If you’re presenting at Slate Summit, use this guide to learn about deadlines, responsibilities, and best practices for a smooth and successful session.
Getting in touch
You will be assigned a Technolutions moderator to help you manage deadlines, answer questions, and serve as your on-site contact. If you have any questions leading up to Summit, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your moderator.
You will also be added to a Summit Session Presenters space in the Slate Community where you can ask questions and interact with your fellow presenters.
The Summit app will become available in the weeks leading up to Summit. This will be publicized via email/social media/Slatest News once it is live.
Content submission deadlines
You are responsible for sticking to the following deadlines in the lead-up to Summit:
Friday, March 27
The following items are due:
Finalized session description: Session descriptions are subject to editing by the Content Committee.
Presenter job titles, bios and headshots: Submit your job title, bio and headshot via the Slate Summit Speaker Information form, accessible through your application status portal.
This information will be displayed on the Schedule of Events and within the Summit app.
Friday, April 10
You must participate in an introductory call with your session moderator by April 10.
Friday, May 15
You must participate in a session run-through by May 15.
This is essentially a dress rehearsal. Some tweaks can still be made, but the presentation should be nearly final.
Confirm your session is the correct duration: 40 minutes of presenting plus 10 minutes of Q&A, for a total of 50 minutes.
📝 Sessions should not cut into Q&A time.
Monday, May 18
PowerPoint presentation due. See Presentation guidelines for file requirements, upload instructions, and other instructions.
Prepare for the Q&A portion of your session by considering likely audience questions. Provide your Technolutions moderator with a list of seeded questions before Summit.
If you plan to distribute materials, like handouts, swag, or interactive items, let your moderator know. If you choose to provide materials, you are responsible for distribution during the session and cleanup afterward.
💡 An email will be sent to all presenters with housekeeping items the week before Summit.
Presentation guidelines
You will be provided access to a session-specific folder in the Technolutions SharePoint. Find a link to this folder on your application status portal.
File name format
Upload your PowerPoint presentation to this folder with the following file name format: RoomNumber_Day_Title_TimeofSession_DateUploaded
If your presentation includes video, append
_videoto the file name.If your presentation includes audio, you should append
_audioto the file name.Ensure any videos, audio, or supplementary files are included.
If you’re providing Suitcase IDs with your presentation, you must include them by this date.
Slide formatting
Confirm that your slides:
Use your institution-branded PowerPoint template
Include an introductory slide with all presenters’ names, institutions, and roles
Use concise text and images over large blocks of text
Have screenshots that are clear, legible, and properly positioned
Do not have typos or grammatical errors
Do not include any Personal Identifiable Information (PII)
Do not have automatic slide transitions enabled
Title and closing slides are added to your presentation by the Summit Content Committee.
Media requirements
You cannot use your instance for a live demonstration. Use GIFs, embedded videos, or screenshots instead.
Videos must be embedded (not linked) and tested before submission. Review the presentation on a large screen to verify quality.
Presentation files must adhere to the following format:
Slide Format: 16:9 Widescreen
Video Resolution: 1920x1080
Video File Format: Apple Pro Res 422 .mov fie (preferred, but other formats can be accommodated)
Audio File Format: Any high quality .mp3, .wav, .aif file
Fonts: Use standard Microsoft PowerPoint fonts from one of the following families to ensure consistent display:
Arial
Times New Roman
Tahoma
Calibri
Palatino Linotype
What to expect during your session
Arrive at the session room at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time to meet with your moderator and receive your lapel microphone. Wear something sturdy enough for our techs to clip the battery pack to, like a jacket, and avoid wearing anything that might interfere with the microphone.
Your Technolutions moderator will introduce you at the beginning of the session. They will then be seated, either on stage or in the front row of the audience, during your presentation.
You’ll have access to a confidence monitor at the end of the stage that provides:
A color-coded session countdown (green, yellow, red)
The slides that appear on the big screen
A preview of the upcoming slide.
PowerPoint notes can also appear on the confidence monitor, but they may be difficult to read.
Once you’ve concluded your presentation, the moderator will lead the Q&A portion for the final 10 minutes of the session.
⭐ Don’t forget to redeem your thank-you gift from the Spirit Shop before Summit ends!
After Summit
Your presentation will be made available in the Knowledge Base section Summit Presentation Slides following Summit. If you’d like to include additional slides specifically for the Knowledge Base, keep them hidden within the same PowerPoint file. You don’t need to upload multiple versions.
All comments and notes on your PowerPoint slides will be removed before the presentation is added to the Knowledge Base.
Thank you!
Your contribution is essential to the success of Slate Summit. We appreciate the time and effort you put into sharing your ideas, helping create engaging sessions, and supporting the community.