Society for Conservation Biology

IMCC6 online event instructions

Moving online for IMCC6 is new. We need to work out how to best make this a success, if you have any ideas on how to do this please note them down and let us know at the end of the conference! We really want to use this as a learning experience.

Whilst it’s new, it’s also an opportunity for us to address some of the concerns of our marine conservation community in relation to both sustainability and also equity in access. The most important thing that we can do is to commit to making it a valuable and enjoyable event and online space for us to progress marine conservation!

So please refer to our IMCC code of conduct and get involved. Social presence, that is active engagement in the program (ask all your questions!), has been shown to be the key to online events successful. In essence, IMCC6 will be what we will make it - so lets make it brilliant.

We will soon be advertising social events, discussions, networking spaces, happy hours, events and quizzes. Please dive in and make some new friends! We’ll see you there!

 

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Guidelines for delegates 

IMCC6 will use two platforms: Zoom (webinars) and Whova (conference app).

Zoom will be used for all of the sessions of the conference. Each session will have an individual link and these will be listed in Whova.

 

Whova will allow attendees to access the program and interact with the speakers and organizers. In particular, Whova allows you to: 

• View the conference agenda and plan your schedule
• Access Livestreams and Videos directly within sessions and use the session Q&A
• Set up Virtual meet-ups with your fellow attendees to connect remotely
• Create and converse through various Discussion Topics in the Community Board
• Receive updates

Please check the following guide for more detail on Whova: How-to-guide.

You will receive a unique link to the IMCC6 Whova app to the email address that you used to register. This will be sent by August 7 2020, but hopefully before this date. Please register and complete your profiles to support engagement networking and general friendliness.

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Guidelines for session chairs 

You will be supported by a host, but you are responsible for the successful running and moderation of your session.

We advise that the steps below are taken by the chair.

• before the event:

  • Attend a Zoom webinar training with IMCC6.

  • Liaise with speakers to ensure they are aware of schedule and to collect presentation slides in case of technical issues. IMPORTANT: In case the speaker has a poor connection quality, a pre-recorded presentation could be collected and played by the session chair in place of a live presentation.

  • Refer to the Whova app or the IMCC6 website for a reminder on who to expect and the running order. Let the IMCC6 organisers know if there are any changes.

  • Ensure you have speaker contact details if chasing is required, ideally touch base a day prior to the event.

• 20 minutes prior to the event:

  • Log into the virtual session room at least 20 min before the session time using a web browser running on a PC. The Zoom webinar room will be linked in the IMCC6 Whova app.

  • Click on the View Live Stream button. The session host will give you “Co-host” permissions which will enable you to manage participants and activate your microphone and camera.

  • Verifies that all speakers are present, opening the Zoom participants panel.

  • Frantically chase missing speakers.

  • Agree with panel on format for Q&A. We recommend directing the audience to the Q&A Chat. We also recommend that all session speakers engage actively in the chat.

• During the event

  • Introduce the session and manage the timings of the speakers. Strict time-keeping should be enforced via the introduction of the speakers by the chair.

 

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Guidelines for oral talk presenters 

Using the correct link in the Whova agenda, please connect to your Zoom session room at least 20 minutes before the start of the session.

Click on the View Live Stream button. The session host will give you ‘panelist’ or ‘presenter’  status to allow you to share your screen, and activate your microphone and camera as required. Please keep your microphone muted whenever you are not speaking, especially while other speakers are presenting or a video presentation is being played.

The speaker is required to participate live in the Q&A session to be held immediately after the presentation. Questions from the audience will be asked through the Zoom Q&A Chat.

If any issues arise, please contact IMCC6 organisers (info@imcc6.com) providing the name, email and detail on the problem. 

Presentation format

If you have concerns over the quality of your internet access for your presentation please email us (info@imcc6.com) asap.

Presentations will be shared from the presenter’s (speaker’s) computer unless otherwise agreed with your session chair. You may use any platform you prefer to present you talk (e.g. powerpoint/prezi) but suggest that you test your presentation prior to the ‘real deal’. 

Timings will be strictly enforced.

• Oral presentations: 10 min

• Q&A after each presentation: 4 min

• Handover between each talk: 1 min

• Speed presentations: 3 min, 1 presentation slide

 

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Guidelines for poster presentations

We have a brand new bespoke poster platform. We love it and hope you do too! Posters will be available for all delegates throughout the conference, we will also facilitate ‘live’ poster sessions, which you should attend if possible. Please refer to our schedule for the timings.

In the Community forum in Whova, there will be discussion channels for each theme, where poster presenters can discuss and respond to questions.

Please upload your poster through this Google form by August 12 2020. You are also able to upload a short audio file to present your poster. If necessary, you can also email your poster PDF and audio file to posters@imcc6.com, with your name, poster ID, and poster title.

Presentation format

• Posters - 1 page, portrait format (i.e. A0), 10MB max file size, only PDF, please use your poster ID as the filename.

• Audio - 3 mins max, 10MB max file size, .MP3, .MP4, .M4A accepted, please use your poster ID as the filename.

Creating your poster 

Creating a good poster can be challenging – even more so if it is presented remotely. You want to create a poster that speaks for itself, so you can focus on answering all those interesting questions you will get from your audience. Here are some recommendations to help you to prepare your perfect poster: 

1. Work with a draft – on your PC or on paper – to visualize the story that you want to tell to your audience, as well as proportions. 

2. Try to explain your main message to someone who is not familiar with the topic and ask if the draft supports that idea. Do not try to summarize all your research but focus on that one story you want to bring across. 

3. Prepare for the right audience. Check out our program to see the range of topics and disciplines of our event. Adjusting your jargon accordingly will help to reach as many people as possible. 

4. Use readable fonts, high-quality images and a clear structure for your poster. 

5. An additional short audio recording can be submitted to support your poster. However, in the virtual setting of this conference make sure that your poster is self-explanatory.