Scientific Program

Chairs: Instructions

Thank you for chairing. A good chair is what turns a set of talks into a session.

Your role

What we ask of you

Arrive early

Be in the room fifteen minutes before your session. Meet your speakers, check the pronunciation of their names, and confirm their affiliations.

Keep to time

Timing is the chair’s responsibility. Agree your signals with each speaker in advance. The standard is a card at two minutes and one at zero.

Open the discussion

Have one question ready for each speaker so that discussion never stalls. Take questions from across the room, and ask questioners to state their name and affiliation.

Close cleanly

Thank the speakers, summarise in a sentence or two, and hand over on time so the next session is not squeezed.

Practicalities

Session logistics

Chair briefing

Held at the venue on the first morning, details sent by email

Speaker files

Pre-loaded on the lectern PC by the technical team

Technical support

An AV technician is present in every session room

Microphones

Roving microphones for the audience; please wait for one before taking a question

Speaker no-show

Continue the session and extend the discussion; do not reorder the programme

Awards

Nominating for the best-abstract award

Chairs of oral abstract sessions are also asked to nominate one presentation for the best-abstract award. Nomination forms are provided at the chair briefing and must be returned to the scientific secretariat before the close of the second day.

Judge on the quality of the science and the clarity of its communication, not on seniority. The award exists in large part to give early-career researchers visibility.