Speaker Instructions

Oral presentations are an integral part of the UF Water Institute Symposium educational program. Speakers are encouraged to produce a PowerPoint presentation to accompany their talk as a visual reference for the audience. Speakers are asked to prepare their presentation with the following information in mind.

Speaker Timing

Presenters giving talks in concurrent sessions each receive 15 minutes each for presentation and Q&A (recommended time is 12 minutes for presentation and 3 minutes for Q&A).

Speaker Registration

All presenters must register for the symposium and pay the applicable fee by December 14, 2021 in order to CONFIRM their participation as a presenter, secure a space in the program, and have their abstract published in the symposium online Book of Abstracts.

*It is imperative that you register as soon as possible. Due to COVID-19 precautions, this event will be at limited capacity and registration will be cut off when capacity is reached. It is of utmost importance that presenters are registered as soon as possible to reserve their presentation slot. Those who fail to register will be removed from the program.

If your talk will be given by a colleague, please inform Jessica Bailey immediately so that your presentation may be confirmed.

Speaker Cancellation

In the event a situation arises that would prevent you from honoring your commitment, we trust that speakers will alert us immediately.

Speaker Presentation File Submissions

Due at least the Day Prior to Your Talk
  • Important: your PowerPoint presentation file at least one day prior to your talk in one of the following ways:

Presenters may submit their presentation via the upload site or at the Presentatin Download Station on Monday during setup. Staff will ensure your presentation loads and projects correctly and familiarize you with the equipment.

  • The preferred format for PowerPoint files at the symposium is 16:9 (widescreen). However, 4:3 presentations can still be accommodated — they will be projected with a blank bar on the sides of the screen.

Audiovisual Equipment Available

Note: A volunteer will be assigned to each room to assist with equipment operation during the session.

  • Presentation PC laptop with Microsoft PowerPoint for Office 365 (2019)
    • We encourage you to use the presentation laptop offered by the symposium. Should you decide to use your own laptop, you will need to test your laptop prior to the start of that day’s symposium, and your laptop will need to be set in the meeting room prior to your session. Bring your power cord, computer cable and, if using a Mac, an adapter. Label your laptop and touch base with the moderator in your session room prior to your session.
  • One computer projector and screen
  • One podium and microphone (for large rooms only)
  • A wireless presentation remote control to advance and reverse slides

Tips for Developing Your PowerPoint Presentation

  • Create an initial slide that summarizes the content of your talk.
  • Items should be bulleted, not full sentences.
  • Do not put text on the bottom ¼.
  • Whenever possible, present data using bar charts or graphs instead of tables.
  • Embed graphs or figures into the document as independent objects; do not dynamically link from other programs.
  • Attempt to limit file size to 25 MB and less. Photos for slides can be compressed and saved in a lower resolution to reduce size.
  • Disable any automatic advance timer on your file.
  • Click here for more important tips!

Session Moderators

Each session will be facilitated by a moderator who is responsible for keeping speakers on time. Plan to arrive at the session at least five (5) minutes prior to the published start time and introduce yourself to the moderator. Be sure they know how to pronounce your name for introduction. It is best to sit in the front row for convenient access to the stage/podium.

Should you have any questions about these instructions, please contact Jessica Bailey at j.bailey@ufl.edu or 352-294-3584.