In-Person Session FAQs

Yes. These are due by October 2. We ask that you upload your presentation slides (PPT/PPTx) and a copy of your slides (PDF) prior to the conference for attendees to view as a resource. (EDUCAUSE will post them to your session listing in the online agenda and mobile app.) This can be a game-changer for many attendees as it will allow them to prepare appropriately.

Important Note: 

• This statement below appears on the EDUCAUSE PowerPoint template and highlights the terms of the permission agreement you accepted in EDUCAUSE's Publishing Agreement. If you are using your own PowerPoint, we ask you to use the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference branding on the first and last slides. Please also include this statement on one of your slides:

  This presentation leaves copyright of the content to the presenter. Unless otherwise noted in the materials, uploaded content carries the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, which grants usage to the general public, with appropriate credit to the author.

Yes. EDUCAUSE strives to hold meetings, conferences, and other professional events where all attendees feel welcome and barriers of any type do not exclude people from attending or participating. We ask that you take the time to review the Accessibility Information for Presenters section to help you create and deliver a presentation that all attendees can enjoy.

These should be uploaded as PDFs. The copy of your presentation slides (that will serve as a resource for attendees) should be converted to a PDF that is accessible. See below for instructions on converting a copy of your presentation as a resource. File sizes should be 2GB or smaller.

• ✓ First find and fix any accessibility issues using PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker.
• ✓ Select File > Save As and choose where to store your PDF.
• ✓ Do NOT select “Print to PDF” or “Save as Adobe PDF”!
• ✓ Change “Save As” type to PDF (*.pdf).
• ✓ Fill the Title field with the title of your PowerPoint presentation.
• ✓ Select the “More Options” button near the title of your document and then select “Options.”
• ✓ Check both “Document Properties” and “Document structure tags for accessibility” boxes.
• ✓ Select “Save” and close Options.
• ✓ Select “Save” to convert PDF.

Any changes to your presentation after this date MUST be made onsite in the Speaker Ready Room (Room W181BC, Level 1). Please bring in an updated presentation on a USB drive. Our speaker ready room tech support will be there to assist and answer any questions.

You will receive an email from your speaker liaison in mid-September with a link to upload these into the speaker portal. All presenters will receive the email; however, designate only one presenter to upload your material to avoid confusion. When you get the link, please follow the detailed instructions to have this completed by the due date of October 2.

Please rename files to be uploaded with the session title and the resource type (examples: "NameofSession Slides" and/or "NameofSession Handout").

This is a tough question to answer since...it depends. It depends on your presenting skills and comfort level with the content. A good rule of thumb, though, is that for every hour you spend presenting, you want to spend 10x that preparing. Preparation is the single most important part of making a successful presentation!

Don’t skip any of the preparation steps:

• Strategy and Logistics: Know who you are speaking to, why you are speaking, so you can figure out what you are going to present.
• Brainstorm and Outline Your Presentation: You will want to map out your entire session using a session outline template such as this one. This is where you list out how many minutes you have to speak, then write a short script for each section, and who is presenting which sections. Add in items such as engagement activities, special notes about AV, slide transitions, videos, etc. This outline or script is essentially a game plan for your session.
• Practice: Your practice sessions should be 50% of your preparation time and should begin well in advance of the event. We can’t emphasize this enough: The more you practice, the more comfortable and confident you will be! Do several dry runs of your presentation. The success of your presentation depends on it! Tip: Time your presentation from start to finish!
• Create Your Slides/Visuals: Keep it simple and visually interesting.
• Presentation: Good luck! All your preparation will pay off!
• Debrief: What went well, what didn’t. How can I/we improve for next time?

Yes! The Presenter Concierge section of our website offers tons of articles, videos and resources for you, including slide design how-to’s, tips on delivering an outstanding presentation, engagement strategies, accessibility and more. Take the time to develop your presentation skills to create and deliver a presentation that is memorable and impactful.Here are a couple of our favorite resources:

• How to Give a Killer Presentation
• Top Ten Slide Design Tips

EDUCAUSE has a dedicated staff person whose primary role is to support presenters. The speaker liaison provides ongoing communication leading up to the event, answers questions and can provide extra assistance through Speaker Support Sessions if needed. We currently offer training through pre-event meetings and the EDUCAUSE Presenter Support Modules. These five-minute (or less) videos will help you create an outstanding presentation by focusing on the practices adopted by the most effective speakers, presenters, and facilitators. The content also includes machine-readable PDF versions.

• Presentation Best Practices Introduction (3:10)
• How to Use Presentation Time Effectively (4:10)
• Using Visuals (4:13)
• Presentation Content and Detail (4:19)
• Audience Interaction (4:22)
• Panels (3:38)
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (3:19)

We love panels! However, there are some important do’s and don’ts to having a successful one. For example, having an experienced moderator is must. A skillful, knowledgeable moderator will bring out the best in your panelists and keep the session on track. We encourage you to use these tactics to fulfill your panel’s potential:

• 9 Tactics for Moderating Engaging Panel Discussions.
• How To Be A Rock Star Panel Moderator

All education breakout sessions will be held in McCormick Place West. McCormick Place is a very large convention center, so we encourage you to become familiar with the facility prior to the conference.

• Visit here for an overview of the Floor Plans.
• Visit here for a Virtual Tour of McCormick Place West.

Meeting rooms will be assigned in mid-September and published within your session listing in the online agenda. A meeting room diagram can be sent to you upon request by emailing your speaker liaison. Room sets will be based on your session format:

• Community Group Sessions: These will be set with round tables. There will be a head table and chairs for presenters and a standing lectern at the front of the room.
• Community Group Open House: This area will be set with multifunctional furniture and standard soft seating - ideal for small to medium size group conversations.
• Featured Sessions: The featured session room will be set theater with some round table seating at the front.
• Preconference Workshops: These will be set in all rounds, with a head table and chairs for presenters and a standing lectern at the front of the room.
• Presentations and Panels: The majority of the rooms will be set theater-style or theater with some round tables dispersed in the room. There will be a head table and chairs for presenters and a standing lectern at the front of the room. Some rooms have risers for the lectern and head table.
• Swap Shop Sessions: Swap Shop sessions will have a head table and chairs, a lectern and will be set with an assortment of chairs. There is seating for 95 people plus standing room.

Session rooms vary in size but will hold anywhere from 95 to 500 people. The room assigned for your presentation will depend on your topic and format. We cannot anticipate how many people will attend your session, and seating is first-come, first-served. (Preconference workshops are the exception.)

All of the session rooms (with the exception of posters) will have the following standard audiovisual setup, which includes:

• LCD projector with connection to a presentation computer to display your presentation.
• Dell Laptop computer (your presentation will be pre-loaded on the computer)
• Wireless presentation mouse
• 19” monitor where presentation slides can be viewed while presenting.
• Screen (16:9, widescreen format)
• Wireless internet access
• VLAN internet drop (access to presenter management platform)
• Sound patch for computer audio to the room through house sound
• Wireless lavalier microphone
• Wired microphone at lectern
• For panels of three or more, one additional table mic is provided
• Two flip charts and markers
• All education session rooms will have water placed at the lectern and head tables and will be refreshed for every session.

The following will NOT be provided:

• Any adapters/dongles that you may need.
• Slide advancer. If you use a slide advancer, please BYOC (bring your own clicker)! (You will have a presentation mouse at the lectern, fyi.)

EDUCAUSE is not able to accommodate additional requests outside of the standard AV. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the AV provided, it is important to contact EDUCAUSE no later than September 8. After that date, our program will be finalized with the convention center.

Yes, wireless internet access will be available for both presenters and attendees. The connection speed will be sufficient to access and navigate web pages and email.

Yes, there will be a Speaker Ready Room with EDUCAUSE staff available to assist you at McCormick Place West in Meeting Room W181BC, Level 1.

Here are a few things you will be able to do in this room:

• Upload your presentation to the presentation management platform
• Make last-minute changes to your presentation
• Practice your presentation using similar AV equipment that will be provided in your breakout room
• Get help with technology questions
• Meet with your co-presenter(s) to review your presentation
• Pick up your "presenter" ribbon for your name badge
• Enjoy snacks and beverages

Hours:

• Monday, 7:00 AM–4:15 PM
• Tuesday, 7:00 AM–4:15 PM
• Wednesday, 7:00 AM–4:15 PM
• Thursday, 8:00 AM–10:30 AM

We have made it easy to let your colleagues and friends know you are presenting. This year, you are receiving a personalized Presenter Promotional Toolkit in which you can share across social media and email about your session and #EDU23. (Promotional Toolkits were emailed to presenters.) Be sure to take this opportunity to record a short video about your session and what people will learn. It’s simple and can be recorded from any device. (It will then go to your landing page so you can share it out.) We're excited to see the increased success this campaign will surely bring to your session!