Instructions to Session Chairs
- Keep to the scheduled time for talks. The SOC considers it very
important to allow time for questions and discussion of each talk,
and also to preserve the break durations for personal interactions.
Nominally, 15-minute talks should allocate 12 minutes for the
presentation plus 3 minutes for discussion; 20-minute talks, 17+3;
and 30-minute talks, 25+5. You can allow an extra minute, but then
please stand up and make it clear it is time to stop. Use your
judgment and be aware of the overall time: For example, you can be
slightly more lenient if we are ahead of schedule.
-
Moderate the discussion. Two people will carry microphones to
those asking questions. We shall ask them to look at you so that
you might indicate who is to be called upon next. If a questioner
starts without a microphone, you or the speaker may need to repeat
the question. Tell the speaker the question if you understand it
and he/she doesn't hear or doesn't understand. Again using your
judgment, try to limit multiple "debate" type exchanges between the
speaker and a particular questioner, and allow more or less
discussion based on the audience response and the overall schedule.
-
Check that all speakers in your session have loaded their
presentation onto the conference computers, prior to the start of
the session. There will be a tech support person to bring up each
presentation on the screens while you are introducing the
speaker.
- Introduce the speaker and title. (If uncertain, you may want to
verify pronunciation of the speaker's name prior to the session.)
- Lead the applause at the end of the talk if necessary. Some speakers
just stop talking, and you may need to cue that he/she is really
finished.
- Try to ask a question or make a pertinent comment to start
discussion if there is none from the audience. Please avoid
comments such as "Well I guess that was perfectly clear." When
there are no more questions, or if we are a couple minutes over
time, end discussion with "Let's thank again",
lead applause again, and introduce the next speaker.
- Thank all speakers at the close of the session and make provided
announcements or instructions to audience. For example, remind
speakers for the next session to load their presentations onto the
Symposium computer during the break, if they haven't already done
so.
