Thank you for agreeing to be the chairperson of session(s) at the ACEM ASM 2024. These briefing notes are designed to assist you in understanding your role as chairperson within the program.
Whilst not onerous, this role is very important to the professional and timely delivery of the ASM program and in ensuring the quality and relevance of information provided to delegates. Good chairing is a vital component of a successful conference, and we really appreciate your contribution.
What is expected of me as chairperson?
The chairperson is expected to manage the session, and this includes but is not limited to the following actions:
- Introduce the session
- Introduce the speakers (biographies are not necessary due to time
constraints, full name and presentation title is sufficient) - Facilitate Q&A through the APP
- Ensure the session runs to time and does not exceed the allocated time
- Close the session and thank speakers/audience
Discuss with your co-chairpersons how you will divide the role within the session. For example, one may choose to open session, while others may choose to facilitate Q&A or close the session.
What can I expect on the day?
The session room will be setup and ready for your session when you arrive. At the front of the room there will be reserved seating. The chairpersons will sit in the reserved seating and will manage the session from there.
From the stage, the chairpersons will see a foldback monitor in front of them which will show what is on the screen – the PowerPoint presentation and anything that is taking place on the projector screen behind them. You will not need to turn your head to see the content.
Speakers in the session should sit in the front row and will come up to the lectern to present/answer questions.
Arrival to your session room
We request that you are present in the session room at least 15 minutes prior to the start of your session. This will allow time for you to liaise with the speakers presenting in your session.
Speakers have also been advised to meet with their session chairs 15 minutes prior to the start of their session.
Chairpersons and speakers should sit in the front row and come up to the lectern to present. Panel seats will be located onstage for speakers to sit during Q&A and panel discussions.
Presentation times
It is extremely important to keep the program to time. Please be aware of the time periods within which speakers have been designated to present. Ensure you check the final Meeting program which can be found on the website or within the Meeting app.
Please provide the speaker with a warning when two minutes are remaining and when time is up. The Meeting Organisers will provide you with coloured flash cards that you can use, and a table bell will also be made available should you wish to use this.
Should one of the presentations in your session be cancelled or the speaker is not present, please adjust the session timings as you see fit – by either starting the next speaker sooner than planned or elongating the Q&A time allocated for speakers, where appropriate. You can also finish the session earlier than planned if needed, depending on how the rest of the session delivery works out. The priority is to ensure the flow of the session and content is not disrupted for our delegates in the audience.
Chairpersons for morning plenary sessions will be provided with a detailed run sheet for the session, outlining the order of speakers, AV cues and stage directions where necessary. You will also be given biographies for the keynote speakers for you to review and prepare to read out during the introduction.
Chairpersons for all other program sessions are requested to introduce each speaker by their full name, organisation and presentation title only as per the program (biographies are not necessary, due to time constraints). Please check any pronunciation queries before the session begins.
Being prepared to chair
- Chairpersons are requested to sit in the front row of the room.
- Always remember to speak into the microphone to be heard; don’t turn away to look at speakers.
- Introduce yourself at the beginning of the session.
- Please ensure you have a copy of the list of speakers in your session with you.
- Introduce each speaker as per the above instructions and welcome them to the lectern. Please check any pronunciation queries before the session begins.
- During each presentation, make notes of possible questions for each speaker in case the discussion needs prompting or a change in direction.
- Ensure that you stress the importance of sticking to time limits and advise the speakers of warning signals you intend to use to indicate approaching time limits, etc.
- Close the session and thank speakers/audience
- Ensure you have downloaded the Meeting app on your own device so you can facilitate Q&A with the audience.
What if I need help?
Upon arrival to your session room, you will be briefed by the Meeting Organisers. The session room will be setup and ready when you arrive. There will also be a dedicated ACEM student volunteer who will be able to support you throughout the session, if needed an AV technician will be available in the room to handle any problems that may arise. In the unlikely event of a technical problem, speakers have been requested to continue with their presentations whilst the technician rectifies the problem. It may be necessary for you to prompt the speaker to continue if this should occur.
Rooms will be setup with the following audio-visual equipment:
- Projection screen and data projector
- Microphone attached to the lectern
- Hand-held microphone/s for Q&A
- Foldback monitor for speakers to view presentations and notes while presenting
How will Q&A work?
Each session will have allocated time for Q&A. Questions from the audience will be collected via the Meeting app.
It is IMPORTANT that all chairpersons download the app to effectively manage their assigned session. Instructions to download the app will be shared closer to the time. Please see here a detailed document explaining how to use the app to effectively manage the session Q&A..
Chairpersons will need to access the app from their own device to assist with their role during the session.
It is the chairperson’s responsibility to ensure that they are checking the app for questions asked. As the session chair, you can moderate the questions and select the ones you believe are most appropriate or representative of the audience’s interests.
The app will show the following information:
- Session information including the title of the session, speaker names, presentation titles and presentation lengths
- Any questions submitted by the audience
The speakers will not be able to see the questions, so please read the questions out and direct to the appropriate speaker.
Housekeeping
Throughout the day, it may be necessary for housekeeping announcements to be made. These announcements will be provided by the Meeting Organisers either in person or will be left on the lectern prior to the start of the session. We request that these announcements be made to ensure that all delegates are aware of the necessary information. Below are a few reminder announcements that can be made at the appropriate time in the session.
EMERGENCY EVACUATION: If in the event of an emergency, please follow ACC Security staff outside to a safe assembly point.
PROGRAM UPDATES: Check the app for any program updates or the MCI team at the registration desk to remind delegates if relevant to an upcoming session.
MEETING ORGANISERS: If you have any questions, please see our Meeting Organisers at the registration desk.
Speaker gifts
After the conclusion of the session, please present the speaker gifts to the relevant speakers (offstage).
These gifts will be brought into the room for you before the session by the Meeting Organisers.
Acknowledgment of Country
We have included a Welcome to Country, to formally open the ASM during the main Opening Ceremony on Monday 25 November morning. There is no specific requirement for chairs or speakers to deliver individual acknowledgments within each session, unless they feel strongly that they would like to do so.
We have provided an example here, should you wish to use this:
ACEM acknowledges the traditional custodians of Adelaide, the Kaurna people. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of the city and region.
If you require further assistance or have any questions, please contact the MCI team.
Thank you for your help in making the ACEM ASM 2024 a success!
