Many thanks for agreeing to present at #VIDM19. This guidance is to enable the process to run as smoothly as possible.
Preparing your session
The secret is to keep your presentation slides simple! Many of those attending the conference live in countries where the internet is slow, or intermittent, and any animations applied to the presentation may run slow for them. So:
- Powerpoint preferably, but PDF works too
- No animations
- No external links on slides– these can be provided for us and we can provide these via the website and posted in the session text chat
- No videos – again these can be provided on the website
- Reduce the size of any pictures before inserting them into the presentation – makes the size of the presentation much smaller and quicker to upload to the conference room
- Ensure slides are in the standard 4:3 format, and not widescreen or 16:9 – we will adjust the presentation to 4:3 if necessary and this may upset the formatting of the slides
- We love interactive sessions so feel free to ask questions of the audience or prepare a poll to ascertain the views of the midwives attending. Speak to your facilitator about this.
Send your presentation to info@vidm.org no later than 30th April.
Respond to your facilitator
You should have heard from your facilitator by now. This person acts as ‘chair’ at the conference introducing you and dealing with questioning much the same as at any face to face conference. But the facilitator does much more than this at #VIDM19! The facilitator works with you to ensure that the technology, and your presentation, run smoothly. So:
- Please respond quickly to any emails from your facilitator – we will try to allocate a facilitator in a time zone close to yours to make communication easier.
- It is essential that you have a practice session with your facilitator – preferably from the same computer as the one you will be using on the day. And preferably from the same country!
- Prepare and send your presentation in good time to the VIDM – we will add slides to the beginning and the end of the presentation with information for delegates.
Before the conference
- Check that all the details on the website are accurate.
- Check and double check the time of your presentation. The links on the programme on the website give you the time in your time zone. Check with your facilitator that you are both sure of the time.
- Send a picture and a biography for the website if you have not already done so. We may use the picture during the presentation – we will not be using the webcam as this often prevents those with slow internet connections from following the presentation.
- Find and use a headset. This minimizes feedback and external noise.
On the day
- Arrive at least 15 mins before your presentation – hopefully you will be attending the conference anyway. Make sure you go to the right room, as directed from the Programme on the website: HERE.
- At the beginning of your session your facilitator will give participants advice about how to work the technology, then he/she will introduce you. Give your facilitator any special information that you want to pass onto participants in the introduction.
- Agree with your facilitator how you wish to handle questions – most speakers prefer to take questions at the end of the presentation but you may agree to answer some during the session. The delegates will type these questions in the chat box – it is the facilitator’s role to keep an eye on these so don’t feel obliged to read what is written in the chat box during your presentation.
- The session will be recorded. Your session will last a total of 50 minutes, including introductions etc. Your presentation should last no more than 30 minutes leaving 20 minutes for discussion. If you leave no time for questions and discussion it can get a little boring for the audience. Your presentation will be terminated after 50 minutes to allow time for delegates to move on to the next presentation which will be in another room to allow the recording of your session to be completed.
After 5th May
- The recordings of all the sessions will be posted on our website and the Virtual Midwives YouTube channel.
- You will be sent a certificate of participation for your professional portfolio later in May.
