Guidelines for Session Presenters

Thank you for presenting your work at PAA 2023. Presenters will be sharing their knowledge and expertise through over 1,000 oral presentations on the program. Below, we present tips to assist 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. Please upload your paper to MiraSmart by March 22 so your discussant will have time to read all papers and prepare comments; some chairs/discussants may allow a later date, but this must be directly arranged and not assumed. 

  2. Please note the amount of time allocated to your presentation. PAA sessions this year are just 75 minutes; as such, most presentations will only be allotted 12 minutes. The chair of your session will inform you of the exact time allocated to your presentation; if you have not heard from the session chair, assume that you will have 12 minutes. The time you are allotted will not include Q&A unless otherwise indicated by your chair; typically, session chairs reserve 10 or so minutes at the end of each session for questions and discussion.

  3. Plan for your presentation. A good conference presentation provides a clear and succinct overview of your paper. Consider the time available and the multiple learning styles of attendees (auditory, visual, etc.) to create a valuable presentation.

  4. Prepare visual aids. Most presenters use slides, either in PowerPoint or PDF, as visual aids 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.
    • Number: A rough rule of thumb is to prepare no more than one slide for every minute you will be presenting.
    • 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.
    • Contact information slide: Include a slide that you put up at the beginning with your presentation title, name, and contact information.
    • Please proof read 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.