Speaker Resource Center
IACP Speaker Standards, Guidelines, and Logistics
SUMMARY: These standards and guidelines are intended to provide guidance to speakers and moderators at events conducted by the IACP. IACP members invest a considerable amount of time and expense to attend the conference. For these reasons, IACP works hard to try to ensure each and every event at the conference realizes its full potential. Our members expect that:
• Presenters will prepare for their event prior to arrival;
• Presenters have a significant knowledge and expertise of the subject area, and have sufficient presentation skills to effectively communicate;
• Presenters will engage the audience. The greatest success you can have is to inspire your audience so they come out of the presentation buzzing with thoughts and ideas. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Engage your audience as quickly as possible.
• Presenters will not engage in excessive commercial presentations of their organization;
• Presenters will be conscious of the time limitation of their presentation;
• Presenters will not simply read directly from written statements;
• Understand that materials provided for an IACP event become the property of the IACP (for placement on www.theiacp.org, www.theIACPconference.org, or use in other educational activities of the association).
SPEAKER STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
Attire. It is strongly encouraged that speakers and moderators dress in business attire during presentations.
Begin & End Your Presentation on Time. Moderators and all presenters must make sure accepted events begin and end on time. Please keep in mind there is usually another event following any on the schedule, and that attendees need fifteen minutes between one event and the next to clear the room to accommodate the next round of presenters and attendees.
Consider the Bottom Line. Registrants attend conferences to gather information that can help them do their own jobs more effectively. Speakers should attempt to relate information keeping in mind how it can be used by members of the audience and the specific focus of the event.
Knowledge of the subject. Speakers and moderators shall have both in-depth and broad knowledge of the presented subject, going beyond their personal experience or the experience of their organization or firm. This will help provide examples for participants that illustrate various points of view or methods of doing things, and allow more complete responses to questions. It is also valuable to incorporate a global perspective whenever possible on the topic of discussion.
Moderator’s Preparation. It is strongly suggested that panel moderators contact the participants on their specific panel to discuss the content, focus and timeframe for each presenter; ensuring there is no overlap or redundant information and the transition between speakers are seamless. Every speaker is urged to rehearse the presentation several times in advance of the conference, and to assure that it can be completed in the allotted time.
News Media Coverage. The news media is encouraged to attend the annual conference and the IACP provides the media access to as much of the conference as possible. Media is allowed to access the General Assemblies (Opening Ceremony, General Assembly, and Critical Issues Forum). Media is not allowed to access workshop, committee meetings, and all ticketed events.
No commercials. No speaker will sell or promote any product, service, or publication during any presentation. Distributing or handing out a company’s promotional literature is prohibited in workshop rooms, hallways, or public areas. Speakers may include name, title and company information on the beginning page of the presentation and may include one commercial company logo on the last page of the presentation only, along with any contact information appropriate. Repeated use of a commercial logo on multiple slides is prohibited.
Permission to record or reproduce. Speakers are required to sign a release form indicating that the materials they are presenting may be so distributed, and that such presentations are the property of the IACP and that the IACP has received any required permission to use same. IACP will insist, without exception that all speakers sign this indemnification agreement holding the IACP harmless from any claims as a result of IACP publishing or distributing handouts either in electronic or hard copy format.
Presentation skills. Speakers shall understand how to address and teach adults. The best panels are often those that take time to engage the audience directly. For this reason we discourage reading directly from prepared written statements, and instead recommend brief presentations and openness to debate. All accepted panels should plan for questions from the audience.
Use of visuals. To assure that presentations increase understanding by utilizing both “show” and “tell,” speakers are strongly encouraged to use both the spoken word and appropriate visuals. Visuals should be professional in appearance, easily legible from the back of large rooms (i.e. limit the number of words on each slide to the salient points – may be no more than 40 words total), and presented through PowerPoint, or similar computerized format. Examples, stories, and anecdotes shall be used where appropriate.
SPEAKER LOGISITICS
Audio Visual Equipment & Room Set-Up. Please plan on arriving to your workshop room at least 15-20 minutes in advance to test audio-visual equipment. Workshop rooms will be set in a mixture of classroom and theater style seating. A podium and a head-table for six will be standard in each room for presenters. The standard set in a workshop room includes the following:
• 1 computer with DVD player at the podium
• Audio connection from computer (to play DVD/video)
• 1 wireless presentation mouse
• 1 podium microphone
• 1 table-top microphone for panelists
• 1 wired audience microphone with stand for Q&A
• 1 screen
• 1 LCD projector
ACTION: If you need additional equipment for your presentation, please respond with your requests. Deadline to submit a request is Friday, July 29, 2017. Please note, once the request has been made, an order will be placed with our audio visual company to have the equipment onsite. Because equipment is ordered in advance, any last minute or onsite requests cannot be guaranteed.
Cancellations. To cancel a presentation, presenters should send an email to conference@theiacp.org. Email is by far the best method for letting us know what has happened. Please include the session title, date and time of presentation, and a brief reason for the cancellation when you contact us. For cancellations after July 15, please read the following section.
Before submitting an abstract, presenters should be reasonably confident that they will attend the meeting and make the presentation as scheduled. Late Cancellations and No Shows are disruptive and leave gaps in the program that are a source of frustration for attendees.
Late Cancellations
-What is a late cancellation? A cancellation occurring after July 15 (three months prior to the start of the show), with an exemption for medical and family situations as well as difficulty acquiring a visa to travel to the US.
-A replacement speaker is allowed if your plans change close to the conference dates. If circumstances prevent attendance for a scheduled presentation, the presenting author should attempt to find another person to make the presentation on their behalf.
-If cancellation is unavoidable, please notify the IACP as soon as possible. Please let us know if you will not be able to present, even if you are cancelling on a date close to or during the Annual Conference. Changes may not reflect in any printed materials, but there is a chance to update the online program and the mobile app.
No Shows
-What is a no show? A no show is failure to give a scheduled presentation without any notice. No shows are especially disruptive to the program and are unnecessary.
-We realize that sometimes events outside of a presenter’s control prevent them from presenting as scheduled. For example, a flight cancellation or an unforeseen medical condition or family emergency. And sometimes these problems cannot be communicated to the IACP staff until after the scheduled presentation time has passed. We will be lenient for such situations if we receive some sort of explanation from the presenter, even if the message is sent after the presentation would have occurred.
-For other cases, where there is not a compelling reason and no notice was received, the no show penalty will be enforced. The no show penalty is a one year presentation ban, no exceptions. Any abstract with the penalized author listed as the presenting author will not be accepted for the following year’s conference.
Housing. The IACP partners with 30 hotels in the downtown area of San Diego. If you have not done so already, we highly recommend you book your hotel soon to ensure you receive your desired location. Please visit the housing page to book your hotel.
Registration. All speakers and any individuals accompanying the speakers must register for the conference in order to gain access to the convention center. To register as a speaker, please visit the registration page. Select “Register Now” and select “Speaker” from the “Start New Registration” section on left side of the screen. Speakers who are IACP members are expected to pay for their conference registration. IACP founders felt that sharing their knowledge among their peers was one of the requirements of IACP membership. Speakers who are not IACP members are provided complimentary conference registrations. Please note: this only applies to speakers.
Speaker Compensation. IACP does not pay speakers or reimburse for travel expenses. We sincerely hope this inability to provide financial assistance does not create a hardship for you.
Speaker Ready Room. A speaker ready room is prepared for panelists to practice and make last-minute adjustments to the presentations. The speaker ready room will be open from 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily and is located in room 1A on the Upper Level of the Convention Center.
Speaker Resource Center
Log in to the Speaker Resource Center in order to review your speaking sessions, upload handouts, and update your profile information.
