strongly on Microsoft technologies and Azure since 2010.

📘 https://amzn.to/3ummI9B 🌐 https://blog.azinsider.net 💻 https://github.azinsider.net ▬▬▬▬▬▬ Hello There! 👋 ▬▬▬▬▬▬ Let's connect - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daverndn/ I'm David Rendon (Dave Rendon), a Microsoft Azure and AI MVP for... Show more

Manpreet Singh

Manpreet Singh

Manpreet leads the Modern Workplace AI Solutions Team at Cognizant, where he designs and scales transformative Microsoft-based solutions for global enterprises. Partnering with leadership across diverse verticals—from Media and Entertainment to Financial Services and Healthcare—Manpreet orchestrates Agentic AI strategies that move beyond simple automation to create truly autonomous, intelligent ecosystems. His mission is to redefine the "Agentic Experience," ensuring that AI doesn't just respond to prompts but proactively solves business friction for global customers. As a Microsoft MVP in M365 and AI, he bridges the gap between complex architectural innovation and real-world business impact.

Beyond his leadership at Cognizant, Manpreet is a titan in the technical community. A revered MVP, his insights have reached a staggering 10 million+ readers through his extensive library of articles and blogs. He is the driving force behind numerous annual boot camps, hackathons, and fundraisers, all aimed at nurturing the next generation of tech talent. Whether he is architecting a unified AI Command Center for a Fortune 500 firm or mentoring the next generation of developers, Manpreet is driven by a relentless "human-first" philosophy. Amidst the rapid evolution of the AI landscape, he remains easily recognizable by his warm smile—a reflection of his genuine passion for empowering organizations to achieve more through the power of Agentic AI.

Manpreet leads the Modern Workplace AI Solutions Team at Cognizant, where he designs and scales transformative Microsoft-based solutions for global enterprises. Partnering with leadership across diverse verticals—from Media and Entertainment to Finan... Show more

Just Blindbæk

Just Blindbæk

BI architect with extensive experience in all phases of BI development on Microsoft SQL Server, Azure, Fabric and Power BI. Founder and coordinator of Microsoft Business Intelligence Professionals Denmark (MsBIP.dk) and Power BI UG Denmark (PowerBI.dk). Is a Microsoft Certified Trainer.

BI architect with extensive experience in all phases of BI development on Microsoft SQL Server, Azure, Fabric and Power BI. Founder and coordinator of Microsoft Business Intelligence Professionals Denmark (MsBIP.dk) and Power BI UG Denmark (PowerBI.d... Show more

Johan Ludvig Brattås

Johan Ludvig Brattås

Johan Ludvig Brattås leads Data & AI Solutions at Tower NewCo, and a dedicated community guy. He has worked with MS SQL server since late 1999, mostly with BI in one form or another. Since 2015, most of his work has been in the cloud working on data platform services such as Snowflake, Databricks and Fabric.

Combining his passion for MS SQL Server with his passion for sharing knowledge, he started speaking at various events in the SQL Community. This is also a way to give back to the community for all the things he has learned over the years. When not working, Johan Ludvig either spends his time with his kids, playing with new technology or teaching coeliacs how to bake glutenfree food.

Johan Ludvig Brattås leads Data & AI Solutions at Tower NewCo, and a dedicated community guy. He has worked with MS SQL server since late 1999, mostly with BI in one form or another. Since 2015, most of his work has been in the cloud working on data ... Show more

Tine Staric

Tine Staric

Tine Staric is a strategist at Companial, helping Partners around the world develop products of the highest quality. He has been a Dynamics BC developer since 2015, working with end-customers, VARs, and ISVs, delivering support, implementation, localization, and product projects. He leads most developer productivity initiatives at Companial, and is constantly looking for opportunities to eliminate monotonous developer tasks by using modern tools and automation to make room for creative, fun, and high-value development.

Tine Staric is a strategist at Companial, helping Partners around the world develop products of the highest quality. He has been a Dynamics BC developer since 2015, working with end-customers, VARs, and ISVs, delivering support, implementation, local... Show more

Joshua Angolano

Joshua Angolano

Josh has been interested in computers since he was five years old. He has worked professionally as a developer, engineer, director, and architect for over 20 years. He considers himself a lifelong learner. He ​loves mentoring and working with others. His passion is seeing others progress through their careers.

Josh has led large product development initiatives for multiple financial services organizations. This has included migrating from desktop applications to the web and from on-premise to the cloud.

Josh has been interested in computers since he was five years old. He has worked professionally as a developer, engineer, director, and architect for over 20 years. He considers himself a lifelong learner. He ​loves mentoring and working with othe... Show more

Mihaela Gheorghe-Roman

Mihaela Gheorghe-Roman

Mihaela is an Experienced Software Architect at Systematic, Romania, and an Oracle ACE Associate for Java. Ph.D in artificial neural network algorithms, Assistant Professor at the University of Cybernetics and Informatics in Bucharest, she is a dedicated lead developer and architect who enjoys sharing her knowledge.

In her professional career, spanning over 14+ years, she worked for telecom and defence domains with a focus on Java, Spring Boot, C, C#, Scala and Angular.

Apart from her passion for programming, she loves parrots, she is enthusiastic about traveling the world and doing a lot of sports, from running at marathons, martial arts and to different aerobic trainings.

Mihaela is an Experienced Software Architect at Systematic, Romania, and an Oracle ACE Associate for Java. Ph.D in artificial neural network algorithms, Assistant Professor at the University of Cybernetics and Informatics in Bucharest, she is a dedic... Show more

Alex Thissen

Alex Thissen

Alex is an application development enthusiast since the late nineties and works as an architect, lead developer and mentor at large enterprises and small companies. He spends his time teaching other developers the details of the Microsoft development platform and frameworks, and coaches architects to design and build modern distributed applications at cloud scale. He has received the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award for Visual Studio and Development Technologies since 2007. In his spare time Alex likes to participate in all kinds of sport, and loves playing and programming new and retro video games.

Alex is an application development enthusiast since the late nineties and works as an architect, lead developer and mentor at large enterprises and small companies. He spends his time teaching other developers the details of the Microsoft development... Show more

Alexandre Piatetsky

Alexandre Piatetsky

Alexandre is a recognized expert in the Microsoft ecosystem, specializing in Microsoft 365, Copilot, and digital governance. As a Microsoft MVP, he regularly speaks at conferences and community events, sharing real-world experience, best practices, and actionable insights on Microsoft technology adoption.
With over 15 years of experience in solution architecture, project management, presales, and client advisory, Alexandre is passionate about knowledge sharing and collaborative innovation. He is deeply involved in the Microsoft community, helping organizations maximize the value of Microsoft tools while promoting security, compliance, and operational efficiency.
Alexandre is part of the French company Bleu, which owns and operates Microsoft’s first National Partner Cloud. He holds the position of Microsoft 365 Technology Lead there, and helps organizations harness the full potential of Microsoft 365 in a secure, compliant, and sovereign cloud environment.

Alexandre is a recognized expert in the Microsoft ecosystem, specializing in Microsoft 365, Copilot, and digital governance. As a Microsoft MVP, he regularly speaks at conferences and community events, sharing real-world experience, best practices, a... Show more

Matthijs van der Veer

Matthijs van der Veer

Matthijs is a Coding Architect at Xebia. With a strong focus on Azure and AI, he helps clients achieve more on Azure. Matthijs has a passion for creating good work environments, writing great code, and building amazing teams.

Matthijs trained and led teams in different countries. He strongly believes that remote and distributed teams can be just as (or more) effective than sitting in the same old office together. Matthijs received the Microsoft MVP Award for five consecutive years.

Matthijs is a Coding Architect at Xebia. With a strong focus on Azure and AI, he helps clients achieve more on Azure. Matthijs has a passion for creating good work environments, writing great code, and building amazing teams. Matthijs trained and ... 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

Emmz Rendle

Emmz Rendle

Rendle is the CTO of XRAI, on a mission to subtitle and translate real life using AI and mixed reality. When it comes to programming they are obsessed with maximizing performance and minimizing complexity. When it comes to speaking, they combine 40 years experience in tech with skills acquired as a professional stand-up comic in the 90s to deliver entertaining and informative talks at conferences around the world. They recently learned to play bass so they could join tech parody band The LineBreakers and promptly became obsessed with that, too.

Rendle is the CTO of XRAI, on a mission to subtitle and translate real life using AI and mixed reality. When it comes to programming they are obsessed with maximizing performance and minimizing complexity. When it comes to speaking, they combine 40 y... Show more

Devlin Duldulao

Devlin Duldulao

Devlin Basilan Duldulao is a Senior Consultant at Crayon Consulting based in Oslo, Norway, specializing in full-stack cloud engineering and modern web technologies. A recognized Microsoft MVP, Devlin is a prolific contributor to the global tech community as an international conference speaker, trainer, and open-source enthusiast. He is also an accomplished author, having written three books on full-stack enterprise development tools, including React, Spring Boot, and DotNet.

Devlin Basilan Duldulao is a Senior Consultant at Crayon Consulting based in Oslo, Norway, specializing in full-stack cloud engineering and modern web technologies. A recognized Microsoft MVP, Devlin is a prolific contributor to the global tech commu... 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

Jared Kuehn

Jared Kuehn

Currently a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Jared has been a data engineering consultant for over a decade, implementing Microsoft products. For more than three decades, he has been honing his skills in theater and other performing arts. As a speaker, Jared marries these two disciplines together, creating dynamic presentations that add entertainment to education. This symbiotic relationship can improve presentation engagement, support attendees in knowledge retention, and foster a culture of passion for the data industry.

As a speaker, Jared has spoken at events such as:
-FabCon Vegas and Atlanta
-DataCon Seattle (Microsoft Data Conference)
-PASS Summit
-SQL Saturdays, Multiple
-Microsoft Fabric Global Online Conference
-Future Data Driven Summit
-GroupBy Conference
-and more!

He also runs the YouTube channel DataBard, focused on making Data fun and teaching techniques along the way.

Technically-speaking, Jared has multiple Microsoft certifications in both on-prem and cloud technologies. He has extensive knowledge in:
-Microsoft Fabric
-SQL Query Development and Performance tuning
-Kimball Data Modeling
-ETL design patterns
-Azure SQL DB and Azure SQL MI

In his spare time, he continues to perform in community theater productions, as well as musically for his church. Upon request, he would be happy to assist with more theatrical portions of events, such as performing musical numbers.

Currently a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Jared has been a data engineering consultant for over a decade, implementing Microsoft products. For more than three decades, he has been honing his skills in theater and other performing arts. As a speaker, J... Show more

Pamela Paterson

Pamela Paterson

Pamela Paterson, MS, CBAP, PMP, is a speaker, best-selling author of 12 books, and senior tech consultant specializing in business systems analysis and project management. With a strong background in systems engineering and experience working with over 100 organizations, Pamela has delivered workshops, webinars, and presentations worldwide and authored 10 books, including two international best-sellers. Pamela has also taught project management for over ten years in Toronto, Canada. In 2023, 2024, and 2025 she stands out as one of the most active speakers on Sessionize. For more details, visit her LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelapaterson/, or contact her at pamelatheba@gmail.com.

Pamela Paterson, MS, CBAP, PMP, is a speaker, best-selling author of 12 books, and senior tech consultant specializing in business systems analysis and project management. With a strong background in systems engineering and experience working with ov... Show more

Veronika Kolesnikova

Veronika Kolesnikova

AI enthusiast with extensive software engineering background. Veronika has experience in full-stack development using C#, .NET, Java and Typescript, Azure and AWS clouds and loves using AI to support all her ideas. International public speaker, hackathon volunteer, co-organizer of Boston Azure AI user group, and mentor.
Veronika holds a master's degree in Information Technology. She likes dancing, traveling and practicing aerial fitness in her free time.

AI enthusiast with extensive software engineering background. Veronika has experience in full-stack development using C#, .NET, Java and Typescript, Azure and AWS clouds and loves using AI to support all her ideas. International public speaker, hacka... Show more

David Lorenzo

David Lorenzo

Desde 2010 en el mundo .NET, diseñando y construyendo soluciones basadas en Azure. Desde 2021, enfocado más al mundo Power Platform y la Inteligencia Artifical.

Desde 2010 en el mundo .NET, diseñando y construyendo soluciones basadas en Azure. Desde 2021, enfocado más al mundo Power Platform y la Inteligencia Artifical. 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.