There is an art to orchestrating a successful talk session at any conference, including IEEE VIS. Whether you’re a session chair, speaker, or attendee, this blog post will help you make the most of your IEEE VIS experience, and to help others make the most of theirs.
For Session Chairs
Session chairs play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth flow of presentations and discussions during the VIS conference. Your responsibilities begin before the conference and continue to the end of your assigned session.
You should be communicating with your speakers even prior to the conference. Reach out to them well in advance, requesting a preprint PDF of their paper to familiarize yourself with their work if you cannot easily find it with a quick search online. While you don’t need to read the papers in depth, skimming them will help you generate potential questions and lead a more engaging discussion. Although you will hear from the VIS organizers which of the authors will actually be giving the talk, you should double check with the speaker to ensure that this information is still correct.
When you arrive at your designated room during the conference, introduce yourself to the student volunteer and A/V technician. Knowing who these individuals are will be invaluable if any technical issues arise during the session. Once your speakers start to arrive, take the time to learn the correct pronunciation of their name. Write it down phonetically so that you will be able to repeat it reliably in the heat of the moment. You should also make sure that they have all plugged in their computers and tested their setup.
Open the session by stating your name and affiliation. Give a (very brief) overview of the papers that will be presented, setting the stage for the audience. For example, you could say “Hi everyone, my name is X from Y, and I will be your session chair today. Our session has six exciting papers on the topic of Z. Let’s start with the first paper, which will be presented by W.”
Time management is one of your key responsibilities as a session chair. IEEE VIS is a large event with multiple parallel sessions, and many attendees like to “session hop” between talks. To facilitate this, it’s crucial to not just start and end your session on time, but also the individual talks in the session. You should probably work out the exact timing in advance. Consider using prepared signs (or slides) to keep speakers aware of their remaining time, such as “5 minutes left,” “2 minutes left,” and “Time’s up.” As session chair, you are responsible for leading the discussion during the Questions & Answers (Q&A) after each talk. Have your own questions ready in case the audience needs encouragement. Manage the length of the Q&A period appropriately, and be ready to politely cut off long-winded questions or answers. If there’s a line at the microphone and time is running short, you may need to respectfully inform waiting attendees that you’ve reached the end of the Q&A period.
As you wrap up the session, thank the speakers and attendees, and remind everyone of any upcoming events or announcements.
Summary of key things to remember:
- Communicate with speakers before the conference and familiarize yourself with their work;
- Learn how to pronounce each speakers’ name before the session begins;
- Manage time strictly, using visual cues to keep speakers on schedule; and
- Be prepared to lead the Q&A, having your own questions ready if needed.
For Speakers
As a speaker, your goal is to effectively communicate your research while respecting the time and attention of your audience. Thorough preparation is key to a successful presentation.
The VIS conference typically provides a speaker ready room where you can test your technology and rehearse your talk. Take advantage of this resource to ensure your laptop connections, audio, video, and any demos are working correctly. Practice your talk to make sure you can comfortably fit it within the allotted time. Note that you probably have to schedule a slot in the ready room, so plan in advance.
On the day of your presentation, arrive at the session room at least 15 minutes before it starts. Introduce yourself to the session chair and confirm the pronunciation of your name. And if you’re on the job market, let them know—they can announce it at the start of your talk, which is a great way to increase your visibility!
During your talk, be mindful of the time. Start and end your presentation on time, paying attention to any time-keeping signals from the session chair. Aim for the “Goldilocks length”—not too long, not too short, but just right.
During the Q&A session, keep your answers concise and to the point. If a question requires a lengthy discussion, offer to continue it after the session (this is also how you deal with a very technical and/or too specialized question). As your time slot comes to an end, be prepared to vacate the podium promptly for the next speaker. You can even begin packing up your equipment while answering final questions if necessary. After your talk, stay in the room to field additional questions and be open to continuing discussions during breaks or social events. One of the great benefits of in-person events is the chance to discuss your work with others at odd times during the event—make sure you take advantage of this! Summary of key things to remember:
- Arrive early to test your setup and meet the session chair;
- Adhere strictly to your allotted time; and
- Be prepared for the Q&A, offering to continue lengthy discussions after the session.
For Attendees
Attendees play a vital role in creating an engaging and respectful atmosphere. Please enter the room quietly if you’re joining a session in progress. If you’re planning to “session hop,” try to do so between talks to minimize disruptions.
Remember that questions, even if they are critical, show your appreciation for the speaker’s work. In other words, if you have a question, don’t hesitate to ask—it’s the best way to compliment the speaker. Do think through your question before you get to the microphone to ensure that it is concisely worded and relevant to the talk. If you find yourself starting with the infamous words “I have more of a comment than a question”, step away and save that comment for a later one-on-one discussion with the speaker after the session is over. When it’s your turn, start by stating your name and affiliation, then speak clearly into the microphone. Always use the provided microphone for accessibility reasons: “I’m loud” is not loud enough for people in the room who are deaf or hard of hearing, or those who are listening to a session remotely through a livestream or a recording.
Summary of key things to remember:
- Enter and exit rooms quietly, especially when “session hopping”; and
- Ask concise, relevant questions and always use the provided microphone.
Closing
By following these guidelines, we can all contribute to making IEEE VIS 2024 a successful and enriching experience. Whether you’re chairing a session, presenting your work, or attending talks, you have an important role to play in fostering a collaborative and insightful conference environment.
We look forward to seeing you all at IEEE VIS 2024 in a few short weeks!