ORAL PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

• The Presenter Ready Room is located in Room 311 at the JW Marriott. Please check the map of the venue in the program and signs on-site for the exact location.
• Oral, PechaKucha, and symposium presenters may view their already loaded presentations on the computers. Changes to the presentations must be made at least one hour prior to the presentation and approved by the Nurse Planner on-site. However, changing content on-site is not ideal. Presentations can be made from handouts, which will be the responsibility of the presenting author. If a presentation is missing, please immediately notify staff.
• The Presenter Ready Room is available for use during the following times:
  • Saturday, 8 November: 11:00 a.m.-noon (1100-1200) and 2:30-3:30 p.m. (1430-1530)
  • Sunday, 9 November: 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (0930-1300)
  • Monday, 10 November: 8:00-9:45 a.m. (0800-0945) and Noon-3:45 p.m. (1200-1545)
  • Tuesday, 11 November: 7:00-9:00 a.m. (0700-0900)

Oral Presentations

• Each concurrent session is 45-75 minutes in length, allowing for up to three presentations per session. Presenters in sessions with two to three presentations are limited to 15 minutes plus five minutes for questions from the audience for each presentation.
• Session moderators are instructed to terminate presentations which exceed their allotted time.
• Please refer to your invitation to present for the date and time of your presentation.
• It is recommended that only one author present per oral presentation; however, if multiple authors present for a single presentation, the time allotted must be split between those presenters.
• On-site, some sessions may have fewer presentations due to last minute cancellations.

Symposium Presentations

• Each concurrent session is 75 minutes in length.
• Please refer to your invitation to present for the date and time of your presentation.
• Time allotted to each presenter within a symposium is determined by the symposium’s organizer.
• Time for a question-and-answer dialogue with the audience should be reserved at the end of the presentation.

PechaKucha Presentations

• Each PechaKucha session is 45 minutes in length with 5 to 6 presentations. Presenters are limited to the PechaKucha format and must adhere to the 20 slides for 20 seconds each rule.
• Please refer to your invitation to present for the date and time of your presentation.
• View this video about how to create a PechaKucha presentation.

• All session rooms are equipped with:
  • LCD projector for PowerPoint presentations
  • Microphone
  • Computer with built-in speakers
  • Projection screen
• All PowerPoint presentations must be given on the provided computer and projector. Presenters CANNOT use personal equipment or attach personal equipment to the equipment provided by the audio/visual vendor.
• Only provided equipment and software are available for use during presentation. Specialized software (Flash, QuickTime, etc.) will not be supported on-site.
• We cannot guarantee that there will be a podium in the room for presenting.

• All presentations will be pre-loaded and linked by Sigma in order to reduce downtime due to technical problems and ease the transition between presenters.
• All final presentation files must be uploaded as a PDF. Please name your file as follows: Abstract ID#_Presenting Author Last Name_Type of Presentation
• Example: 4177781_Smith_ Oral
• Example: 4177781_Doe_PK
• Final presentation files will need to be uploaded via the Invitation to Present no later than 11:00 p.m. (2300) ET on 15 August 2025. Symposiums with more than one presentation should be uploaded as one single file.
• If unable to upload the presentation, contact abstracts@sigmanursing.org to make arrangements.
• Audio and video files are not permitted and will not be supported on-site. No embedded videos are allowed, and no video links are allowed to be used in the presentations.
• If you wish, you may download and utilize the conference-themed PowerPoint template we've created to help you format your presentation.
• PowerPoint is not required to present; however, no other equipment will be available for presentation except what is stated above.
• We cannot guarantee that “Presenter’s View” will be available on the computers for your presentation. Please come prepared with notes to present from if needed.

• The hotel has a business center where handouts can be made on-site for a fee.
• Sigma Theta Tau International will NOT provide handouts for the concurrent sessions.
• If presenters want to provide handouts, Sigma recommends approximately 20 copies.

Best practice approaches for addressing international audiences

• Present with shorter sentences and use simple words in a slower cadence.¹
• Avoid abbreviations, jargon/slang, or idioms.²
• Limit use of content that is specific to any single nation.
• Do not use jokes during the presentation, as jokes will not likely translate well between different cultures.^1,3
• Be mindful of nonverbal communication.³

General Information

• Your audience will be multinational. Be sure to explain/define any slang terms, acronyms, etc.
• Slides should not have more than five lines of information.
• Slides should not be used as a teleprompter or script for the presenting author, but rather should be supplemental to enhance the presentation.
• Slides should be a means to highlight important portions of the presentation.
• Be aware of time limitations.
• Information should be spaced evenly on the page.
• Speech is not written, but highlighted, on the page.

Color/Font

• Use the option for ‘Font TrueType’.
• Maintain consistent fonts throughout, using no more than two fonts on one slide.
• Use traditional bullets (i.e., circles or squares), instead of ‘fun’ bullets. Depending on the version of PowerPoint used, some bullets may not transfer.
• Background and font color are easy to read at a distance.
• Font should be easy to read (no smaller than 24-point).
• Headers are in the same font and font size throughout the presentation.
• The body of the slides should be in the same font and font size throughout the presentation.

Animation

• Limit animations.
• If using animation, be sure that animation is timed, and transitions do not occur on the click.