Flash Talk Guidelines

Thank you for presenting your work at ADC 2025. Below, we present tips from PAA to assist flash presenters in pre-conference planning and present some guidelines on presenting at the conference itself. We hope you find this helpful!

Pre-Conference Tips

Prior to the conference, we suggest the following:

  1. Upload your final presentation to this Dropbox Folder: https://www.dropbox.com/request/Cbw2viK86VlZXVPgDiDU (owned by Becky Tippett)

    Please make sure your presentation clearly has your last name and other identifying details in the title.

  2. Please note the amount of time allocated to your presentation. Flash sessions include five-minute, five-slide oral presentations. Your brief presentation and set of five slides should communicate:
    • The title of your presentation and your name, affiliation, and email address.
    • Your research question(s).
    • The significance/rationale for your work.
    • A brief overview of data/methods.
    • Key findings.

  3. Plan for your presentation. A good flash talk provides a clear and succinct overview of your paper.

  4. Prepare visual aids. Most presenters use either in PowerPoint or PDF for their presentation.
    • Type: Use at least 20-point type so that audience members can easily read the print on your slides.
    • Please do not include large tables in your slides: Summarize your key results rather than presenting large, dense tables.
    • Bullets: Limit yourself to 3-4 bullets per slide and 10 or fewer words per bullet.
    • Try to avoid the use of acronyms, jargon, and abbreviations: Past conference evaluations have clearly indicated that one frustration, in particular for new and international attendees, is the use of ‘insider’ language, acronyms, and abbreviations that make it difficult to comprehend a presentation.
    • Consider livening up your slides with graphics and pictures: Graphics can be very effective in capturing the audience’s attention and focusing them on the point you want to make.
    • Please proofread and spell check.

  5. Practice: Practice your presentation to ensure that it highlights key points, your delivery is clear, and you finish within the time allocated.

Presentation Checklist

At the session, please:

  1. Arrive early. Arrive at the session early and connect with the other presenters and session chair so that the session may start on time.
  2. Give your presentation. You are ready!
  3. End on time. You will be warned by the chair as your time draws to a close (typically 5 minutes, 2 minutes, and stop). It is essential that you end on time to ensure that all participants have the opportunity to present their work and there is time for audience questions and comments.