• Technical Conference:  09 – 12 October 2023
  • Science + Industry Showcase:   09 – 11 October 2023
  • Greater Tacoma Convention Center, Tacoma (Greater Seattle Area), Washington, USA
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Presider Resources

Presider Resources

3-Days Before Conference l 15 Minutes Before Session l Starting the Session l Instructional Video

All presiders are expected to be at the conference in person. We ask all presiders to check-in at least 15 minutes before your session begins to ensure each session has a designated presider, and confer with the speakers and room monitor to understand how each presentation will be delivered.

At Least 3 Days Before the Conference - Session Planning

Perform these steps to ensure you are prepared for your session responsibilities.

  1. Confirm your acceptance of the assignment via the link in the email you received from Optica Management staff (cstech@optica.org)
  2. Read the entirety of these instructions to familiarize yourself with the Session Presider Instructions.
  3. Review your session before the meeting via the session host tool in ScholarOne.
    • In the upper right-hand corner click on Messages (New)
    • Click on Invitations (New)
    • Under ACTION on the left click on Select and select View or View & Respond
    • Click the + next to Session Information
  4. The session details will display the final order of presentation and total amount of time allotted for each presentation. You can also use the online schedule or the mobile app for general session information.  However, the email addresses for the speakers in your session is only available through this ScholarOne tool.
  5. Contacting presenters in advance is encouraged so that you can obtain seed questions from them and encourage live participation. Follow step #3 above to obtain the presenter emails, or contact Optica Management staff if needed. 
At Least 15 Minutes Before the Session Begins

Presiders will be focused on conducting the session, introducing the speakers, and handling the Q&A.  

  1. Arrive in your session room at least 15 minutes before the start of your session.
  2. Have the speaker order and time readily available, as it will assist you in running an effective session. You can access it either through the online schedule or the mobile app.  There will also be a yellow presider folder listing the presentation order and presentation details.
  3. If you have a question about pronouncing the names of any of the live presenters, the title of the talk, or the name of their institutional affiliation, ask prior to the start of the session. It can be quite embarrassing for both you and the speaker if you pronounce a name incorrectly.
  4. Provide a reminder to the presenter two minutes prior to the end of the presentation time that they should start to wrap up. They should be conscious of the time and start to wrap up when they see this notice. Suggest they might want to use a timer on their computers.  
  5. There may be limited time between your session and the next session, and that time is used by the IT staff to prepare for the next session. It is imperative that the schedule remain as written in the online schedule. If your session is becoming over five minutes late, stop the question section of each presentation until the real-time schedule matches the online schedule.
  6. Alert the speakers that you would like them to remain for the entire session as you may go back to them, if time allows between talks, to ask questions that may not have been addressed earlier due to lack of time.
Starting the Session and Introducing Speakers
  1. Introduce the first speaker and ask them to come to the podium to present.
  2. You will preside over the rest of the session from your designated table outfitted with a computer and microphone.
  3. During the Q&A segment, On-site attendees may choose to ask questions from the room instead. Please ask that they make their way to the aisle microphone to do so. If they fail to do so, please repeat the question into your mic. 
  4. For each presentation, announce the speaker's name, affiliation, and the title of the talk.
  5. If a speaker does not show up to the session in advance of the session or by the time of their presentation, do not move forward to the next presentation.  You may continue the discussion of any of the previous presentations or announce an intermission until the next scheduled paper.
  6. Please note in the provided yellow presider folders if there are any no shows or presenter changes.
Instructional Video

Please view our instructional video on how to preside over a session, presented by Ben Eggleton, University of Sydney, Australia. This video will give you a basic overview of best practices for a presider. While it does not address the additional challenges of a hybrid meeting, it does provide basic information and guidance.