We are really excited about the excellent line-up of activities and presentations for this year’s conference. Thanks for being an important part of our day. Speakers you will receive additional instructions from your session leads, here are the general directions and suggestions. Again, thank you for your contribution to making the this an excellent event.

Presentation Set-up

All oral presentations will be at a podium in a large lecture hall. The podium sits on the ground level and has the controls for the AV system (slide advancement & microphone) and a laser pointer will be available. All oral presentations accompanied with slides and/or images must use Microsoft PowerPoint. Video clips can be shown, but please let us know before your session so that adjustments can be made if needed.

The lectern has a laptop that runs Microsoft Powerpoint presentations (file format .ppt and pptx.). It is essential that all speakers load their presentation file (via USB key) onto the laptop during the break that precedes their session, there will be a conference volunteer to assist you. For the early morning talks, this means getting the files loaded before the symposium starts, so please plan accordingly. It is recommended that presenters use the 16:9 ratio for their slides.

Presentation Slides Available After the Conference

Presentations will be posted this website post-conference, in a PDF format. If you do not wish to have your presentation slides shared, please indicate this in notes section of the first slide in your presentation, and feel free to indicate this to the volunteer as you load your presentation prior to your session.

Timing

We have a tight schedule, and to run efficiently (everything from catering and A/V support) we need everyone to stay within the allotted time. Speakers will be warned of concluding time, and then asked to wrap up if they exceed their allotted time. Please practice your presentation so that you can stay within the time bounds. Here are some presentations tips to consider as you prepare.

• In case you don’t want to read the advice from the professionals… Best practices include the following:
  • Text on slides should be clear and concise. Use fonts that are clear to read (e.g. sans serif fonts such as Arial, Calibri, Verdana)
  • Ensure colour contrast between the text and the background (and/or figures) is effective
  • Be sure explain acronyms and abbreviations

In a 20 minute speaking slot (majority of presentations), you should plan to present for ~15-17 minutes, with the remaining time used for questions and transitions to the next speaker. There will be ‘timing indicators’ shown to the speaker as they approach their time limit.  In the sessions where there is a 30-minute feature presentation to kick things off, we suggest a 23-25 presentation, with the remaining time for questions and transitions to the next speaker. The sessions are strictly moderated, and the session moderator will interrupt speakers who look likely to surpass their time limit. This rigid timetable is essential to maintaining the integrity our schedule. Your session lead will share the plan with you if it is different from this standard format.

We are excited to be able to feature posters from a variety of participants. The posters will be displayed throughout the conference within the exhibit hall (Rozanski Foyer), with a dedicated Poster Session on Monday afternoon ahead of the Wine and Cheese. Details about the Poster Session Speed Round will be posted in June.

Poster Dimensions

We are using easels with foam board as the display points for posters (not attached to a wall or large room divider). We can accommodate poster dimension that are roughly 4′ by 3′ (in portrait or landscape orientation).