Speaker Guide
Presentation length:
12 minutes + 2 minutes for questions and 1 minute to transition between speakers
Each talk will be limited to 15 minutes including questions. We strongly suggest you present for no more than 12 minutes to leave at least 3 minutes for questions and the transition between speakers. To help keep speakers on track, a volunteer will hold up a sign when there are 5 minutes remaining and 3 minutes remaining in the 15-minute time slot. At 1 minute, the session moderator will stand next to the speaker, and they will interrupt any presentation still going with 30 seconds remaining until the next speaker. Please time your presentation to ensure you can cover your material in ~12 minutes to allow your audience to fully appreciate your message and to ensure our concurrent sessions remain on schedule.
In-person speakers:
Please save your presentation slides as a PowerPoint (.ppt or .pptx) or pdf file and bring your talk to the meeting on a USB drive.
Presenters should bring their presentations to the registration desk on an USB drive to upload their talks. Presenters will load their talks on laptop PCs (Windows) at the registration desk and should ensure that all images, animations, media files, etc are working properly, but do not expect to edit your presentation at that time. Consult your schedule for the times that the registration desk is open.
All morning speakers are encouraged to load their talks the day before their session or before the plenary talk on the day of their session. Afternoon speakers are encouraged to load their talks before lunch on the day of their session. Please remember that the registration desk usually closes by 5pm. Plan ahead and please do not wait until the last minute!
All laptops hosting presentations will be PCs running Windows with Microsoft PowerPoint 365. Presenters are strongly encouraged to preview their presentations on a PC before preparing to upload. Note that presentations created on a Macintosh computer may appear differently on a PC. If your presentation includes video, you must load both the presentation and the video file onto the laptop used in your session.
Remote speakers:
Live presentations:
We encourage remote speakers to present their talk live on Zoom. Presenters will have screen sharing abilities through Zoom, so you will be able to share and advance your slides from your own computer. Please upload a copy of your presentation slides (PowerPoint or pdf format) to your speaker profile in Whova so that moderators can share your slides in case of glitches. You are also welcome to submit a pre-recorded talk as a back up, if you like (see below for instructions).
Pre-recorded talk:
Remote speakers also have the option to submit a pre-recorded talk in case internet connectivity problems prevent presenting live on Zoom. Video files should be MP4 format, and not exceed 250 MB file size and 1920 x 1080 screen resolution. Files must be uploaded to this Google Drive folder no later than 12pm on Monday, March 27. Please begin your video filename with LastName_FirstName. The AFS parent society has provided useful guidelines for how to record videos (disregard their meeting-specific info). Even if you submit a pre-recorded talk, please join the Zoom session during your scheduled presentation time so you are available to answer questions, unless you have made prior arrangements with the Program Committee.
General recommendations for all speakers:
Enhancing accessibility of your presentation:
- Using Powerpoint? Here’s some tips to make your slides more accessible.
- Use this tool to check any visuals for color-blind friendly palettes.
- See this guide for advice on inclusive language.
- Speak slowly and clearly
- If you have additional questions, please contact deic@afs-alaska.org
Here’s a speaker guide from Whova to help you start preparing for the virtual meeting format.
Zoom sessions will be recorded during the meeting, but we will not make your presentation publicly available after the meeting without your permission.
Thank you for presenting at this year’s meeting – we look forward to seeing you!
