Welcome
We are excited to welcome you as a speaker for Open Mainframe Summit 2022, which will take place September 21-22, at the Convene at Commerce Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Please click through the tabs on this page to access information.
Registration
To confirm you will be presenting, please register as a speaker by Wednesday, July 15 using the details you received in your notification email. If you are not registered by July 15, there is a possibility that your speaking slot will be replaced by one on our waiting list, so please do so promptly.
NOTES:
Visa Letter Requests
Please register for the event and then complete the visa letter request if you require a visa letter.
Travel Funding
If you require travel funding as a part of your proposal and have not submitted your request, please do so as soon as possible. You can access the form here. The deadline for travel funding applications is Friday, July 15.
* Please note: Talk acceptance does not guarantee travel funding.
Venue Information
This year’s event will take place at the Convene at Commerce Square at 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Schedule, Timing + Speaker Profiles
The schedule will be announced Wednesday, June 29, and posted on our website using sched.com. You will receive an email directly from sched.com asking 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 the Open Mainframe Summit Content Team.
Presentation Details
All speakers are required to submit their final presentation 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. A presentation template is provided for you to use, but it not required. The deadline for uploading presentations to Sched is Monday, September 19.
To upload slides:
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.
Code of Conduct
Please read, and abide, by our code of conduct. Our code of conduct is strictly enforced. We ask that speakers especially review this code of conduct and be inclusive in the words and images used during their presentations.
Contact Us
If you have any other platform, speaker, or schedule-related questions, please contact us at Open Mainframe Summit Content Team.
Virtual Speaker Pre-recording Information + Tools
Virtual speakers are required to upload pre-recorded videos of their talk, which will be played through the event platform.
If you need assistance with your pre-recorded talk, please contact us at Open Mainframe Summit Content Team for additional information.
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 Open Mainframe Summit Content Team to confirm we received your file)
- Share your file with Open Mainframe Summit Content Team
- Or let us know if you have an alternate method (DropBox, file sharing service, etc)
The deadline to upload your pre-recorded talk is Friday, August 19.
Virtual Q+A
As with physical events, interaction is essential to the success of virtual events and we are asking every presenter to be available during their session for live Q&A chat within the platform. This will provide added value to the audience and create more of an ‘event’ experience. Please ensure you have set aside 5–10 minutes within your allotted presentation time for questions that you will be able to answer within the system’s chat tool.
If you are concerned about your timezone and how that could impact the live Q+A portion of your session, we will do our best to reschedule your session slot to a time that is convenient for you. If you are not comfortable with the idea of a live Q+A, or cannot participate “live,” please contact us immediately.
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.
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 that 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.
Source: https://www.inxpo.com/assets/pdfs/litepapers/How-To-Be-An-Engaging-Speaker.pdf
Additional Resources
- Web Presenting: Gear Tips + Enhancing Your Remote Studio
- 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.
