Build a sense of community

• Hold regular virtual meetings with authors (see Plan a symposium action list plus timeline, incl. template meeting agendas)

• Encourage collaborative manuscripts co-authored by the presenters invited to your symposium (Perspective or Review article)

• Encourage or host writing groups to help with timely manuscript submission

Be transparent about presenter expectations

• Communicate expectations and timelines (see Plan a symposium action list plus timeline, including template communications)

• Communicate publication expectations and author support resources (such as ICB author support webpage)

Build resilience

• Recruit a co-presenter. Encourage speakers to work closely with their co-presenters so they are able to replace the presenter if needed

• Have back-up speakers on stand-by. Invite back-up speakers by recruiting presenters to your symposium's complementary oral sessions; consider designating back-up speakers in advance (ask complementary speakers if they would be willing to to moved to a symposium slot if need arises)

  • Pro: complementary talks are already in the conference program; it's easier on the presenter to turn a complementary talk into a symposium talk than upgrading a poster to a talk

  • Con: moving a speaker from a complementary session to a symposium creates a gap in the complementary session schedule (let that be SICB's worry)

• Be the back-up, not the main act. Plan a presentation by the symposium organizers as back up instead of giving yourselves a time slot in the original line-up; submit the abstract to the complementary poster session to ensure that the presentation is already in the schedule

  • Pro: moving a poster presentation to the symposium does not create a gap in the complementary session schedule

  • Con: requires preparing a poster and a talk; to reduce workload, submit a complementary talk instead