Guidelines for Moderators
BEFORE THE CONGRESS:
- Please familiarize yourself with the program, session and speakers.
- Please prepare some backup questions.
AT THE CONGRESS: BEFORE THE SESSION STARTS
Approximately two minutes before the start of each session, please ask people to take their seats, encouraging them to sit towards the front and center. You should announce the speaker and supervise discussion from the head table using the microphone provided.
One minute before the first scheduled presentation:
- You should introduce yourself by name and affiliation.
- Announce the title of the session.
- Ask people to set their mobile devices to silent and request that they do not take photos of the presentation slides or record the session.
- Let the audience know that questions can be asked to the speaker through the Congress app or by using the microphones available in the hall.
- If you are moderating in a hall in which translation is available, please remind the speakers to speak loudly and slowly. Let attendees know that headsets are available for Spanish translation at the entrance to the hall.
DURING THE SESSION:
As the session moderator, you are responsible for the time management of the presentations within your session hall:
- Please introduce the speaker and presentation title as indicated in the Mobile App which will have the most up-to-date program details.
- Please ensure that the speakers display their disclosure slides for 30 seconds
- Please follow the schedule closely.
- It is essential to adhere to the scheduled start and end times of each talk. This is so that people can move from one room to another and find the talks as announced in the program.
- Please announce a two-minute warning so that a speaker can time the end of their presentation and not overrun.
- If the presenter is speaking too quickly and cannot be easily understood, please ask them to slow down.
- Please ensure that the speaker uses the microphone and speaks loudly and slowly.
- If there is a long or complicated question from the audience and/or if the speaker does not understand the question, please summarize the question for the speaker or ask for clarification.
- Notify the in-hall AV Technician immediately of AV equipment problems.
- Expect the unexpected!
If the session gets ahead of schedule, do one or more of the following:
– Solicit questions from the audience and lead a discussion.
– If you finish before the allotted time, you may let the session out early.