Logistics

Since we'll be together for three days, let's get comfortable! VCTC is experimenting with several Zoom session types, which each carry different expectations regarding participation. General guidelines are compiled below to help the program run as smoothly as possible.

Attendees

Each of the two morning sessions and the Tuesday afternoon session will be run as webinars. Zoom links will be posted to a password-protected site shared with registrants shortly before the conference begins. Zoom requires Attendees to enter their names and emails to join webinars. At webinar sessions, Attendees will be muted on entry by default and will not be able to see nor hear other attendees. During the talks, please write any questions you have for a speaker in the Q&A forum. After a talk, use Raise Hand to ask your question in person. The Session Chair will call on Raised Hands in order, and the session host will prompt you to unmute your microphone. Ask your question as you normally would. If someone else asks the same or a similar question, please Lower Hand. The Session Chair will call on as many Raised Hands as time allows. All questions in the written Q&A will be collected at the end of the session and given to the Moderator of the corresponding Panel Discussion for further exploration. The Chat function will not be available.

The afternoon concurrent Panel Discussions will be run as regular Zoom meetings. Panel Discussions are envisioned as deeper explorations of the morning themes in a more intimate and informal setting. While Moderators are given free rein to design their sessions, Panel Discussions will most likely offer a blend of moderated chatting among the morning speakers, Q&A remaining from the morning session, and a live discussion with Attendees. Although all Attendees will be muted on entry, Attendees should enable their mikes and videos to prepare for discussion. Attendees will be able to see each other. The written Chat function will be enabled so that Attendees may communicate among themselves. Otherwise, please follow the Moderator’s instructions about participation.

Anyone with a Speaking Role: Session Chairs, Speakers, Moderators, Poster Presenters

Use the best possible internet connection to avoid bandwidth and stability issues. If possible, please use a natural background rather than a Zoom or virtual background. Minimize background noise and interruptions to the greatest extent possible. When you speak, try to look into the camera lens regularly and minimize the time spent looking at yourself, off into space, or at your slides. Remember to upgrade your Zoom client to the latest version—you will not be able to speak if you are missing a critical update.

Session Chairs

Both morning sessions each day and the Tuesday afternoon session will be conducted in Zoom webinar format. A Session Chair will be designated as a Panelist for the duration of the session he or she chairs. Assure that your mike and video are enabled immediately upon entry. Your video will be visible to attendees, and you will be able to speak, share your screen, call on people, etc.

Session Chairs are asked to first introduce themselves and explain the protocol to Attendees, e.g., type questions into Q&A throughout a talk and Raise Hand to ask questions when a speaker finishes. Introduce speakers by name, affiliation, and talk title. Since time remaining cannot be communicated in Zoom via hand signal, please interject aloud at the 5-minute to go mark (accounting for 5 minutes of Q&A at the end of each talk). Prompt speakers again when they have 1 minute remaining. When the speaker finishes, manage the Q&A. Raised Hands will appear in chronological order at the top of the panel on the right of your Zoom panel. Please help us stay on schedule! End questions as close as possible (promptly?) at 30 minutes for the featured speaker, 20 minutes for the other morning speakers, and 25 minutes for the Tuesday afternoon speakers. Finally, please answer aloud questions such as “can you hear me?” and tell speaker “we can’t hear you.”

Speakers

All Speakers in a webinar session will begin as Panelists. Please mute your microphone and turn off your video until it is your turn to speak. As a Panelist, you will be able to share your screen and use the annotation and spotlight (pointer) features in Zoom.

Session Chairs have been asked to remind Speakers of the time remaining at 5 minutes to go and at 30 seconds to go. Please reserve 5 minutes for a very short live Q&A at the end of your slot. The “Raise Hand” feature will be used to field questions from the audience when you are finished speaking. The Session Chair will call on Raised Hands individually, and you will not be required to monitor the feed. The Zoom session host will enable questioners’ audio in order for them to talk to you directly. Unanswered written questions remaining after time expires will be collected for the moderator and addressed during the Panel Discussion. After you finish speaking and answering questions, please mute your mike and turn off your audio again.

Moderators

Panel Discussions will be run as traditional Zoom meetings. Many of you probably manage group meetings this way and are familiar with the format. It is within the Moderator's discretion to design the session and to choose, order, and allot time to various segments as discussed above in the Attendee section. Audience participation may be solicited by asking for Raised Hands and calling on individuals to unmute/mute themselves. Although all Attendees will be muted on entry, Attendees are asked to enable their video so that you will be able to see each other. The written Chat function will also be enabled for Attendees to communicate among themselves.

Poster Sessions

VCTC poster sessions, comprising over 150 posters in total, have both an asynchronous and a self-hosted, live component. Abstracts and links to Lightning Talks and Posters will be made available to all registrants through the password-protected site beginning a few days before the conference. Abstracts are searchable by topic, by keyword, by author, and by Outstanding designation. Registrants are encouraged to explore these materials at their leisure before and during the conference. You are sure to be impressed by their high quality!

Poster Session Visitors

Poster Presenters will be available to discuss their Posters and Lightning Talks with you during the designated poster sessions on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Their contact information can be found in the Contact box with their respective listings at the Posters tab on the password-protected site.

Poster Presenters

Poster Presenters are expected to make themselves available during their designated poster sessions: surnames A-L from 2:00-4:00pm PDT on Monday and surnames M-Z from 2:00-4:00pm PDT on Wednesday.

Information about entering and editing Contact information has been sent to Poster Presenters under separate cover. As a reminder, the Contact field will appear with listings at the Posters tab, but Contact information cannot be edited from there. Contact preferences must be updated at “My Account/Edit.”

During your assigned time slot, be sure to be where you say you are! If an emergency arises, try to update your Contact information.

Technical issues will almost certainly arise at some point over more than eighteen hours of programming. Please be patient! If you can’t find an answer to your technical question in the Zoom Help Center on the Zoom.us page, you may email us at vctc.talks@gmail.com.