Lightning Talk Guidelines
Purpose
- Offers an opportunity for speakers to present exciting ideas and programs that do not require the length of a longer talk
- Offers a variety of topics to a large audience without them having to change locations
Description
- Talks should be energetic, exciting, challenging
- The entire session will consist of no more than 5 lightning talks
- Talks last no more than seven minutes each
Parameters
- No more than 20 presentation slides
- Moderator will notify speaker at specific time intervals and end session promptly after seven minutes
- Question/Answer period, if any, must occur within the seven-minute time limit; we do not recommed Q&A due to the session format constraints.
Tips
- Make the point and explain it quickly (though do not rush)
- Always keep your rapport with your audience, not the computer
- Don’t get caught up in background info (no more than one minute)
- Only include details if they are necessary and fit within the overall scope for such a short presentation
- Slides should show things to the audience, not help presenter remember what to talk about
- Provide contact info somewhere (e.g., on the last slide) in presentation materials (or on a handout)
- Practice, practice, practice to fit it into seven minutes
Preparation
- Send PowerPoint, PDF and/or other presentation materials to lightning2017@loexconference.org by May 9, 2017
- Meet with the Lightning Talk coordinator before lunch on Saturday to test and verify PowerPoint, web links, etc, prior to your talk
- Give handouts (if any) to moderator prior to presentation
If There Are Any Problems...
- Someone from LOEX will be ready to assist, but in the main if something unexpected happens, just keep talking and move on
Conclusion
- Encourage audience to talk with you later individually during conference
- Remember – you have seven minutes total – that’s it!
