Plenary Speaker Guidelines

All plenary session presentations are 15 minutes: 12 minutes for the talk and 3 minutes for a question and answer period.

The following equipment will be available in the session meeting rooms: Macbook, LCD projector, laser pointer, lavaliere microphone, podium microphone and a speaker timer.

All speakers presenting between 8:30 am and 12:00 noon should load their presentation on the conference computer between 7:30 am and 8:30 am the day of their presentation. All speakers should go to the Green Room to enter the back of the stage. A computer technician will be available to load your presentation on the computer.

All speakers in afternon should arrive 60 minutes before the start of your session.  A 2.0 GHz MacBook, 4 Gb ram with Version OS x 10.6 with a full install of Microsoft Office 2011 will be available. Bring your presentation on a flash drive to load your presentation on the conference computer.

Use the format below to label your presentation. This format will make it easier for the computer technician to display the correct presentation.

Last name presentation #

Sample: Chen12

Guidelines for Preparing PowerPoint Presentations

MacBooks with the following capabilities will be used at the meeting:

Hardware: Zip drive, CD ROM

Software: Office 2011 (with PowerPoint and Keynote), Quick Time

Pictures/Images: Use common image formats that are cross platform such as JPG, PNG, GIF and BMP. Do not use PIC graphics in your PowerPoint presentation. Do not embed images in PowerPoint and then resize with the corner handles. Resize the image outside of PowerPoint and then insert it into the presentation.

Fonts: Use standard platform fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial and Helvetica. An unusual font may not translate. If you use a Windows operating system, you should save your presentation with the font embedded in it.

Animations: Use simple entry animation effects, such as fly in/out, appear and dissolve.

If you plan to show Quicktime movies, please DO NOT attach them to your presentation.  You should include them as SEPARATE FILES on the flash drive, and be prepared to place them back into your presentation AFTER loading on the conference computer.

Test your presentation on a separate Mac or PC to insure fonts are standard and components such as movies are included rather than merely linked in your presentation.

Tips for an Effective Scientific Talk

1. One slide, one idea.   
2. Use pictures. Use the minimum wording needed to get your idea across, and substitute a simple drawing wherever you can.   
3. Give a slow 9 minute talk, not a fast 12-minute one. Your talk will be clearer and more engaging if you plan for 9 minutes and deliver it casually, than if you plan for 15 minutes and rush through to beat the clock.

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS

Your PowerPoint presentation should help clarify ideas, emphasize key points, show relationships, and provide the visual information your audience needs to understand your message. Please consider the following suggestions as you plan your presentation:

1. Keep visuals clear and easy to read. Abbreviate your message. SIMPLE graphs, charts and diagrams are much more meaningful to an audience than complex cluttered ones. – Remember too many lines of text and it may cause the audience to begin tapping on their smartphones
2. Avoid using too many patterns and graphics in one frame.
3. Use a minimum of words for text and title frames. Five to eight lines per frame and five to seven words per line are the maximum-fewer is better.
4. Use upper and lower case lettering, which is more legible than all capital letters.
5. Vary the size of lettering to emphasize headings and subheadings, but avoid using more than three sizes per frame.
6. Select sans serif type (example: Arial) which projects better and is easier to read than serif type.
7. Maintain the same or similar type sized from frame to frame, even if some frames have less copy than others.
8. Keep all type horizontal, even in charts.
9. Consider color with care. A dark background with highly contrasting text and graphics is most readable. Cool colors (example: deep blue, turquoise, purple) appear to recede and make white or light colored text more readable. In one study, blue was found to be the most effective background color for projection. Do not use red for text; it is extremely difficult to read.
10. Highlight your main point or heading with a dominant color (example: yellow for the heading, white for body text). Avoid the use of intensely bright or saturated colors that compete with the text.
11. Maintain a consistent color scheme. Use no more than six colors throughout your presentation.
12. Select backgrounds to enhance your text or graphics. A background that transitions smoothly from lighter to darker shades of the same hue can be effective. Some software packages permit the gradation from one color to another. A textured background can be effective, but it should not detract from or compete with text or images.
13. Consider photographs for added interest. Combined with simple, straightforward graphics, illustrations, cartoons and artwork, photos can bring another dimension to your presentation.
14. Remember the basics of good design: Plan a template. Use colors consistently with light fonts on a dark background. Keep text clear and easy to read.

If you know in advance of the conference that you must cancel your presentation, or if you must change presenters, please contact Anne Marie Mahoney, at Mahoney@genetics-gsa.org or (301) 634-7039 by June 20, 2014.