Oral Talks

Find the detailed programme HERE

15th PAOC GUIDELINES FOR SPEAKERS

Welcome to the 15th PAOC being held at Victoria Falls from 21 – 25 November 2022. Please read ALL these instructions very carefully.

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL SPEAKERS

BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE CONGRESS

  • We have over 230 talks to coordinate; we need all presenters to follow our instructions closely and to submit their presentation materials/files in advance of the congress.
  • Before traveling to Victoria Falls, please transfer your presentation files via WeTransfer (https://paoc15.wetransfer.com/). This will automatically send your presentation to the organisers (info@paoc15.org). We need to receive your files in advance of the conference. This is vitally important, especially if you are presenting on the first day of the congress (Monday 21 November 2022) as there will not be time to coordinate your presentation materials on Monday morning.
  • We strongly suggest that you do not wait until arrival in Victoria Falls to submit your presentation materials. Internet connectivity cannot be guaranteed. It will save everyone time and stress to provide your presentation materials in advance of your arrival in Victoria Falls.
  • Supported presentation formats are Microsoft Powerpoint and PDF (16:9 landscape mode is optimal). Other file formats (e.g., Apple macOS Keynote) are not supported.
  • Media Guidelines: If you are using video clips or other multimedia, we strongly recommend that video/audio files are embedded in your slides (and not kept as separate files), ideally using Windows Media Files (WMV) format. Failing to do this will likely result in your media files failing to load (e.g., the filepath will break and Powerpoint will not be able to find your files). If you MUST have separate media files, please ensure they are included with the files you send us (in a folder). You can send us all your files via WeTransfer as one zip file.
  • Please note that you will NOT be able to rely on access to the Internet during your presentation. You should NOT use links to online videos or media (e.g., YouTube). Media that requires Internet connectivity will not work.
  • Resolution: SVGA 800 x 600 or XGA 1024 X 768 are recommended for desktop-size screen resolutions. Do not use a screen resolution of SXGA 1280 x 1024 or above as the size of the individual pixel is very small and your graphics/text will look smaller.
  • Filenames: Please use the reference number (which can be found in the program) followed by your last name followed by the presentation title (or shortened), e.g.,
    • S14-01 Atkinson Bird monitoring in Africa: present, state and future prospects.pptx
    • S24-03 Pierini Effective tools for urban wetland conservation.pptx

  • Instructions for uploading your files to WeTransfer:

Visit https://paoc15.wetransfer.com/. On the page, you should see the following:

  • Click on the blue plus icon and select your files (pptx, pdf, or zip)
  • Make sure Email to is info@paoc15.org
  • Enter your email address, presentation title, and (optional) message
  • Click on the “Transfer” button
  • If you receive an email verification code, enter it on the page. That’s it!

AT THE CONGRESS

  • You will receive your programme, name badge, and other details at the PAOC15 Registration Desk when you enter the Elephant Hills Hotel & Conference Centre. The PAOC15 registration room is located at the Elephant Hills Hotel & Conference Centre and will be signposted.
  • PRESENTATION TIMINGS: Your presentation time is limited. Please refer to the programme and ensure your talk does not overrun the time it has been allocated. The final programme will be available online by the end of October 2022. Speakers are given 15 minutes, which includes question time. Presentations for standard oral sessions must not exceed 12 minutes, allowing at least 3 minutes for questions. The session chair will keep you to time, signalling when you have 5 minutes and 1 minute of speaking time remaining before questions. WE CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH THAT TALKS SHOULD BE A MAXIMUM OF 12 MINUTES LONG. THIS IS NORMALLY 8-15 SLIDES.
  • If you would like to check that your presentation will be displayed correctly (e.g., make sure all fonts appear as expected and all sound/video clips are working properly) you can do so by coming to the PAOC15 registration room at Elephant Hills conference center the day before your talk. The computers in the PAOC15 Registration Room will run the same software as the session rooms. We recommend bringing a backup copy of your presentation and any relevant additional files (e.g., video and audio files) with you. Note that speakers are responsible for the safety of their property; any drives left at the loading point may be disposed of.
  • Speakers will not be allowed to connect their own laptop/equipment to the audio-visual equipment. Each room will have a laptop running Microsoft Windows with Powerpoint and Adobe Acrobat, and presentations will be loaded onto that Laptop ahead of time. It will not be possible to upload presentations in the conference rooms.
  • Each conference room will be equipped with a lectern, laptop, and laser pointers.  You will be able to control the advance of your slides from the lectern in your session room. Every session room will be staffed by a technician who will assist with the start of each presentation. Before the session begins, a technician will confirm that all presentations have been uploaded. If the technician notices a missing presentation, then he/she will contact the loading point in the PAOC15 registration room for verification and notify the Chair if necessary. Once the presentation is launched, the presenter will be able to control it from the lectern.
  • Please arrive at the conference room where you will be presenting at least 15 minutes prior to the published start time of the first talk and make yourself known to your Session Chair. Please indicate how you wish to be introduced.
  • We expect speakers to attend their own symposium session in full.

TROUBLESHOOTING

  • In exceptional circumstances: if you have trouble transferring your presentation via WeTransfer, please report to the PAOC15 registration room at least the day before your talk to submit your presentation materials. Please note that your name badge will need to be shown as proof of identity before the staff upload your presentation to the system. Talks cannot be uploaded in your session room.
  • The PAOC15 registration room will be open during the following days/times:
Sunday 20 November 14h00 – 17h00 (ONLY OPTION FOR MONDAY PRESENTATIONS)
Monday 21 November 08h00 – 17h00
Tuesday 22 November 08h00 – 17h00
Wednesday 23 November 08h00 – 17h00
Thursday 24 November 08h00 – 17h00

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

We would love you to share what is happening at the congress on social media! Please tweet using the hashtag #PAOC15 and #ornithology.  It is a great way to connect with people across the world, to share ideas and create collaborations. We heartily encourage people to tweet and post about their experiences, both inside the event, but also outside.

However, we understand that some people will not want their research broadcast as it may contain breaking news which has not yet been published. Where presenters use a ‘do not share’ image (the British Ecological Society created the one here which can be downloaded ) on their poster/talk presentation, we expect that fellow attendees will respect such a request. We will explain the meaning of the ‘do not share’ image on social media and the PAOC website. If people do not include the ‘do not share’ image on their presentation, we will assume they are happy for their research to be published openly.

NOTE FOR STUDENT PRESENTATION PRIZE CANDIDATES

If you have entered your presentation for the Student Talk Prize, judging will take place within your session, based on criteria including: visual style, scientific content, originality of research and effectiveness of communication. The winner will be announced at the closing ceremony.

The prize for the best student talk is a Canon Powershot Zoom Camera kindly donated by Canon South Africa

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