Make sure you know which session and which room you are to chair.
It is advisable to bring your own laptop to download the session schedule from the website. If you don’t have a laptop with you during the symposium, you could use your mobile phone to download the list of presenters and their details
Before the session
Arrive 5 minutes at the room you chair prior to the start of the session.
Confirm the attendance of each presenter and familiarize yourself with the venue and equipment.
Each presenter has maximum 15 minutes with around 10 - 12 minutes of presentation, and 3 - 5 minutes for question and answer (Q&A).
Check the technology and alert any of the technicians of any problems.
Ensure that each presenter has copied their presentation to the presentation computer or if they are using their own equipment that it has been tested and can be set up for use as quickly as possible in the short break between presentations.
During the session
Introduce yourself to the audience.
Explain the time allocation.
At the beginning of each presentation, introduce the presenter and the title of their research and/or presentation.
Make sure the presenter adheres to the time limit. You should arrange an appropriate warning system with your presenters, e.g. a two minute warning.
After the presentation, please welcome the panel to comment and/or to ask questions. Additional question from the audience might be allowed if time permits.
At the end of each presentation, thank the presenter and the audience for their attention.
Keep strictly to the time guidelines to allow for audience participation and to allow audience members to move between sessions.
After the session
Thank all the presenters and the audience for their attention and conclude the session.
