Feat: Launch member webinar panels every two months

[RCheesley]

Parent: #67

Summary

One of the key membership benefits we’ve committed to offer in the membership value proposition is the chance for members to feature in regular panel webinars. These would be streamed on LinkedIn Live and YouTube and are designed to:

• build awareness and authority for OAI and its specs
• showcase what members are actually doing with OpenAPI, Arazzo and Overlay
• give us a way to talk about important industry topics through a multi‑spec lens

We’ve done occasional panel sessions in the past (see #46), but they’ve been ad‑hoc and focused on product releases rather than something which can be positioned as a member benefit. This project is to turn that into a bi‑monthly, member‑led series with a repeatable format.

I'd recommend that we decide to focus on getting either #69 or this project going first, see how they run, and then decide when to move forward with the other. Of the two, I think #69 is the most impactful for members and potentially a higher ROI for engineering teams, but this gives much more visibility of your specs being used 'in the world' and brand visibility for members which might be of more interest to marketing-focused budget holders when considering membership.

I've assumed that OAI might want to use this as an opportunity to grow the newsletter list by having some kind of signup process in front of the webinars even if they're publicly streamed, but if you don't want to do that we can just point people at the LinkedIn and YouTube channel - less friction, but less opportunity for you to know who is signing up / grown your nurture list of potential members/contributors.

Goals

• Give members visible platforms to share their work and thinking
• Make the OpenAPI + Arazzo + Overlay story more concrete through real implementations
• Create reusable content (recordings, clips, quotes) for LinkedIn, blog and email content which can support the repositioning work
• Position OAI as central to driving development and innovation in the API ecosystem to support the repositioning work
• Grow your newsletter list (optional)

Proposed format (MVP)

• One panel every two months
• 45-60 minutes per session
• 1 moderator/host (ideally the same person or a small rotating group)
• 3-4 member panellists per session
• Broadcast simultaneously to LinkedIn Live and YouTube using a tool such as Streamyard or TalkStudio (I saw in the past in Arazzo launch webinar #46 that Riverside was used)
• Simple registration page so we:
  • capture contact details of attendees
  • provide the option to be added to the newsletter
  • can follow up with resources and membership information

Suggested run of show:

5 minutes - welcome, quick intro to OAI and the topic
30-35 minutes - moderated discussion with prepared questions
10-15 minutes - audience Q&A
5 minutes - wrap‑up and 'how to get involved' (clinics, SIGs, membership)

Example topics

I used AI to come up with a list of topic ideas drawn from recent APIdays programmes and developer questions. These can be refined with speakers and actual areas of interest (some might arise out of the member clinics in #69 as well!)

• No AI without well‑designed APIs
  How members are preparing their APIs for agents and LLMs using OpenAPI as the contract, Arazzo for workflows, and Overlay for AI‑specific variations.

• From endpoints to journeys with Arazzo
  Moving from single endpoints to orchestrated workflows in real member use cases (payments, onboarding, internal automation, etc).

• Turning valid APIs into compliant APIs with Overlays
  How regulated industries use Overlay on top of OpenAPI to meet security/data/regulatory requirements without cloning specs.

• When AI governance meets API governance
  What teams actually changed in their API practices once AI agents started calling production APIs.

• Designing inclusive and accessible APIs with OpenAPI and Overlays
  Using specs to support accessibility, localisation and inclusive design.

• Sync, async and workflows in one architecture
  Members who combine OpenAPI, AsyncAPI and Arazzo in production.

• Measuring the impact of standardisation on delivery
  How members measure the impact of OpenAPI/Arazzo/Overlay on lead time, incidents, reuse and developer experience.

• From using the spec to shaping the spec
  Member journeys from “we use OpenAPI” to contributing to specs, SIGs and governance.

We don’t need to specify all topics in now - just pick maybe 2–3 good starting ones which we think we could find members to speak on and that would be of interest to the wider audience / help with the positioning of the org.

Tasks

1. Confirm ownership and logistics

• Find a panel host/MC (or a small team) who can run most sessions and provide continuity
• Decide on tooling (for example Streamyard → LinkedIn + YouTube) and get access set up
• Agree a simple registration flow (could be a basic HubSpot form with a segment created and a connected email workflow) that captures:
• Name, organisation, email
• Consent to receive follow‑up
• Consent to be added to newsletter list

2. Plan the first three panels

For the first three sessions:

• Choose 2-3 topics from the list above (or adjusted versions)
• Identify 3-4 member speakers per topic, aiming for a mix of:
  • Enterprises using OpenAPI/Arazzo/Overlay 'in anger'
  • Tooling vendors building on the specs
  • Individual contributors or SIG leads
• Confirm dates and times (ideally spread to reach EU/US audiences)
• Draft 4–6 guiding questions for each panel so speakers know the angle

Suggested content for member outreach (note, I just picked three random topics for illustrative purposes)

Subject: Invitation to join an OpenAPI Initiative member panel

Hi [FIRST NAME],

I hope you’re doing well.

We’re putting together the next set of member‑led panels at the OpenAPI Initiative and would love to invite [COMPANY] to be part of the first wave of speakers.

The idea behind these sessions is to give our members a platform to share what they’re actually doing with OpenAPI, Arazzo and Overlay, and have an honest conversation about what’s working, what isn’t, and where things are heading. We want to give people an understanding of how the specs are being used in practice which is grounded in real-life situations, and showcase the exciting things that organizations are using them for.

For the next few panels we’re planning to focus on:

• No AI without well designed APIs - how teams are preparing their APIs for agents and LLMs using OpenAPI as the contract, Arazzo for multi‑step workflows, and overlays for AI‑specific variants.

• From endpoints to journeys with Arazzo - real stories from organizations that have moved beyond single endpoints into orchestrated workflows.

• Turning valid APIs into compliant APIs with Overlays and how regulated industries are using Overlay on top of OpenAPI to meet security and regulatory requirements without cloning specs.

We think [COMPANY] would bring a really valuable perspective to [TOPIC YOU’RE SUGGESTING – PICK ONE], given [ONE LINE ON WHY - for example 'your work on X' / 'your use of Arazzo in Y' / 'your experience in regulated environments'].

What being on a panel involves

• 45–60 minute session streamed on LinkedIn Live and YouTube

• 1 moderator and 3-4 member panellists

• A light prep call beforehand to align on angles and questions
• A few hours total time commitment (prep + live session)

We’ll handle the logistics, promotion and moderation, your part is simply to share your experience and views. You’re very welcome to have more than one person from your organization on the panel if that makes sense (for example an architect and a product owner).

If this sounds interesting, I’d love to:

• know which topic feels like the best fit for [COMPANY], and

• check who the right person or people would be to join the discussion.

Would you be open to this? If so, we can suggest a couple of date options and set up a short prep call.
Thanks for considering it, and for everything you’re already doing with OpenAPI and the wider OAI ecosystem.

All the best,

[YOUR NAME]
OpenAPI Initiative Outreach Team

3. Set up registration and promotion

• Create a simple registration page per panel (or use a single webinar platform like HeySummit if that’s preferred - Ruth has an account with a spare slot if that might be helpful)
• Add each panel to:
  • OAI events calendar
  • Newsletter / member email
  • LinkedIn event if possible
• Use social media / email to:
  • Announce the series
  • Share individual panel promos on LinkedIn

Suggested content - I've kept these quite generic so that they're easy to copy/paste for each webinar - tailor to meet the needs of each webinar (and be sure to mention the companies/people and relevant hashtags)

Initial post to announce the programme:

We’re starting a new member‑led webinar series at the OpenAPI Initiative.

Every other month we’ll bring together teams who are using OpenAPI, Arazzo and Overlay in the real world to talk about how they are designing, governing and scaling their APIs.

We're aiming to share what’s actually working, highlight how the specs are being used in practice, and give our members a platform to tell their stories.

The first panel will focus on [TOPIC]. We’ll be joined by [NAMES / COMPANIES] to discuss:

• [Bullet on angle 1]
• [Bullet on angle 2]

• [Bullet on angle 3]

Don't miss out, make sure to hold the date in your calendar and subscribe to get notified when we're live!

📅 Date: [DATE]

⏰ Time: [TIME + TIMEZONE]

📍 Live on LinkedIn and YouTube

Register here to get the link and follow‑up resources → [REGISTRATION LINK]

#OpenAPI #Arazzo #Overlay #APIs

Follow up post a week before the webinar:

We’re hosting a new OpenAPI Initiative member panel on [TOPIC] next week.

In this session, [SPEAKER 1, ROLE, COMPANY], [SPEAKER 2] and [SPEAKER 3] will share how they are using OpenAPI, Arazzo and/or Overlay to:

• [Practical thing 1]

• [Practical thing 2]

• [Practical thing 3]

You’ll hear real examples of what changed in their design, governance and tooling - and what they’d do differently next time.

Don't miss out, make sure to hold the date in your calendar and subscribe to get notified when we're live!

📅 Date: [DATE]

⏰ Time: [TIME + TIMEZONE]

🎥 Streaming live on LinkedIn and YouTube

Save your spot and get the recording link → [REGISTRATION LINK]

#OpenAPI #Arazzo #Overlay #APIs

Email copy for initial announcement:

Subject: Join our next OpenAPI Initiative member panel - [TOPIC]

Hi [FIRST NAME],

We’re launching a new member‑led webinar series at the OpenAPI Initiative, and we’d love you to join us for the next session.

Panel topic

[ONE‑SENTENCE DESCRIPTION OF TOPIC]

In this conversation, speakers from [COMPANY 1], [COMPANY 2] and [COMPANY 3] will share how they’re using OpenAPI, Arazzo and Overlay in practice, and what they’ve learned along the way. We’ll cover:

• [Bullet 1 - real, practical angle]
• [Bullet 2]

• [Bullet 3]

Details

• Date: [DATE]

• Time: [TIME + TIMEZONE]

• Format: 45–60 minute panel + Q&A

• Where: Live on LinkedIn and YouTube (we’ll send the links after you register)

You can register here → [REGISTRATION LINK]

If you can’t make it live, still register and we’ll send you the recording and resources afterwards.

All the best,

The OpenAPI Initiative Outreach Team

P.S. If your organisation is using OpenAPI, Arazzo or Overlay in an interesting way and you’d like to be considered for a future panel, reply to this email - we’d love to hear about it.

Suggested copy to the panelists, helping them to prepare for the webinar:

Subject: Details for your upcoming OpenAPI Initiative panel – [PANEL TITLE]

Hi [FIRST NAME],

Thanks again for agreeing to join our upcoming OpenAPI Initiative panel '[PANEL TITLE]'. We’re really looking forward to having you on the session.

Below is everything you need to know about the webinar and what to expect on the day.

Session details

Date: [DAY, DATE]
Time: [START TIME - END TIME, TIMEZONE]

Please join 10-15 minutes early so we can do a quick tech check and run through last‑minute questions.

Format

• 45-60 minute live session
• 1 moderator + 3-4 panellists
• Streamed to LinkedIn Live and YouTube
• Recorded for later sharing (we’ll send you the link afterwards)

Join link (backstage): [STREAMYARD / TALKSTUDIO / ZOOM LINK]

This link is for speakers only and takes you into the 'backstage' area. We’ll handle pushing the stream out to LinkedIn and YouTube.

Topic and angle

Panel topic

[SHORT DESCRIPTION OF TOPIC]

We’re aiming to explore questions like:

• [Guiding question 1]

• [Guiding question 2]

• [Guiding question 3]

You don’t need to prepare slides, in fact we'd rather you don't unless it's absolutely essential to explain a complicated concept or technical point, as this is intended to be a conversational session. Concrete stories and examples are much more valuable to our audience.

What we’d love you to cover

From your side, it would be great if you could:

• briefly introduce yourself and your role at [COMPANY]
• explain how you’re using [OpenAPI / Arazzo / Overlay] today

• share 1-2 specific examples:
  • a problem you were trying to solve

  • what you did with the spec(s)

  • what worked well

  • anything you’d do differently next time

We’ll weave these into the conversation rather than doing formal 'presentations'.

Technical notes

Setup

• Please use a laptop/desktop rather than a phone if you can.
• A headset or decent microphone is ideal so your audio is clear.

• Try to be somewhere quiet with a stable internet connection.

Browser

• [STREAMING TOOL] works best in Chrome, Edge or Firefox. If possible, have one of these ready.

On the day

• Join 10-15 minutes before the start time using the backstage link above.

• The moderator will:
  • Confirm audio/video

  • Quickly review the flow and final questions

  • Remind everyone of timings

Promotion and recording

We’ll be promoting the panel on LinkedIn, our website and newsletter. You’re very welcome to share the registration link with your own networks - the more the merrier.

After the session we will:

• share the recording link with you

• publish a short recap and selected clips on OAI channels
• tag you and [COMPANY] where appropriate, unless you prefer otherwise

If there is anything you’d prefer we do not share (for example specific screenshots or numbers), just let us know during or immediately after the session.

Any questions?

If you have any questions, or there’s anything you’d like to check or suggest in advance, please feel free to reply to this email.

Thanks again for being willing to share your experience - these conversations are a big part of how we show what the specs can do in the real world.

All the best,

[YOUR NAME]
OpenAPI Initiative Outreach Team

Suggested content for the follow-up email after the webinar:

Subject: Thanks for joining [PANEL TITLE] - recording and resources

Hi [FIRST NAME],
Thanks for joining our OpenAPI Initiative member panel '[PANEL TITLE]'.

Here’s the recording, in case you want to rewatch or share with your team:

👉 [RECORDING LINK]

Resources mentioned during the session:

• [Link 1 – spec or example]

• [Link 2 – blog post / tools]

• [Link 3 – SIG or community channel]

If you have follow‑up questions or ideas for future panels, reply to this email - we’re always interested in real‑world stories from teams using OpenAPI, Arazzo and Overlay.

If you’d like your organisation to be more involved in shaping where the specs go next, you can learn more about membership here:

👉 https://www.openapis.org/membership-benefits

All the best,

The OpenAPI Initiative Outreach Team

4. Run and capture

For each panel:

• Run the session according to the agreed format
• Record the stream (most tools allow you to record automatically, and YouTube allows you to download the videos after the streams finish)
• Capture:
  • 2–3 key points per panellist
  • Any strong quotes we have permission to reuse
• Send a brief follow‑up email to registrants (see template above):
  • Recording link
  • Links to relevant specs/resources
  • Light membership CTA

5. Reuse and learn

• Turn each panel into:

  • 1 blog recap or short write-up - first draft can be created via AI summary of recording
  • 2-4 LinkedIn clips or quote posts (can create an image template on Canva for sharing)

• After the first 2–3 panels, review:

  • Attendance and drop‑off
  • Feedback from panellists and attendees
  • Whether the topics and format are working

Open questions

• Who might be interested in being the main host/MC for the first few panels?
• Are there any members who you know to be doing really interesting stuff, and might be good to feature?
• What are the topics you think would resonate with the audience / spark the right conversations?
• Which tooling do we prefer (Streamyard, TalkStudio, something LF already uses)?
• Do we want to alternate focus between OpenAPI‑heavy and Arazzo/Overlay‑heavy topics, or mix all three specs in every panel?