The idea is that you can participate via Whova, where you can see the agenda in your time zone, but present and chair via Zoom. We have also created a technical guide that you can upload: it includes more detailed instructions for presenting and chairing on Zoom as well as attending sessions and networking on Whova.
We will use Zoom, which is free and easy to use. If you don’t have Zoom yet, you need to download the free client prior to the conference. Select the option Zoom Client for Meetings.
Please keep your microphone on mute and turn your camera off, except when you ask a question or applaud at the end of session.
We will use Whova, which includes customisable online schedules and several features for social interaction.
Please note that Whova will show the agenda based on your local time zone!
In case of a problem with Whova, join the sessions directly via Zoom.
The format of the conference presentations will be 20 minutes talk, 5 minutes discussion, and 5 minutes transition to the next speaker. You give your talk with PowerPoint, Keynote or any software you want to use.
Our Conference Test Centre will be open before the conference on Wednesday 21 October. Please drop by to check that everything (audio, screen sharing, etc.) works.
The Zoom room for your session will be open 10 minutes prior to the start of the session. All presenters for the session have to enter at this point. The host will trial screen-sharing with all presenters.
The audience will be allowed to enter the room just before the start of the session.
The host will ‘spotlight’ you so you are visible to the audience, introduce you, and then you can commence your talk!
Five minutes before the scheduled end of your presentation, you will briefly be interrupted by the host to remind you to finish your presentation in 5 minutes.
If for any reason you are unable to do a live presentation, you can send us a pre-recording of your talk via WeTransfer (to netpra2(at)helsinki.fi) by Monday 19 October, which we will livestream in your scheduled slot. We of course hope and expect you to be present for the Q & A session.
We recommend you to use the free Zoom client to record your presentation. (Use Zoom's local recording with yourself as the only participant in the session.) If you wish, you can also use another tool which allows saving your presentation as a video file (mp4 or equivalent).
Please note that we will not be able to edit any submitted videos. The conference programme cannot accommodate presentations longer than 20 minutes. Please ensure you keep within this strict time limit.
During the Q & A session, audience members can raise their hand (please use the "raise hand" function on Zoom). The host will unmute question askers on a first-come-first-served basis. The Q & A session is scheduled to take 5 minutes.
On top of the questions that come up in the Q & A session, delegates can ask questions or give constructive feedback via the presentation’s channel in Whova.
This is our first time hosting a virtual conference, and the task would have been much more daunting had we not been able to benefit from the experiences and advice shared by the organisers of other virtual conferences: thank you ICAME41, RaAM-2020 and UKCLC2020!