Presenter Guidelines

Posters: The poster panels are 44" (W) x 44" (H) . We will provide pushpins for mounting posters. Your poster has been given a conference number that can be found in the program. This number is different than the one you were given when the poster was first accepted. Find your poster group and number so that you will know where to hang your poster. The poster panels will be numbered, using the same numbering system as in the program . The Psychonomic Society has good advice on poster design and content here. Posters are to be mounted at least 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the poster session.  

For your information the posters will be mounted on stationary poster boards that measure 91” W x 45” H. Two posters will be mounted side by side on each side of the poster board.

The poster session is on Friday, June 7th from 5:45 to 7:15. You will be able to hang your poster as early as 5pm. Posters will have to be removed by 9pm that evening.

Chairing a symposium or session: Organizers of symposia will be responsible for chairing their sessions, ensuring that presentations are loaded onto the laptop before the session begins, briefly introducing each speaker, and timing speakers as described below (and delegating someone else to serve as timer for their own presentations).

For regular paper sessions, the first speaker will take responsibility for chairing the session, delegating the timing of his/her/their talk to a co-author or to another speaker in that session. The Session Chair is required to keep time for speakers and to make sure the session runs on schedule. The Chair should self-introduce and introduce speakers before the session starts and ensure that speakers understand the meaning of the signs (e.g., that "5 min left" means 5 minutes in the 13-minute talk time, after which there will be an additional 2 minutes for questions, but that "Stop" means "Please stop now"). The Session Chair will use the bell if the presenter does not notice the sign. If you have been assigned to chair, please coordinate with your session speakers. You may wish to compile all talks on one flash drive before the session to facilitate a smooth transition between talks. We encourage you to use the computer in the conference room for ease of transition. Features to facilitate timing will be in the session rooms. We would like to facilitate movement between sessions; therefore, it is important to stay on schedule.

Timing: Papers (whether in symposia or regular sessions) should be no more than 13 minutes (plus 2 minutes for questions). Session Chairs should make every effort to keep speakers to schedule. This is partly to ensure that each speaker gets the same amount of time, and partly so that audience members can move between sessions to attend talks of particular interest to them. Some sessions have fewer speakers than others, but even so each talk should be kept to a total of 13 minutes (perhaps using the remaining time for more open-ended questions and answers and discussion). Session chairs will signal speakers when 5, 1, and 0 minutes are left in the 13-minute speaking time and when the entire 15-minute time has elapsed. Signs and bells will be provided for this purpose.

AV equipment: Each room is equipped with a PC with a recent version of PowerPoint, a data projector, and a microphone. Each room is staffed by a SARMAC Student Volunteer who will summon assistance if AV issues arise. Speakers are to load their presentations onto the PC during the break before the session. The schedule gives only 1 minute between the end of one talk and the beginning of the next. Speakers are advised to have their presentations on a USB key or in email form (see below). If a speaker must use his or her own laptop, then any time taken up switching systems between talks will be part of the speaker's allocated 15-minute total, so speakers who plan to use their own laptops would be wise to prepare a slightly shorter talk. They should also ensure that they provide their own adapter/dongle (see below).

USB/thumb key: This is unlikely to pose any problems, but it is strongly advised that you check the compatibility of your USB well in advance of your presentation.

Fool proof backup: Our IT people advise that, as a backup or as your primary system, you email your presentation to yourself so that you can download it onto the computer in the room in which you will be presenting. All conference room computers have secure internet access, and your details will be deleted after you have accessed your email.

Running your presentation direct from your laptop: This is the least preferred method. Our conference rooms are VGA equipped – the PCs have external connections for VGA - not HDMI. We do not advise using your laptop unless you want to use presenter mode in PowerPoint, as we cannot guarantee to provide the required adaptors. If you do want to use your laptop, check that it has a VGA port, which will allow you to plug your computer directly into the cable on the lectern. If your laptop does not have a VGA port, you need to bring your own adaptor/dongle to allow connection to VGA, and check compatibility well in advance. This applies to Windows laptops as well as Macs.