SODACODE 2022 Speaker Guide

Welcome!

Thank you for speaking at SODACODE 2022, taking place virtually Tuesday, May 24 – Thursday, May 26 during Japan Standard Time, UTC +9.

This is your official event speaker guide. Please bookmark this page for easy reference and continue to check back as the event gets closer as we will be adding additional speaker information, such as on-site details, as they are available. If you have any questions, please email Shannon Jessee at sjessee@linuxfoundation.org.

Please click through the tabs on this page to access information.

Deadlines

All Speakers Registration Deadline: Tuesday, May 10. You should have received registration information in your speaker welcome email. Please email sjessee@linuxfoundation.org if you need this information.
Virtual Speaker Pre-Recorded Video Due Date: Friday, May 13
All Speaker Presentation Slides Due: Monday, May 23
Event Dates: Tuesday, May 24 – Thursday, May 26 during Japan Standard Time, UTC +9.

Schedule, Timing & Speaker Profiles

The schedule has been announced and posted on our website using Sched.com. You will receive an email directly from Sched.com you to create your account; please make sure to upload your bio and photo.

If you have a conflict with the timing of your talk or find that it conflicts with the content of another talk; or are having problems uploading your bio and photo, please contact Shannon Jessee at sjessee@linuxfoundation.org.

Presentation Template & Slide Upload

Due by Monday, May 23

We ask that all speakers submit their slides ahead of the event. In addition to providing a hard copy for accessibility purposes, we find that adding the presentations before the event helps to drive interest in attending the session.

An optional slide template is available for your use.

Please note that your presentation slides should be submitted in PDF format to Sched.com and must be formatted in 16:9.

To upload slides:

Log into your SODACODE 2022 speaker profile through Sched.com
On the top of the page, click “Manage and Promote Your Session”
Click “Add Presentation”
Click in the “Select a File” box and add the PDF document (note: there is a 50MB size limit)
Click “Upload” and your slides will automatically be saved
Or send them to sjessee@linuxfoundation.org who will upload them on your behalf

Pre-recorded Videos

Due Date: Friday, May 13

If you are unable to present live, you will need to submit a pre-recorded video ahead of the event in mp4 format.

Some suggested tools to use for recording are Quicktime, Google Hangouts, Zoom, a screen recorder, or something similar. The recording should show your slides/screen as well as you presenting using a picture in picture style format. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Uploading Instructions for Pre-recorded Sessions

We have multiple options for uploading your pre-recorded presentation:

Add your recording directly into the Google folder (please email sjessee@linuxfoundation.org to confirm we received your file)
Share your file with sjessee@linuxfoundation.org.
Or let us know if you have an alternate method (DropBox, file sharing service, etc)

Videos need to be received no later than Friday, May 13

Technical Tips for Virtual Presentations

Audio – as counterintuitive as it may sound, the single most important factor in a good video, is the audio quality.
Eliminate ambient noise – close the doors and windows. You’d be surprised how much environmental noise gets picked up.
Lighting – Do not put lights overhead and don’t put any lights or windows behind you as they will alter the light levels in your videos and create shadows.
Background – don’t be afraid to show your natural environment – bookcases, plants, paintings – as long as they are not too distracting.
Framing – place yourself slightly off-center to the left or right rather than directly in the middle of the frame.
Camera Height – the lens should either be directly level or pointing ever so slightly downwards towards your face.
Stand – we recommend you stand during your presentation to help project your voice and improve your posture. However, if you’re more comfortable sitting, then please do.
Timer – Have a clock to keep track of the time you have remaining.

From: https://www.greatspeech.co/video-presentations/

Lighting, Webcam and Microphone Best Practices

Best Practices for Lighting

For best results, use natural light and supplement with additional light as needed.
Keep natural light in front of you to avoid shadows. A bright window behind you can make you appear as a dark silhouette.
Interior rooms with no natural light source may require additional targeted lighting, such as a ring light, to brighten the speaker’s face.

Best Practices for Webcams

To ensure the speaker is looking directly at the audience, place the webcam at eye level.
Avoid distracting backgrounds by checking the surroundings behind you to make sure there are no distracting colors or movement.
Presenters should use chairs that are adjustable for height but do not swivel. Swiveling on camera creates a poor attendee experience and can be distracting.

Best Practices for Microphones

Use external microphones whenever available, as microphones built into computers and cameras often have lower quality.
An external microphone allows the speaker to place it in the optimal location for sound.
Place the microphone close to the speaker’s mouth, but not in the camera view.
Test audio levels in advance.
Manage noise by turning off fans, phones, or speakers and keep ambient noise to a minimum.
Do not touch the microphone while unmuted.

Dress Code

There is no dress code for presentations, and we encourage you to be comfortable. That said, you must be aware the Code of Conduct applies to this space, both in terms of what you show on camera and what you say. We ask that you be tasteful and considerate in choosing your clothing and surroundings. Keep in mind that we are a global community. Please refrain from wearing shirts with global brand logos that are not your own. Solid colors (not white) also work best instead of prints.

Tips to Keep Your Virtual Audience Engaged

Learn the Content: Familiarity with the content allows a speaker to focus on presenting, rather than trying to remember the points to make. To minimize worry about forgetting elements of the presentation, include notes in your presentation file and have a printout of your script or talking points.
Practice Makes Perfect: Speakers should practice their content delivery in the environment in which they will deliver it, such as in front of a computer. Presenting alone to a computer can be awkward at first. To make speakers more comfortable, ask colleagues, roommates, or family to sit in front so they can present to familiar faces.
Understand the Tools: Speakers should understand and utilize the content options available to them, to maximize the effectiveness of the presentation technology. It’s important to know the basic functions of the software, e.g. how to advance slides, manage Q&A or chats, before the presentation.
Speak Up: Check audio levels before presenting, but also make sure to breathe at regular intervals to speak audibly and clearly. Maintaining a clear, even tone throughout the presentation will allow the audience to hear it without adjusting their volume settings.
Look at Your Camera: If presenting via video, remember, the webcam is your link to your audience. Make eye contact with the camera so it appears to the audience that you are speaking directly to them.
Don’t Fear Mistakes: Humans make mistakes, even during presentations. Realize that flubs happen and they won’t derail your presentation – unless you let them. Just keep going in your planned presentation and remember, the audience is forgiving.
Be Prepared: During the presentation, have a glass of water nearby to sip as needed. Also, keep handy a printout of your slides or notes in case you need to refer to them.

Inclusive Speaker Orientation Online Course

The Linux Foundation, in collaboration with the National Center for Women in Technology (NCWIT), has created an online course designed to teach the viewer about inclusion, diversity, and unconscious bias. We highly recommend all of our speakers watch the course to learn tips/tools to use when speaking to encourage inclusivity in presentations and messaging.

Promote Your Talk

We are pleased to offer speaker cards for you to share online and on your social media! You can find your individual card in the shared folder online.

Please note if you do not see your card, we are in the process of creating and it will be added shortly. Please check back soon.

Event hashtag: #SODACODE

Code of Conduct

Please read, and abide, by our code of conduct, which can be found here. Our code of conduct is strictly enforced. We ask that speakers especially review this code of conduct and are careful to be inclusive in the words and images used during their presentations.

Additional Resources

Best Gear for Online Meetings – Webcams, lights, mics, tripods and more

19 Video Presentation Tips to help you give a great presentation (even if you hate the way you look on camera)

9 Tips for Giving Engaging Virtual Presentations – This article gives 9 tips and within each tip has folks from the tech world giving their advice in a fun/relatable way.

PACE Acronym for Virtual Presentations

Checklist for Speakers – this article provides checklists applicable for speakers that are live streaming.

Contact Us

Do you have a speaker or schedule-related question?

Please contact Shannon Jessee at sjessee@linuxfoundation.org

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