Virtual Platform Presenter Guidelines

The following instructions are only for Platform Presentations being given online. If you are presenting live at the in-person conference, please visit the In-person Platform Presenter Guidelines. Platform presentations will be conducted using Zoom Webinar (live) and will be presented in Pacific time. All abstract driven oral sessions will be recorded and made available through the conference app through June 30, 2022. Attendees will view the presentations via the Conference App.

Talk Length

Talks should be 12 minutes, plus 3 minutes for questions. If you have not finished your talk after 15 minutes, the session chair may end your screen share and mute your microphone.

Presentation Time

You can look up your presentation time on the Author Abstract Assignments page. All presentation times are shown in Pacific Daylight Time. You should be prepared to present your talk at any time during your session. If a presenter that precedes you is unable to present, the session chair may decide to move your talk to an earlier time within the session.

Registration

You must register for the conference by March 17 to confirm your participation and receive the speaker access link.

Recordings

All platform presentations will be recorded and made available to registrants on the Conference App through June 30, 2022.

Technical requirements

Connectivity

Make sure your connection speed is 2 Mbps upload/4 Mbps download or better. You can test your internet connection speed at SpeedTest.net. Please run the test in the location where you will be presenting because connectivity may change with distance from your router.

Zoom Client

We strongly recommend that you download or update the Zoom Client for Meetings in advance of your presentation and test your sound and permissions prior to the day of your talk (see below). If you have attended a Zoom meeting recently, you likely already have the client installed. You’ll want to make sure you have the desktop client or mobile app: version 5.9.1 or higher.

Zoom Access Link

To access your assigned Zoom Webinar session as a speaker, you will receive a special link via email from Zoom the week before the conference. This link will not work until 10 minutes before your session. Note that you cannot use the links in the Conference App to access your session as a speaker.

Device

You will use your own device for your presentation. You should use a laptop or desktop computer, rather than a mobile device if possible. If you are using a Mac, you should, in advance of your session, test screen sharing at https://zoom.us/test so that you can confirm you have granted Zoom the appropriate permissions. Doing so requires you to restart the application (which you won’t want to do during your session).

Sound

You should present in a quiet area with as little background sound as possible and use a headset if possible. You can use https://zoom.us/test to test your Zoom audio in advance.

Camera

We recommend that you share your camera during your presentation, so attendees can see you while you present; however, if your connection becomes unstable, please turn your camera off.

Privacy and Recordings

All oral presentations will be available for registered attendees to view online until June 30, 2022. Although sharing of results without permission is a violation of the Code of Conduct, you should be aware that we cannot monitor whether attendees take photographs, screenshots, audio recordings, or video recordings during your presentation.

Code of Conduct

All registrants agree to abide by the GSA Conferences Code of Conduct. Our Code of Conduct was established to communicate a transparent set of standards and guidelines for acceptable behavior at GSA Conferences and to provide a positive, safe, and welcoming environment for all attendees. Note that all sessions will be moderated and actively monitored for disruptive behavior. Any attendees disrupting the session will be removed from the webinar by technical support staff.

Checklist – Before the Conference

• Register for the conference by March 17.
• Three days before your talk, you will receive an email with a speaker (“panelist”) link from the following email address: GSAconf1@genetics-gsa.org. If you have not received your email two days before your presentation (and it’s not in your spam folder), please email gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org.
• You will also receive a check-in email from alerts@ATIVsoftware.com with instructions on how to check your technology. Please click the confirm button once your check is complete.
• Set up the Zoom client on your computer (desktop client or mobile app: version 5.9.1 or higher).
• Use https://zoom.us/test to test your sound and app permissions.
• Use SpeedTest.net to test your connection speed.
• Look up the name of your Session Chair on the Schedule of Events so that you are able to send them chat messages during the session if needed.

Checklist – During the Conference

10 minutes before your session (not just your individual talk) starts

• Click the special Zoom presenter access link sent to you via email.
• Turn on your camera and mic.
• Open the chat window.
• Test your sound by unmuting and speaking to your session chair/s. Mute yourself once you have finished testing.
• Check that all other windows, notifications, and sounds not related to your talk are turned off.

During your session

• Chat window
  • Open the chat window so you can send and receive messages from technical support in case of problems.

• Giving your talk
  • Unmute your microphone and share your screen when the session chair introduces you.
  • Assume that everyone can see your screen and hear you unless the session chair tells you otherwise (no need to say, “Can you see my screen?”)
  • When your talk is over, mute your microphone and stop sharing your screen.
• Timing
  • To keep the session on time and allow people to move between concurrent sessions, the session chair may alert you as follows:
    • After 12 minutes, “3 minutes remain, start Q&A”
    • After 14 minutes and 30 seconds, “30 seconds remain, wrap up”
    • After 15 minutes, “STOP”
• Answering questions
  • Your session chair will select and read attendee questions that are submitted in the Q&A window as well as those posed by the audience. You will answer using your microphone. Remember to mute your microphone and stop your screen share when you are finished.
• Contacting live technical support
  • You can reach technical support staff (Zoom Host) during the session via the Zoom chat window. You can also email gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org.
• Asking questions during other talks in the session
  • As a speaker, you cannot enter questions in the Q&A window. If you have a question to ask of another presenter during your session, send it to the Session Chair via the Chat window instead.

After your talk

• Stop sharing your screen and mute your microphone.
• Check your abstract entry in the Conference App for any additional questions you might have received during or after the session.
• Enjoy the rest of the conference!

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