How should one prepare for a screening interview with startup conference officials?

If an individual is contacted by startup conference (eg TechCrunch Disrupt/DEMO/Launch) officials considering about their application to launch at the event, how should the person prepare for the phone interview? Any tips welcome, especially from those who have been through this or similar.

Take a look at the conference/judging/listing criteria and put yourself in the judges shoes. Ask yourself the following questions

1. Why you (or me)?
2. How are you different from the other 300 applicants that we are interviewing?
3. How do you fit in with the mandate or objectives of the conference?

Once you have a basic script, record it and rehearse it till the answers are concise, to the point and relevant. Try and knock holes and gaps in your answers from the point of view of someone who has just written you off as a start up (which may create other questions) and then repeat.

Also do a Google and youtube search on pitching and presenting and you will find a fair bit of material on the topic.