Moderator Guidelines
Symposium, Oral, and Open-format Sessions
We are delighted to welcome you soon to Oaxaca for ATBC2025!
As we prepare for an exciting week of knowledge exchange and collaboration, we are pleased to share the following guidelines for moderating oral, symposium, and open-format sessions.
These recommendations are intended to help ensure that all sessions run smoothly and offer a meaningful experience for both presenters and attendees.
Symposium Sessions
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Arrival: Please arrive at your session room at least 15 minutes before the start time.
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Program Review: Double-check the session schedule, room number, and assigned speakers.
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Know Your Speakers: Review the presentation titles and speaker bios (if available in the program) to help with introductions and discussion.
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Presentation & Technical Check: Confirm that all presentations are uploaded, functional, and in order. Coordinate with the technical team and volunteers for microphones, pointers, and any other needs.
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Discussion Prep: Prepare a few relevant questions to help launch the general discussion segment at the end of the session.
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Pointer and Slide Control: Before the session begins, briefly show each speaker how to use the pointer and presentation controls to ensure a smooth transition during their talk.
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1. Opening
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Begin the session at the scheduled time by welcoming participants and providing a brief overview of the symposium’s theme, its relevance, and how it connects to the overall ATBC2025 theme.
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You are welcome to use a few short slides to introduce:
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The purpose of the session
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Its structure and flow
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The line-up of speakers
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This will help set the tone, clarify expectations, and engage the audience from the beginning.
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If the audience is scattered, feel free to gently invite attendees to move toward the front rows to create a more dynamic and connected atmosphere.
2. Time Management
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Each speaker has 11 minutes for the presentation and 3 minutes for Q&A (14 minutes total), unless otherwise agreed by the symposium organizers.
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Time cards will be available to help speakers stay on track. Volunteers can assist with timing if needed.
3. Volunteer Support
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Two volunteers will be assigned to your symposium to support session logistics. They can assist with:
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Timekeeping (e.g., showing time cue cards)
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Passing the microphone during Q&A
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Providing general coordination to ensure the session runs smoothly.
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4. Q&A Facilitation
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Moderate the Q&A to ensure questions are concise, on-topic, and that answers remain within time limits.
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Repeat questions if needed for clarity, especially in larger rooms or for recordings.
6. General Discussion
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Use your prepared questions to open the floor.
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Moderate the conversation to keep it focused and inclusive.
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Highlight key takeaways, agreements, or open questions from the discussion.
7. Closing Remarks
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Offer a short summary of key points and conclusions.
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Suggest future research directions or important questions that remain.
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If applicable, announce details of Part B or upcoming related sessions.
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Session Report Submission
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Please complete a brief report immediately after the symposium ends, or after Part B (if applicable).
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The report will ask you to:
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Check off the presentations that were actually delivered during the session (a list will be pre-filled)
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Provide a brief session summary (maximum 300 words)
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This report will help us issue participation certificates automatically and prepare the overall conference report.
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Below is the standard structure proposed for symposium sessions at ATBC2025. This format is designed to ensure smooth pacing and sufficient time for discussion and audience engagement.
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Part A
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Introduction: 5 minutes
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Speakers 1–6:
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11-minute presentation + 3-minute Q&A each
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General Discussion: 9 minutes
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Closing Summary: 2 minutes
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Part B (if applicable)
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Brief Introduction: 2 minutes
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Speakers 1–6:
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11-minute presentation + 3-minute Q&A each
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General Discussion: 12 minutes
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Closing Summary: 2 minutes
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This is the suggested default structure. If your session includes more speakers, or if you need to make any adjustments (e.g., redistributing time, combining discussions), please feel free to do so.
In any case, please try not to reduce the presentation time of your speakers. If this becomes necessary, make sure to inform them in advance.
We kindly ask that you inform us of any changes (if you haven’t already) by writing to atbc2025@tropicalbiology.org, so we can ensure the program reflects the correct format.-
If you plan to use slides for the session introduction or closing summary, please upload them separately in our system, entering the corresponding Presentation ID when prompted.
Files must be in .ppt, .pptx, or .pdf format and must not exceed 25 MB.
All presentations should be uploaded using your assigned session ID (e.g., S-100).
For introduction and closing slides, please use the following IDs in the upload system:
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If your symposium has only one part:
S-100-Intro – for the Introduction
S-100-Close – for the Closing Summary
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If your symposium has two parts (A and B):
S-100A-Intro – Part A Introduction
S-100A-Close – Part A Closing Summary
S-100B-Intro – Part B Introduction
S-100B-Close – Part B Closing Summary
If you plan to use introductory or closing slides, we kindly ask you to upload your presentation at least 24 hours before your session.
Uploading on time will help ensure a smooth and well-coordinated symposium.-
Oral Sessions
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Arrive Early: Please arrive in the room at least 15 minutes before the session start time.
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Check Presentations: Confirm with the technical staff that all presentations have been uploaded, are in order, and are working correctly.
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Review the Program: Familiarize yourself with the list of speakers, their presentation titles, and order.
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Prepare Questions: Have one or two backup questions ready for each talk, and for the general discussion, in case there are no audience questions.
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Volunteers: Two volunteers will be assigned to your room. They will assist with:
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Timekeeping using cue cards
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Passing the microphone during Q&A
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Helping with general coordination
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Start the Session: Please begin the session at the scheduled time. You will have up to 2 minutes for a brief welcome and introduction, if needed. If the audience is too dispersed, kindly invite attendees to move forward and occupy the first rows to create a more engaging atmosphere.
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Introduce Each Speaker: Announce the speaker’s name and the title of their talk.
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Keep Time:
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Each speaker is allocated 14 minutes total: 11 minutes for the presentation and 3 minutes for questions and discussion
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To help keep sessions on schedule, two cue cards will be available in each room:
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One will be shown when 3 minutes remain.
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The other will be shown when only 1 minute is left.
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Session volunteers will assist in ensuring that all speakers adhere to the allotted time. Please coordinate with them before the start of the session.
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Manage Q&A:
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Keep questions focused and within time.
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Repeat questions when needed for clarity.
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Stay on Schedule: Ensure the session finishes on time.
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If Time Remains at the End
If, at the end of the scheduled presentations, there is still time available, we recommend continuing the discussion. You may:
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Pose open-ended or thought-provoking questions to the audience related to the session's overall theme, or/and
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Invite additional questions for the speakers.
If the discussion has been exhausted, it is acceptable to conclude the session before the scheduled end time.
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Please leave the cue cards with the room technician at the end of the session.
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Session Report: Please complete the short report of the session, immediately the session ends. Please considere:
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Checking off the presentations that were actually delivered
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Writing a brief session summary (max. 300 words)
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This report helps us prepare the official conference documentation, and certificates will be automatically issued for the presentations marked as delivered.
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Open Format Sessions
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Arrive Early: Please arrive in the room at least 20 minutes before the session start time.
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Volunteers: Two volunteers will be assigned to your session—please introduce yourself and coordinate with them.
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Presentation File Check: Coordinate with the technical staff to confirm that any participant presentations (if applicable) are correctly placed in the session folder and organized in the right order.
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Review Session Content and Roles: Ensure that all panelists, co-moderators, and/or other participants are present, understand the session’s structure, and are clear about their roles and timing.
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Start the Session:
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Welcome attendees warmly and provide a brief introduction to the session topic, format, and objectives.
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Clearly describe the structure (e.g., roundtable, panel, interactive workshop), and encourage active and respectful engagement throughout.
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If the audience is too dispersed, kindly invite attendees to move forward and occupy the first rows to create a more engaging atmosphere..
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Facilitation and Time Management:
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Guide the session according to your proposed structure and timing. Make sure to
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Coordinate with your volunteers to support:
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Timekeeping
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Microphone handling
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Summary and Closure:
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Conclude with a concise summary of the key takeaways, areas of consensus or debate, and any open questions or future directions. If applicable, invite participants to stay engaged through mailing lists, collaborative outputs, or follow-up activities during the conference.
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Session Report: Please complete the short report of the session, immediately the session ends. Please considere:
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Writing a brief session summary (max. 300 words) of key discussion points or outcomes
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Provide a list of presenters or participants who should receive a certificate of participation
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This report helps us prepare the official conference documentation, and send certificates.
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To ensure a smooth and well-coordinated session, we kindly ask moderators and participants to upload any relevant materials—if applicable—at least 24 hours before the session start time.
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Accepted file formats are:
.ppt, .pptx, or .pdf (maximum size: 25 MB)
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All materials must be uploaded via the official ATBC2025 presentation upload system.
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In the “Abstract” field, please enter your Session ID, e.g., OFS-100.
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We kindly ask all moderators to notify their participants about this requirement and ensure that files are submitted on time.
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This allows our technical team to prepare and verify all presentations in advance, minimizing delays or issues during the session.
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