Speaker Orientation Meeting

There will be a Speaker Orientation Meeting on Sunday, April 10 from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. If you are unable to attend, there will be a speaker orientation webcast available prior to the conference. It is recommended you attend so you can:

• Review the conference presentation process.
• Meet with the Conference Committee responsible for managing all content within each track.
• Ask questions regarding room setup and any other last-minute concerns you may have.

Virtual Speaker Participants Orientation

All speakers who will be presenting sessions that are included in the virtual Plug-in to Orlando event, please click here for details, tips and tricks that were provided on the March 23 virtual speaker orientation. Click here to access the webinar recording.

New Speaker Area

If you are a first-time presenter (or even if this is your first-time speaking at an IOUG event) and you need advice or assistance with anything from "Should I attend the Speaker Orientation" to "How many slides should I prepare for my presentation", the New Speaker Mentors, along with the rest of the Conference Committee, are here to help. Click here for the entire Conference Committee Contact List.

Below are some frequently asked questions by first-time speakers: 

How many slides should my presentation include?
The generally accepted guideline is 1.5 to 2 minutes per slide. Don't forget to allow time for a question and answer period. Your style may be slightly different so the best guideline is to practice your presentation in front of a live audience and time your presentation.

Do you have any general suggestions when creating the presentation?

• Use text sparingly: Keep your points in a short, concise, outline form. This will inform the view about the topic and will also help you remember your key points for discussion. There is no real need to write in full sentences, as this will unnecessarily clutter your slides. Use actions keywords to point out the important topics of your discussion.
• Wording should be clear and legible: Make sure your font selections can be read by all participants in your session. Text should be large enough to be legible from all areas of the room. Slides should have not more than five bullets and each bullet should be no longer than two lines.
• Slide titles: Keep your slide titles to one or two lines.
• Number of slides: A typical rule-of-thumb is to have one slide for each 1.5 to 2 minutes of the speaker portion of your presentation (not including the Q&A time). Stick to one topic per slide. You can have multiple slides per topic. In this case, the same title should be used on the each slide, with the work ‘cont'd' at the end of the title in all instances after the first use.
• Visually appealing: Use other sources of information besides text in your presentation. Pictures and visual effects can add to the attractiveness of a presentation if used correctly. However, be careful that those tools don't override the information you are trying to convey.
• Colors: Do not use mot than four colors in your presentation. Avoid red letters, which are difficult for some people to read. The best readability comes with high contrast of intensity rather than by clashes of color.
• Alignment: All type is upper and lower case, flush left, ragged right.
• Consistent throughout presentation: Be consistent in presenting information in an organized, logical manner.

Any tips for a successful presentation?

• It is better not to read slides verbatim. Expand on the material.
• Always repeat any questions. Those in the back probably did not hear it.
• Watch your time. Set yourself 10 minute goals so you don't end up with 10 slides to cover in 3 minutes.
• Speak slowly and enunciate carefully.
• Be positive, be enthusiastic, relax and have fun.

Will I receive any feedback on my presentation?
All attendees in your session will have the opportunity to complete session evaluations. Please encourage your attendees to provide their feedback.

In addition, the New Speaker Mentor will try to attend as many sessions as possible. If the Mentor attends your session, the Mentor will meet with you immediately after and critique your session.

Who can I contact if I have additional questions or concerns?
If you are a first-time speaker, please feel free to contact the New Speaker Mentor at any time with any questions. The objective is to help make this a successful experience for you in every way. Below is the contact information for the New Speaker Mentor.

New Speaker Mentor
Karen Morton, karen.r.morton@gmail.com