Oral presentation instructions

TL;DR

Sign in to Google before clicking the link to upload your presentation. Your Google account can use any email (gmail not necessary)
Verify your settings (under the gear icon->General->Uploads) and make sure that “Convert uploads to Google Docs editor format” is unchecked.
Use the following filename convention: SessionCode_OAidentifier_YourFamilyName (e.g., SYM01_011_Smythy)
Please have at least a solid draft of your presentation uploaded to Google Drive by 19 August so that it may be tested by the local team.
- Deadline to upload revisions to the conference server is midnight JST 30 August
- See important instructions for updating your file without destroying the link or the file name
Upload final version of slides (as PPTX, PDF, or ODP; not Google Slides) and pre-recorded videos (using .mp4 format) to your presentation’s Session folder on Google Drive
Link to upload site will be sent in separate email (do not lose; do not distribute)
Slide and video format is widescreen (16:9)
Do not include material (particularly images) under copyright that is not yours to share. Provide attribution for all images including content belonging to the authors.
- Updated version of PowerPoint template uploaded 17 Aug (includes credit for conference logo; existing presentations using an earlier version of the template can copy the text block and paste it into their presentations)
Presentations
- Symposium, democamp, and contributed oral talks are 10 minutes in length + time for questions/change to next speaker (15 min total)
- Lightning talks are 5 minutes total and limited in slide number
No speaker view is provided at the podium. If you need notes to make your presentation, please bring them with you.
Want more inspiration? See Your slides, your story, your attitude: Make your presentations work on YouTube.
Contact okinawa2024@spnhc.org with questions.

Presentation preparation:

About presentations

Time: Oral Presentation slots are designed for 10 minute presentations, +3 minutes of questions, and +2 min of transition to the next speaker (total 15 min). Please respect the fact that moderators will be tasked to keep their sessions on time so your presentation should not exceed 10 minutes in length.
Lightning talks (LTNG02 and LTNG05 are scheduled for 5 minutes (total), to include questions and transition to the next speaker. Slide numbers are limited (see linked descriptions)
Remote presenters must upload at least a solid draft of their pre-recorded talk to the relevant folder for their session by 19 August. Links will be emailed to presenters via Oxford Abstracts.
No speaker view is provided on the computer at the podium. If you need notes to make your presentation, please bring them with you.
Language: while the language of the conference is English, we are experimenting again this year with allowing speakers to present in a language other than English IF the presentation is pre-recorded and includes English subtitles and slide content. Please email okinawa2024@spnhc.org if you would like to try this.
Poster presenters, please see separate instructions.

Slide format

All presentations should be saved as PowerPoint (pptx), OpenDocument Presentation (ODP) or PDF files. If you use Google Slides, please download them as one of these formats before uploading to the conference folder. Do not upload Google Slides files to the conference folder.
An optional template, designed for SPNHC-TDWG 2024 by Daphne Hoh, is available for your use. Download a copy of the file to personalize it for your presentation.
- An updated version of PowerPoint template uploaded 17 Aug (includes credit for conference logo; existing presentations using an earlier version of the template can copy the text block and paste it into their presentations)
Please format all slides for 16:9 size. Try to avoid putting critical content in the top right corner of your slides (where the speaker is often displayed in video).
Do not embed videos, use animations or fancy slide transitions that might slow, bloat the file size or otherwise hinder the presentation on Zoom.
- If sound or video must be embedded in slides, prior notice must be given okinawa2024@spnhc.org
For better legibility, use sans-serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Verdana) and avoid using font sizes <18 pt. Remember that this will be a hybrid conference, slides will be projected in front of the audience onsite, but they may also be viewed on small screens by the virtual attendees.
Provide high contrast between text and background.
Avoid color blindness traps (e.g., requiring viewers to distinguish between reds and greens on your chart) (see simulator).
Avoid using all uppercase text (more difficult to read).
Minimize the amount of text on each slide.
Minimize the number of slides in your presentation (ca. 10 = about 1/minute).
Use high quality graphics/images but no larger (file size) than necessary for the screen resolution.
Present a story for your audience and put your work in context.
Want more inspiration? See the TDWG Webinar: Your Slides, Your Story, Your Attitude: Make your Presentations Work
Use QR codes to share URLs you would like the audience to visit
Choose a Creative Commons license for your slides (or use license chooser here) and explicitly state the license either as part of the slide template (shown on all slides) or at least on your title slide. Your abstract already has either a CC0 or CC-BY 4.0 license.
Do not include material (particularly images) under copyright that is not yours to share. Provide attribution for all images including content belonging to the authors. See TDWG’s Terms of Use and cautionary tale of copyright infringement.
Optional: provide contact information e.g., ORCID ID, email, or social media handle.

Pre-recorded presentations

Even if you have pre-arranged with the organizers to present remotely online, you will need to provide a pre-recorded version of your talk, not exceeding 10 min in duration as a backup in case of any technical or internet issues.
The recommendations under Slide Format apply.
Pre-recorded presentations should be saved as MP4 formatted files.
Please use a headset with a microphone for best quality audio.
If your recording includes you in the video, please ensure that your camera is at the level of your head. (If you are looking down at your computer and camera, we’re looking up your nose ;-/ ).
Sign in to Google before clicking the link to upload your presentation. Your Google account can use any email (gmail not necessary)
Verify your settings (under the gear icon->General->Uploads) and make sure that “Convert uploads to Google Docs editor format” is unchecked.
Upload at least a solid draft of your pre-recorded presentation to the relevant folder for your session by 19 August 2024.
- The link to upload your session will be provided by email via Oxford Abstracts.
- Deadline to upload revisions to the conference server is midnight JST 30 August
- See important instructions for updating your file without destroying the link or the file name.

Uploading your slides & pre-recorded video

File naming convention: Please title the file to your talk using the following filename convention: SessionCode_OAidentifier_YourFamilyName Examples of the SessionCode include SYM01, DEMO01, LTNG05. Find your OAidentifer (Column A).
Sign in to Google before clicking the link to upload your presentation. Your Google account can use any email (gmail not necessary)
Verify your settings (under the gear icon->General->Uploads) and make sure that “Convert uploads to Google Docs editor format” is unchecked.
Upload pre-recorded presentations and slides to the relevant session folder (link sent separately).
IMPORTANT: To ensure that your file remains in its original format and does not get converted to Google Slides
- Go to the link provided and find the folder for your session (open the folder)
- Click ‘New’ then ‘File upload.’
- After uploading, right-click your file in the folder and ensure that ’Open with Google Slides’ is not selected.
Upload at least a solid draft of videos and slides to be presented live (in-person or streaming) by 19 August 2024.
- The link to upload your session will be provided by email via Oxford Abstracts.
- Deadline to upload revisions to the conference server is midnight JST 30 August
- See important instructions for updating your file without destroying the link or the file name.

How to update your file without changing the URL or file name

If you decide to update your presentation file (.pptx, .pdf, .mp4; method does not work for native Google files) after the initial upload, the easiest way to do this without destroying the link to the file or the file name is to replace the file in the following manner:

Sign in to Google before clicking the link to find/upload your presentation. Your Google account can use any email (gmail not necessary)
Verify your settings (under the gear icon->General->Uploads) and make sure that “Convert uploads to Google Docs editor format” is unchecked.
Find your original file (file name may have been changed by the conference organizers, but should have your family name visible; do not change it)
Right click on the file name and from the pop-up menu, choose “File information”
You should then choose the option to “Manage versions”
Click Upload new version and do so
You can delete older versions after uploading your current version.
Deadline to upload revisions to the conference server is midnight JST 30 August

Presenting your talk

Practice your presentation and timing so as not to exceed 10 minutes.
No speaker view is provided on the computer at the podium. If you need notes to make your presentation, please bring them with you.
Remember this is a diverse international audience who may not be familiar with customs, acronyms, and jargon used in your speciality. Help everyone appreciate your work by speaking clearly, avoiding slang, and explaining potentially unfamiliar terms. Also avoid very rapid delivery.
All sessions and talks will be recorded and made available to registrants for subsequent on-demand viewing after the session.
If presenting onsite, please be at the conference room where your presentation is scheduled at least 15 min before your session begins.
The default for virtual presenters is to play their video during their session, unless a compelling reason is made to the session organizers for presenting remotely online (Zoom call and screen sharing). The decision to support live, remote presentations will be determined on a case by case basis. Separate instructions will be provided if this is granted.
DEMO01 is the only session where presenters may bring their own computer to use for their presentation. Please bring your own ethernet dongle so that you are not restricted to WiFi.
- Any other use of the presenter’s computer must be pre-arranged on a case-by-case basis.
Slides will be started and displayed by the Audio Visual Technical Support team via a computer in the conference room. You will be able to advance your slides from the lectern.

Additional thoughts

Want to make your talk more interactive? Consider creating a poll in Zoom for your audience. Work with your moderator/session organizers to create polls in advance.
Contact okinawa2024@spnhc.org with questions.

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