Speaker & Chairperson Instructions

Everything you need to know to prepare for your presentation and effectively manage your sessions at FMS.

Speaker Registration & Deadlines

All speakers will have received a speaker confirmation form from the Conference Director, George Mullens. If you have not completed it, please ensure you do so as soon as possible; otherwise, you will experience difficulty gaining access to the conference venue.

⏰ Presentation Submission Deadline: Friday 3rd July

Presentations must be submitted via the following Google Submission Form . If you are unable to access this form, please email your file directly to George Mullens (Conference Director) at george.mullens@terrapinn.com . Sending files in advance is essential to allow our team to sync assets with the on-site AV deck.

Presentation Session Structure

FMS presentation sessions run 65 minutes in total length . Allotted individual times vary depending on the total presenter count per track (typically 3–4 speakers). Please cross-check the live online agenda on the FMS website to confirm your exact timing budget, and always remember to leave a few minutes for audience Q&A.

Audio & Visual Setup

This year's event includes dedicated AV technical assistance stationed directly in each track room with immediate access to all submitted slide files. This is combined with a central content desk located in the principal corridor of the Santa Clara Convention Center. Last-minute presentation adjustments can be uploaded directly at the on-site desk or sent via email to george.mullens@terrapinn.com .

Slide Template & Formatting

While utilizing internal company slide decks is fully permitted, a dedicated FMS Presentation Template is highly recommended and can be downloaded here . If you need official FMS brand assets, you can download vector branding from the FMS Logo Asset Drive .

⚠️ A 16:9 widescreen format layout ratio is strictly mandatory to correctly render projections across our house AV equipment[cite: 21].

Content Rules:

Keep text focused with a maximum of 5–7 bullet points per slide layout.
Avoid copying and pasting raw dense paragraphs or complex tabular data sets.
Keep transitions clean and simple; avoid animating every element.
Do not implement external third-party digital polling wrappers (e.g., Slido, Mentimeter) due to local venue network variables.

Accessibility Controls:

Contrast: Rely on high-contrast configurations like clear black text on a clean white background. Avoid neon accents or low-contrast variations like gray-on-white.
Indicators: Do not rely exclusively on color shifts to communicate core slide points. Include descriptive labels.
Typography: Stick to standard sans-serif font selections (Arial, Calibri, Verdana) at a minimum body size of 24pt. Utilize bold weights for emphasis instead of italics or underlines. Avoid all-caps blocks or script layouts.

Track Chairperson Protocol

Session participant details, speaker biographies, and slide copies can be coordinated by contacting George Mullens ahead of show week.

⏱️ Suggested Structure:

Introduction (< 5 mins): Deliver a brief opening statement explaining track criteria and outline your background to allow late attendees to settle into the room
Speaker Intro: Keep presenter introductions concise (under 30 seconds), stating names, corporate titles, and affiliations. Introduce panel groups entirely at the initial startup, or separate individual speakers in traditional paper sessions.
Allotments: Limit panel statement run-times to 5 minutes per seat. Hold all Q&A interactions until all panel members have spoken.

🗣️ Audience Q&A Control:

Maintain strict authority over track flow. Ensure individual questions or answers do not exceed two minutes. Prevent individuals from dominating the floor and ask overzealous attendees to continue complex debates privately post-session. Prepare 4–6 prompt questions beforehand to bridge any quiet spells.

⚖️ Time Constraints:

Enforce timelines firmly but diplomatically. Use clear hand signals or printed paper warning signs when a presenter has 1 minute remaining. Provide a maximum of 2 minutes of leeway before stepping in to call time.

📋 On-Site Checklist:

Connect with track speakers roughly 1 week prior to check attendance stability.
Report to your assigned layout space 15 minutes before setup times.
Check that chairs, microphones, water supplies, and tech channels are operational. Contact the hotel staff or FMS Program managers to rectify any missing requirements immediately.