Oral &Poster Session Chair Duties
Oral Session Chair Duties
Before the session:
- Check the conference program for the session room location
- Know the authors and paper titles for your session
- Review the papers that will be presented
- Prepare questions in advance to help stimulate discussion
- Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the session
At the session:
- Obtain the Session Chair Report form from the Room Monitor
- Check session room for necessary AV equipment
- Notify Room Monitor immediately of any assistance needed
- Check with each author to be sure they are familiar with the AV equipment
to be used
- Remind the authors to sign the sign-in sheet at the podium to indicate they
have presented the paper
- Start the session on time
- Introduce the session (100 words or less)
- Keep the session on schedule
- Divide presentation time and discussion time equally among authors
- Moderate the discussion period after each paper is presented
- Act as a catalyst for discussion
- Complete the Session Chair Report entry for each paper presented
- Circle the name of each author who presents a paper
- If the presenter is not an author/co-author, check the appropriate box
- If the paper was not presented at all, indicate that clearly on the report**
- Complete the Session Chair Report with a count of the number of attendees
in the room (about 10 minutes after the session starts)
- Hand your completed Session Chair Report to the Room Monitor as you leave
** If authors of a paper fail to attend the session to present their paper, the canceled paper’s original time slot should remain vacant. Under no circumstances should you reschedule the remaining presentations scheduled in the published program as this greatly aggravates conference participants who have scheduled their day based on the posted times.
Poster Session Chair Duties
Before the session:
- Check the conference program for the session room location
- Know the authors and paper titles for your session
- Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the session
At start of the session:
- Check to ensure that all of the papers in your session are posted and the
authors are present
- Obtain the Session Chair Report & Presenter Sign In Sheet from the
Room Monitor
- Remind the authors that they are expected to be at their poster the entire
session so attendees can discuss their work
- Authors need to sign the presenter sign in sheet
During the session:
- Complete the Session Chair Report entry for each poster paper
- Was the poster mounted in the appropriate place?
- Was the author available for discussion with attendees the entire duration of the poster session?
- Please make a note if the person representing the poster was not an author or co-author
- Hand your completed Session Chair Report & Presenter Sign In Sheet to the Room Monitor as you leave